In a world where people are seeking a safe distance from each others, a piano lesson may now include a computer connection where teacher and student can see and hear each other. “Me and a lot of other businesses around here are scrambling to keep things going,” said Jenni Tanner owner of Inspired Music Academy.
Normally her practice rooms are filled with students learning everything from drums to piance, guitar and violin. Now teachers and students are both working from home.
“I mean there’s logistics as far as sharing music and communicating,” Tanner said. “It takes a lot longer to get through a lesson in certain aspects because the kid is showing the music to the camera and it’s a little bit longer because instead of pointing and showing how to do something we have to use our verbal skills a little bit more than usual.”
One student made it work with a laptop perched on top of two chairs stacked on top of each other. With computers, laptops and cell phones available in most homes, it’s certainly different from teaching in person, but not impossible.
I think the close proximity really helps but I think the kids are picking that up on screen too. And they are having a familiar presence in their life once a week that is also helpful even if it is on a screen.
Jenni Tanner never dreamed she would be teaching music like this. But out of 150 students, 130 are sticking with it.
“I feel fortunate that I’m able to do this in the meantime, and we haven’t taken too much of a hit right now. We’ll see as the economy-whatever happens there,” she says.
