Temporary Closure of Musikgarten of Oak Park March 16, 2020
Dear Families,
With all my heart, I wish to keep our studio open. The powers that be are making this impossible for the time being. We are in robust health and we kindle hopes that our classes will soon be in fullest swing. Please stay in courage, health, and peace. Seek the truth always and protect your God-given freedoms.
Blessings, abundant blessings on our dear families.
Love and gratitude,
Amy
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Emily Dickinson.
This Is My Song
This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.
May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long;
that each may seek to love and build together,
a world united, righting every wrong;
a world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song.*
by Lloyd Stone and Georgia Harkness
Greetings and Zoom Class Announcement & Simple Arithmetic March 29.2020
Dearest Families,
Warm greetings and our hearts go out to all you dearly missed families. Oh, for the joy and power of Real Life song circles! Given the predicament of these times, however, we will continue the rest of our Winter Session online through Zoom video classes. As you can imagine, this decision was not easy, and we really do hope to bring a little cheer no matter the limits of virtual gatherings.
Yesterday, our joyful Ms. Beky kicked off this new form of teaching with her baby class. It was my first time participating in a Zoom experience, and I must admit: I dreaded the thought of a “virtual” Musikgarten class. It goes against everything I preach - plopping our children in front of screens?!? As the Zoom class opened, my heart ached not to be in a real song circle together with Ms. Beky, parents, and the children. Imagine my surprise and delight when I witnessed Ms. Beky’s love and her musical gifts transcend the chasm of the screen. It was a thing of beauty to see the children and parents sing and dance in their warm homes. Indeed, our beloved families were playing music together and adoring, celebrating, and communing with one another. Though not ideal, Beky really made lemonade out of our current store of lemons.
So, prior to your meeting day, Ms. Beky will send out a Zoom link for your specific class time with instructions and a list of materials you will need. Also, If you need to make up a class, please let us know, since each class time will have its own individual link. You will need to contact us in order to join us for any time other than your usual class time. Finally, if you would like to purchase any instruments, I will be in the studio Monday-Saturday from 9:00-12:00 PM, and am happy to serve you.
Feel free to reach out with questions or concerns.
Faithfully yours,
Ms. Amy
Simple Arithmetic
One peaceful word can end a war,
One touch of sunshine halt the rain,
One light reveal an open door,
One spurt of laughter weaken pain.
One act of faith can strengthen trust,
One glance hold two in loving pause,
A drop of oil can conquer rust,
One voice in protest alter laws.
One tear can shift another's grief,
One broom can clear a house of dross,
One kiss of spring can green a leaf,
A hand in aid can lift a cross.
The power of one, though slight,
Will hold against the weight of might.
Donna Dickey Guyer
FALL SURVEY JUY 20.2020
FALL SURVEY
We are grateful for your feedback.
We appreciate our families. We do! The love and joy of 24 years of Musikgarten of Oak Park is a blessing too rich to fathom. Please keep us in your prayers as we find our way forward. We have heavy but hopeful hearts. Heavy, because hardships and suffering afflict so many in our tender fragile world. Hopeful, because no matter what - love, truth, and the joy of music provide a path forward.
Dear families, we need your feedback. To determine if Musikgarten of Oak Park can hold onto our studio, we must know if you are able to participate in our classes, whether on-line or in the studio.
If the question is pertinent to you, please respond and send feedback to: musikgartenoakpark@gmail.com
1. Do you wish to participate exclusively in a Zoom class format OR in the studio?
2. If in the studio, would you demand masks and/or social distancing?
3. Are you willing to participate in classes where masks and social distancing are not required (given that children need access to healthy levels of oxygen and respond better to faces than masks)?
4. We will use our 14 week session format. Can you commit to 14 weeks?
6. Ms. Olivia and Ms. Amy hope to offer a wee summer Musikgarten camp for children ages 4 - 7. In light of our research of what is healthy for children, we will not require masks or social distancing at this camp. Would you you consider enrolling your child? If so, what are ideal times/days?
7. With the economic devastation of the last 4 months, we are thinking creatively and open-mindedly about how to hold onto our studio. Do you know other teachers and/or program directors who may wish to share our space?
We welcome your suggestions and input. Thank you for your support. You are a blessing and we are grateful, ever and always.
Warmly,
Ms. Amy
FB: https://www.facebook.com/musikgartenofoakpark/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/heartgardenoakpark/?hl=en
MUSIKGARTEN OF OAK PARK WILL CLOSE ITS DOORS August 12, 2020
Dear ones,
I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you for your many thoughtful survey responses and incredibly generous offers of support. Your compassion means so much to our team.
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news: The studio doors of Musikgarten of Oak Park will close on September 30. Enrollment dropped about 90%. As the survey results offer little hope for sustainable enrollment, we can no longer afford the high rent. We reached out to other groups to share the space and rent, but to no avail.
Olivia and I will be glad to offer special music & movement events as well as storytelling times in the coming months. If the weather permits, we will continue to offer outdoor classes, too. Our last currently scheduled outdoor class meets this Tuesday, August 18 at 9:30 A.M. at Barrie Park. In addition, I hope to offer training and mentoring for parents and teachers. 25 years of devotion to early childhood education will continue to bear fruit, God willing. We will maintain our website, as well as provide updates. Ms. Olivia, Ms. Maria, and guitar teacher Jim Goelitz will continue to teach private lessons. You can find their contact information on the teacher’s page of our website.
Amidst the hardship, there is, however, great joy. Ms. Beky and her husband John are expecting. We are so excited for the newest darling Koontz to bring blessing and wonder to their family and friends.
Above all else, wonderful thanks for the privilege and blessing of sharing many fulfilling years of music with you and your children. Your loving support means the world to us. Extra-ordinary gratitude to Ms. Beky, Ms. Laura, Ms. Maria, & Ms. Ollivia for your many and splendid gifts of teaching and lovingkindness.
Warmest love,
Amy
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