Could Virtual Music Lessons Work For You?

By DMI Voice Instructor Brittany Wright

During this time of uncertainty, virtual lessons have been a great way for students to practice safe at home measures. While virtual lessons are different from in person lessons, they have some great benefits and can be just as effective as meeting in the studio. Meeting virtually allows you to save valuable time by eliminating your commute, plus it gives you the added flexibility of being able to have lessons in the comfort of your own home. Another added benefit of online lessons, is that you can easily record your sessions when using programs like Zoom.

In order to have a virtual lesson, you will need two devices; one device to connect via Zoom or FaceTime and one device to play your backing tracks. Before our lessons, I will gather a list of songs that you want to work on. I will then send backing tracks for you to sing along to, or I can send sheet music for those who wish to accompany themselves. I also have found that there are great karaoke links available on youtube for anyone who prefers to have the words visible on the screen as they sing along. 

Contrary to what one might think, the structure of a virtual lesson is the same as in person. I start off our lesson with vocal warm-ups in order to ensure healthy singing, as well as, to evaluate personal growth. I have pre-recorded vocal exercises that I send to all of my students so you can practice any time anywhere. You can choose to use the pre-recorded warms ups during a virtual lesson or we can do warm-ups in real time. This consists of me giving an example of the warm up followed by a starting note for you to perform the exercise. This requires you to rely more on ear-training and it is a great way to improve pitch accuracy. 

After warm-ups, we will sing through any pre-chosen songs using the backing tracks or sheet music provided. Some students also like to focus on music theory such as ear training, rhythm and sight-reading. These exercises are done the same way as in person and I can send any exercise via email or text for the you to reference. There are also some great ear-training and sight-reading apps that I highly recommend for any student who wishes to work on their music theory outside of lessons.

All in all, virtual lessons are a beneficial way to cultivate your talent and provide an easy and safe medium to start or continue your musical journey.