Contributed by John Allnutt

You may be a purist when it comes to having lessons in-person versus online but a lot can be said about meeting students online. Over the last two weeks we met students via FaceTime, Skype, or by Google Hangouts when school was cancelled. I was skeptical at first about doing this but it soon occurred to me that I was able to see where students practice at home. Have you ever wondered why your own students might have trouble week-to-week on the same section of music? I noticed many of my students without a metronome, mirror (essential for percussion), music not printed off, or equipment not ready or broken. Though, by the end of each session each student grew not only musically but had a checklist of ways to improve their practice at home. This experience was so eye-opening that I am tempted to meet at least once a semester online to keep up with each student.  Try this out and see if it helps you and your studio.