4 Tips for Students Thinking About Virtual Lessons

May 8

** THIS IS A GUEST POST FROM THE DELIGHTFUL LAUREN RIOUX. Lauren is a wonderful musician and has spent many years developing an online curriculum for teaching fiddle. Check out her studio and her most recent blog post on how to jam with people virtually. Get in touch with Lauren directly at lauren@jamwithlauren.com**

Chances are high that most of your favorite folk musicians are offering their expertise through Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom lessons, some of them even here on Ministry of Folk. While the world deals with a pandemic and artists aren’t able to travel and perform, it’s a perfect opportunity to take advantage of these musicians actually having time to teach you! It can be a win-win: you’re able to support artists and they’re able to continue to make connections with their audiences. In order to make the most of your time (and investment) with your hero, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Set Goals

Having an idea of what you’d like to achieve with your lesson(s) helps lead both you and your teacher towards an accomplishment. Perhaps you’ve been struggling with something that you’d like to address, or maybe you’re not quite sure what to do during the hour? Here’s where research can go a long way.

Take time to watch performances of your teacher on YouTube, or if they’re live-streaming a show be sure to tune in and tip. Listen to their recordings (and add them to a Spotify playlist- it really helps the artist! See for example the Ministry of Folk Spotify playlist) and try to pinpoint and articulate WHY you love this musician. Is it their mastery of a specific technique? Their left hand or right hand ornaments? How they create a phrase? Or perhaps it’s how the artist arranges their material for a set of tunes, and what styles of backup their band uses to create and set the mood. Make sure to let the teacher know what you find to be moving, so they can start to share their magic with you.

2. Make the most of your dollar, and your time

There are also quite a few established online studios that many of these musicians (myself included) have spent countless hours filming lessons for students prior to the pandemic. You might like signing up for a month of lessons and perusing their catalog of tunes and techniques and then circling back around with specific questions in a private lesson. This is beneficial to both you and the teacher - your dollars are still supporting them while you’re receiving lessons with them at a fraction of a private lesson fee. When you’re ready for FaceTime, you’ll know exactly what to address in your lesson.

3. Keep a schedule

Once you’ve established your goals with your teacher(s) and have had your initial lesson, be sure to schedule a follow up (or two or three!). This helps for a couple of reasons: You’ll be more likely to practice assignments if you have a deadline to work towards, and your teacher will be more invested in helping you achieve your goals if your meeting isn’t a one-off. Regular accountability is a positive that goes both ways. Make a practice schedule and stick to it. Your progress will help continue to motivate you, and your teacher will be able to add suggestions at each lesson.

4. Set up your tech

Ask your teacher what platform they prefer to use for your lesson and troubleshoot visual and sound issues prior to your time together. You’ll want to make sure that your instrument and both hands are in the frame, so try to be horizontal.

Here are two articles that help with ZOOM: