Tips for Successful Online Lessons

ROOM

Find a space that is comfortable for you. You don't need a huge room, but it should be a room where you feel you can move freely.

CAMERA ANGLE

Your camera should be at the height of your head so your camera angle is facing you directly. It is important to avoid having you look downward: not only can I not  - I can’t see you as well, it is not  a good posture for singing. Please try to have this set up BEFORE your lesson time so we are ready to roll when we connect!

LIGHTING

Since the better I can see you, the better I can teach you...good lighting can make a world of difference! Natural light is always best so if you can, have a window in front of you. Using ring lights and positioning yourself near other lights in your home also works well.

COMPUTERS

For your lesson, computers generally work better than mobile devices because there is more flexibility for good camera angles and there are advanced audio settings available in the desktop zoom app that enables significantly better audio quality. 

MOBILE DEVICES

Your lesson can work on iPads and phones - do NOT feel that you must get a new computer for your lessons!

BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

A bluetooth speaker is very helpful for playing your accompaniment. 

MICROPHONE
While not required, an external microphone is highly recommended.  There are many excellent, affordable options (under $70) and they significantly improve your audio quality — and the better I hear you, the better I can teach you! I am happy to discuss this and suggest options that may fit your needs and budget.

HEADPHONES

Again, while not required, using headphones can significantly improve your audio experience in your lesson.

PIANO/KEYBOARD

If you have a piano or keyboard, please include that in your lesson setup! Especially if your keyboard skills are still developing, using your piano in lessons can be a great way to improve your music reading and keyboard skills.

MUSIC STAND

You will need something to hold your music, so if you don't already have one, please look into getting one. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get something that can do the job of holding your music for you.

ZOOM & CLEANFEED

Zoom is used for all online lessons and classes. There are several advanced audio settings in the desktop app significantly improve your audio quality. I will walk you through these at your first lesson. Cleanfeed is another option we can explore at your lesson for improving the quality of your audio stream.