Making the most of virtual music lessons
Current events dictate that we get creative with the way we teach and learn music, and for most that means virtual music lessons in addition to virtual everything else.
Parents, if you and your children are struggling with adapting to a whole new way of learning, please know that you are not alone! Your music teachers are scrambling to learn how to maximize the use of the tools they have on hand until they can see you in person again. While it’s not ideal and much is lost in the way of the sounds we make when they are digitized and happening through your phone or computer, I am confident that we can all make the best of it and come out on the other side with new ideas and deepened learning. Here are some suggestions for making the most of your virtual music lessons:
1. For younger students, consider breaking up lessons into smaller segments.
Familiar scene: It’s only 15 minutes into your 30-minute lesson that began at 5:00 PM, and all of a sudden your child’s arms inexplicably stop working and they are on the brink of starvation. You push through because this is the time you have for lessons, and you have grown accustomed to those last 15 minutes being taught mostly to you, the parent ;). Little people have little attentions spans, but it isn’t usually practical to drag your child to a ten-minute violin lesson three times a week. Video lessons give us the opportunity to adapt to your child’s threshold for learning in a way we usually can’t access. This is GREAT! Talk with your child’s teacher about scheduling 2-3 micro-lessons spread out over the week.
2. What if my video chat isn’t working/the video keeps cutting out?
If your Internet speed is on the struggle bus and you can’t get a video stream to work no matter how hard you try, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Marco Polo is a great app for sending video back and forth with your teacher in real-time and doesn’t require a solid streaming connection. You can also speak with your teacher about recording your student’s playing and getting feedback. Dropbox or Google Drive are useful tools for storing videos without having them take up space on your device.
3. We’re stuck at home/out of our routine and my kid doesn’t want to practice. HELP!
You’re not alone. If you’ve missed a few days of practice while you’ve been busy rearranging your entire life, it’s going to be okay. However, as soon as you are able you should work to get your child back into a practice routine.
Prioritize frequency over duration- even 10 minutes every day is better than trying to cram a week’s worth of learning into 30 minutes or an hour. (Psst: the practice police don’t care if you have two short practice sessions several hours apart!)
Have mini concerts for friends and family! Play for grandparents and friends on FaceTime, or set up a “stage” in your kitchen or living room.
Send videos to your teacher (with permission of course). Most teachers would love to see a short snippet of your child’s practice if that’s something that motivates them to get playing. Your teacher may or may not be in a place to respond or give feedback, but that’s okay!
Encourage older students to call or text a practice buddy, or practice together on video chat and create their own accountability. For parents of younger students, you can find accountability in other parents in your child’s studio.
3. Work out the kinks before your lesson time.
It can be quite the juggling act to figure out the best room, camera angle, lighting, which device works best, and where the wi-fi is the strongest. If you can leave a device plugged in, it helps, but taking the time to figure out the logistics will save valuable lesson time.
4. Pay attention to posture.
It’s instinctive for students to want to move their bodies toward the screen while they are playing, but this comes at the expense of your child’s posture. Have them position their body so that they can play without straining or contorting to fit in the camera space. There is a learning curve to this, but it’s not insurmountable with a little bit of practice.
5. Listening is learning!
You know how your teacher is always (lovingly) nagging you to make sure you are listening to your recordings and other music, but it’s hard to find the time? Try combining listening with another activity. Listen during breakfast, or use your recordings as a way to transition from one activity to another, like during cleanup time before meals or bedtime. If you find some downtime, hop on YouTube and find a recording of people playing together and remember that will be us again soon enough!