Virtual teaching.
Virtual lessons offer all of the convenience of virtual learning without having to sacrifice instruction quality or an engaging experience.
Before the pandemic, if you asked me how I felt about virtual piano lessons, I would have responded with a quizzical face. In March 2020, I transferred all of my students to virtual teaching for a little over four months. At the time, I had only been teaching in-person lessons so to say I was a little nervous about teaching my students effectively in a virtual environment was an understatement.
But, to my absolute shock, I found virtual teaching just as effective as in-person teaching with the right set-up. I now teach more than 50% of my students virtually from all parts of the country and I couldn’t be happier to help so many more students continue their piano journey.
1:1 instruction.
All of my virtual lessons are conducted through one-on-one video calls in a single student/teacher environment. This allows me to engage with my student at all times during their lesson, ensuring that they’ll reach their piano goals.
Virtual students ages 6-17 will also perform in a yearly virtual recital, allowing them to practice and perfect their performance skills just like my in-person students.
Dual camera angles.
Seeing my students from multiple angles has been key in virtual teaching. Using devices my students already have at home (laptops, smartphones, iPads, tablets), I have them set-up a first device above their right shoulder. This gives me a great view of their hands. I then have them set-up a second device on their music stand. This makes it easy for them to look up and connect with me at any time.
I have a similar set-up on my end, allowing me to help students walk through melodies as needed.
Interested in lessons?
Structured agenda.
Depending on your level, virtual lessons are broken down into three distinct sections. Each one builds on the other to help the student improve their skills. Every 10 minutes, I switch to the next section. This keeps the lesson engaging and fresh.
While I may be structured, I keep my virtual lessons high energy and fun, just like my in-person lessons. Often, my students will say things like, “That’s it?! I feel like it’s only been 8 minutes!”
