Have you ever wondered studying violin online may or may not be for you? This article is for you to see if any of the following benefits of learning the violin online may fit your lifestyle, priorities and most importantly, your violin journey.
No Commute
The first most popular benefit to online learning is not having to drive to lessons. When I first started teaching students online while abroad, when I returned to the States some students opted to continue online and not to come to the Studio in person for exactly the reason of not driving.
If you live in a big city like Chicago or Denver, you know how annoying it can be to sit in traffic for an hour or more commute. Time is of the essence and instead of having to waste time in traffic to get from work to lessons it makes more sense just to get home and have sessions in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Save time, frustration, and gas money! Saved time can be spent practicing and gas money can go towards online violin learning.
If travelling wasn’t enough….weather can make it even worse. If you are cold sensitive like me and hibernate during the winter in cold climates, than learning online is WAYYYYYYY better than having to climb out of your warm comfy home into a car to drive most likely on icy roads. Online lessons are truly your rescue. The same goes for all violinists who live where it is hot and humid and have no desire to brave the humidity.
Online lessons brings the education to those that otherwise may not have the opportunity. Violinists with limited transportation, mobility, live in rural areas or live in countries without proficient teachers find that learning online is a godsend.
Cost Effective
Because of the internet many violinists all over the world have access to exceptional training videos via youtube that would otherwise not be available. The violin is not an instrument to be self taught; however, for violinists who don’t have the financial resources or want to supplement the lessons that they do have available to them again online violin education comes to the rescue.
It is very important to me that violinists in less fortunate countries have access to free violin education; thus Online Violin Education, my free violin teaching website filled with educational blog posts and training videos. After a million youtube views, I feel blessed knowing I have been able to touch so many in need of violin education especially those in countries where violin teachers and the financial resources are hard to come by.
If you are passionate about learning the violin but don’t have access to the funds at the moment there are countless resources for violinists online, one of them being www.onlineviolineducation.com voted the top 25 violin blogs online.
Video Exchange is an exceptional alternative to access high quality violin lessons for a fraction of the cost. Typically how video exchanges work is you make a video and then submit it to your online teacher for feedback. They in turn record a video filled with feedback video for you to access.
In my private video exchange here at Online Violin Studio, all videos are housed in a library for all violinists to learn from – stretching the dollar even farther.
Finally, within my Technique and Tone Academies I offer live workshops and alumnis have free access to these workshops year after year as long as the workshops are being held. One time enrollment fee and unlimited access to the training videos and materials year after year. It is truly the gift that keeps giving.
Taking Advantage of Technology
With my beloved iMac and a good internet connection, I am able to connect with my students without either of us ever leaving the house. If I need to see something in more detail to analyze technique, I am able to ask them to position themselves or their camera in such a way to allow me to see what I need.
After almost a decade of teaching violin online, I have discovered that the technology has definite perks above in person private sessions; first and foremost, video recorded sessions. I record all violin sessions for my clients to have access to them after the lesson. This allows for continuous study. Every session I give and this is the case for many other violin teachers, are like onions with many layers. Most likely only a small percentage of the session, one layer of the onion, may be absorbed by the violinist but after the lesson, when the violinist is more relaxed and works with the recording another layer of the onion is peeled back. You can replay over and over again until it sinks in.
Dropbox is another HUGE technology fave of mine. Every violinist I work with has their own personal dropbox folder and we exchange all materials needed for the session immediately.
If violinists are working on specific pieces or passages they would like me to help them with, they upload the material to dropbox and we have instant access. PLUS, it is super fast….just take a pic with your phone of the material and upload to dropbox…boom easy information transaction.
Google Docs is another huge fave of mine to supplement lessons. Within a shared doc between myself and the student, I write down what is to be practiced and covered in the next session so both myself and the violin student are on the same page for what is to be covered.
You may ask, so what exactly is needed to learn violin online. First, a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone with a decent webcam and high speed internet connection. It is a good idea to set up for your sessions in a well-lit area where you have room to move around and free to bow.
After many years of online teaching and trying out different platforms, I have found zoom to be the best for my studio. Very easy to use and you don’t even have to download the platform, just follow a simple link. Plus it feels like a classroom without the casualness of a social media feel.
Learn At Your Own Pace
Another advantage to learning online whether it be through private sessions, Academies, Video Exchange or blog posts is that you have the opportunity to discover which educational method matches best with your personal learning style. As an adult violinist, you are most likely more aware which learning style is best for you.
Perhaps you know your time is limited and you don’t want the pressure of weekly lessons but feel more comfortable learning at your own pace via a self guided program like Gorgeous Tone Academy with live group workshops. On the other hand, perhaps you are practicing two to three hours a day and absolutely hungry for information and yet again an Academy may be a perfect match for you as you can go at lightning speed if you wish. All materials are available to you immediately after full tuition is paid.
Most of the violinists I work with are private teachers themselves and time is very limited. Learning violin online allows for the flexibility to work around busy schedule and also the secrecy of no one knowing.
Around the Clock Access
We all love and value freedom and flexibility in our schedules. Who knows when the free time may hit for you to be in your practice room and when that special opportunity arises, you want to take full advantage of your time. This is a HUGE benefit of online learning. At any time you have access to training at your fingertips. However, I firmly believe the key to the most true and effective process is organization.
Without organization you may just fumble around in fog for years.
So when you do have that free time whether it may be early in the morning, lunch break or late at night, not only do you have access to training materials, if you are enrolled in one of my academies, you will have all the training materials laid out in order for you, and you know exactly what to work on!!
We have to admit, the violin is not an easy instrument to learn and it does take years; however, with dedication, practice and a clear cut strategy on how to proceed on a daily basis, you will be playing beautifully in no time.
Sense of Community
When I started offering live workshops for my Academy students, I had no idea the significance of the sense of community. I have violinists repeat the workshops year after year and they become friends with the other violinists. They learn from each other and I even learn from them when they reflect back to me my own teaching. It is such a beautiful process and a beautiful exchange. For me this is one of the BIGGEST perks of online education. Learning the violin can be such an isolated study and the internet can open that door to others.
It has definitely opened a door for me to get to know and work with amazing beautiful souls all over the world. It is one of my biggest pleasures in life to help violinists have personal breakthroughs again and again and again. One violinist I work with calls it the “Easy” button. The violin is hard enough as it is…and online learning is just another medium to make it easier.
Now I would love to hear from you. Do you think learning the violin online fits into your lifestyle, priorities and most importantly, your violin journey and most importantly in what way?
Please share in the comments below.
Happy magical practices,
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