In this unit we will explore approaches to the teaching of singing online, in both individual and group contexts. Within both, it is possible to keep your singers engaged in quality vocal activities, and you do not need to be a technical wizard to do it!
One-to-one singing lessons can work well online. As with everything, there are opportunities and challenges:
- Latency means you can’t accompany students. You need to produce or source accompaniment tracks for the student to sing with.
- Some time will need to be spent finding the optimal positions and sound levels for yourself and your student.
- Once you have established these basics, quality vocal work is possible. Some have even found that they can hone in more effectively on the finer details of technique/interpretation online.
- It is effective to combine the ‘live’ lessons with video or audio recordings of warm-ups, songs to learn, digital notes, and student recordings.
- Many students thrive on these new approaches, and the audio/video skills they generate will be useful to them going forward.
There is nothing quite like singing together in the same room, but singing together online can be engaging and rewarding in its own way.
Here are some key points to help you get started:
- Use engaging warm ups and exercises to help your singers develop their voices. Anything with physical movement has visual appeal.
- It is worth keeping singers unmuted for at least part of the warm-up, to help them connect, but mute all for the actual songs!
- For part singing, make or source tracks with all the parts on OR play a previous choir recording, giving much more of a “choir” experience.
- Encourage singers to use the chat box for questions and ongoing chat, and have a ‘tea break’ using the breakout rooms.
- When working with youth choirs, make sure your security settings are high and that you disable some of the functions that could cause distractions!
- Keep in touch with your groups regularly via email, with links/codes for sessions, instructions, tips and encouragement.
- Online clouds are great for uploading and sharing lyrics, music and tracks, and resources can also be shared on screen during sessions.
- Try a live stream YouTube or Facebook session, with singers commenting live – an easier to access option for some singers.
- Join some of the online groups for singing leaders, where support is freely shared.
If you need support with developing your singing activities online why not consider working with one of our mentors? Interface:Response has a mentor team that can work with you free of charge if you are located within the UK. We are here to help!
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