Benefits of Virtual Learning as a Music Student
When I came to Indiana for graduate school back in the fall of 2019 I was both nervous and ecstatic. I got into my dream program and was about to start studying with one of the world’s most renowned euphonium players, Demondrae Thurman. But then March 2020 happened. At first I was a little confused, but there was a plan in place. Like everyone else in music school, we soon learned that the rest of the semester would be virtual and we were told to go home and stay home. The problem for musicians is that’s easier said than done. Music schools offer us the safety of practice rooms and a place where we can continue to develop our craft whenever we want without causing disturbances at home, whether that’s in a house or an apartment.
This struggle continued all through this past fall as practice rooms and times were limited but we were still expected to continue developing as musicians. But among all the negatives related to COVID-19 and school, there are several benefits to virtual learning, not everything is doom-and-gloom. And those benefits are what I’m going to mention in this post. Here we go!
The first benefit is time management. I feel as if I can pack more into my day if I don’t have to go anywhere and mathematically I can. The amount of time it would normally take to walk from class to class, to and from a practice room or a rehearsal, taking the horn apart and putting it back together. And that’s not even including getting to and from campus. All that time is available now to do school work, or better yet, practice!
Another pro is flexibility. Without in-person classes, I am free to schedule my day how I want. Putting all of my lessons and work in the afternoon/evening allows me to spend the morning to practice when I feel the most productive and energized. I am not beholden to having to wake up and walk to an 8 a.m. class. Even if I have a scheduled 8 a.m. class, I can now either wake up at 7:58 a.m. and log-in to it or I have much more time before that to accomplish tasks without having to get myself to a physical location.
One last benefit to virtual learning is the appreciation of live music. This is not an ideal situation for any of us, everyone would rather be able to go to class in person or go to their own practice room but being virtual has given me an appreciation for live music that I won’t take for granted ever again. Hearing live music was something that was just the norm for us musicians, but now it’s a rare treat. When in-person recitals and concerts come back to the norm, you best believe I will be the first person waiting in line at the door. I miss you live music, and I want you back.
-Joshua Bishop
