Weekly Studio Update + Tips for Online Lessons

The last couple of weeks of day-to-day life has seen a lot of adjustment required from everybody, so I'm incredibly thankful to each of you who has been able to continue your lessons with me online. I'm feeling more and more 'at home' with the change in lesson format and I hope you are as well. If you have any feedback at all about the online lessons - positives, negatives, suggestions - please let me know, my goal is to make these lessons at least as valuable as face-to-face in the studio.
I have two big challenges as a teacher that I'd love your help with.

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1. Looking at your technique. Most of you have found a position for your camera that allows me to see your face and hands at the same time, for some of you that's still a work in progress, particularly the students who are using their iPads for both lesson notes and Zoom. Ideally, if you're using an iPad, I'd love for you to have two positions for your device that you can easily move it between. You can also use a second device logged in to the Zoom meeting for that side-on view if your bandwidth allows. The other great option is to film the results of your practise sessions and send me the video before each lesson for review.

2. The sound of the piano. There's no great way to get our instruments beamed across to each other with realistic sound, although there are a couple of things that can help. If you have a set of bluetooth headphones or a bluetooth speaker it will allow you to hear me a little clearer. You may wish to remove one ear of your headphones while playing your own piano so that you can hear yourself. As above, the other great option is to record the results of your practise and send them through before your lesson. If you use a laptop as your device and you're using headphones, you can also switch on "Enable Original Sound" in the advanced audio settings for a clearer sound.

If all of that's confusing - don't stress! You're all doing a great job at the technology so far, and I'm really impressed with the progress and ingenuity shown across the board.
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Next week I'll be back in to the 8 Steps to Improving Your Musicianship - though I'll likely see you at your lesson before then!

Things I've been watching/listening to over the past TWO weeks:

1. VULFPECK /// 3 on E (feat. Antwaun Stanley) - new Vulfpeck always makes my week!
2. We're home delivering a piano... for free! | HDpiano - an April Fools joke that's not a joke! My pals at HDPiano are giving away a free digital piano to someone - it could be you! 
3. Making Bad Singing Sound Better- Here's How - meme pianist Charles Cornell explains how he was able to make his backing track for the celebrities singing "Imagine" in all the different keys. It's a culmination of this video and this video.
4. Coldplay: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - a really special stripped-back performance with a gospel choir. Goosebumps!
5. Harry Styles: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert - Harry Styles continues to impress with his songs and musicality (and charm!).
6. Jacob Collier - In My Bones (feat. Kimbra & Tank and The Bangas) - as a fan of both Jacob Collier AND Kimbra, I had to watch. Bonkers but brilliant.
7. Still working my way through the alphabet, this time albums beginning with J, K & L: They Might Be Giants (Join Us), Justin Timberlake (Justified), Spoon (Kill the Moonlight), Doves (Kingdom of Rust), Cee Lo Green (The Lady Killer) and more Doves (The Last Broadcast).
8. I've also been enjoying the new Dua Lipa album. Lots of great disco pop throwback tunes!

Be sure to let me know what you've been enjoying lately and if there's anything you think I should check out!