In the last six weeks, one thing is certain: Zoom has become a part of almost every household’s daily life. Offices may be closed, school cancelled, concerts, theatre productions and sporting events placed on pause, but we continue to work, learn and be inspired through a screen, whether it’s on our phone, our desktop or television.

During this strange and uncharted time, you can hold a global staff meeting, download a Masterclass to learn how to write a screenplay, flow into a yoga practice or enjoy your favorite late- night host coming to you from the comfort of their own home, right into your Livingroom.

Schools maybe closed, but the doors are still open for learning and discovery.

We are finding ways to keep our kids engaged with their studies, learn a new skill or craft, study a new language. Some of these classes can be downloaded for later viewing or found on YouTube. Better still, you can take a class in real time, one-to-one with your instructor .

Maybe you’ve dreamed of playing the saxophone or refreshing your piano practice. If your lessons have been interrupted because music or vocal lessons are considered non-essential, technology, adaptability and a little ingenuity have kept us in the flow of practice without missing a beat.

Stage Music Center offers our full roster of classes and teachers to help you stay on track, or get you started on your musical journey

Like many other educational, recreational and art studios, Stage Music Center offers our full roster of classes and teachers to help you stay on track, or get you started on your musical journey. These are real-time, one-to-one lessons with one of our beloved music teachers.

Now that practically everyone has become a devotee of Zoom, it’s easy to meet up with an instructor. Skype and FaceTime provide other reliable options. There are challenges to remote learning – even when it’s live – and we all are becoming aware of how to adapt how we communicate as we navigate these digital waters.

If you’re on the fence about distance learning, Forbes Magazine offers some tips on how to make it work for you here.

Continue or establish a strong connection to your music practice and community through live lessons.

Stage Music Center believes the ideal situation is for a teacher and student to connect live. Working together live provides instant feedback to help the student improve skills and grow in their performance. Additionally, with tools like Google Docs and Team View, there’s plenty of opportunity to collaborate.

Working – or playing – together maintains that sense of connection that run so deep within our music community. Collaboration and communication strengthens our bonds at a time we need them most.

A consistent practice not only helps improve skills, it provides much-needed structure in an uncertain time.

As with traditional music lessons, it’s best to establish a consistent time to meet, as well as consistent practice schedule. Our teachers encourage independent learning to help master new skills. The lesson is the laboratory, but real growth comes when music students work at their own pace to build upon a skill, experiment to stretch beyond their routine, and discover greater depth and joy in their practice.

We are experiencing a great adjustment period as we cope with the changes to even the simplest of tasks in our lives. How we learn and how we communicate with each other as go through this transition will take time and patience. Cut yourself some slack – teachers and students alike, if you don’t accomplish everything you wanted to in your lesson. Keep expectations realistic and keep a sense of humor.

Are you camera ready?

online live music lessons with instant feedback

While we get to know more about subjects as we use technology like Zoom to talk to each other, there are a few tips to using it to your best advantage. First of all, find your light – not so much that you look like a glaring blob, but you don’t want to live in the shadows either. Prepare for your lesson and check your monitor to see how you come across. Adjust your screen and stand far enough away so your instructor can see your posture or watch your hands for finger placement. Make sure your computer audio works and its volume can be easily heard so your teacher can give you meaningful feedback. These screen meetings are a little awkward at first, but you’ll get used to it in no time, and of course look forward to these weekly meetings.

While we shelter in our homes, the tedium of this ‘new normal’ can feel exhausting, and sometimes depressing. That’s why it’s essential to discover or to continue a hobby, a craft or a practice that gives space for creative expression and brings us joy. If sharing that experience with someone else satisfies our craving for community, lessens our stress and lifts our spirits, all the better.

Please call or email us with any questions you have about our online programs here. While there are better days ahead of us, let’s keep our vibrant community together through the sound of music.

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