And rightly so. It has been a very impactful time, particularly for musicians...particularly for me. While I have been fortunate to not have died from COVID or known anyone who did, I have really struggled through this. The lack of time to do things like practice, study music, write music and make arrangements has decreased significantly to the point where it sometimes doesn't happen at all in a single day. That has been very hard for me because that stuff is my passion and my calling in life. I have been fortunate enough, though, to maintain most of my teaching during COVID (which has been my saving grace), although it has all had to be online.
Teaching virtually during COVID is starting to wear thin. Maybe it's because I'll start teaching in person in 3 weeks and I know it's coming so I'm excited for it. I'm starting to find more and more reasons to be frustrated with virtual lessons. What I've been realizing more and more recently is that it takes a very long time to help a student with certain things that would take far less time if we're in person. Being able to play with students on their music, to conduct them or count with them or sing with them while they play can solve so many issues that come up in their playing. And I can't hear hardly any of the dynamics over the phone. Other things become more challenging, like tuning and playing with a metronome...even though they are possible.
At this point, I' m surprised that we made it so long doing video lessons. I'm simply fed up with them. I find myself so helpless sometimes, which means I feel like I'm wrong and not helping them well. I've tried my best to adjust to all of this, but I think I'm just at the end of my rope.
But I am very thankful that I could do video lessons at all. If we didn't have that technology, I wouldn't be able to teach at all. I'd have no job, and that would be devastating. So I really am thankful for video lessons...I guess I'm just ready for them to be done.
Take care and value music.