Last week my students and I had a chance to connect online with Jason Lyle Black. From Nashville, TN, Jason is a performer, composer, speaker, and entertainer who is also nicknamed the “Backwards Piano Man”. You might be familiar with Jason from this YouTube video he made back in 2015…
Jason gives a nice mix of music, comedy and personal touch in his concerts. I was able to see Jason in concert when he came to Arizona last December and had been following him ever since.
When I saw he was doing a Kickstarter for his new Disney album late summer, I knew I wanted to get involved and support him in some way. One of the options in the Kickstarter was to have an hour-long Skype call with him. I thought of my students immediately and chose that option.
My students loved their time with Jason! He performed for them, even taking requests, they were able to ask questions, he shared some piano practice tips with them and even some of his piano “tricks” too!
Jason travels a lot giving concerts and workshops. (Keep up on his tour schedule here) Because of this, he has to adapt with whatever he is given to play on or practice on while on the road. During our Facetime call he was able to use a friend’s keyboard and as you might see in the pictures, do some adapting… I have to tell you I was super impressed he was able to do his tricks with the set up he was working with.
Who says music workshops need to be done in person? Going online is a wonderful way to connect to musicians, composers, performers, other teachers and presenters that your students might not normally have the opportunity to see or hear from.
My students came back inspired and motivated. When I asked what they thought and learned from it, each had something different to share. Holding an online workshop is something I definitely would like to do again!
Have you held an online workshop with a guest? If so, who was it? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below.
0 Comments