A few weeks ago, I made the decision to keep my studio virtual this year.
Some schools are reopening here (with lots of precautions, staggered starts, alternating live and virtual days, etc.), including the school where I normally teach. I spent a lot of time this summer thinking about the in-person lesson experience and what that might look like:
Masks
12’ of physical distance — NYS guidance for singing (because we sing in lessons and I often to sing to demonstrate things)
No live demonstrations (because I would not have access to a piano)
No way of showing hand position or adjusting the bench
Difficulty assessing fingering (from 12’ away)
No way to mark students’ music (or see their music from 12’ away — I would work from digital copies)
Digital assignment sheets instead of writing in a notebook
No rhythm pattern cards or games on the floor
No duets
No buddy lessons or studio classes
Time in between each lesson to clean and disinfect
Possible breaks during the afternoon to let the air clear
I’m committed to providing the best musical experience I can offer and given the unknowns of this semester and the modifications we’d have to make for in-person lessons, I believe online lessons will provide a better, more consistent, and more musical learning experience than we can create in person right now.
So, what does that look like?
How do you create a consistent and musical learning experience over Zoom? What tech tools and resources do you use? How do you set everything up?
Today, I thought it might be fun to show you around my home teaching studio. I’ll walk you through how I set everything up (it’s evolved since March 2020!) and share some of the tools I’ve found to be helpful these past few months (sometimes, it’s a process of trial and error!).
I hope you enjoy it!
Getting Started with Teaching Music Lessons Online
*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Setup
This is the current setup in my home teaching studio. I’ll go into more specifics below, but here are a few things I’ve changed since March 2020:
Swapped out the piano bench for a comfortable chair
Added a webcam for an overhead view
Put my MacBook on a desk instead of a music stand to give me more workspace
Started using my iPad for digital scores + writing assignment sheets
Equipment
iPad
I use my iPad as I would a notebook in lessons. I write (and email) assignment sheets each week and illustrate musical rhythms and notes on the staff, but I also use it to organize my library of digital sheet music, scores, and collections (read more below).
Apple Pencil
After a lot of research, I decided to purchase an Apple Pencil to go with my iPad so I can handwrite assignment sheets for my students, as I would in person.
The Apple Pencil works seamlessly with the iPad and has made it so easy to jot down music notation in student assignments, highlight things, draw arrows, etc. I also use it to annotate scores (live in lessons!) — marking patterns and phrases, adding or changing fingering, circling specific notes, etc. Sometimes, I will annotate a score before introducing it in a lesson and then email the annotated copy after the lesson so the student can has all the markings.
Music Stand or Small Table
For a while, I had my MacBook set up on a music stand next to the piano. This gave me the primary side-view in lessons. Recently, I switched to using a small table, which gives me a little more workspace and most importantly, a place to set my coffee cup.
Blue Yeti microphone
This is my favorite USB condenser microphone! I use the Blue Yeti for everything from lessons to acoustic recordings to interviews to podcast recordings.
For more options, see my best microphone recommendations for online teaching and music recording.
Mic stand
I’ve had a ProLine mic stand since college (here’s a similar boom mic stand). I love the boom so I can adjust the mic for different types of recording. I was using this stand for the Blue Yeti, but now I’m using it for my webcam.
Victure Webcam
I use this webcam for an overhead view of the keys during lessons.
It’s a simple plug-and-play USB connection and the 1080p is really great quality. I’m using this as a second camera in Zoom so I can toggle between the two views as needed. I also use it to record demonstrations of new pieces for students.
USB C Hub Adapter
The newer MacBook Pros don't have any regular-size USB ports(!), so I purchased this hub adapter so I can plug in everything at once (and still connect my charger!). It works like a dream!
Free Download
Ready-to-use games and activities for your online group classes.
Save this Google Slides doc to your Google Drive and customize as needed for your students and group classes.
Inside, you’ll find seven ready-to-use-online games and activities to foster aural skills and awareness, reinforce theory and technique, and promote musical development for students of all ages.
Enjoy!
iPad/iPhone Apps
forScore
I use the forScore app to organize my library of digital sheet music, scores, and collections.
After importing all the PDFs and images into the app, I tagged and labeled everything so it’s easy to find. I tagged the music my students are playing with their name so they each have a “folder” with current pieces.
I love that I can annotate in the app, share annotated copies of the score, and keep everything filed and organized.
Whiteboard
Whiteboard: just draw together is a simple, free drawing app. I use it for quick illustrations in lessons: notes on the staff, rhythm patterns, time signatures, articulation markings, etc.
The rainbow pen is a studio favorite! 🌈
Notability
I use Notability for assignment sheets. I have a note for each student so I can see their current and past assignment sheets.
I like the writing options, the paper choices and line-spacing, the ability to highlight, and how quick and easy it is to email an assignment sheet to parents after each lesson.
Zoom
Zoom is my platform of choice for online lessons. I love having the ability to share my screen (either laptop, iPad, or iPhone) to play games, look at and annotate a score together, watch a performance recording, or use an ear-training app.
I also like the options to change the screen view, use the whiteboard for quick notes and illustrations, and give quick emoji reactions (applause and thumbs up). Also, it’s very easy to toggle between my built-in laptop camera (showing me at the piano) and the webcam (showing my hands on the keys).
DecideNow
I use the DecideNow app for warm-ups sometimes, creativity challenges, and determining the order of things we do in lessons. I wrote a whole post on how to use this app in teaching here.
I’d love to hear from you:
What does your home teaching studio look like? What tools or resources do you use to provide a consistent, musical learning experience for your students?
