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MAIN PHOTO: Miss Louise and her staff at Joyful Sounds in Fall River are ecstatic about reopening the studio on Sept. 8. (Healey photo)
FALL RIVER: The sounds of kids singing will once again fill the music studio at Joyful Sounds in Fall River, beginning Tuesday Sept. 8.
That’s when after months of being closed and doing classes over video, Louise MacDonald and her talented team at Joyful Sounds will be able to re-open the studio, with COVID19 health guidelines in place.
When The Laker News stopped by the studio on Sept. 1 to talk with MacDonald, it was evident how excited the Windsor Junction entrepreneur was to get the doors open again at her studio, located on Hwy 2. You could also plainly tell she was smiling behind her face mask.
“We’ve been non-stop all summer, putting in hand sanitizing stations, glass where we needed, spacing out the rooms, the waiting area, making sure everyone feels safe and loved and protected,” said MacDonald. “We are so excited to be back to in-person classes.”
She said they did a tonne of virtual classes and recently some outdoor ones, including those held at the Waverley Village Green.
“We thrive on connections with the children, the families, just being back together even if it’s socially distance, we can be the best teachers for the students and they will get the augmented learning that we know occurs in those sessions together.”
MacDonald said the feeling from parents is excitement, but also notably some apprehension overall as is to be expected with the unknown. She said virtual was a way to sustain the business, but it was draining teaching online and a different experience.
“We just ask families to just be with us, everyone has been so supportive,” she said. “We’re going to do this one step at a time. One day at a time.
“We know we were really keeping our space safe before, but now the measures have gone above and beyond, and we feel really confident in it. The teachers can’t wait to be back.”
She said she has put in thousands of dollars into getting ready to reopen.
“It’s one of those things, the businesses took a hit and then had to spend it to get back up and running, so it’s been really emotionally, but this community is incredible,” said MacDonald. “Just feeling like people are holding you up and saying you can do this, we’ve got you.
“Our goal is to be here, support everyone.”
MacDonald admitted they are looking down the road to when the second wave may hit and preparing for that.
“We’re not in denial that there may be a time this year that we have to go back to virtual for awhile, but we know we know we’re going to be here for the long haul,” said MacDonald. “I think that’s the really special part about it.”
Now, if you have a child that is interested in learning music with the fabulous teachers at Joyful Sounds, now is the perfect time to sign them up and support a local business as they reopen following the COVID19 closure.
