Updated 7th October 2021

Shop & Studios - Conditions of Entry (from 11th October 2021)

• Do not enter if you are not 100% well
• Fully vaccinated customers only (ages 16 and over) **
• QR Code check in required
• Show proof of vaccination to staff on entry (except kids 12 and under) **
• Face mask required at all times indoors (except kids 12 and under)
• Maintain safe social distancing 
• Sanitise hands before touching instruments
• No swapping or sharing instruments in the studios
• Maximum shop capacity 40 people

 ** All school-age students are permitted in the Studios from 25^th October without proof of vaccination, in line with NSW Schools.  School aged students aged 13+ may not enter the Shop unless fully vaccinated (until 1^st December).

Staff Vaccination Policy

All Big Music staff are required to be fully vaccinated to return to work in our shop and studios from 11th October.

Covid-19 Case Monitoring and Incident Management

To protect our team and community Big Music has implemented the following policies and actions in relation to Covid-19: 

• monitor and follow the advice of NSW Health with regard to Covid-19 
• monitor our community of students, staff, coaches and customers for cases of Covid-19 
• any team member that has travelled overseas or come in contact with a person infected by Covid-19 is required to notify management immediately and self-isolate at home for 14 days; if they develop any symptoms they must see their doctor and follow their advice, including taking a Covid-19 test if required - they must not return to work until give a negative test result and all symptoms have resolved
• any team member with cold or flu like symptoms is required to stay at home, consult their doctor and only come back to work when clear of all symptoms and given the “all clear” by medical professionals
• if a case of Covid-19 cases is traced to within our premises, Big Music's management team will immediately establish an action plan based on the advice of Health Authorities which may include a full or partial shutdown for 3 days or more to allow thorough cleaning, contact tracing and testing
• implement team rosters to rotate staff between work and home so that they come into contact with each other as little as possible whilst ensuring services are maintained for our customers 
• ban all social gatherings, events, functions and use of Big Music's facilities for any purpose other than music instrument retail, repairs, hire and music education
• ensure management meet regularly to review current circumstances and advice of Health Authorities to ensure our policies and actions remain effective
• keep our team and community informed of changes to our policies and any other matters of importance.

To enforce safe physical distancing, we have:

• displayed notices advising the maximum room capacity on each the door of every studio and room (based on 1 person per 4 sqm) and ensure these limits are complied with at all times
• modified the configuration and equipment in all studios for safe physical distancing within each studio
• modified seating in our waiting areas for physical distancing
• placed reminders for our coaches and students to maintain safe physical distancing (1.5m) within all studio sessions
• asked all students to arrive no more than 5 minutes before their lesson, and leave straight after
• re-arranged our workspaces, desks, counters and placed distance markers on the floor to ensure safe distancing between customers and staff

To ensure safe hygiene and health practices, we have:

• set up hand sanitising stations throughout our shop, music school and studios
• required all customers and students to clean or sanitise their hands before entering our shop or studios 
• used a hospital grade disinfectant (Virex) to clean all hard surfaces daily (floors, bathrooms, door handles) and more frequently (every 2 hours) for all high traffic/high touch public areas such as service counters, handrails, EFTPOS terminals, phones, etc.
• provided antibacterial hand soap in all bathrooms 
• provided sanitiser, wipes and disinfectant spray in every teaching studio
• placed signs throughout our facilities to remind customers and students about good hygiene and safe distancing 
• ensured that coaches wipe down all touch points on instruments and studio gear (amps etc) after every lesson
• established strict procedures for cleaning instruments in the shop and studios, before and after being handled by customers
• prohibited the sharing of instruments, accessories and gear amongst staff, students and teachers
• equipped all retail sales staff and teachers with face masks, to be used at their discretion when unable to practice safe physical distancing or at other any time when it is practical to do so
• prohibited choirs and singing groups in excess of 4 people 

 Chronology of Significant Policy Changes

• Monday 16th March, offered students the option of switching to Online Live & Interactive lessons with their Big Music coach via Zoom
• 24th March 2020, cancelled all group classes and performance programs and continue our music education activities through private lessons only
• 27th March 2020, reduced shop trading hours to Mon-Sat 10am to 5pm, closed Sundays, to allow reduced shop staff work hours
• 30th March 2020, school and studios closed and all lessons switched to Online Live & Interactive with our coaches working from home
• Monday 4th May, appointed a Health & Safety Officer in our school and studios to oversee the safe return of our teachers and students to studio lessons on a progressive basis
• Monday 11th May, school and studios begins to re-open for in person private lessons on a staged basis, while also continuing to offer online lessons via Zoom 
• Monday 18th May, permitted groups of students, subject to the 4:1 internal space ratio, to rehearse in bands in our Big Room (180 sqm) and studios reconfigured for maximum physical distancing 
• Monday 3rd August introduced optional face mask policy for all staff and teachers, in line with the latest NSW government recommendations.
• Wednesday 19^th August, cancelled all group singing activities in line with new recommendations from NSW Health applicable to schools
• 18th December 2020 - Service NSW QR Code scanning enforced for all visitors to the shop and school (excepting pre-booked students)
• 18th December 2020 - Contact free 2 Hour Click and Collect service offered for online customers
• 3rd January 2021 - Mask wearing mandatory for Shop staff 
• ​26th June 2021 - School and Studios closed, private music lessons via Zoom only, shop open for phone and online order pick-ups and essential shopping with reduced hours (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm). 
• 7th July 2021 - Crows Nest Studios closure extended until 16th July. 
• 10th July 2021 - Limit of 10 minutes in store. 
• 18th July 2021 - Shop Closed. Open for online orders and click & collect only. 
• 11th October - Shop and Studios reopening for fully-vaccinated customers only; staff must also be fully-vaccinated; QR check in, proof of vaccination and mask wearing all mandatory. 
• 1st November - school-aged students can return for lessons and other  music education programs in our studios