Music Authority Family Newsletter - March 23, 2021

A year ago, I never would have imagined the kind of article I can write today.  This photo was taken at our Spring Show, held on March 14, the day after they "temporarily" closed school for two weeks to transition to online learning.  We made the decision to go ahead with our Spring Production and give our students the opportunity to have a last breath of normalcy before things started to change due to a disease called COVID.

Later, we would get emails and phone calls thanking us for believing "The Show Must Go On."  It would be the last "normal" show we'd have for over a year.

Over the next twelve months, we tried to flatten the curve, we learned how to communicate without seeing facial expressions, we went to virtual lessons and back to in person lessons.  We learned how to bring our studios up to CDC guidelines for health and safety.  We learned how to shop for groceries two weeks at a time and experienced rationed meat, paper towels, cleaning products, and toilet paper.

We learned how much we needed each other and that community matters.  The most profound moment of the lock down was when a parade of Music Authority families came rolling through the nearly empty Music Authority parking lot blaring their horns and holding up signs to remind us how much the loved and missed us.  Until that moment, I had no idea how much the isolation was affecting me.  (Andrew, Natalie, and I held down the store for weeks on end alone.  We could go days without seeing anyone during the lock down.)

A year later, I am committed to doing everything I can to keep kids in lessons (because I believe lessons are imperative to both education and social interaction between student and teacher).  I am also more committed than ever to the larger community of Music Authority Family. 

You helped to keep us open.  You called ahead and came in during lock down to buy guitars so that we could stay open.  You were flexible with us while we climbed the steep learning curve of virtual lessons.  You came back to in person lessons and trusted us when we improved out studios.  You are our community.  You are the Music Authority Family.

As we continue to make improvements, as vaccines are given to more of our population, we look forward to the possibility of more "normal" returning to our lives.  We look forward to once again having concerts, spring picnics, and rebuilding the community atmosphere of Music Authority.  Thank you for hanging in there with us for the past twelve months.  

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 26, 2021

Sometimes, it's hard to see progress (or deterioration) when it is slow and steady, spread out over the time span of many months.  I occasionally talk to parents who feel frustrated that their child isn't improving because they can't play Moonlight Sonata (or Back in Black) yet.

Quite often, the problem isn't that the student isn't progressing, it's that the progress is steady, but slow.  Some kids will have a sudden burst of inspiration and jump ahead quickly, only to plateau while new ideas are assimilated into their skill sets.  Most will improve a little at a time, week over week, until they can play more advanced pieces of music.

I never realized how drastic the slowing of time can be until this afternoon.  I lost my dog, Freddy, in August.  He'd developed a degenerative disc disease that first took his back legs from him and then later caused the beginning of organ failures.  It was a slow process - the first signs were in October of 2019; we lost him in August 2020.  In between, there were lots of happy, loving moments, and gratitude that we were able to get him a wheelchair and have him with us at the office twenty-four hours a day.

This week, I went back to watch all our old, iPhone videos from the past year.  I saw the videos where he first started tripping on his feet.  I watched him learn to balance himself differently when he stood.  I relived the last few times he was able to wander around the kitchen on his own feet.  I cheered all over again when he first zoomed around Music Authority in his wheels.  And I realized how drastically he'd changed in the course of a year.  He went from a fluffy, eleven pound dog that loved life to an eight pound, elderly dog who still loved life but struggled to get around.  

While it was happening, I didn't see it.  I didn't see him losing weight.  I didn't see the sadness in his eyes.  (He had lots of happiness, too.  He loved his wheels and wagged his tail, his ears bouncing happily on his last walk only an hour and a half before he crossed the rainbow bridge.)  The point is, I was so close to the change that I didn't realize it happened until it was over.

How does my story connect back to lessons?

Your smartphone is the best tool you have to gauge the progress of your student.  Take a video of them playing.  Do it today.  In three months, when life is stressful and you're wondering if there's a reason to continue in lessons, watch that video.  Do you see progress?  Can you hear a difference?  Are the notes clearer?  Can you see more confidence?  

We take selfies and videos of everything around us.  Why not of your students playing?  In a few months, you might look back and really be surprised.

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

Music Authority Family Newsletter - December 26, 2020

2020.  What can I say about this year in review?  It's been one for the books, that's for certain.

The year started out well.  Spring Show rehearsals were under way, Beyond and Eclipse had gigs scheduled, we had five full rock ensembles, and lessons were maxing out at over 650 students per week.  

And then March hit.  In a last ditch effort for normalcy, we held our Spring Show as planned (albeit with lots of disinfectant, distanced seating, and no backstage antics).  The Spring Show was the day after Forsyth County Schools closed for what would ultimately be the year. 

After that, we transferred all of our classes to a temporary online platform that worked, but didn't give students the opportunity to thrive like in person lessons had.  Many kids struggled, progress slowed, families lost interest in music.

Retail closed and for six, long weeks, Andrew, Melissa, and Natalie worked at the store to keep lessons going while everyone else was either temporarily laid off or working from home.  It was lonely.  Staff started to return in May with new protocols to keep everyone healthy and in June students started to return.

Ultimately, student numbers dropped to only 400 students per week (we've been slowly growing and are excited to be back at 460 today).  Summer camp, against all odds, happened.  Families were grateful for the normal experience of camp (even if kids had to distance and wear masks).  We had Rock Camp, Rock Camp, Jr., Vocal Camp, and Art Camp.  Things were looking up.

In August, Music Authority lost one of it's puppy mascots - Freddy the Rescue Pup.  Anyone who had stopped in over the summer had watched him run around the store in his wheels (he'd gone paralyzed in his back legs).  Unfortunately, the IVDD that took his back legs from him ultimately won the battle on August 4 and Freddy crossed the rainbow bridge.  Another difficult moment in a difficult year.

And now, the good stuff.  As we've adapted and persevered in COVID, we've stayed healthy (only a handful of COVID cases and no traceable transmission inside of Music Authority).  We've stuck with CDC guidelines and watched students return to lessons, recitals, and rock ensembles.  We've learned our customers support us and care for us.

We've had families step up to make sure we could make it through the toughest business experience of our careers.  For that, we are grateful.  We've never felt so supported, so loved, and so cared about as we have over the last nine months.  Because of you, Music Authority is still here.  Because you decided to splurge on a guitar, because you trusted us, because you included a little extra in your lessons check, "just because."  

We aren't to the end of this COVID craziness yet, but we're surviving and we're making it through to the other side.  I believe that one day we'll all see each other's smiles again.  I believe that one day, we'll have five full rock ensemble again.  I believe we'll see a busy sales floor and 650 students per week.  It won't happen over night.  It will take hard work, dedication, and one step forward at a time.

Thank you for sticking with us through an incredibly tough year.  Thank you for believing in The Music Authority Family.  Thank you for being part of our team and our family.  We couldn't have done it without you.

Here's to 2020.  May we have learned more than we have lost; may we always remember what it feels like to support our local businesses; may we hold onto the kindnesses and forget the anger.  And may 2021 bring with it hope, love, and joy.

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

Music Authority Family Newsletter - December 1, 2020

How are your holiday plans changing due to COVID?  It seems like we're all learning to adapt and create new holiday memories.  I normally sing in Christmas Eve services and I'm adjusting to knowing that might not happen this year.  I won't be spending Christmas Day with my parents, Andrew and I will have a quiet holiday alone with our pets.

Don't get me wrong, a day off with the opportunity to sleep in and watch movies on television sound completely relaxing after a stress filled year.

How does music play into your holiday?  Will there be songs around the Christmas tree or to celebrate Hanukkah?  Do your holiday dreams include a new guitar or amplifier?  How about a drum set or an effects pedal?  Do your stockings need guitar picks or drum sticks?

We're all doing things a little differently this year.  If you've never thought about shopping local this holiday season, I would like to encourage you to do so this year.  Order one less gift from Amazon and help support the struggling business owners in your community.  We're all reinventing ourselves daily, doing our best to keep our door open and our employees paid.

Local businesses pay local taxes.  They provide local jobs and give back to local charities.  We're the first to step up when Meals By Grace needs help feeding needy families.  We help provide gifts to kids in foster care and drop off cat litter at the animal shelter when they put out a call for help.  We don't do it for thanks and often we do it without any fanfare.  We do it because we care about the community we live in and we want our community to thrive.

This year when you shop, think about stores like Dutch Monkey Doughnuts, Simple Strands, Talk of the Table, and The Gibson Company.  Think about Giorgio's and Marie's Deli.  Think about the small shops and restaurants that are part of this community we all love.  They've all worked hard to get through a summer, fall, and now the beginning of a winter of COVID.  Support them so that they can continue to support the community we live in.

And, if it's on your list, stop by Music Authority and let us help you find that guitar, amplifier, drum set, or stocking stuffer for your tree.  We would be honored to serve you this holiday season.

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

November

11/5 - 7:30pm - Fearless Live from the Backroom (Broadcast on YouTube Live)
11/6 - 6pm - Beyond at Because Coffee's Birthaversary Celebration (tickets available)
11/7 - All Day - Filming for the Fall Show
11/12 - 7:30pm - Morgan Rowe Live from the Backroom (Broadcast on YouTube Live)
11/14 - 6:30pm - Colors of Fall Classical Department Recital
11/19 - 7:30pm - Unveiled Live from the Backroom (Broadcast on YouTube Live)
11/20 - Spring Show registration begins
11/25 - 10am - Eclipse at Halcyon - Kid's Club
11/26 - Thanksgiving Day, Music Authority is Closed
11/30 - Eclipse Audition Registration Opens
11/30 - Spring Rock Ensemble Registration Opens

December

12/13 - 3:00pm - Holiday Classical Department Recital
12/31 - 6pm - Virtual New Year's Eve Show

Music Authority Family Newsletter - October 20, 2020

A lot has been said this year about keeping ourselves healthy.  As flu season approaches (adding more concerns to an already concerning year), we wanted to review with you what we're doing at Music Authority to keep our students as healthy as possible.

All studios have plastic barriers between teachers and students.  These movable barriers will stay in place during lessons, but are movable so our teachers can get in and out of their studio.

All teachers have access to medical grade sanitizer and we've asked them to spray down shared equipment between lessons.

There is hand sanitizer at the front door of the store and plenty of soap in each bathroom.

We request that masks be worn while in the store.

If a student becomes sick, we will disinfect the studio (with medical grade sanitizer) and notify students that may have been in contact with the student.  So far, we have had very limited exposure. 

All recitals are socially distanced with very limited seating for an audience.

We continue to stay on top of the changes in regulations and suggestions from the CDC in dealing with COVID and also coming soon, the flu season.  We feel that interaction is important to the mental health of our students so we will continue to do our best to keep everyone here healthy and safe.

Thank you for being part of the Music Authority Family and on this crazy journey with us.  We look forward to a day when we can see each others smiles without masks!

Melissa A. Loggins, Owner

Music Authority Family Newsletter - March 10, 2020

This Friday, March 13, is the Spring Show!

What is the Spring Show?  It's a time when the staff and students at Music Authority put on one heck of a performance!  Any student at Music Authority can register to perform; they're placed in a band; rehearse for 10 weeks; then perform their hearts out.

Why is it important for other students to see the show?  Inspiration!

Our records show that students who perform are significantly more likely to stay in lessons and continue to reap the benefits of a musical education.  Non-performing students stay in lessons an average of 3 months.  Students who perform stay 5-7 years.  Performance is an important part of a musical education!

The best way to inspire a student to start performing is to inspire them by bringing them to watch other students their age perform.  Friday's show will have students of all ages.  Be sure to bring yours to enjoy the show, find the inspiration, and maybe watch your own teachers on stage, too!

Music Authority Family Newsletter - February 25

Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 21,2020

Music Authority Family Newsletter - January 21,2020