Face-to-face lessons are back

Face-to-face music lessons and band rehearsals are back at JWA. After our adventure in online teaching and learning, we are very happy to be back in-person. From recent feedback, our students are overwhelmingly pleased too. As exciting as it is, we must still be careful to stay Covid-safe.

All our jazz combos are now back rehearsing in-person. Combos are small jazz bands, up to 8 members. All our teachers and almost all students are back to face-to-face lessons too. Online lessons are still an option for those who still want them. We even had one young student joining us remotely for a combo rehearsal last week, playing with his band in real-time using Jamulus and Koord Real Time software.

Safety is a priority with everyone back. Naturally, JWA is a registered Covid-Safe business with a detailed plan for protecting students and teachers. All our teaching spaces exceed the 4sqm per person requirement. The band rehearsal rooms can comfortably accommodate more than our largest combo and the large room can safely house a big band. In addition, we have windows that can be opened for fresh air, mobile air filters, and fans. Students and teachers disinfect chairs, music stands, pianos, and so on between lessons. Other surfaces like door handles and the photocopier are disinfectant-wiped regularly. Everyone sanitizes their hands on arrival and after lessons. Mask wearing is mandatory for everyone all the time except wind players while actually playing. Everyone entering JWA signs in with either QR code or manually. All students aged 16+ and all teachers must be double-vaccinated.

An important part of keeping everyone Covid-safe is, of course, keeping Covid and other illnesses out of the venue completely. Students or teachers who are ill or showing Covid-like symptoms must not come inside. They can easily do their lesson, or even rehearsal, remotely instead.

Our Summer Jazz Camp is also going ahead as a fully-residential camp with reduced numbers and Covid-safe measures in place.

It is such a relief to be back, and has been a real pleasure to see everyone again. Online learning was an exciting adventure, but face-to-face lessons and rehearsing are where it’s at!