Thank you for visiting our COVID-19 Policy page and reading our guidelines and requirements to help keep our community as healthy as possible. As the situation in NYC evolves and requirements from the CDC are updated, we continue to update and adapt our policies to align with the most current health and safety policies.

SPACE GUIDELINES
-To prevent the spread of Coronavirus, we are limiting class sizes and asking that students be dropped off for group classes. (RSP/Readiness and beginner group classes may have one adult in the classroom).
-Classrooms are equipped with a blue air filter and window access
-All shared instruments and materials will be sanitized regularly
-All persons over age 2 who enter the school must wear a mask for the duration of their stay. (Flute students/flute faculty may remove their masks during portions of the lessons. Additional protocols will be required of flute students).
-No eating or drinking is permitted inside the space

VACCINATION POLICIES
We are require everyone aged 12+ to show proof of vaccination in order to participate in our in-person Silver Music programs, or spend more than 10 minutes inside the school.  

• All eligible Silver Music students/adults must receive one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by their first lesson or class. (VACCINE FORMS ARE BELOW).
• If you intend to seek an exemption from the vaccine requirement due to medical circumstances, a letter from a medical provider must be emailed to silvermusic@silvermusic.org prior to the start of your lessons/class

If a student (12 years and older) does not plan to receive the vaccine and does not have a medical exemption letter from a medical provider, the student’s lesson or class will need to take place online. 

All staff and faculty must provide a proof of vaccine or submit to weekly testing along with a letter of exemption from their medical provider. Facemasks must be worn at all times.

SYMPTOMS AND POSITIVE CASES:
All students and families entering our school acknowledge the contagious nature of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 and that Silver Music cannot guarantee that an individual will not become infected with the Coronavirus/Covid-19. All persons must comply with all set procedures to reduce the spread while attending lessons or classes.

Exhibiting Symptoms
No persons exhibiting symptoms of illness such as cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell, will be permitted to enter the facility.

Positive Cases
If parent or student has tested positive for COVID-19 or are aware that they have been in close contact* with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, they must wait 5 days from exposure/testing positive to enter our facility. Individuals may return on Day 6 if they have no symptoms and they have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. Students returning from isolation on Day 6 must wear a well-fitting mask such as a KN95, KF94, or a cloth mask over a disposable surgical mask on Days 6–10.

For an unvaccinated person of any age who is exposed to COVID-19 in the home, if the COVID-positive household member and student are staying in the same home, the student must continue to quarantine for at least 5 additional days after the household member’s isolation period has ended.

Please note: if your child has recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days, they do not need to quarantine following an exposure and may continue to attend their lesson or class unless they develop COVID-like symptoms.

*Close contact means within 3 feet, masked or unmasked, for at least 10 minutes.

IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION AND FACILITY CLOSURE
For students participating in in-person lessons and classes, in the event Silver Music needs to close its facility for a period of time due to NYC, NYS, and CDC recommendations related to COVID-19, instruction for instrumental and introductory students will continue online. In this event, tuition and withdrawal policies will remain the same.

 
VACCINE FORMS

• If the student or accompanying adult has been fully vaccinated please complete this form (Note: this form requires a Google or Gmail account; if you do not have one, please email the vaccine card directly to silvermusic@silvermusic.org)
• If you/your child will have only received one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine by your first lesson, please fill out this form indicating the date of first dose and the date of appt for the second
• If you intend to seek an exemption from the vaccine requirement due to medical circumstances, please acquire a letter from a medical provider and email to silvermusic@silvermusic.org prior to beginning lessons. A Negative COVID test will be required to accompany your child.

We now offer Suzuki Guitar lessons at Silver Music!

We are excited to have guitarist, João Kouyoumdjian, join our faculty this January 2019, teaching private lessons, and Guitar Readiness for young beginners.

There is noticeable crossover between the Suzuki violin/viola/cello repertoire and guitar repertoire. For those children who have been in our RSP classes, many will recognize some of the early guitar repertoire as we sing these pieces and rhythms in our current classes. Regardless of your child’s background, Suzuki Guitar Book 1 starts with pieces most children know already, including Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Frere Jacques and progresses to works by Purcell and Bach by the end of Book 1.

Because the guitar is such a well-known instrument in pop culture and world music, families may be confused about what it means to study “Suzuki” guitar. Students studying Suzuki guitar are learning classical guitar. This style is non-electric, and instruments are wooden with nylon strings (not steel); students use a footstool for proper posture. Suzuki guitar students begin by learning melodies, not chords. As students progress they learn to play the melody and accompaniment on the guitar, similar to the way piano students begin just by learning a melody before adding an accompaniment or variations. There are currently 9 volumes of Suzuki guitar ending with the Sor Variations on a Theme of Mozart and Albeniz Austurias, encompassing music throughout 5 centuries in an organized progression.

Beginning a student on Suzuki guitar will give them the skills and foundation to be able to play a variety of repertoire on guitar, including non-classical. Suzuki develops a student’s ear to be able to relate to music naturally, and carefully builds technique around manageable goals–helping the student gain mastery. Wherever you see yourself, or your child, going with guitar–a Suzuki foundation can help you get there!

Click Here to watch The Sound of Success an informative introduction to Suzuki guitar created by the SAA Guitar Committee.