Month: August 2020

Gosh, I realise that I haven’t posted anything on my blog since 2016. Perhaps its because I had my daughter in the interim, and there never seems to be much time any more?! Still, I must do better, and with the launch of my new website it seems appropriate to make an effort to post something more recent. Perhaps unsurprisingly the current global situation seems a rather apt subject.

Back in the early months of the year I would have been totally amazed at the idea of teaching online, and would have sworn it couldn’t be done (along with the vast majority of my colleagues). Whilst my sister regularly teaches English online to students across the globe, it is much less common to have offered music lessons online – at least until March 2020…

As the inevitability of lockdown loomed large, I was fortunate that the school where I work ensured we were equipped with the necessary technology and resources to enable us to teach online. I was also able to maintain my private teaching practice online. All well and good in theory, but then lockdown came into force and the hypothetical became a reality. Admittedly the first week was more challenging than I think either I or my students had anticipated. Early issues with webcams not working left me literally teaching blind for a day, and I quickly realised how much I rely on my ability to see my students to assess what they are doing and what they need to work on! The limitations of technology also meant that I was unable to accompany my students as normal, as computers on both ends just couldn’t cope with audio input and output simultaneously. It was a certainly a steep learning curve, and frustrations with poor sound quality and technology ‘blips’ in the middle of lessons left everyone feeling pretty exhausted. Choral rehearsals seemed an impossibility, and whilst the idea of ‘virtual concerts’ was floated this also seemed a pipe dream!

Fortunately the Easter holidays gave us an opportunity to regroup and plan for the summer term, and it quickly became apparent that lockdown was going to continue for a good while yet.

So, what has changed?
I found that some aspects of my teaching could continue as normal, and in fact the limitations of teaching online forced me to focus on some areas of learning which I struggle to find time for when everyone is constantly preparing for performances and examinations. My personal interest in the Kodàly Method came to the fore, and all students spent some of their lessons working on these skills which are so valuable for all round musical development. I was delighted that all students responded positively to this focus, and many admitted to enjoying the time spent on musicianship each week, despite generally panicking if asked to spend time on sight singing in an average lesson!
In order to work on song repertoire I had to rely on recording backing tracks of the accompaniments. Obviously this impacted on my own time, and much more forethought and planning was necessary for each individual lesson. Backing tracks are no substitute for ‘live’ accompaniment, but students have generally adapted well to this and have gained an alternative but useful skill for their futures.
It was an unpleasant revelation to me to discover that some of my students struggled to stay in tune without accompaniment even in basic warm up exercises, and this led me to a natural desire to encourage them to learn and work on some unaccompanied repertoire. Each student sourced a folk song with guidance, and then learned and recorded themselves singing it. Of course traditional ABRSM singing examinations require students to perform an unaccompanied song, and whilst many of them have now got a folk song ready for their next exam, I actually wanted them to appreciate how beautiful this repertoire is, and to gain confidence in singing without accompaniment, regardless of any examination intention. It was really lovely to see so many of them embrace this opportunity and to include several of these performances in our virtual Singers’ Concert in May.
Concerts are not quite what they used to be, and have thrown up their own challenges and opportunities. School opted to transfer our planned programme of concerts to the online platform, and so my colleagues and I all had to learn to edit and collate pre recorded performances for these events. Learning to use editing software has been useful for me, but even though I am relatively ‘tech-savvy’ I still needed help and advice whilst I got to grips with it (thanks, Alice!) I was delighted to be able to include so many of the department’s singers in our virtual concert, and to share another 30 or so performances via Twitter in the weeks following. The option of lengthening concerts, knowing that the audience can dip in and out, or watch it in stages was really lovely, and nearly 75% of the department singers took part in some form or other. Our usual format would normally only allow about 20% of singers to take part, and the inclusivity of the online concert was a real bonus. It has also opened up the audiences to the concerts, and I was delighted to know that far flung Grandparents, or parents who often miss their students’ performances due to work commitments were able to watch the concerts in their own time.
The area of my teaching I have missed most is that of the ensembles. Whilst I asked my choirs to learn repertoire which I sent them, and record their individual parts which I could then edit together for concerts, this is not what being part of a choir is about! I miss the interaction of the girls as they work together and learn to listen, breathe and feel the music as a single entity. They too have missed that experience, and I know that they and I all benefit from the social interaction that the rehearsals provide.
Many of my students have been preparing for a performance of staged opera scenes. These rehearsals which would normally have been focused on ensemble singing and acting skills have all been transferred online, and instead of ensemble rehearsals everyone has been learning their parts in isolation. This has been a very bizarre experience, and I can’t wait to get the girls together and be able to work on these scenes properly…

So, what’s next? Well, who knows! Singing is still considered to be pretty ‘dangerous’ in the current climate, and I fear that it will be some time before ensemble singing can take place again. I very much hope that I can find a more meaningful way to work with my ensembles until singing in the same room becomes a viable option, and that it won’t be too long before we can work together on the opera scenes and choral repertoire.

There have been some positive things to come out of the situation though, and I want to try and take some things forward, even when I am able to start teaching in person again. These include continuing to include musicianship work into every lesson with every student, and making a concerted effort to encourage working on unaccompanied repertoire even when students aren’t working towards exams which require it. I am also keen to continue to try and broadcast performances online in some format so that distant friends and relations can also enjoy the music which is made by the students.

One thing is certain: none of us will take working with students in person, or the joy of making music together for granted again. I can’t wait to have that opportunity as soon as is safe, and I will be so delighted to hear and see my students ‘live’ again!