Is it possible to learn online? Sure, lots of classes and topics have been repeatedly taught with remote learning, distance learning and online classes. However, learning how to play an instrument like a violin might be a different challenge altogether.
Distance learning is not a new concept. It’s been around at least since 2010 and earlier with college courses and Internet delivery. However, traditional music instrument learning was not one of the first curriculums taught in those early days. That said, with the COVID pandemic in 2020, a decade later, folks found a lot of things could be done online that traditionally were never considered. Music lessons and instrument learning definitely became open game for thinking about a new way of teaching music to students. Ergo, online violin lessons have actually become a reality now.
Technically speaking, online violin lessons are actually doable with the right equipment. As long as both ends of the connection are working in real-time, have good microphones and audio, have cameras and visible screens, and a bit of patience with connections, lessons are doable. In fact, for some, they might even work better, allowing students to focus versus trying to match whatever other students are doing in the same room or being distracted. The sound can even be enhanced with headphones or earbuds. The sound quality possible with today’s common technology is on par with professional studio equipment from less than a decade ago as well.
However, person-to-person training often claims one advantage that it argues remote cannot provide: personal coaching. That said, a well-kept schedule, some personal discipline and good live connections can come pretty close to the same. While the coach cannot be there in person to actually stop, position the student’s hand on the violin and emphasize form, he or she can provide a visual example for students to copy. Most of the challenge online really just depends on the cooperation of all involved to make the medium work.
Outfits like Forbes Music Company have been actively pushing the envelope in music learning and teaching, creating whole communities of violin students and generations entirely taught online in the art of their instrument. Whether the student is in the same town or clear across the country, trainers are able to teach students violin basics with very good results. While it will never match the direct attention of a coach in person 100 percent, the method of training has proven itself effective, even despite the general perspective of critics.
Furthermore, the online training method may very well be creating a whole new class of musicians adept at managing the production of music and musical art online. With a combination of video, audio and instrument, violin students are learning the basics to essentially play their music anywhere and still reach an audience. This modern skill may very well become commonplace in the digital age, giving students an advantage over their peers as more and more life steers into the metaverse and digital delivery channel.
However, most importantly, online learning has allowed violin teachers and trainers to reach an entirely broader range of students. From hobbyists and beginners to those considering additional reinforcement of their skill and learning new levels beyond their current skill plateau that may not have been possible with traditional in-person training locally. And if that’s the only success of online violin learning, it’s one of the greatest in keeping musical art alive for the next generation.
