Thanks for a Great Year of Virtual Piano Labs!

The Gilmore Education Department’s Piano Labs have looked a little bit different this year. During a normal school year, Piano Labs serve up to seven students per classroom and are equipped with the keyboards and resources students need to learn piano effectively. This year, they’ve been conducted virtually with fewer students per class and more class times offered. Students have also been provided keyboards through Keys2Kids, The Gilmore’s new program that loans digital keyboards free of charge to enrolled students. 

Just like many things that have been changed by the Coronavirus pandemic, there have been victories and hardships associated with this set-up. “From an administrative perspective, having registration be online this year has given us the ability to gather the information that parents may have felt shy to fill out in person,” Kathy Hernandez, Piano Lab Coordinator for The Gilmore, said. “Communication and engagement with students and families was difficult at the beginning. We had to develop a process to teach parents how to access our virtual classroom.” However, this out-of-classroom experience allowed for flexibility in the timing of Piano Lab for busy families. “In the normal setup, Piano Labs took place during the school day. Now virtually, students and parents have the option of having piano lessons on the day and time that best suits them.” 

Our Piano Lab instructors needed to adjust to a new way of teaching, but found the process to be rewarding. “Because of the smaller virtual class sizes, I have come to understand that there are as many unique learning styles as there are students, especially with a population as diverse as the students I teach, “ Georgetta Booker, Piano Lab Instructor, said. “One of my favorite parts of teaching virtually has been diving into different teaching methods to make sure that all of my students are reaching their individual goals. I can take the time to talk to them about how they learn and focus best. When we’re in person again and have the larger class sizes, I want to adapt my teaching to accommodate their individual needs.”

Though the 2020-21 school year may have looked different than anyone could have anticipated, we are incredibly proud of the students and teachers who embraced virtual learning in the Gilmore Piano Labs. Thank you for a great year!