Feature Friday: Demonstration Videos
Demonstration Videos
We have all had it happen: we show a student how to play a certain passage of music or how to do a certain technique, only to find that when they got home they had forgotten how to do it or had perhaps misinterpreted how their music teacher had wanted it to be done. Sometimes the sheer amount of details that go into executing a passage correctly can overwhelm a student, and not being able to recall the exact movements, articulations or phrasing can be understandable. One solution to this age-old issue is to use video to your advantage!
Over the years, I have found myself taking out my phone, again and again, in someone’s music class and emailing a short video of myself playing a passage to the student or their parent. A few weeks later, the same passage with a different student. One thing I love about the Practice Space App is after I make a video, I can save it to my searchable library to use again with a different student. When a student starts learning a piece you use in your teaching studio, you can easily upload it to the student’s lesson. They will then be able to access it in their practice at home and have a clear idea of exactly what they need to do!
Here is what the library looks like in the Teacher App Practice Space Connect App:
The wonderful concert pianist, Alfred Brendel didn’t have a formal teacher past the age of 16. What he found extremely effective towards his development was to record, reflect, and then practice. During a student’s practice, they can easily record small sections of music, which you will be able to see through the Teacher Connect App. This way they get to listen and watch their own playing, compare it to your videos, and get working in a way that is so music more effective! You can also see that they did the hard and humbling work of recording oneself, which will definitely lead to improved performance. Going over the student’s practice videos in the lesson is invaluable too because you can help them learn what to look out for in their playing both good and bad!
If you’d like to try Practice Space with your music students, you can try it for free today!