Online Piano Teaching Chronicles: Zoom Graduate Assistant
Back to California
The COVID-19 lockdowns started in mid March and it took several weeks for the situation to somewhat stabilize, though undoubtedly we were navigating the unknown. By June I was able to book a flight back to California, where I’m originally from, to spend time with my family. The new school year would start in September and I would be teaching Keyboard Fundamentals (Music 129) at the University of Alberta, a class that covered foundational technical patterns such as scales, chords, arpeggios, cadences, and music of about an intermediate level. The course was delivered in a mixed format with one weekly group lecture, and 30 minute individual private lessons for each student. In the midst of the pandemic, the challenge was now to teach the course remotely through pre-recorded material and Zoom piano lessons.
I enlisted the help of my partner and a few trusted others with more technological know-how to optimize my teaching setup. In short, I got an audio interface, a good quality microphone, some cables, and stands for my gear to get started. After some trial and error, I felt prepared to face the challenges of remote university teaching head on.
Returning to Canada and Preparing for Remote Piano Teaching
I arrived in Canada in mid-August of 2020, about two weeks before classes would begin, and as mandated by COVID protocols, I had to isolate in my room during that time. Being an introvert, I relished the opportunity to have some alone time to continue tinkering with my online piano lessons setup as well as play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Yes, I know I know, I was about 3 years late to the party, but as a recovering homeschooler, I am perpetually behind pop culture. Anyway, back to online music teaching.
My very first zoom piano lesson station at my university residence.
I hooked up my Yamaha P125B to my Scarlett 2i2 audio interface was able to transmit a clean audio sound through Zoom. (Always remember to use “Original Sound!”) The next step was I learned to use OBS to broadcast two camera angles simultaneously: the primary view with my laptop’s built-in webcam, and a secondary overheard with my smartphone (with its image mirrored via droidcam). I downloaded Davinci Resolve for editing my prerecorded lectures and with that, I was ready to roll.
Online Teaching Success at the UofA
After the first couple of weeks of getting a feel for teaching the Keyboard fundamentals class, I am happy to report that it was EXTREMELY successful. Students praised the clarity of my pre-recorded lectures and the video and sound quality of my Zoom piano lessons. Despite the social distancing, I successfully forged a personal connection with each of my students, coaching them through the basics of piano technique which they needed as the foundation of their music degree. Having never had prior experience with remote teaching in general or Zoom piano lessons more specifically, I felt inspired to continue exploring the potential of Online Piano Lessons, specifically for adult learners. Stay tuned for the next entry in this series where I explain more!
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