Arlysse Quiring (Archer Library): What about the stickers?
March 16th of 2020 I anxiously texted my music student families to let them know lessons were now online. I’m a musician (bassoon, voice, piano) that works in libraries. It was the same day I’d had a seventh cancelled gig, and I was raw, but so was everyone else. I started my first video lesson with a practiced Cheerful Teacher Face smile. The moment my six-year-old student’s face came on the screen I almost burst in to tears. She looked very small and confused. Mom said everyone was ok there. The next half hour was controlled panic as we figured out camera angles and sound for optimum learning. At the end of the lesson, I asked my student if she had any worries, any questions, anything she wanted to tell me. She told me she had one question: “If we’re playing piano like this now… what about the stickers?” she started. “How will you give me stickers when I’ve finished a song?” I grinned as I promised we would figure something out, hung up the phone, and cried into my piano. In June when her mom came by to drop a thank you gift on my porch, I made sure to leave a goody bag of small toys, a thank you card, and several sheets of sparkly stickers.
Favourite Pandemic Read: All Together Now by Allan Doyle
If you are interested in sharing your Humans of UofR Libraries story, please contact us at arlysse.quiring@uregina.ca