Music is one of those little things that make life good. Music is a good way to relax, exercise or explore the world of sound. Many people find music lessons offer them a great deal. For children, music lessons have been shown to accomplish many worthy goals. Children who learn music often do better at academics, become more patient and learn how to interact with others better. Adults who take up music lessons can also reap many benefits. Music lessons can help adults stay sharper mentally even as they age. Adults can also keep their muscles toned by grasping a flute or beating a drum. While taking music lessons is extremely useful, recent circumstances have made this process a lot harder.

During the Pandemic

The rise of Covid-19 has had a huge impact on many areas of American life. In many parts of the United States, gatherings of people are highly restricted. Even when such restrictions have been slightly lifted, many people realize they are potentially highly at risk because of underlying medical conditions. This means they need to restrict their contacts and stay in place as much as possible to minimize their risks of getting sick.

For music lovers during the pandemic, the question has been how to practice the music they love and continue to learn from experts in the field. Luckily, there are many ways to overcome this problem. Musicians, music teachers and eager music students have risen to the challenge and shown it is possible to make the world a more tuneful place.

Now is the time to think in new ways and look for resources that allow teaching to take place. One solution so many have turned to is the use of online meetings. Online assistance such as Zoom offers a great deal of flexibility. Music teachers can provide individual lessons in a convivial setting. People should keep in mind the limitations of such devices. A Zoom meeting should be set up so that the teacher can see the student working. They should be able to see how the student is using the instrument and have the opportunity to correct them as needed.

In Person

Another option are in-person lessons. Most experts caution against gathering together indoors. However, getting together outside has been shown to be much safer. While the acoustics may not be as good outdoors, this is more than made up for by a decreased risk of catching Covid-19. A student can invite a teacher to come to their backyard for lessons. Small scale lessons involving only a teacher and student like these are generally considered fine by experts.

Students and teachers can also opt for larger gatherings outside. A quartet might meet at a teacher’s house and head outside to practice a passage. Students and their teacher should make sure they are observing all necessary social distancing measures. All those participating should stay at least six feet away from everyone else in the party. Teachers can demonstrate how far away students need to stay by providing markers indicating distances. All participants should have lots of sanitary measures in place including ready access to soap. Take lots of breaks. In between, everyone involved should make an effort to periodically wipe down every surface including their own instruments.

Formal Lessons

For those who are just looking to brush up on their skills, turning to traditional online media outlets for help during this time such as Youtube is a very good idea. A teacher can put up public music lessons for a larger audience. She can also ask her students to subscribe to her own channel for a small fee. Online lessons allow the student to follow along at their own pace. Students can pause the video to have a closer look at a specific passage. Teachers can bring in comments aimed at helping individual students understand the lessons better.