Unsure about online Music Lessons?

If you aren’t convinced about online lessons, here are 7 benefits to consider:

1. Studies show that online learning reduces off-task behaviour and increases eye contact.
2. Students can be more relaxed in their home environment if approaching something new or challenging.
3. Communication skills are increasingly developed which can improve focus and concentration.
4. Adults working from home or home schooling have one less car journey to factor in, in turn being good for our environment and saving time!
5. Online lessons improve learning by increased use of dependence on listening skills instead of relying so much on visual aids. This is particularly useful in music learning as it can improve pitching and rhythms from teacher modelling.
6. Students can practise straight after their lesson as they are already set up and a new taught skill can be implemented there and then.
7. Having a routine and focused time to develop a skill can work wonders for mental health, especially in a time where many changes and increased regulations are placing pressure on us.

How exactly does it work?

General set-up

Students should be set up at their instrument with their music books and a pencil for notes nearby. (Post-it-notes or paperclips can also be really handy for marking the pages we are working from that lesson so it saves time finding pages later). After a lesson, I will email lesson notes so that lesson time is not spent by the student jotting these.  

The device (laptop/tablet/phone) should clearly show student’s face and their instrument. Experiment with a preview of what the video displays in your setup prior to the lesson. Leaning the device against a coffee table/chair/stack of books/a sturdy music stand can all work well in obtaining a suitable angle if you have not got a device stand.

If you are use an iphone/ipad and prefer to use Facetime, I will contact you at your lesson time. (Note – please allow a few minutes on the start time – I want to give all students their full time and this may take a bit longer in the changeover between lessons.)

Zoom- The desktop version should open automatically although some browsers may prompt you to allow a plug-in. You won’t be able to join the meeting until the teacher has joined. Please allow a few minutes buffer on start time – I want to give all students their full time and this may take a bit longer to transition between lessons.) Youwill need to download the Zoom app to your phone/tablet if you are using a phone or tablet.

Internet and Sound– Try to eliminate background noise as much as possible during the lesson as it can interfere with the clarity of sound. If you have other household members using multiple  devices on the internet during the lesson time, this can affect the reliability of the signal for some households depending on the internet service provided. Ideally, sit as close as possible to the internet router in the home, dedicating a quiet time within your surroundings.

Take-away

Currently we are all developing new skills online to ensure communication, learning and personal development continues despite distancing measures. For many, these changes can be a serious challenge to embrace. I appreciate that. I am, however, delighted by how successfully students are enjoying and embracing this new way of learning music for the time being and how I am learning new things as well in my teaching development in this transition.

Thank you for your support to small businesses and musicians at this time. It is sincerely appreciated by us.