How To Make Online Learning Of A Musical Instrument Effective
A couple of years back, it was very rare to find people wanting to learn musical instruments online. Earlier, it was indeed unimaginable that musical instruments could be learned online. However, just like academics or any other knowledge-sharing sessions, music classes are also being conducted online.
Learning By Observing
Going by that conventional norm, music, be it vocal or instrumental, requires teachers and students to sit face to face. The former demonstrates the process while the latter observes and tries to repeat it. The teacher corrects students at places where they go wrong and guides them in the right direction.
Several aspects need to be kept in mind while playing a musical instrument. The right body posture will keep you stable and relaxed while you hold the musical instrument for a stretch during a performance. You have to hold the instrument and get used to it in a way that it becomes an extension of your body. Only then, the tune that comes out of it will come out from the core of your soul. These are just a couple of nuances. The entire journey will be dotted with several such nuances that students can pick up just by observing their teacher play an instrument.
Background Of Musical Instrument Courses Online
What triggered the journey of online classes for musical instruments? Earlier, in the era of tape recorders, students would record the voice of teachers during classes so that they could practice at home. Also, some people stayed abroad and visited India only during their vacation. They even attended classes and took back recordings for practicing on their own.
Going forward, as necessity and opportunity beckoned, these evolved into pre-recorded sessions that were shared via CDs, DVDs, and subsequently, through pen drives. Later, pre-recorded videos were shared via Google Drive until YouTube and other content-sharing platforms came into being.
Websites were created where students could register and access recorded video and audio files. Though these pre-recorded classes were technically complete, they lacked the real essence of a physical classroom where students get to interact with teachers directly.
The latest and most upgraded facilitators that are helping students across the world to learn music instruments online include online meeting platforms. The best part is that these meeting platforms facilitate one-to-one classes that are similar to physical classes by all means, except for the fact that they are being conducted virtually.
The eLearning websites/apps facilitate the musical instrument lesson through popular meeting apps such as Skype, Google Meet, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams. Some academies even develop their own meeting apps for virtual classes. These music academies curate the best educator for every instrument. Students can interact with teachers, study their profiles, and discuss their goals and concerns before making the final decision about virtual classes.
How Do Musical Instrument Courses Online Retain The Essence Of Physical Classes?
Earlier, there were several apprehensions regarding virtual classes for vocal or musical instruments. However, getting over these initial glitches has been more rewarding than anybody could ever imagine. With the best resources to learn a musical instrument online, virtual music classes are proving to be as effective as physical classes.
Virtual classes for musical instruments follow the updated syllabus. Students can select the musical Gharana as per their preferences or their past curriculum. Proper exams are conducted and students receive their mark sheets and certificates just as they do in physical classes. One of the significant contributors to the success and growth of online classes is the upgraded gadgets that bring laudable audio and video quality to the table. This ensures that there is no variation in the sound in virtual classes compared to physical ones. With a steady internet connection, students can attend classes from anywhere at their convenience.
Virtual classes are receiving astounding responses and applause from students and parents alike. Students' passion for the craft and their self-motivation for online musical instrument learning, which is aptly reciprocated by teachers’ dedication and willingness to impart knowledge, have been the cornerstone of success for these online academies.
Conclusion
The craze to learn musical instruments online has come into prominence, more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. As all offline classes had to shut doors, students, as well as teachers, had no other option than to switch to virtual classes. And now that people have got a taste for it, they prefer this more than offline classes. Going forward, when lockdown is lifted completely, virtual classes will continue to give offline classes a good run for their money. Thanks to virtual classes, there is an exponential rise in demand for hobby classes. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Online hobby classes are here to stay and rule the roost in the times to come.
