Online Piano Lessons-Are they worth it?
Pssst....If you don't have time to read the whole article, scroll down to the infographic for the summary.
Humans have always been innovators. Always looking to build, adapt, invent to allow us to maximise productivity and joy. We are living at a point in history where technology allows us to access a wealth of information and connect us to experts from all over the world.
Gone are the days where learning a skill was obstructed by distance, but if you are reading this article perhaps you are considering if going the distance might be worth it after all.
The fact of the matter is that you know your situation much better than I do. As a piano teacher with 10+ years of experience, who has taught both online and in person piano lessons, I would like to offer my findings over my career to help you to choose the best option for yourself or your child.
Personally, I have only been teaching online since 2020 but I have found the benefits have certainly outweighed the pitfalls. If you would like to book a free taster lesson or join my waiting list, click the link below to fill out the google form.
Online Lesson Pros
The main benefit of learning online lies within the fact that you don't have to be in the same room, area or even country as your teacher. As a result, online lessons are:
Accessible- According to an opinions and lifestyle survey conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 97.7% of UK households are expected to have internet access in the years 2023-2024.
Therefore, even if there are no piano teacher availability in the area, the internet allows students to connect to their teachers without even having to leave the comfort and safety of their home.
Offer a variety of choices- When you aren't so limited by logistics, you'll find there are many online teachers to choose from that may not even live in the same county as you.
Learning with an online teacher does not require you to live nearby, in fact, they could be on the other side of the world and, so long as they don't mind the time difference, they can be teaching you or your child as if they were in the same room.
Some other great reasons to consider online lessons are:
Increased Retention of information learned - While traditional face to face learning boasts recall rates of 8%-10% Online learning has recall rates of up to 60%. (Online Education Statistics UK)
So potentially, a student learning a subject online would be able to remember SIX TIMES the amount of information that they would remember if they took the same course in person.
Better for the environment- As well as saving on travel expenses, we are also reducing our carbon footprint by staying home instead of driving to an in person lesson.
Online Lesson Cons
Although technology has vastly improved over the years, it does have its limits. Unfortunately, this can mess up our online lessons from time to time.
No WiFi= No Lesson - Yep, one of my main issues that I run into while teaching online is that I am at the mercy of my WiFi. On those days where it is unstable, it can be very frustrating on both the teacher and student side.
Lag prevents students and teachers accompanying one another live- One of my favourite parts of my in person lessons were collaborating and accompanying my students. Although zoom has came a long way with reducing the lag, I have yet to figure out how to play together live during a remote lesson.
Although we are able to collaborate and create together remotely through BandLab and Musescore 4, you cannot beat the feeling of performing live.
In conclusion, online education is a wonderful tool for parents and students to further their knowledge from the comfort of their own home. Although there are challenges that come with learning a new skill remotely, there are a few things you can do to overcome them.
