The Future (and Present) of Music Lessons
Having the opportunity to take 1-on-1 lessons over the internet is a marvelous innovation. For those who always wanted to learn how to play piano or those who want their children to learn how to play the piano, online lessons can be a fantastic alternative to “traditional” piano lessons. Remote piano lessons allow students a greater opportunity to learn from wherever they are geographically. You’ll find learning online is more flexible, convenient, and in many ways, more effective than the traditional in-person lesson experience. From the outside it may seems as though you are losing something in the process of learning online that you don’t get from in-person lessons. However, you’ll quickly realize that you can communicate just about everything you could possibly want in an efficient manner remotely. Once the lesson has begun, it becomes almost as if the teacher and the student are in the same room having a face-to-face lesson!
Unlike many “tutorials” you’ll find online of prerecorded videos and lessons, Cloud Piano Studio is a live, 1-on-1 studio. There are countless online piano courses, YouTube videos, etc. but these fail in interaction. There is no personal relationship. No incentive to practice. No motivation to work efficiently. And ultimately, these style courses are inferior to 1-on-1 lessons.
Because there is no commute, it’s easy to warm up and prep for your lesson moments before it begins. And as soon as the lesson ends, it’s more beneficial to reinforce the concepts and music you have learned immediately after you have learned them.
Unlike most in-person lessons where the teacher and student are both working at the same piano, being remote gives each person their own instrument. This makes it easier for the teacher to demonstrate technique and playing without have to switch places with the student or reach at an awkward angle from the chair next to the piano.
Cloud Piano Studio lessons can work for almost anybody. Children and adults can learn equally as well via remote lessons just as long as they are interested and have a desire to learn!
How Does it Work?
Online Lessons work almost the same way in-person piano lessons function, but with just a few differences. At your lesson time, you will get a Zoom call, and then we will be connected and ready to work! We will be able to see and hear each other and can continue as we would were we in the same room. Recent improvements in sound spurred by the work-from-home reality of 2020 and beyond, make Zoom an excellent platform for high quality audio!
Demonstrating technique is super clear and easy as I can utilize multiple camera angles. It’s easy for me to show notation, hand positions, and everything I could do in an in-person lesson (see some examples of what’s possible). All you need to start is a computer or tablet with a webcam and I’ll be able to see and hear you play. To maximize your success and our communication, you might want to review some recommended tips and equipment.
Teaching Philosophy
Every single student has different wants and needs and private 1-on-1 lessons should reflect that. No two lessons are the same. Whether you want to learn Mozart, play by ear, sing along to your favorite standards, join your church worship band, imitate your favorite artist, or if you want to just learn how to play piano, there is an individualized path for you.
I grew up with a background in classical music and traditional piano lessons. But I soon realized there was another world of music to be discovered. Throughout my studies in college, I expanded to almost every genre and style of music. Musical Theatre, Jazz, Pop, Blues and Soul, Rock, Contemporary, and everything in-between. Although I make a living playing “commercial” music, I enjoy teaching everything that I’ve studied in my 20+ years of playing. The foundations and fundamentals of piano can carry you in any and every direction of music.
Cloud Piano Studio lessons are a well rounded combination of technique, ear training, theory, reading, and so much more. You don’t have to choose between any of those things. And every lesson is customized and designed for you.