Skype lessons and 'media-aided' teaching

[GaryInThailand]

There are now quite a lot of teachers soliciting for students over Skype. I've got some experience now myself with more than one teacher. Enough to feel there are some real issues with the concept and that many teachers are failing to adapt effectively. I've seen the same mistakes are repeated unneccessarily, and it wastes time and energy on both sides.

I wonder if some of the teachers and students here would like to start a thread to discuss good practice for Skype-based instructions, difficulties and methods to overcome them, and so forth.

Likewise there are a now number of packages that combine text and recordings and/or video and also computer programs with various capabilities. Some are very innovative. Good work is being done, but of course some things work out well and other don't. It would be another area for a potentially fruitful exchange.

I am, btw, a non-typical target student being an older Western-trained musician trying to absorb new information. But I have to think that this demographic will also appear on the screens of the online music teachers, so hopefully it's not a waste to talk about these things.

Looking forward to hearing thoughts from anyone about this. It's an evolving field, and a rather rapid shift-over from traditional methods. Maybe we can help one another by talking about it.

-Gary Hall, Hua Hin, Thailand

[vasanthakokilam]

Good topic, Gary. Hope people participate. Since people are busy with the season, we may have to pick this back up in a few weeks. We will see. I am sure Akellaji will have some info to share about his experiences in teaching remotely.

[GaryInThailand]

Thanks. I will be in Chennai myself from 28/12 to 17/1. Perhaps we could organize some discussions there.

[rajumds]

T M Krishna during his interaction in Jaya TV MMU told that he doesn't believe in skype or any long distance teaching. He asks his students abroad to visit in summer for 3 months for a crash course

[VK RAMAN]

Technology does help in follow up training, but one on one is the most effective. Skype video is very low some times and to avoid conflict of two way sound, it is better to have one way audio through telephone and another way audio-video through skype

[GaryInThailand]

Thanks, rajumds. He may well have a point. Do you have a link to that interview?
I found T M Krishnan's own site, but not a means to contact him (why do people make web sites without contact info? Or did I miss something?).
I see he has a few concerts coming that for whatever reasons don't appear in http://www.chennaidecemberseason.com (they have a tough job, I know).
I'm putting him on my 'to do' list for Chennai. Definitely would like to discuss this with him

[GaryInThailand]

I can certainly agree that one-on-one is most effective. Not always possible, though. I'm an atypical student, but I live far from any potential teacher or any Carnatic populace at all.

[GaryInThailand]

Ah, there's his mail! Never mind!

[vasanthakokilam]

As Akellaji reported ( post #6 in this thread http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15002 ), he is currently in Chennai, returning back to Hyderabad on the 26th, two days before you arrive in Chennai.

[GaryInThailand]

Well darn it all. I can hope that he'll share his new Skype ID with me. The old one seems to be defunct.

[msakella]

Since last two years I have very successfully been teaching Carnatic music-vocal mostly to kids, of course, by Skype and I sincerely feel that, though not pure music, music lessons could successfully be taught to the aspirants. Nowadays Skype is a great facility to teach vocal-music though not instrumental-music as this involves intricate finger-techniques also. amsharma

[GaryInThailand]

THANK YOU!, Mr. Akella, for practicing what you preach. The hour that you generously spent with me today on Skype is very valuable for me.

I know Skype can be effective for teaching, and I believe you get your good results with it for some particular reasons. You've thought through your teaching method, rather than just inheriting it, and you adjust to the student and medium.

In my experience, there are instructors, probably too many, who won't get a good result on Skype or elsewhere for the opposing reasons, simply 'following the book', and failing to recognize the ways that each student differs and how the medium affects the communication. I hope some will follow this thread and give thought to the best ways, and not just the old ways, to teach music as an art.

I'm also pleased by your emphasis on rhythmic essentials, and very happy to be learning from you in that area in particular. 'See' you here and online again soon. -Gary

[msakella]

Thank you, Mr. Gary, for your sincere appreciation.

Of course, I have my own very strong convictions in teaching music to the aspirants unlike any other person on the globe. In general, all our music-teachers sing music or play music on one instrument or the other and ask the aspirant to follow them. This is our great tradition of quantitative-teaching which has successfully been followed since many centuries by all our music teachers without any exception. Unfortunately, even all the music-teachers who think themselves very highly knowledgeable are not at all aware that the aspirant is getting the imitative ability only through this quantitative-teaching than the needed knowledge. I very strongly feel the teacher who teaches the method of driving a motor-cycle to the aspirant should make the aspirant sit in the driving seat and himself sitting on the pillion and initiate the aspirant proceed with the needed hand and leg operations as this process is performance oriented teaching and learning. Thus, even in teaching music, as this art is also performance oriented, I sincerely feel that the teacher who sings or plays the minimum but properly and ably initiates the aspirant sing or play the maximum is the best teacher. But, as none of these music-teachers are doing so I call them all cheaters and parasites only. Even though I was also one of them and I also did in the same manner for most of my teaching life I could realise this after my retirement, introspected myself, found a very highly effective system of qualitative-teaching and able to serve our community efficiently, sincerely and honestly. amsharma

[VK RAMAN]

You are well regarded Guru for many and some times your condescending remarks go below your dignity IMHO " I call them all cheaters and parasites only"

[msakella]

Dear brother-member,VK RAMAN, I truly appreciate and thank you for being frank. To tell the truth, I never expect to be regarded as ‘Guru’ as I am not a Guru at all but a conveyor like a supply-wire between the power-station and the consumer. In the same manner I never think that I have an image and also never behave to maintain an image but to be ideal and helpful to our aspirants at this fag end of my life.

As per my condescending remarks of the music-teachers as ‘cheaters and parasites’, as a thief only can recognise another thief and having successfully spent for four decades among them as an efficient cheater and parasite-music-teacher I could only recognise them but not others. But, the difference is, only by the grace of the Almighty, even after my retirement, I could realise my defect and rectify it by making the process of teaching ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ and serve our community efficiently, honestly and reliably. In this process I have been able to pass on the needed technicalities of music and initiate the kids sing intricate Svarakalpana and Ragalapana even before the completion of 10 Varnas within a maximum period of 2 years. And, later, I never teach them even the first Kriti but initiate them to proceed further on their own. In this process more than 70 kids are being trained successfully in our Institution here at Secunderabad and interested people can contact landline phone-number 040-27225493 and verify the veracity of my statement, if needed.

Thus, if any music-teacher feels bad of my condescending remarks and sincerely proves his efficiency, honesty and reliability producing talented kids like me and uploading the relevant videos to ‘youtube’ I shall bow down and apologize to that music-teacher. Until such time I cannot change my opinion in the interest of our kids and their parents as no music-teacher is ready to do like me. amsharma