Performing Arts School

Assistant Manager of Student Services Skye Pasek checked in with the Performing Arts School community regarding online group classes during this time of quarantine. Here is what our student families had to say:

From the Dance, Sing & Act Class:

“It was a great show and the kids were wonderful.  Thank you for doing this for everyone!”

“WOW! We are truly impressed with the talent and dedication of all the performers! Thank you to Sara and Chris for a job well done. That video was amazing! It must have taken a lot of time and patience to create that!  It will be a treasured keepsake for Julia and our family.”

“THANK YOU so much !!!! Really beautiful and super creative !!! We loved it !!! Thanks, again, for all your dedication.”

“Sara and Chris- THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!  What a great solution.  Alice is looking forward to (virtual) Seussical :)”

“Dear Sara, Chris – Many thanks for making the amazing video happen! Dear Children – Congratulations for a great performance!”

“Ditto to everything everyone else has said!  We are so thankful for all you have done to give the kids their “frozen” experience!  The video was so special and we are so appreciative of all you have done during this extremely difficult time we are in.”

From the Broadway Babies Class:

“Hi Miss Allie, I just wanted to thank you for putting that zoom class together for the kids. I know how much time that must have taken you and I know it offered Kait  a needed sense of closure. You’re great with the kids and an excellent teacher. I really appreciated how you checked in with them about their favorite things from class so you can utilize it going forward. We’ll “see” you for Seussical on Saturday. Thanks again!”

“You are amazing with technology. The dance and song are too cute and way more than we expected. Thank you for the time you put in!”

If you are interested in enrolling in online group classes at the Performing Arts School, contact Assistant Manager of Student Services Skye Pasek or Director of Student Services Kristen Wuest at info@WhartonArts.org.

Assistant Manager of Student Services Skye Pasek checked in with the Performing Arts School community regarding online lessons during this time of quarantine. Here is what our student families had to say:

“Thanks for your email. I think the school is doing a great job making us feel safe and comfortable and cared for during this new normal. Mr. Olsen is amazing and I can’t ask for more. Hope you are safe and well.” ~ PAS Piano Student Parent

“Misha was able to start online private classes with us immediately when face-to-face became impossible. It’s going well. The kids are making progress. The only concern is that sometimes when Misha is playing, the network is slow and the music goes on and off.” ~ PAS Violin Student Parent

“Hi Skye. Thanks for checking in. I hope you and your family are staying safe.  So far, so good with the Zoom piano classes for our kids. Sung-Hae is doing a great job. Thank you.” ~ PAS Piano Students Parent

“Hi Skye! My daughter has continued with her piano lessons with Ms. Luba and everything is going well. She has received all lessons to date and is preparing for her jury at Wharton. Thank you for asking.” ~ PAS Piano Student Parent

“Hi Skye, I’m Dan’s mom and just wanted to touch base that all’s great with the virtual lesson. Thanks!” ~ PAS Horn Student Parent

“Hi! Lessons have been going great. Mr. Brown is the best!  We appreciate his flexibility and creativity during this crazy time. Thank you!” ~ PAS Double Bass Student Parent

“Hi Skye, Great to hear from you. While the online lessons are not ideal, they have gone well. We have used both Skype and Zoom. Interestingly enough, Suzanne, who uses Zoom a lot with her friends, says that Skype has a better experience than Zoom (less echoing, less delays, etc.). Certainly Zoom has a nice feature for seeing multiple people/users on a screen during virtual meetings (not sure if you can do that on Skype). A friend mentioned that BlueJeans Video Conferencing has a better experience than Zoom, but I have never tried it. We have received all of our piano and theory lessons to date. Not sure how many lessons we have left in our theory package. I assume that Kristen is keeping tabs on that. Stay safe and healthy!” ~ PAS Piano and Music Theory Student Parent

“Hi Skye, thanks for checking in. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well the virtual lessons have gone. Ben has been great and has even accommodated make-up lessons. This has been a really great alternative in light of the current situation.” ~ PAS Piano Student Parent

“Hi Skye, thanks for your email! My children have been using Facetime for private lessons with their violin teacher, Elzibieta Winnicki, these days. Setup is easy and simple, and their lessons and communications with Elzbieta work out great and uninterrupted. For my younger child, Alex, in NJYS Philharmonic, he has started Zoom rehearsal twice so far. It’s good to be able to play music together in this difficult time. Thanks again for following up and concern for students’ family opinions in this difficult period. I understand to adjust lessons to remote learning have many, many challenges, and I appreciate all the work that WIPA faculty have done to care for the students learning and safety. Stay well and healthy!” ~ PAS and NJYS Violin Student Parent

“Private lessons with Elzbieta are seamless, though I know the kids miss seeing her at the music school. Happy Easter! Keep staying well and safe!” ~ PAS Violin Student Parent

“Dear Skye, thank you for checking in with me. The remote sessions are all up to date. They are going well. No issues at all. We all can adapt to this change. We should continue remote session occasionally once we are back to usual as sometimes kids/parents have other activities and not able to drive there.  This will be a great way not to miss any lessons. Hope you all are staying safe and healthy.” ~ PAS Parent

“Hi, Skye. So far, so good for Juliette’s vocal lessons with Timmie. Of course, in-person lessons are far better, but the virtual lesson is definitely better than nothing while we await the end of this pandemic. Juliette hasn’t had any connection problems and enjoys the lesson asnd seeing Timmie on Thursdays.” ~ PAS Vocal Student Parent

“Hi Skye, thank you for your email. Charlotte is doing well with her online lessons with Andrzej. Our connectivity seems to be working well. I hope you’re staying safe and healthy, and we look forward to continuing at Wharton when we’re able to get out in the world again.” ~ PAS Piano Student Parent

If you are interested in enrolling in online Zoom lessons at the Performing Arts School, contact Assistant Manager of Student Services Skye Pasek or Director of Student Services Kristen Wuest at info@WhartonArts.org.

COVID-19 has been devastating for Berkeley Heights’ small businesses. Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts is proud to join these independently-owned businesses that help give our town the heart and sense of community that we are all proud of in this video.

The Berkeley Heights Business Civic committee is asking everyone to come together and help these businesses survive this health and economic disaster. Hear about what the local businesses are still offering during this time; please consider buying a gift card, ordering food for pickup or delivery, and ordering via phone or online. These are the businesses that support our school and town events. Now is the time to give back.

You can also donate at www.berkeleyheightsbusinesscivic.com. Thanks, Berkeley Heights!