[Online Private Music Lessons]

 Introduction

Since the advent of the 21st Century, online lessons, whether in music or any other subject, have become more and more widely offered. But, what is online instruction or education? Can it be as effective as a face-to-face instruction in a classroom? A very simple, yet enlightening definition of e-learning (i.e. electronic learning) is devised by William Horton, a leading e-learning consultant: "E-learning is the use of electronic technologies to create learning experiences." This plain yet comprehensive interpretation suggests that, effective online lessons are administered using best practices in electronic technologies, including electronic media, information and communication technologies; but also best practices in pedagogy in order to create engaging learning experiences such as instructor-led teaching, instructor/student interactions, quizzes, assignments, team projects, etc. Furthermore, in e-learning the role of the instructor changes from being the "sage on the stage" to the "coach on the side." The online instructor is constantly providing flexible assignments, relevant guidance, real life context, hands-on activities, and advise for learners to take responsibility for their own learning. In 2009, the New York Times published an interesting article about the benefit of online learning. The article revealed that an extended report spanning twelve years (1996-2008), which was conducted for the US Department of Education, demonstrated that online learning today tends to be better than conventional instruction.

To conclude, no doubt online music lessons are a convenient and practical way to receive personalized instruction. The crucial factor to keep in mind is to be very selective when searching for an online instructor. Just like the classroom instructor, he/she should be highly proficient in his/her subject matter. And in addition, he/she must be trained and knowledgable in designing and conducting an online course. Teaching online is very different than teaching in a classroom or privately at home. In fact, the resources, skills, and tools needed for successfully teaching students online vary considerably from those of the traditional classroom.

 Why Study Online with Samy?

This is usually a difficult question to answer. After all, we are often biased towards ourselves, and consequently people expect us to overpraise our skills, knowledge and expertise. Nevertheless, I will try in a most humble manner to list three reasons why you may wish to consider studying with me:

• My teaching experience spans more than 20 years. I have been teaching privately and in conservatories since 1993.
• I have developed many students to achieve admission to Berklee College of Music and select U.S. and European schools., and later became successful professional musicians.
• I have formal training and considerable experience in designing and facilitating online lessons.

For more information, you may visit my Biography page or contact me directly to discuss your learning objectives.

 How it Works

The subject matters I currently teach online and privately are music theory, ear training, harmony, counterpoint, instrumentation, orchestration, arranging, composition, and music copying. In all these subjects I incorporate music technology skills and techniques which are vital for any musician to have a successful career. The music proficiency and knowledge of the student is irrelevant to me, as long as he/she is willing to dedicate the energy and time to study with diligence the material of each lesson. A minimum of four sessions should be booked. This is a necessity to allow to effectively cover one specific topic. Here's briefly how the online lessons are arranged:

First Step:
Before the first lesson, I advise the student to send me an email with comprehensive information on:

• His/her educational background; i.e. music lessons he/she has taken and in which subjects, textbooks he/he studied, and for how long
• His/her professional or practical experience in writing or performing music
• His/her objectives for studying with me, and what he/she would like to accomplish after completing his/her training with me
• His/her learning style; the student will go to the www.vark-learn.com website, take the The VARK Questionnaire, and send me the results

Second Step:
The next step is for me to design appropriate study material for the student based on the above information. The materials may include Pdf documents or videos I personally develop, customized study notes and assignments, recommended method books to purchase, online sheet music to download, web links to visit for relevant information, etc.

Third Step:
In the final step we meet synchronously (at the same time) online to deliver the lesson. Other activities, for example quizzes, assignments, and feedback, will take place asynchronously (not at the same time).

Essential equipment and skills:
Below are the minimum required equipment and computer skills a student should have in order to successfully study music online:

A. Computer/software requirements:

• A modern computer (Mac or PC); a rather fast computer is essential for making music
• A webcam, either built-in or externally connected to your computer
• A broadband internet connection; the minimum recommended speed is 0.6 Mbps (Visit www.speedtest.net to test your connection speed)
• A pair of headphones or powered speakers
• A printer and a scanner
• Various activities will require a DAW software (e.g. Logic, Cubase, etc.), a MIDI keyboard, and a microphone. An audio card is optional.

B. Student computer literacy:

• Understanding of basic computer hardware and software
• Ability to perform computer operations, such as:
  • Using the keyboard and mouse
  • Managing files and folders: save, name, copy, move, backup, rename, delete, and check properties
  • Software installation, security and virus protection
  • Using a word processing applications, such as Word
  • Knowledge of copying and pasting, spell-checking, and saving files in different formats
  • Sending and downloading attachments
• Internet skills (connecting, accessing, using browsers) and ability to perform online searching using Google
• Ability to use online communication tools, such as email (create, send, receive, reply, print, send/receive attachments), discussion boards (read, search, post, reply, follow threads), and chats
• Operating a music recording software (DAW) and a music notation software are highly recommended

Book online music lessons with Samy