Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from Maria Mathieson, Director at Peabody Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
At the Peabody Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University, we have moved all of our music and dance classes and lessons online. That meant almost overnight training our 120 faculty members to deliver online lessons and classes. We’ve been thrilled by our faculty and students who are teaching and learning remotely in a way we never thought possible before. Even many of our large ensembles, like the Peabody Children’s Chorus with almost 500 members, have created new ways to engage and keep students learning with weekly video lessons and activities. At the Preparatory, we’ve now moved 989 active private lessons and 210 group classes online with a total of 1,971 unique students served.
Are you doing something for the community or your employees that you want to share with our readers?
The Peabody Preparatory is Baltimore’s premier community school for the performing arts with approximately 2,000 students. We serve the regional community of K through 12 and lifelong learners and are open to students of all ages and levels of ability with offerings ranging from early childhood classes for infants to programs for adults and provide music and dance instruction.
We know that this is a challenging time for families, however, in response to requests for some additional opportunities to learn, we are pleased to announce our online Spring Minimester, running from April 27 to June 6. We invite you to join us to learn new skills, to expand on a current skill, take some time for yourself, or to have some much-needed stress relief. We think these Minimester classes offer a little for everyone and are in a short encapsulated time period.
What is the status of your employees?
The Preparatory’s staff and faculty are working from home with almost 100% of our programmed spring classes and lessons still occurring online. Having said that, our staff and faculty are performing artists who have lost significant revenue with the cancellation of all public events. Their lives, and others in the music and dance fields, are profoundly impacted by the social and economic constraints surrounding this pandemic. We are creating some additional teaching opportunities to give our faculty an opportunity to continue to earn revenue.
How can readers help you get through the crisis?
The power of the arts helps sustain us all in trying and unprecedented times. The Peabody Institute, including both the Conservatory and Preparatory, has responded to this pandemic with Peabody ArtReach, presenting a curated collection of resources to help performing artists and arts-lovers weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
Your readers can help by following Peabody social channels and the Peabody ArtReach webpage. Please share our artists’ work which offers inspiration, hope, and community through a variety of performances, learning opportunities, moments of wellness, and informational links.
As we mentioned previously, we would love for you to join us for any of our Minimester music and drop- in dance classes that peak your interest.
How are you coping, personally?
As a musician myself, I’m attempting to keep practicing and using that as a way to de-stress, and hopefully not annoying my neighbors too much. My cat also seems to be enjoying having me at home for on demand feeding and entertainment, however, I think she’s getting fed up of me being home all of the time as she has been social distancing by sleeping in the closet just to get away from me.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
During these stressful times, the arts have the capacity to heal, to connect, to provide comfort, and to soothe our souls so I would encourage each and every one of us to take and find an opportunity to seek out that experience.
Learn more about Peabody Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University by visiting their website. You can also check out their Facebook page for updates.
If you represent a local small business or non-profit and would like to share your update with our readers, contact Nicole Allen at nicole@baltimorefishbowl.com. During the crisis, we will offer these sponsored posts for free as a service to the community.
