My job at Allen ISD sounds like a pretty cushy gig. Show up, teach kids to sing, get paid, go home. The problem is that my position is classified as contractor. So on top of paying 30% of my income back to the government at tax time every year, I am in charge of collecting my own fees, chasing down late accounts, and reconciling the books if I’ve been sick, or a student has missed their lesson. The school district pays me nothing to do this job; rather, it allows my small business to operate within the entity of Allen Independent School District. Essentially, if I teach 50 lessons in a week at $20 per lesson, I earn $1000 each week.

 But only if the lesson actually happens.

I’m always apprehensive during the month of March because I know for a fact it is a “short month.” This means that I only get paid for three weeks of work, instead of my usual four, due to Spring Break. When 25% of your income is out of town on vacation, it makes it hard to save, and taking a trip is simply out of the question. Now that COVID-19 has been declared pandemic, Allen has extended Spring Break by a week, which means that I am now out 100 lessons worth of cash this month. On top of that, I’m still recouping the losses from the week in February that I had to take off due to the flu. 150 missed lessons this year. $3000 somewhere that’s not my bank account. I’m in two weddings this summer, getting married myself in the Fall, trying to save for a down payment on a house so that Fiance and I have room for a dog, and maybe eventually a kid. I would love to be a responsible small business owner and be able to pay my taxes quarterly. None of these things are looking like options as of now. Just like the toilet paper aisle this afternoon at Kroger, the present and immediate future are looking bleak indeed.

I’ve been reasonably concerned recently about Coronavirus. I check the news for reports every morning. I wash my hands, I Clorox piano keys when I enter a room, I leave a liter of hand sanitizer out where students have access. I try to be proactive, in the winter especially, because I care about people’s health and well-being. And let’s be honest, middle schoolers are not the best at making sure their hands are washed and their faces untouched.

I have, however, this very afternoon gone from reasonably concerned to very scared. This pandemic has the potential to bankrupt freelance workers of every kind, especially young musicians like myself, still working to create and grow our brands. If my church gig falls through this month, which it very well could, I’ll be out another $600. If you’ve been keeping track, that would be $3600. That is a ridiculous amount of money when you only make about $40k each year.

The reason for me writing this post is not necessarily to complain, but to remind people how important containment and hygienic behavior continues to be. I’m very concerned about what my bank statements will look like at the end of April, but if Allen hadn’t cancelled class, I understand that things could be much worse. I know parents send sick kids to school all the time. Students come in to their lessons with me and cough in my eyeballs. I know, logically, the most reasonable thing to do is cancel school so that the virus can’t spread. Schools are hotbeds for contagions.

So what would you do if you were in my shoes?

My current plan is to invite students to my private studio in my apartment to continue lessons as usual. If about half of my kids take me up on the offer, that will at least do damage control for my finances. I will also be offering lessons via facetime and Skype. While I sit at home, I will likely also be applying for summer jobs to make up for what was lost this Spring. A crying shame, right after I worked up the savings and courage to quit my previous part time job. I will post an update sharing how well that goes.

As always during corona, cold, and flu season:

DO:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Cough into your elbow.
• Avoid close contact with people who are ill, and maintain three feet of distance from other people if the virus begins to spread in your neighborhood.
• Wear a facemask if you are sick and must go out.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.
• If you think you have Coronavirus, CALL your doctor on the phone.

DON’T

• Touch your face.
• Horde necessities such as hand sanitizer and toilet paper.
• Go out if you have symptoms of being ill, such as fever or cough.
• Panic.

For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov