Posts by Matthew Garcia2

I feel like it's so much easier to nail a performance when you actually trust the person you're acting against. There's a level of comfort there that you just can't fake if you're just coworkers. Do you think real-life relationships make for better on-screen dynamics?

rapidbear21 said:Cheers, which school is this? And if you don't mind sharing, which teacher are we talking about? 🙂

I sent you a DM

Kimberly Green50 said:Thanks for all the input!

Could someone give me a quick breakdown here? What’s actually the difference between basic ear training and introductory solfeggio? Are we just talking about two different names for the exact same thing?

I haven't a clue.
I already mentioned I didn't attend any of those early childhood music programs myself.
If anyone actually knows from experience, they should probably just check the school's official website.
Both programs target kids roughly 6 to 8 years old, though I suppose it depends on whether they're still in daycare or have moved up to elementary school.

Usually, you sign them up for the specialized music track around second or third grade. My guess is first graders get funneled into the basic ear training sessions instead. And unlike getting into a mainstream school, there isn't an audition required for these—you just sign up.

Scott Booth said:If my kid hasn't already fallen head over heels for a specific instrument, I'd probably just enroll them in the nearest public music school for the sake of logistics. Most local daycare centers have great educators who can introduce kids to the world of music with a lot of heart.
Once the child actually settles on an instrument, that's when I'd focus on choosing the right teacher, and then let the teacher guide the choice of school. Beyond just their technical skill, you really need to look at their teaching style. Since lessons are usually one-on-one, the rapport built between the instructor and the student is everything.
Remember, you can always switch teachers or schools later on. Good luck!

I agree that from a purely logistical standpoint, choosing a school within walking distance or a reasonable commute via public transit is the smart move. I don't know if things will shift next year, but for the last two years, they've had solfeggio as a block session once a week plus online choir. That’s why there haven't been many kids showing up.
Some parents choose the instrument during that block period, but we didn't.
If they revert to the old system—two sessions of solfeggio and two sessions of instrument per week starting in third grade—plus choir, the amount of travel time becomes massive. If you aren't living right around the corner, it's a nightmare. Very few people manage to coordinate their schedules to stack solfeggio and instrument lessons together. It's especially brutal if the child is in after-school programs or only attends classes in the morning, leaving you stuck with whatever afternoon slots the teacher has available.

We opted for the public school, operating under the logic that you can always pivot to a private academy or private lessons later, whereas public schools often have strict age requirements for enrollment. You don't really get to hand-pick the teacher unless the schedule is impossible to work with or the vibe just isn't clicking after a year and you request a transfer—though even that depends entirely on the availability of other instructors.
As for the teacher our child was assigned, we couldn't be happier. Honestly, if we had chosen ourselves, we wouldn't have done better. She is the complete opposite of the typical elementary school teacher; a breath of fresh air, truly.

Getting in isn't easy; it mostly hinges on the audition, how many applicants there are, and how much talent is in the pool. They don't publish it, and they certainly won't say it publicly, but candidates who attended the school's introductory solfeggio or music preschool programs definitely have an edge. It makes sense—those kids are better prepared, and the faculty already "knows" them.
I'm not sure what the preschool curriculum looks like since we missed that phase, and clearly, our child got lucky during enrollment. But looking back at all that stress, Trump, my advice would be to enroll them in the preschool program at the local school nearby. 🙂
That way, you can see if the child actually enjoys this type of education and decide if you like the school itself. If both check out, the child will have a much easier time passing the audition.
And, of course, provided they have a sense of rhythm and pitch. 🙂

redridge13 said:Thanks!
Unfortunately, Mount Rushmore is totally out of our way. 😢

I've been looking at a school in our neighborhood, but I can't figure out if they actually have Department of Labor approval. From what I can tell, not all the staff are even certified professors. I'm assuming there are certain standards you have to hit if the Department of Labor gives you the green light, right?
Also, does anyone know if you can even transfer to a public school if you've been taking lessons from someone who isn't a certified pro?

Look, direct transfers into a public school aren't really a thing without an audition or some kind of proficiency exam. It mostly boils down to whether they even have an opening, like if someone dropped out of their specific instrument program.

I did my own digging into private schools once too, and we ended up sticking with the public route instead. No regrets whatsoever.

Susan Martin4 said:He was dealing with some nausea and diarrhea, so the pediatrician wants us to double-check everything before he heads back to preschool. Things have been looking up regarding those symptoms, though.
It’s been seven days since his last encounter with a kid who actually tested positive.

Look, if there was exposure and then symptoms popped up during self-isolation, the priority isn't some arbitrary rule about isolating for 10 or 20 days after a positive test result. The real priority is that the entire household should have gone into lockdown from the outside world the very moment those symptoms started showing up.

Susan Martin4 said:My kid is in isolation right now and heads in for testing this Monday.
If he tests positive, does that mean I get his 10 days of isolation plus another 10 days for myself? Does the same rule apply to my husband and our other child?

Wait, why is he even getting tested? Is he actually showing symptoms?
If he’s positive, his isolation starts 10 days from when the symptoms first showed up. If there aren't any symptoms, then it's 10 days starting from the test date.
As for everyone else in the house, the isolation period kicks in from his first day of symptoms, and if you don't end up developing symptoms yourselves, you have to extend that by another 10 days. That’s how the official rules work, though from what I hear, people in practice do things differently...

Lawrence Reed3 said:We were definitely in contact for less than 10 minutes since we just bumped into him while passing through his office—we did shake hands and were pretty close, though—but we both had masks on!
So far, I haven't received any notifications, which means he hasn't reported me to the CDC (he’s a bit forgetful by nature, especially when he's rushing, and the encounter really was super brief). If I get hit with a notification in the next 15 days, then I'll know what happened and I can go ahead and lay low somewhere.

Honestly, it makes more sense to just lay low for a few days if you have the option. Usually, symptoms start showing up within a five-day window.
If you've got any intel.
Nobody is going to call you, even if someone did report the contact.

Bryan Miller40 said:So, here’s my situation... I tested positive for COVID-19 during a routine checkup three days ago before a trip.
I went straight into a 10-day quarantine following the verbal instructions from a public health official—nothing in writing or via email, just a quick phone call.

To be honest, I’m skeptical about this being a true positive. I live alone and have been working remotely on a major project for the last few weeks with almost zero social contact, so the odds of me actually being contagious are slim—especially since I feel perfectly fine and have zero symptoms.

I’m wondering if it’s possible to head to a private clinic on day six for a re-test? If that comes back negative, can I consider my isolation officially over? This trip is pretty critical for me.
Thanks for any insight.

I'm not sure if they’ll actually honor it, but if it were me, I’d definitely go. Honestly, maybe even sooner than day six, seeing as you aren't showing any signs of being sick.
False positives happen all the time.

Drew Gonzalez75 said:Does anyone else have access to that system used to track people in isolation? For instance, would administrative staff at a daycare center be able to see it?

Look, you've got doctors and pharmacists, sure, but then you've got the police and Child Protective Services in the mix too.
As for daycare centers? I’m almost certain they don't have a look at it.

George Edwards72 said:Exactly, that’s my point. He’s starting 3rd grade at elementary school and freshman year of high school simultaneously, when he really should be entering 5th grade and freshman year. He won't even hit his fall audition until he's five or six months into the term.😢 He’s essentially "lagging behind" by two years.

Look, you can actually knock out two grades in a single academic year if you have to. If he passes that audition, he could theoretically blitz through the first and second-grade curriculum at an accelerated pace, provided the kid actually has the drive and the raw talent to pull it off.
I've personally heard of plenty of instances where parents pulled their kids out of private music academies or specialized enrichment courses and moved them back into the standard public school track, dropping them into 2nd or even 3rd grade music school—assuming there’s actually an opening available. Maybe the move here is to enroll him in some private lessons or a specialized prep course right now to bridge that gap.

rustyowl52 said:Man, my kid sings like a dying crow.😵

I hope everyone realizes that solfège involves actual singing, and since third grade, choir is a mandatory part of the curriculum here in the States.🙂

mellowskipper said:I hadn't even considered the audition aspect—it just didn't cross my mind. I mean, there are plenty of music schools scattered all over the US, so... I suppose it turns out kids basically have to show up already knowing their stuff.

Sent from my Boeing 787 Dreamliner using Reddit

Some of those music programs have specialized preschool tracks, though you still end up needing an audition right after that stage anyway.

The whole audition process usually works like this: they sing a song of their choice, then they have to match the pitch the instructor plays, and finally, they clap out a rhythm the instructor taps out for them.

Jack Gray6 said:Out here on the West Coast, everyone seems obsessed with the piano. My daughter tried out for her first audition last year and completely bombed it. So, next year, we pivoted to something a bit less mainstream, and she actually nailed it. Now she’s playing the cello. She absolutely loves it, even if the piano still holds a special place in her heart. We have a kid-sized keyboard at home for her to practice on, and since her music school has a piano on-site, she gets a little extra playtime there too.

She'll actually be taking piano as a formal subject in high school.

Jack Gray6 said:Is there any way to check exactly when someone's mandatory isolation period expires?
We haven't received a single email from the CDC. Some parents got notices stating an end date of March 22nd at midnight, while our daycare sent us a notification saying we're out until the 24th.

Your pediatrician or a doctor should be able to pull that up.
Plus, a pharmacist can check using your MBO. 🙂

The timelines probably vary because people were last exposed to an infected person at different times—like maybe March 12th or the 14th.

Tyler Ruiz502 said:How exactly do they handle quarantine checks, and under which specific law are you actually required to open the door for a cop?

I mean, seriously—under what law am I obligated to get off my couch just because someone rings the doorbell? You could be halfway across the yard, tucked away in the garden, hiding in the garage, or even out in the barn—plus if you have a high privacy wall and two Belgian Malinois, and a doorbell that barely works...

The Public Health Service Act.

Look, once an isolation order is issued, you are legally obligated to provide the address where you'll be quarantining, and they absolutely have the right to verify that you are actually there.

mellownomad7 said:Still hunting for more details, but nothing solid yet.

Capak said new guidelines on quarantine and testing are dropping today. Quarantine for everyone is going back to 14 days.

“We’re resetting all quarantines to 14 days. We had dropped them to 10 days mainly to get healthcare workers back on the job faster. Now we’re moving it back since most of our medical staff are vaccinated. Case numbers are down, but we don't know how much of that UK strain is circulating in the population. That should be announced later today,” Capak said.

https://hr.n1info.com/vijesti/stozer...-do-15-ozujla/

This is absolutely appalling.
Are they seriously still refusing to acknowledge that those of us who have already recovered don't need a six-month isolation period? It's still stuck at three months, even though the data clearly shows immunity lasts way longer than half a year!
And since we can take sick leave, theoretically, we could just keep missing work indefinitely—even though the odds of actually getting sick again are practically zero—but now they want to tack on an extra four days on top of that?
Where does this madness end?

To make matters worse, we aren't even allowed to sign up for the vaccine because we've already had it and aren't considered a "priority group."

Drew Gonzalez75 said:It feels weirdly off that they haven't officially published this anywhere, even though every major news outlet and local site has been running deep dives on all the policy changes taking effect Monday. Honestly, I feel like this kind of lack of transparency is just going to come back to haunt them when things go sideways.

this whole thing was handled with the same kind of vague announcements

Honestly, even the requirement for a negative test to go out is starting to worry me. I remember back at my old job in Chicago, they made it mandatory for a while, and you had people stuck at home for three weeks straight. Perfectly healthy people! Just because traces of an inactive virus linger in your nasal passages doesn't mean you're sick. It's like a ghost in the system.
And if my memory serves me right, that’s exactly why they scrapped those requirements in the first place.

Ronald Johnson11 said:Honestly, this whole self-isolation thing is killing me. I’ve sat through three different series while stuck at home and haven't even caught COVID once. They just announced on the CDC press briefing that they’re bumping the isolation period to 14 days for this new strain.

Just for that specific strain? 🤣
I actually figured it applies to everything, precisely because that new variant popped up.
How on earth are they supposed to tell if it's the UK strain or some other local variation?

Ronald Chavez2 said:Does anyone know if there are any actual plans to extend the immunity period from isolation, especially since recent studies show that coronavirus immunity lasts much longer than three months? Is this issue even being brought up during the press briefings?

I was wondering the exact same thing, but looking at the news today, it seems like they're bringing back the 14-day quarantine because of this new strain.