Amid coronavirus threat, Georgia-founded business sends online music classes to quarantined Chinese kids
DUNWOODY, Ga. - You've heard about companies sending financial aid and medical supplies to quarantined communities affected by the coronavirus, but how about companies sending music? That's the latest mission for one Georgia-founded business.
In the midst of widespread terror brought on by the coronavirus, Chinese families are finding relief in online music classes, provided by, aptly named, The Music Class.
The company, focused on fostering music education through parent/child classes, was founded in metro Atlanta and has expanded to 10 countries, including China, which picked up its program for young children in more than 700 locations.
FOX 5’s Emilie Ikeda asked founder and director, Rob Sayer, how many of those 700 locations are open right now. “Zero,” Sayer said. “Nobody is open in China right now. They're all closed, it's extremely difficult for them, so that's what brought us to this whole video project.”
Enter Georgia families.
With the help of a few translators, a handful of parent-child volunteers gather at The Music Class location on Dunwoody Village Parkway to help record specially customized classes that are uploaded to various Chinese education apps.
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So what’s being taped in Dunwoody is being viewed by tens of thousands of kids confined to their homes in China.
“We're getting them up and moving around and engaged,” Sayer said. “It's a joyful experience, as well as a learning experience, so I think it's got to be a really nice break.”
Many American parents are eager to volunteer with the ongoing effort – hopeful to bring a glimpse of normalcy to families halfway around the world.
“It's so amazing we can send some little songs we did here in Atlanta all the way across the world to bring to joy to families,” said Susan Wallace, a volunteer.
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While China is top of mind for Sayer, the U.S. is also on his planning board. He's looking at how similar classroom to screen transitions can be made here should the coronavirus force community quarantines.