Check out our interview with Sawyer!

Hello Virtual Music Class Friends!

We are going to be experiencing some changes this Summer, and into Fall regarding our virtual programming. Don't worry, virtual is here to stay! It just might look a little different over the next few months.

Due to in-person activities picking up, and price increases from our curriculum providers, we are going to start phasing out memberships and the larger class packs this Summer in favor of a session-based (or semester-based) program in the Fall. We're not entirely sure what exactly that will look like yet, but we're committed to keeping the pricing as low as possible and maintaining as much flexibility for families as possible since we know that flexibility is important!

Here's what to expect this Summer:

Summer Session 1 (June 7th - July 23rd) will look mostly normal! We had to shuffle the schedule around a few times due to some scheduling changes elsewhere, but it's locked in now as Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with a few Mondays sprinkled in, and a few days off due to teacher's prior commitments, and off the week of the 4th of July.

Please refer to the schedule on Sawyer to keep track, and remember you can view which classes you are signed up for and access Join Buttons by logging on to Sawyer, and clicking on "Calendar" in your profile.

We will begin canceling auto-renews on memberships in late June to make sure that current members are not paying for credits that will not apply to Fall. Smaller class packs and drop-ins will still be available. All current membership activity spots and class pack credits will still apply throughout the whole summer.

Summer Session 2 (July 25th - September 3rd) we will only be offering virtual classes on Tuesdays and Saturdays (except Tuesday July 26th which has been rescheduled for Monday, July 25th). Member spots and class packs will still apply for these classes.

Fall Session will begin September 13th and be session-based. Details to follow.

We also want to thank you so much for enjoying the virtual classes. We truly love seeing you every week and we're grateful for your ongoing support! We were just talking about how amazed and delighted we are that virtual programming has been going strong for two whole years, and it's all thanks to you!!

Anyway, Summer classes are posted so go ahead and sign up for the days you'd like to sing and dance with us, and please feel free to let me know if you have any questions! Happy to help!

Sincerely,

Miss Erin, Miss Kat, Miss Jaime, and Mr. Cole

Hi Friends!

I recently took a jab at composing! Put on your dancing shoes and prepare to get funky and experience the Three Little Pigs like never before!

This video was created by Danny Sciortino, a Chicago Public Schools P.E. teacher. His mission is to combine literacy, movement, and music, creating a multi-sensory resource for parents and teachers to do with their kids! I collaborated with CHiME  to create the music.

Composer: Erin Watt
Bass Guitar: Glenn Fields
Piano: Erin Watt

Check it out!
-Erin :)

In accordance with Chicago's Public Health Order 2021-2, we will now require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for all adults attending classes with registered students. Safety is our #1 priority, and we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to continue to provide a safe and fun environment for our kids while also complying with city guidelines. There are 3 ways to provide proof of vaccination:

1. Upload your (or your caregiver's) vaccination card/record to your Sawyer Profile. (Steps listed below).

2. Email a pic of your vaccination card/record to [email protected]

3. Bring your card/record (photocopies or digital copies accepted) to class to show to the teacher.

We will make a note on your profile so that you only have to do this once, but please note that if a different adult brings the child to class than usual (parent, grandparent, caregiver, etc.) that adult will need to bring proof of vaccination to class.


How to upload your card/record to Sawyer (screenshots below):

1. Log on to Sawyer (where you register for class)
2. Click "Manage Account"
3. Scroll down to The Music Playhouse of Chicago
4. Click "Upload File." You can only upload one document, unfortunately, so please upload the card/record of the parent or caregiver who will be primarily accompanying the child to class.

It's been a while, so I figured we were due for an update!

We now have classes in three different indoor locations; two on Southport, and one in Lincoln Park. We are hoping to add more soon! We are also still offering virtual classes and private in-home classes, so check that out! Here is some more information about our current locations below:

This Winter, I had the honor of serving on the Song Review Committee alongside the folks at The Music Class, Inc. our curriculum providers. Our goal was to research and identify problematic songs; songs that have racist connotations or negative histories that would need to be changed, updated, or replaced. We assembled an advisory board of BIPOC experts in music history and culture to give us guidance on the best way to move forward to ensure our curriculum embraces and celebrates inclusivity and diversity.

View the video and read the full article here: themusicclass.com/blog/music-matters-pursuit-inclusivity-tmcs-music-library

Dear Friends,

Alas, the time has come. We were sadly unable to negotiate any short-term rent relief with our landlord that would have allowed us to stay, so we have made the extremely difficult and anguishing decision to move out of our beloved studio at 3829 N. Southport.

But fear not, we will still be here! We are going mobile for a little while! This pandemic has proved that we don't need our studio to do music class, we can do music class anywhere! We know this, because we literally have been doing music class everywhere but in our studio for the last 6 months! We've done music class at a movie theater, a restaurant, in our student's backyards, and online!

We love our space and the colorful walls, but music class is not a building. Music class is you, and me, and the music, and we can do that anywhere.

Yes, the weather will get colder, and we are actively working on a plan to offer small sized indoor classes around the Southport Corridor, in addition to the private & pod classes on offer. Once things have gone back to normal and our little business has had a chance to recover, we will begin looking for a new studio in Lakeview. No matter where we end up, we love our Southport community, and we promise to always have a strong presence on Southport :)

Our lease ends on November 30th, one day shy of what would have been The Music Playhouse's 10 year anniversary at 3829 N. Southport.

Request for little artists:

Our landlord insists on putting up the For Lease sign this Thursday, October 1st, and I was thinking, wow, that is going to be a depressing sight to walk past for the next two months, but I had a thought... would you help me decorate the window? I would love to see artwork from our students bring love and joy to our studio while we're still here :)

On the STORE page of our website, you can download a Coloring Page that you and print out, decorate, and slip through the mail slot in our door to be taped up on display in our window. If you are out of town and would still like to participate, you can scan and email your artwork to [email protected] and I'll happily print it out and display it :)

Please help us celebrate the last 10 years and cheer our journey forward with your artwork!

Much Love,
Miss Erin, and all of us at The Music Playhouse :)