Music Lesson Studio/Shopping List Help

[Emily Weerheim]

Hello all,

This is not a mandolin-specific post, but will include some mandolin-related questions.

I am a college student majoring in music who has decided to take the year off due to classes going online. This year I've decided to focus on other things that I would otherwise not have time for, one of them being my music lesson studio.

My studio space is a single room that is fairly large, and the only thing I have filling it so far is an upright piano that I just purchased. On my shopping list are:

-a couple chairs for mandolin/guitar/cello/etc. lessons (should I be looking for anything specific? I am mostly wondering if there is something that works best for both young children and adults)
-music stands
-any essential reads for the bookshelf
-an adjustable piano bench
-a universal amp for anyone taking electric guitar/bass lessons (I have very little knowledge in this department)
-the best way to improve acoustics in the room
-a microphone/stand for voice lessons

If anyone has any specific brands or favorites, or just some important things to look for while I'm shopping for this stuff, all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

[bigskygirl]

Hi Emily, it’s a heck of a time for sure. My first thought is to invest in a good laptop and internet service and conduct lessons online thru Zoom, Skype, Facetime, etc in order to reduce any exposure to Covid-19.

If you’re going to be giving in person lessons you’ll have to accommodate the Covid-19 requirement/recommendations. Hopefully you can have windows that open for air circulation, I would recommend an Orensi Air Filter - they are not cheap - that will circulate and exchange air frequently, masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, social distancing rules, etc. All of this so that you and your students will feel safer coming in for lessons.

-The chairs should be comfortable but easy to clean between students.
-The Manhassett music stands are nice and sturdy, I like the larger ones that can handle 4 pages at a time.
-I might hold off on buying too many books/materials, it may not be a good practice to have multiple people use them due to the Coronavirus, have your students purchase their own method books - many are digital now and can be easily downloaded to tablets. There are also tons of materials out on the web and you can even write your own tailored for each student during the lesson.
-The Roland Mini Cube amps are pretty nice, look on Reverb for some used amps, I just gave someone a very good deal on a nice Shenandoah acoustic amp.
-Depending on the room size you may not need a mic at least at first and again Covid-19 considerations necessitate a mic easy to clean...and, singing is one of the activites not recommend in enclosed spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic due to particulate dispersal.

I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer...but our local music store took all precautions, required masks, kept traffic to a minimum, had all the sanitizer, etc and a student came in with Covid. From what I hear things are fine, the instructor most closely involved did test negative but we all held our breath for a few days.

Last maybe you can set up outside somehow until things return to normal.

Best of luck to you, it’s disappointing your studies have been disrupted and until the virus is beaten back we all have to take precautions, no-one likes it but its best to err on the side of caution.

[Emily Weerheim]

Hi Emily, it’s a heck of a time for sure. My first thought is to invest in a good laptop and internet service and conduct lessons online thru Zoom, Skype, Facetime, etc in order to reduce any exposure to Covid-19.

If you’re going to be giving in person lessons you’ll have to accommodate the Covid-19 requirement/recommendations. Hopefully you can have windows that open for air circulation, I would recommend an Orensi Air Filter - they are not cheap - that will circulate and exchange air frequently, masks, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes, social distancing rules, etc. All of this so that you and your students will feel safer coming in for lessons.
Best of luck to you, it’s disappointing your studies have been disrupted and until the virus is beaten back we all have to take precautions, no-one likes it but its best to err on the side of caution.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am not planning to start giving lessons during this time, just taking the time to get things in my studio set up as there is a lot to be done and it’s an activity I do alone in my own home. All state/federal regulations will be followed once the time does come to open things up.

[Beanzy]

We have set up our music room so it is both comfortable and useful for giving and receiving lessons.
My wife teaches piano (originally in person, now via Skype and Zoom)
My son is studying music at university and his lessons are now done online.

The room is large with good acoustics.
The use of large bookshelves is a very good way to moderate reflections of sound.
Photographs and artwork in glazed frames can be used to selectively brighten certain areas.Curtains drawn will dampen window reflections if necessary.

We have adapted fairly easily to the online world by incorporating simple equipment.
We only use wired connections, as any bluetooth or similar adds encoding & decoding delays of which there are enough already.
investing in good quality headphones (preferably with one side moveable) is a basic first step. (currently using Sennheiser HD205 for lessons & HD 265 for recording)
This isolates the incoming audio from your microphone enabling the use of direct audio without automatic noise-gate and feedback suppression software.
For mics we are using a Røde SmartLav suspended over the grand piano, one directly over the seating position is enough for teaching as the piano is loud & clear enough there. This is sent on an extension cable to the SC-6 interface which delivers the audio to the tablet or iPad (with adapters as required) and provides the incoming audio connection to the headphones.
To eliminate any hum from USB chargers I have bought the iMac extension cable which fully earths the USB charger, whereas the supplied apple plug adapters do not.
The tablet computer is mounted on a TGI stand adapter, vertically, to give a full view of the keyboard and tutor.
We were toying with the idea of a multi-camera set up to give overhead and pedalling shots, but given the limitations at the other end (people using phone screens to view etc) we didn't feel it was worth the outlay.

For my son's viola lessons we use an AKG P420 into a Zoom h4N as usb interface to his MacbookPro on a solid speaker stand, for the webcam & internet link.

Lighting is supplemented by many well placed LED lights with diffusers.

For listening to music, or playing along in real space without headphones, I use a pair of Mackie mR824 monitors.
My current favourite music stand is the Hercules, which is very solid only needs one hand to raise or lower.
The rest of it is really a case of having good simple comfortable chairs that don't creak, a pleasant atmosphere and no trip hazards.
Route cables around the edge and if you can't, then under carpets or along beams.

Edited to add that for music theory exam oriented materials my wife has been using the resources from Victoria Williams at mymusictheory.com . she says they are incredible value for money from a teacher point of view and so much more student friendly than the ABRSM books. I've been using them for my own education and they do seem very well done.

[Mandobar]

All I can say is as with any business, you need to adapt. Technology moves quickly, and mastering the technologies that can enhance your ability to serve a multitude of students is going to be key. As cell companies roll out 5G technology, jamming, workshops, and festivals will expand their footprints.

The current normal will change, but education, music, and many of the performing arts are going to adapt technology to survive. Personally, I believe that there are more opportunities to create dual track programs, melding in-person and virtual participation tracks for festivals, workshops, lessons, etc. Why limit participation due to physical geographical constraints?

It’s going to be more than a year before a lot of people are going to feel comfortable to resume in-person activities. But the good news is, more people are taking lessons, and using their increased time at home to play music.

[bigskygirl]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am not planning to start giving lessons during this time, just taking the time to get things in my studio set up as there is a lot to be done and it’s an activity I do alone in my own home. All state/federal regulations will be followed once the time does come to open things up.

For sure Emily, it was not my intention to come off as preachy but there is great potential for you to have an online presence in the meantime. Even if it’s just posting short videos...how to hold your instrument/bow/pick, this is what a chord looks like, etc. You’ll be busy before you know it and begin building up your client base.

[Beanzy]

If you don't currently have a personal need fir a guitar amp and would just like to provide something for electric playing students to use, perhaps consider a guitar interface unit as one source for the main speaker system. Something with a USB out would allow you to record them for any grade exam or project purposes too.
We used an iRig guitar /bass interface unit that works into the iPhone/iPad or laptop where we run amp emulators. In our case thats's just for recording purposes. For real world playing we have a huge bass amp, pretty large Marshall for guitar a small Ibanes 5w 'tube screamer' amp for something more portable, and an acoustic amp. You can see where the whole amp thing can end up, with a whole chunk of room being taken up with varieties for each type. This is why if you're not actually playing out with the guitar I reckon it would be worth saving the space and going down the small amp or just interface route.

If you are going to have a decent mic preamp anyway you could use one that comes with a high impedance instrument input (HiZ) into your main monitor system, and perhaps a pedal to give any amp emulation you need. This would eliminate the need for guitar amps in the room while giving the vocal mic/instrument pre amp a double life. The nice thing is it's only taking up a small bit of shelf space in your music room. Focusrite make a whole series of options there, something like a studio bundle should get you up and running very well including vocal mic . https://www.gak.co.uk/en/focusrite-s...3rd-gen/927815

[Sherry Cadenhead]

As to music stands, a local teacher here has one that folds out to hold 4 pages. I believe it's a K&M. One of these is on my wish list. You'd need to confirm the height is adjustable.