With the current changes the world is undergoing, it is important to stay innovative, creative and positive. Fortunately, modern technology has given us all the tools and resources we need to make online and virtual lessons a reality - an easy one, at that! With the use of smart phones and/or tablets, and a good side profile where I can see the student's fingers, I can teach the lesson just as I would normally. 

I've found many benefits from teaching online lessons:
-students have greater focus and are more present
-students must be aware of which book/page number they need, what to practice, and how to find their way around the keyboard
-scheduling is much easier since no travel time is required
-students are in charge of marking their own music, so they stay more mindful of how to improve during their own practicing
-because I can’t physically point to a spot in the music, I’ve found I have to explain things a bit differently, and I know students are fully aware of what I am talking about - otherwise they’ll give me a blank stare!

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Use of the iPad has made online lessons incredibly easy. I am able to 'share' a folder in iNotes with a student. From there, I can write down their assignments and practice suggestions while they are playing their music, and I can also edit a piece in real-time. I use my apple pencil to mark on an image, and ten seconds later the markings show up on the student's iPad. In the picture above, you can see in blue some edits that I've made for fingerings for a student playing the melody in his left hand.