I love technology as much, if not more, than the next guy… but I am having a tough time embracing Skype as piano teaching’s new frontier.
In a pinch, yeah, Skype might suffice. It will certainly make it easier to deliver piano lessons to a family that decides to sail (hmm…with a very little waterproof piano!) around the world for a year. It will also make it easier to deliver piano lessons to a student who is sick or unable to leave home.
But for most piano teachers I just don’t see Skype as being the answer.
The teacher-student relationship is a crucial component of a piano lesson. It is challenging to foster and grow a relationship over a computer screen. Just ask my sister who spends 3 weeks out of every month communicating with her “work-away” husband. Sure, she loves seeing his face and hearing his voice, but the best week of her month is when the one week that he is home.
It is also interesting to note that, as reported on Trendwatching.com, there is a retail renaissance occurring right now. Despite the growth in online shopping, consumers still prefer to leave their computer behind and hit the mall. Why? Because it’s not simply about buying a product… it’s about the entire shopping experience.
In my opinion, the same goes for piano lessons. The experience is just as important as the final product. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment.
Joy Morin says
Good discussion! However, to be fair, maintaining a marriage relationship is much more complex than maintaining a teacher-student relationship. It’s hard to compare the two.
I had high hopes for Skype when I first tried it, but even I was completely floored at how remarkably well it works. Since the first try, I’ve had the opportunity to try it with a few different individuals – different ages, levels, and I even tried taking a lesson myself over Skype. I’m a HUGE fan so far. For any teachers out there who are dubious, please give it a fair try before you make a judgement!
I’ll admit, it may not work for everyone, but I do think it is a wonderful option for many, many teachers and students out there!
Kristen says
My caution in doing it comes more from the parent side of me than the teacher.
When looking for people to teach my children, I spend as much time reading body language at a first meeting as I do listening to what is being said. If anything seems “off” to me, we’re out. It’s completely a gut thing. It would seem to be much more difficult to make this same determination in an online setting, so that’s where my caution lies. Would I trust someone I had never met in person to teach my child online? Not sure.
But…I do offer Skype lessons as an option if students can’t make their regular lesson. It works short term for us and has not as yet presented any problems. Well, except for not being able to high five them after a particularly great job. That palm slap to the monitor just isn’t the same.
Dorla says
Just yesterday I gave a Skype lesson to a student who has moved an hour away but wishes to continue with me. Our only problem is when Mom does NOT know how to work the computer! Very frustating. She has a MAC. I don’t. So my suggestions to her mean nothing. Ended up having the lesson over th phone!