Explore the benefits of online voice lessons and get expert tips to make the most of your virtual singing experience.
I’ll never forget the first online voice lesson I taught—very reluctantly—way back in 2017. Shari, a student I’d been teaching for years in my home studio, was heading to the UK to study at Oxford. She wanted to continue weekly lessons with me while she was gone. Although I wasn’t confident that it would work, we plunged in—and I discovered just how effective online voice lessons could be.
In the years since, online lessons have made it possible for my students and I to work uninterrupted despite my family’s decision to travel full-time, the COVID-19 pandemic, and my eventual relocation from Gaithersburg, MD to Henderson, NV. Read on to find out why I think online lessons can be BETTER than in-person ones, and discover the tips I’ve learned the hard way over the past eight years to make them work flawlessly.
I love online lessons because…
With online voice lessons, you can learn from anywhere
When I was growing up in Texas, I was lucky to meet a terrific singing teacher who lived close by. She trained me throughout high school and then recommended me to a colleague at The University of North Texas with whom I studied in college. Not every singer is lucky enough, though, to have a teacher who is geographically close but is also right for them. Online lessons make it possible to find a teacher who is your perfect fit, no matter where you live.
Online voice lessons can be more comfortable
Over the years, I’ve noticed many of my students feel more comfortable learning in their own homes than coming to my studio. Singing online removes the need to perform for a stranger in a new space. It also ensures you have access to all of the things you need–whether it’s your special tea cup or a furry friend.
Fewer missed lessons
There are loads of reasons to cancel in-person lessons that have nothing to do with the student’s ability to sing or the teacher’s ability to teach:
- If a student is even slightly ill, I’ll recommend that she stay home to avoid infecting others, whether she can sing or not.
- Bad weather can make it unnerving or impossible for students to drive to lessons.
- Car trouble or scheduling conflicts with spouses or siblings can result in last-minute travel difficulties.
In each of these situations, online lessons are an easy alternative that leads to fewer missed lessons and greater consistency. And greater consistency leads to greater progress.
Online Voice Lessons Save Time and Money
We all know that commuting isn’t a very efficient use of our time. Many of my students are busy adults who love the idea of going directly from a business meeting or other work into a lesson with me.There’s always a cost to commuting, too—either indirectly in lost income from work you could have done, or directly in the form of public transportation fares, gas, or wear and tear on your vehicle. Taking voice lessons online eliminates these costs.
Tech Tools Can Enhance Learning
I have recorded every lesson I’ve ever taken or taught because the insights gleaned from listening back to the recording are invaluable. My typical audio recordings are great, but the video ones we make online give so much more information. Posture issues, neck/jaw/tongue tension, and other concerns are often easily seen by my students when they watch their recordings. And being truly aware of something you might want to change is the first step towards fixing it.
I also use new AI transcription tools to automatically take down notes and create action items. This ensures that neither the student nor myself is distracted with this task during the lesson.
Online, we still can access all of the resources I might use in a lesson taken together in my studio. This includes theory lessons, to online games, to backing tracks. All it takes is a little advance preparation and careful use of tools such as screen sharing (did you know we can even share from a separate computer or tablet while on a Zoom call?) and the whiteboard.
Success Tips for Online Voice Lessons
As I’ve said, I think online lessons are great, but there is definitely a learning curve when I’m getting started with a new singer. Here are some tips to help you make the most of the experience.
Find the right space
Ideally, your singing space is quiet and distraction-free. Lighting is also important. I can see my students best when they are facing a window or lamp. Having a window or light behind your head often results in shadows on your face and poor visibility. Make sure you have room to stand and move. I often ask my singers to walk around, swing their arms, or do some jumping jacks.
Understand time zones
Decide if you will use the student’s or the teacher’s time zone as the default one. This helps to avoid confusion when traveling or dealing with Daylight Savings. There are certain states that choose not to observe Daylight Savings Time, and countries such as England make the switch on a different day than we do in the United States. Being clear on whose time zone is the “correct” one and notating the lesson in that time zone in your calendar can help minimize delayed or missed lessons.
Minimize Tech Issues
The technology we use for online lessons has come a long way in the last decade, and lag issues are minimal. To give yourself the best chance for success, use a stable internet connection. Ideally, you’ll want to either plug directly into an Ethernet cable or be close to your home’s wireless router. Check that you have the latest version of the software you’ll be using to connect, and close any unnecessary windows or apps before your lesson starts. Do a quick test of your camera and microphone to ensure that they’re both working properly.
Although a great computer with an external microphone and a good set of headphones can improve your experience, they aren’t required to start. Many of my students log onto their lessons from a smart phone with great results.
Be Prepared
Prepare for your online lesson just as diligently as you would for a lesson outside your home. Be sure to have all the materials you need, such as sheet music, writing utensils, a separate device for karaoke tracks, and water, close by. Do your best to minimize distractions by setting devices on Do Not Disturb and letting housemates know that you’d prefer not to be interrupted. Finally, try to do a basic warm up before you see your teacher so that you can maximize your time together.
Record and Review
As I said already, I record every lesson I teach, both on video and via an AI note taker. I expect that my students will watch their videos at least once during the time between lessons to reinforce the concepts we discussed. Recordings also help my singers to practice more mindfully as they can sing along directly to the exercises we performed.
Communicate Openly
As with lessons in the studio, I urge my singers to communicate openly with me. In my opinion, the best lessons are a conversation between the student and the teacher. You, as the singer, are the expert in your own instrument. You know how it feels—when it’s working and when it isn’t. And you, ultimately, are the person who needs to figure out how to make that instrument do what you want it to.
I believe my job is to use my ears to decide which tools might help you make your singing easier and more beautiful. Then, I help you to add those tools to your own toolkit. I’ll constantly be asking questions and urging you to tell me when things are or aren’t working, if they did or didn’t make sense, what you noticed, what things felt like, etc.
There is never a “wrong” or “silly” answer to any of these questions. Singing is experiential, and your experience is valid, whatever it is. I urge all of my students–whether I see them online, via asynchronous lessons, or in person, to keep the conversation going.
Are you ready to try online voice lessons?
Online voice lessons have come a long way since that first one I taught to Shari in Oxford back in 2017. What started as a creative workaround has become one of my favorite ways to teach. You might find, like I did, that it suits you perfectly. I’m honored to help students thrive wherever they are—from Gaithersburg, MD to Henderson, NV, and beyond. If you’ve been wondering whether online lessons could work for you, I’d love to help you find out.
Want to try out an online lesson? Click below to book your Get Acquainted Session—I’d love to meet you.
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