can make regular music program delivery almost impossible . Unfortunately , many of these things will be the reality this coming school year .
CMT : Generally speaking , for classroom music teachers , how important are their relationships with their local music retailers ?
Brown : A great relationship with your local retailers is essential . From long-term planning , spending of grant / budget money , instrument repair / maintenance , or just a last-minute microphone replacement , it ’ s essential to have a reliable and knowledgeable retailer in your contacts . The industry changes quickly , and a retailer that can highlight the new things without it feeling like a sales pitch is important . Shopping for your program and making every dollar count can be a big and stressful task , but it should also be fun .
CMT : In terms of music teachers ’ usual schedules for ordering instruments and supplies , or getting things repaired , have those cycles been thrown into flux as compared to a normal year ?
Brown : Absolutely . While some yearly purchases will remain no matter what , many things had to be put aside during the onset of the pandemic . Many teachers had their programs altered , but their budgets stayed the same . I know I personally spent the money I would normally have spent on choral music and folders on replacing some aging sound equipment and computer programs . Some schools lost their budget entirely , so next year will be a recovery year financially as well . Teachers may want to continue the alternative programming they implemented this year , like guitar or percussion ensemble , so their entire budgets may need to be re-examined to fit what their program looks like now .
CMT : This summer and fall , what things can music retailers do to serve their local music teachers ?
Brown : The best advice I can give is to be ready to offer solutions . In a normal year , I love someone who can answer my questions and have a tangible solution when I purchase for my program . As we get a better idea of what the school year is going to look like and what we can and cannot do in our classrooms , having someone who can suggest safe and affordable solutions to a last-minute public health decision will be paramount for many music educators . Last year , retailers were amazing at finding guitars and outfitting entire percussion ensembles on such short notice . So , a huge thank you to all the retailers who went above and beyond at making sure music was still being made in our schools last year ! This year , we have the advantage of at least having an idea what plan A , B , C , and D might look like , so having those solutions for us will be paramount in maintaining healthy educator / retailer relationships .
LAURA GRAY President , Canadian Federation of Music Teachers ’ Associations ( CFMTA ) & Ontario Registered Music Teachers ’ Association ( ORMTA )
CMT : Generally speaking , what is the health of the private music lessons market coming out of the pandemic ?
Laura Gray : There ’ s extremes . There are people who thrived , and then people who just walked away from it and thought , “ I ’ ll wait a few months until this is over .” I think a lot of teachers were able to find resources , if they wanted to , and some were at that point in their life where they just said , “ This is not for me and I ’ m going to retire or move on to a different career path .” The ones who did stick it out , there were lots of webinars available and other things , like social media groups and such , that were very supportive for teachers . There are platforms — like Rock Out Loud Live , and of course there ’ s Zoom , FaceTime — and you use whatever you have and go with it .
Then , for example , I had a student last spring whose dad told me they were moving to Elliot Lake , which is up in Northern Ontario , and he asked , “ Can you still be her teacher ?” I said , “ Well , I ’ ve done it [ virtually ] for the past couple of months , so if that ’ s what you feel you want .” But I said , “ Ideally a seven-year-old would maybe have an in-person lesson that is a little more hands-on and playful . But if you feel that you ’ re not going to find the teacher there that you ’ re looking for , let ’ s go with this .” So , I think a lot of teachers found , too , that not only could they keep students who were moving away , but they could then tap into a market further abroad .
CMT : Does it put teachers in an awkward position as safety measures become optional ?
Gray : It definitely could . I know as the ORMTA president this past year , I received emails almost weekly , saying , “ What does ORMTA say we need to be doing ?” I just said , “ ORMTA says check with your regional health authority [ laughs ].” But when I would give them clear direction , like saying that masks are highly recommended or to screen students who are coming in-person , they were so appreciative of that kind of clear direction . So , teachers really do like clear-cut parameters .
I think you hit on it with the fact that it ’ s going to be a little bit of a competition where , say , “ Mrs . Brown on this side of the town says you don ’ t have to wear a mask and Mrs . Smith on this side of the town says you do — so we ’ re all going to go over here where we don ’ t have to wear masks .” There is that feeling of , if I ask my students to do X , Y , and Z , am I going to lose them to somebody who doesn ’ t ?
CMT : For private music teachers based out of a studio or their own home , how important is the relationship with their local music retailers ?
Gray : I think teachers are looking for that connection and live interaction . I think a lot of teachers really want to get their hands on the product before they buy it . If I ’ m looking for a new method book or a supplementary book , it ’ s fine to show me a preview of a couple pages on a screen , but it ’ s not as good , right ?
Also , musicians , specifically composers and performing artists , often shed light on the current social issues of the time . With the current movements of diversity , inclusion , and equality , private music teachers have a desire to share music from many cultures and styles with their young students . Publishers and retailers who are able to showcase repertoire choices will be assisting teachers with this element of their curriculum .
CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE 25