Instructional Technology
Conference 2007

Title: The Virtual Music Classroom

Name: Carol Johnson

Audience Level: all

Audience: Faculty, Instructional Technology Specialists

Length: 1 hour

Abstract:
With the use of video conferencing, blogs, web pages and podcasts, regular music lessons and
workshops can be taught online. This lecture will include: the basics of setting up the virtual
classroom with minimal resources; samples of items to include in the online student resource
area; a demonstration of a virtual music lesson; the legalities of virtual teaching; and exploring
the application of the virtual music classroom to other subject areas.

Description:
The Virtual School of Music was birthed out of a need to find a way to teach music students
regularly even though students and teachers were across continents. Having helped start two
music schools in Latin America while residing in Nashville, TN, Ms. Johnson understands the
need for regular contact with the new music teachers in the rural school areas. Concerned with
trying to help the rural musicians with their new roles as teachers, the use of a text messenger
application to aid regular weekly meetings was the initial start of the virtual teaching.
Thankfully, with the improvement of low-cost video conferencing technology, the barriers of
classroom walls have broken down. Teachers no longer need to live in the same district, city or
nation of their students; virtual classrooms cross continents.
Planning a virtual music lesson takes more preparation time than a regular lesson, but the
rewards for both the student and teacher are worthwhile - students are able to replay pre-recorded
lesson topics prior to, or after, real-time lessons, and teachers are able to provide better feedback
and additional resources during lessons. Instead of handouts for each lesson, each student has a
secure web resource area accessible 24-7. Engaging different learning styles, students are able to
download a variety of resources - audio, video, play-along materials and text information.
Initial findings showed video conferencing via a proprietary application as unpredictable. While
some exclusive, high-cost video conferencing can provide little downtime, recent upgrades in
technology have permitted low-cost applications (such as Skype and AOL iChat) to provide
similar stability usage. Today’s technology permits video conferencing to students in locations
that were once economically or geographically challenged to have regular, high caliber,
individualized teaching.
Pedagogically, Johnson’s experience with music lessons via video conferencing, with the
addition of other technology tools, permits a richer learning environment for the student. The
active virtual lesson can often bring in other teaching tools that may not be available in a regular
Johnson proposal
page 3 of 4
music studio. With each teaching session being portable, lessons can be supplemented with live
conversations with other students, musicians or musical experiences that would not be available
in the regular music classroom. Is the music teacher out of town traveling to a performance, or
lecturing in another country? The virtual classroom now not only provides freedom for the
music teacher to keep assigned lesson times, but to also have the availability to include material
that a regular classroom setting would not be able to achieve.
This 1-hour lecture will cover a variety of necessary topics to create a virtual music classroom:
the basics of setting up the virtual classroom with minimal resources as well as samples of items
to include in the online student resource area that can be used in both the normal and virtual
music classroom setting. Additional lecture materials include a demonstration of a virtual music
lesson, the legalities of virtual teaching and exploring the application of the virtual music
classroom to other subject areas.

Proposed session outline in brief:

• Setting up a basic virtual classroom with minimal resources
  • Lap top computer (with AOL iChat and Skype Beta Video)
  • Internet Connection speed
  • Music oriented tools (i.e. Digital Keyboard, instruments, etc)
• Beginning to build an online resource area
  • Where to begin
  • Where to find more Teacher Resources
• The Legalities - Copyright and more – what you should and should not do
  • Copyright Act
  • Digital Millennium Act
  • Music Publishers
  • Student Agreements and Parental Release forms
• Demonstration of a music lesson
• Ideas for applying virtual music teaching to other subject areas
  • At the high school and university levels
  • Encourage students in creating more materials for resource

Session Type: Lecture/Presentation

Contact information/affiliation:
Carol Johnson, Web Coordinator of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Belmont
University and the Director of The Virtual School of Music,
Nashville, TN.
615-460-8230
johnsonc@mail.belmont.edu