Will they be happy with their online lesson? But a funny thing happens when you are destined to accomplish something and give up on it. Apparently Skype was a new free online program that allowed you to talk with people over the Internet. Don't worry, I didn't charge him double, I offered the extra time all because I was so excited to use this new tool. Online instruction IS the wave of the future, although I know some of you are probably still not convinced. Local music instruction is an extremely valuable service for the surrounding 10-20 mile radius. A friend of mine pondered the same question a few years back and invited me to answer this very question. "No problem, I teach online!" A new era was born. No doubt about it; I was hooked; I had finally found a workable answer for all of my email students: "I live too far away". We were both questioning the process- "would it really work, would someone want to study through a virtual camera, would there be connection problems, latency, dropped calling, etc. So it seemed we both threw in the towel and were waiting for the other to take the lead. But finding the right coach is the subject of another article.) Bottom line; technology is getting better every day. Every rock star we bring on board has come to me with the exact same concerns, and as soon as I show them how seamlessly online teaching works, they are hooked for life, just as I was. So, I signed up for my free account, dug my web cam out of the closet, and proceeded to chat with him online in real time via audio/video conferencing. This was in 2007. Things keep popping up in your life that lead you back on track I had continued receiving emails from people wanting their vocal' questions answered, to which I replied, "book a lesson"Right after my conversation with my friend about our failed idea, I started receiving some unusual replies to my "book your session" answer, "Okay, I'll book a lesson. So I'd ask my hungry pen pals, "Why don't you just schedule a lesson with me?" Surprisingly enough, most responded pleasantly, telling me they would love to have one-on-one lessons with me, but considering they lived hours or continents away, it just was never going to happen. (Psst-I'd focus more on the quality of what is being taught as opposed to the technological side. This question was brought upon by our notoriety and success and led me down a road I had never thought to takelet me step back for a moment; My notoriety as a vocal coach came out of nowhere in 2004 (roughly eight years after I started coaching), simply because of my insatiable thirst to help others learn the fine art of voice. After my first TV show and first book were released, I began to receive many emails from singers around the world, asking me question after questionI was happy to help, but there are just so many hours in the day. Within two years of launching my site, I was an author of several books, and had made several appearances on shows like Discovery Channel's MythBusters. Flying is expensive! I even remember the first time I said yes. Needless to say, this spread my notoriety much further than the little town that I live in. In fact, he said, "Hey, can you help ME get it together? I started teaching more, decided to write a book, and started a website and then things kind of took on a life of their own; let's just say I started attracting a little bit of attention as time progressed. Both have studied
video conferencing sites with me via web cam and both have told the world how it has helped. Yes you could have audio/video/latency issues, but if you have a high-speed connection, whether it is a cable connection to your PC/MAC or an air-card for your laptop, a decent web cam, microphone, and headset, then you should be good to go. Oh well, so much for that idea. So much for a secret, I never use it, haha.) The lesson time flew by, I had a ball teaching, the student was thrilled, and since that time, we had at least several dozen lessons together.
Well, there is nothing as good as the real thing (in-person) but this comes pretty darned close. Let me share my story: My field of expertise, which is vocal instruction, requires that I make myself readily accessible and available for the needs of students striving for perfection. Fast-forward a year later. I don't have to leave my house, and they don't have to leave theirs. Why? I'll admit, I am a late creeper with technology, and this Skype thing kind of scared me. WOW what a neat idea. I believe
video conferencing websites that first lesson went on for about 90 minutes although I strictly told my client that it was a 45-minute session. You could even see them too! The accessibility and ease of online lessons cannot be beat. I guess we were both just too skeptical about the whole "online teaching" thing. If I can sum up that first lesson in one word, it would be "Freedom"; I have discovered the freedom to teach anywhere and everywhere and anytime I choose, all by using a computer and web cam! But what if there were a way to expand your business to cover 57 million square miles (roughly the amount of land mass of the earth) all within the comfort of your own home? There had to be another way. Now the majority of my lessons are online. And who can blame them. I know concerns arise such as will you be able to see or hear the person, and will there be any latency issues (lag in time). People are still worried if online instruction is as good as the real thing. He said "wouldn't it be neat to use this to teach voice online?" I agreed and was super excited about the whole prospectThirty-seven minutes later, we hung up, I ate lunch, and then I tossed the online conferencing idea in the "to-do" list in the back of my mind.
I really want to teach online". Most vocal coaches, or coaches of any type for that matter, set up shop in a teaching studio, music store, or even a corner office of their home. Hear me now. One day, I asked him, "How goes the online biz?" Turns out, he canned it too. So, before I had even answered the question my comrade had presented, he answered it for me. Too late to worry now, time to jump off the deep end. I was scared silly. I have a soft heart and tried to keep up with every person's questions, but it was becoming overwhelming and I couldn't continue spending hours as a free advice columnist. Or better yet, what if there were a way for a student to study with a teacher that lived on the other side of the earth, without the aid of three grand, a two-week vacation and ? Unfortunately, I was the wrong guy to ask for help. Thanks to programs like Google Chat, you can jam live with your instructor in almost seamless real time. Yes, this includes myself as well. He said "Ever heard of Skype?" I hadn't at the time, so he quickly introduced me. The after-launch protocol usually includes posting ads, listing the "teaching" business in the local phone book, and making local appearances, all for the sole purpose of driving attention to the teaching business. I'd like to start by saying that this article is long overdueOver the past few years, I have discovered a new way of connecting to people that eliminated many of the problems we've faced by time and space-online virtual conferencing. Do online lessons work? There are other programs besides Skype that work well too such as MSN Messenger, Oovoo, Tokbox, etc. And with each passing day, the technology gets better and better. I soon discovered I was basically giving "free" lessons via email to an over-abundance of hungry learners. I caved, I lied, and I said YES. In fact, I believe in it so much that I, along with several partners, have created an online teaching platform at , where musicians can study guitar, bass, voice, keys, drums, etc. with real rock stars. Do you teach online?" I kept saying no, but those same replies kept pouring in.
