Thursday, Aug. 06, 2009

Pianist uses Skype to teach classes internationally

Pianist Jeffrey Biegel has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra twice now. I knew he taught classes in New York City. And I knew that he does master classes whenever he can in cities where he performs.

But when he e-mailed me that he’s teaching a class via Skype, I was intrigued. I use Skype, a free video conferencing service often. My mother and I can talk to my sister Dorothy, who is in Djibouti, Africa, and to relatives in Japan.

I can’t remember the last time my mother actually used a landline to call Tokyo.

That’s what I told Jeffrey — he uses the service to teach. I just call my relatives!

How did he get started using Skype to teach?

“It’s funny,” he said. “I was actually in an airport in April and I had bought this new little notebook. I downloaded Skype.”

He knew this young pianist named Sam who lives in Singapore. He got to know him through www.pianoworld.com

“I called him on Skype and I could see him with his piano in the background and he could see me,” Jeffrey continued. “He asked me some questions and I started giving him instructions. I told him to go to the piano and to position his webcam so I could see exactly where his hand positions were.”

He game Sam a 15-minute lesson.

That’s when the light bulb went off in his head.

“I thought, ‘People don’t have to come to New York to have lessons with me.’ ”

Jeffrey then spoke to the owner of pianoworld.com and told him that he wanted to conduct lessons via Skype.

“He told me there are people doing this, but not quite on my level.”

So Jeffrey put word out through the Web site that he was available to teach using Skype.

He now teaches a young man in Virginia, as well as Sam, who has become a regular student.

“I can teach someone to improve their playing,” Jeffrey said. “I use a laptop and headphones. The headphones help for the sound. I’ve found any decent pair of headphones work.”

He’s run into skeptics who say he should be in the same room as his students.

Phooey, he says.

“I can see what they do, hear what they’re playing,” Jeffrey said. “Once you get past the thought that the person is not in the same room, I found that I’m teaching the same way. I can tell by the way they use their arms if they’re tight or loose. I can tell by their fingering. I can hear if they are using too much pedal that I can hear mush. Mush is mush.”

He teaches in the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College.

If you have a child who wants to reach another level, or if you want a professional concert pianist and composer to give you tips on how well you’re playing, you might want to get in touch with Jeffrey.

Lessons via Skype are $75.

“It’s exciting. If you can’t come to New York to take lessons with me, you’ll save airline tickets, hotel and meals. And you’ll still get the essence of my teaching. It’s just one way of doing things.”

He’s also offering master classes online.

But he warns that his classes are not for beginning piano students.

“This is really for someone who wants to improve who is going to a major conservatory, performers and teachers. It’s a bit more advanced.”

So if you’re a pianist and are auditioning for a college, preparing for a competition or just want to improve your technical skills, this might be the best $75 you’ll spend.

“This is the future,” Jeffrey said. “The future is here.”

While he’s messing around on his computer, his sons, Craig, 17, and Evan, 13, are “old-fashioned.”

“They don’t text. They don’t use their cell phones. They don’t e-mail. They’re people people. They interact with their friends. They are not techno junkies at all.”