During this pandemic and the aftermath of social distancing and mask wearing, a lot of people wonder: Which is better, online or in-person lessons?
Having been a piano teacher for many years and having experience in online teaching before the pandemic, I will lay out the benefits and objections to each below.
Online teaching can be a benefit for families because you do not have to expose your health to the teacher or other students that may be coming and going at the teacher’s studio. You also may have someone in your home that is in a vulnerable class and you don’t want to bring something home that would affect them. You can have a good experience while receiving online instruction, if you are motivated to get the most out of the lessons. For beginners or young students, it is vital that the parent be very involved in the lessons and each day of practice. That means reviewing the recording of the lesson and sitting down with the student and making sure that what the teacher said and did on the video is practiced at home. This is also a good practice for in-person lessons as well. The drawback for online lessons is that you do not have the personal rapport that you can build by being in person. You can build this, but it will take longer.
In-person lessons are the way people have been learning an instrument or singing for centuries. With this pandemic, I realize that we may need to change some of our approaches and the way we do things. I am not going to people’s homes for lessons so that I am not exposing them to the virus or having myself exposed to the virus. In the studio, I am able to control the environment and make sure that the piano and chairs are sanitized and that we are able to maintain social distancing. When it is necessary to be closer than 6 feet, like to show hand positions, etc,, I always wear a mask and the student will be wearing a mask. In-person learning has the advantage of being able to see the whole student and how they are sitting and how they are approaching the instrument that you can’t necessarily see with one camera aimed at the student and the keyboard. There is also the human element of being there to answer questions or to show proper technique and get instant response.
So, there are pluses and minuses to both online and in-person teaching. You will need to make the best decision for your family, but either way I believe that learning and enjoying music is still a great way to add to your life and bring fine art to your home! G. Richard Deal
