Preparations are under way for the 2020-2021 school term.

Obviously, this isn't going to be an average Fall music school entry nor are the next few months going to be similar to previous years. I've been watching the news, reading, contemplating and discussing what our lives will be like over the next few weeks as kids and parents begin their new school grades and as parents and their piano students begin to either appear at the entrance of my studio or on my computer screens.

Masks (medical), hand-washing, physical distancing, frequent sanitizing and increased air filtration seem to be some of the best ways to fight the spread of viruses including COVID-19.

This isn't an issue for me or my family as we have complied with our city's decision to always wear a mask when inside a public area, washed our hands religiously when leaving and coming home, kept our distance as best we could when shopping or moving around the city and upgraded and changed our furnace filter to keep that air really clean!

One of the benefits of my studio and probably most Suzuki-style piano studios is that I use two pianos for classes. One for the student and one for the teacher. Once I've cleaned the student keyboard with a hydrogen peroxide cloth for 30 seconds, it's sanitized and ready for the next student. This goes well with the plan to have students wash their hands upon arriving at the studio, wearing a mask and doing their best not to touch their face.

Usually, it's parent and student that arrive at the studio entrance for each class, especially when students are very young and when it's a Suzuki-style class. It's tough reading recommendations that ask parents to wait in their car during lessons because they miss the magic moments and the note-taking and observing that needs to happen. The end-result is when they are at home helping their child practice, they aren't quite as in the loop as they would have been had they been in the same room. I'm not sure which way to go with this recommendation, but would like nothing better than to see the spread of this virus limited as much as possible.

It's going to take some adjustments, especially in the first few weeks, as we move ahead with our plans to conduct in-person lessons. There will, no doubt, be a few bumps in the road to deal with but, hopefully, these new health measures will make a big difference.