Ideas for Improving Online Lesson Engagement for Private Instructors

If your recent experience is anything like mine, your once in-person private lessons have now all moved online. For most of us, this is not our ideal teaching situation. In my case, I can no longer point my finger at the sheet music and guide a student through each note and measure of an exercise she's working on. It's nearly impossible to get a visual of all four of my young drummer's limbs in action at the drumset while still being able to see his face. I'm unable to make a quick peek down to analyze foot technique on the bass drum pedal while she's playing a challenging beat. Sometimes lackluster internet audio compression makes it difficult to discern whether he's actually playing that left-foot hi-hat note along with that snare drum stroke.

This scenario can be just as frustrating for our students. A wi-fi glitch causes their teacher to occasionally freeze right in the middle of demonstrating a passage (and who knows whose side that issue was on this time). Or they struggle to view their digital lesson notes on a small smartphone screen.

Ideal or not, it's the way things are going to be for many of us—for at least a little while. Typically, after a few weeks of getting familiar with the online video platform, developing a habit of printing those digital notes and brainstorming a stable way to position that laptop or mobile device, this "new normal" does get a bit more manageable for all involved.

As my students and I began reaching that point together, I started feeling that I wanted (perhaps needed for all of our sakes) to step things up. How could I make lessons more interesting and engaging, maintain some of the sense of community that came naturally from students crossing paths at our prior music store location, and simply give them something more?

I'll share below a couple of ideas that I have recently integrated into my online teaching. I know that this will be an ever-evolving process of experimentation and improvement, so, while hoping that some of these might be useful to you and your students, I'd also love to hear the ideas you have been trying in your virtual lesson studios.

Wait. First of all, let's altogether scratch that term: "virtual" lessons. While I fully understand that in this era, the word is often used to describe something taking place online, that's not the first definition that immediately jumps into my mind. "Virtual" always strikes me (as defined by the dictionary on my computer) as something that is "almost or nearly as described, but not completely." We are not "virtually" teaching lessons here. We are TOTALLY teaching lessons here. For realz, as the cool kids say—and we're working hard under the current circumstances to do a damn good job of it! It feels as though saying we teach virtual lessons is somehow discounting the valuable service we provide. So let's collectively stop that nonsense, shall we?

But I digress...

Switching Things Up

In the usual lesson room, a student is typically able to view their instructor from a variety of vantage points. He can tilt his head to the side to get a closer look at a specific technique being taught, or stand alongside to get a better idea of that hand position on the keyboard. With many of us teaching via apps like Zoom or Skype, that is less often possible.

I try to somewhat replicate that multi-view experience by using multiple cameras and "scenes." My setup includes Zoom but, instead of using my computer's native webcam, I use two used iPhones that I picked up inexpensively at a local store that specializes in refurbished tech gear. Plugging those into my computer via USB cables, their video sources are routed into OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) which then sends a VirtualCam video feed that I can access in Zoom.

One of those iPhone "cameras" is out in front of my drumset; the other is mounted from the ceiling, directly above my kit. By pushing a button on an Elgato Stream Deck Mini next to me, I can switch between those two camera views (what OBS calls different scenes). To further expand my available options, I set up additional OBS scenes that simply use the same camera feeds but have the video zoomed in more tightly.

With a quick press of a button, I can change up what the student sees:

• a full wide shot of me and part of the drumset (from the front);
• a cropped "talking head" shot for more direct, personal dialogue (from the same front camera);
• a wide overhead shot that gives the student a point-of-view perspective, as if he/she were themselves sitting at the drums;
• a cropped version of that overhead shot that is focused on the snare drum.

I plan to be adding a third iPhone camera very soon, which will share a shot from just over my left shoulder. This is a place that many students are accustomed to viewing from in the lesson studio, as well as a common angle that online performance and educational content appears in.

A piano instructor could similarly use that overhead angle to give students that same POV feeling. Or if you teach guitar, you might consider having a second camera that's focused more closely on your fretboard to give a better view of fingerings.

I also know music teachers who create the same sort of effects I've described above but without the OBS cropping features or any fancy gadgetry. In Zoom, one option would be to "invite" another device that you have to your lesson "meeting." That way, there's another camera view constantly visible to both you and your student. A second approach would be to have that second phone camera set to go and use "Share Screen" to switch to its view whenever you choose.

Whatever method one chooses, I truly feel that having these visual options at my disposal not only helps me better demonstrate what I'm teaching, but also breaks up the monotony of the 2D screen and keeps my students more engaged.

Class Time for All

Another area I felt the need to address was the area of community. Musicians benefit from relationships with other musicians. They benefit from seeing other players perform, performing for other players, and being able to discuss aspects like practicing and challenges they may encounter. Some of my students have gotten to meet and interact in the past as they arrived and departed from the music store where they took their lessons. They might get to peer in the window at the student before them and be inspired. They might be a bit more intentional about their playing, knowing that someone could be peeking in on them.

Missing the relationships and edge that brought about, coupled with my desire to simply give all of my students a little something more during these unusual times, I decided to begin teaching a weekly live group masterclass. Utilizing that same multiple cameras + OBS + Zoom format, I present on a specific topic one day each week, to all who are interested and able to attend. For approximately 45 minutes on the given evening, I go live in a Zoom webinar and teach a concept of my choosing (which I share with students in advance), sharing everything from an extremely beginning-level version of the topic on up to some advanced variations or applications. Participants are also able to access, download, and/or print a simple handout for each masterclass.

Worth noting is that it's also great to set up an OBS split-screen scene for these classes, where you, the teacher, are visible on one half of the screen and the other half displays preplanned text or musical examples. It's a nice resource to be able to refer to from time to time, especially loved by participants who may not have a way to print the handouts.

I encourage students to be at their instrument during the session, just as in our one-on-one lessons. Muted, they are able to play right along with me, pausing if and when things get too fast or too difficult. After the class, a recording of the video and a PDF of the handout are uploaded to an online archive. That way, they can always view it later, hitting PAUSE to practice exercises when needed, and then hitting PLAY again to continue when they're ready. It's also a place for students who missed the masterclass to watch it at a time that's more convenient.

Using the Zoom chat feature allows students to ask questions throughout the session, so that I can answer them or expand on ideas in real time. Since we use the Zoom "webinar" format, rather than the Zoom "meeting" format, attendees do not have their faces shown on screen for most of the class. I have found that going this route makes the first couple of visits for a student less intimidating, which convinces more to give the group experience a shot. However, in true masterclass style, there are moments where I invite students to "come up front" to play some of the exercises we've been working on. When someone volunteers, I am able to make their audio and video "public" to our group, so that we can all watch and listen. This allows someone to get immediate feedback on what they've been practicing. It also builds confidence and community. While perhaps terrifying the first time, they gradually get used to it and begin appreciating the accolades chatted in afterward by their supportive online masterclass peers. It's also beneficial to those who don't feel ready to pop in publicly. They get to see and hear another student working through things, realize we're all growing in this together, and perhaps get inspired to practice more and maybe even show their skills next time around. They get to know each other a bit, which further increases the likelihood that they'll keep attending future masterclasses together.

One question I often get about this is how much I charge my students for these bonus masterclasses. Just as many of us charge different rates for our regular lessons, there is no one perfect rate for everyone to charge for something like this. The charge that I feel extremely comfortable with is: nothing. My time commitment to this is just one 45-minute time slot per week but, with that single short stretch of time, I can potentially impact and benefit every single one of my students. For me, it's something that I feel compelled to do for them. You may feel the same, or not.

If the time investment doesn't make financial sense to you, allow me to let you in on a little secret that you might have missed a moment ago. I said that I don't charge my students anything. By that I mean the students who currently take (and pay for) one-on-one lessons with me. But they are not the only people who attend my masterclasses. Having tested the waters and worked out tech kinks for a month with only my existing students (uncharged), I then opened up the masterclasses up to the public at large. For a low monthly subscription cost, anyone can jump in on those weekly sessions. My private students get an experience above and beyond their usual lessons; our little community of drummers continues to grow; and my "pay" per masterclass gradually increases as I bring more monthly subscribers on board. Now that's a win-win-win scenario if I've ever seen one!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Those are but two ways I'm trying to improve my current online teaching for my students and for myself. Why not make the experience better for all, increase your student retention rate (which can easily falter with the challenges that the technology can bring), and give your teaching roster a little more?

I'd love to hear what ideas you have been implementing into your own lessons. Please share—in a comment below—what you've tried, what you've been considering trying, and what you've found that works particularly well!