If you’re looking to grow your studio, there is no better way than to start reaching out online!
Don’t let the equipment intimidate you. You don’t even need as extensive a set up as mine.
At the simplest level, you just need:
you
your instrument
something that will connect to the internet.
So for most, that means
a laptop/tablet/phone
a piano/keyboard to get started.
Once you’re comfortable with the idea of reaching out online, you’ll start to think of upgrading. “Oh if I only had something to show my hands from above, it would be easier to…”
“If I could share my screen and music it would more convenient!”
I truly think that online teaching wouldn’t be as accessible and successful if not for the technology we have today.
Once the Pandemic hit, I dove wholeheartedly into the online world and this is the set up I currently have after much experimentation and refinement.
The things that made my experience as a teacher phenomenally easier and made the learning experience for my student nearly seamless from in-person to online lessons was
Having good Audio and Video
Multiple Camera Angles
Ability to Screen Share the Music
Audio Equipment
I started off the AT-2020 mic hooked into the Focus Rite Scarlett Solo, especially when I was on my acoustic piano set up.
However, since my studio is completely electronic, my audio comes from two places. The first is the Yamaha P-515 Keyboard and the second is my voice using a mic headset. Not only does this make my playing and voice crystal clear to my student, it also means that my teaching is not as disruptive to those around me. Those in my household only hear my voice and the hammer of the keyboard’s keys (but no sound).
Video, Lighting, Multiple Camera Angles
For the Video, I use 2 webcams (Logitech C920s) and the computer’s built in webcam.
For the over head view, one Logitech camera is attached to a mic stand.
For the mobile side view, the second Logitech camera is propped up on a box. The webcam is also mobile up to the length of the USB chord (which is quite long!)
Lastly, good lighting is necessary for a good video quality, so I also have a ring light for the days when natural light isn’t enough.
Sharing music
The ability to share music online is an absolute god send. Without it, I think that it would make communication much more difficult.
For the music sharing, I had to download or scan a pdf of the music onto my ipad (12.9 inches).
You can use any score reading app like PiaScore, ForScore, Henle Music Library etc and simply. Then my ipad is connected to my computer via USB and then I use Zoom’s “share screen” function.
My Keyboard Set Up
My favourite part of my online studio is the keyboard and keyboard stand combination.
I have the Yamaha p515 keyboard sitting on a rolling keyboard stand. This allows me to tuck the keyboard under my desk and pull it out when I need to! It’s allowed my online office to be multifunctional and helpful for the posture!
The Software I Use
Zoom Conferencing App: This is the conference app I use. There are other great communication apps like FaceTime, Skype, etc and also some websites that are dedicated to online music lessons. Right now though, the workflow is great with Zoom for my students so I haven’t seen the need to jump to another app
Logic Pro: This is the software that hold my Keyboard’s Midi and my Headset’s mic audio
Loopback: This is a virtual mixing board. It allows me to mix my keyboard’s audio and my headset mic audio together into one stream so that it can be funneled into Zoom for my students
Logitech’s Webcam App: This app allows me to zoom in and out with the Logitech webcams.
Extra Goodies
Below is all the other equipment I use to help streamline my set up and make this electronic set up functional
I hope this helps you get started on establishing an Online Studio or if you're upgrading!
Happy Practicing,
Michelle
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