Many people, including singing teachers, students, and professionals ask me about how I make online singing lessons productive and helpful. Well, first of all, we have to accept the limitations of technology. While the digital world is miraculous (especially for someone like myself who didn’t grow up with it), right now Zoom and FaceTime are mostly one-way streets. In other words, I can’t simultaneously accompany your singing online. Either you won’t hear me properly, or I won’t hear you. There are some workarounds, but they’re either undependable, expensive, complicated, or require a lot of setup. Using one device for the main connection (usually a laptop), and another device for the music accompaniment (usually a smartphone), makes things a lot easier, reliable, and successful. During a lesson, I can send you music tracks and PDF sheet music files via text message or email. It takes mere seconds to transmit, and then the vocals and accompaniments are transmitted all through your end of the connection. Easy, reliable, and a lot less hassle than driving into Manhattan! |