Making Video Lessons Work for You

Business, Lesson resources, Tips

Have you ever wanted to clone yourself? Oh, I have. It would be wonderful to have a clone that can pick up some of the responsibilities. *Small Spoiler Alert* My husband and I recently finished a show called “Living With Yourself”. It’s about a guy who was looking for happiness. A coworker suggested a place to go and little did he know, he would wake up with a clone. I won’t give any more spoilers but it did make me think. What would I do if I had a clone? While we don’t have a clone and probably never will, there are things we can do to help manage our time better.

I have been doing video lessons for many years now. It truly is a win-win solution for when students need to miss a lesson.

THE PLAN

This summer I had a BIG goal in mind, and I was determined to see it through. I knew that if I spent a little time each day, that those hours would add up and in the  end, would be a HUGE time saver.

My goal was two-parts. First, I wanted to record as many video lessons as possible for at least one of the main methods I use with my students. I was able to knock out 7 levels. I put in a lot of hours, and I am super proud of that accomplishment just on its own. Yay!

Second, I wanted to create assignments for at least one method book that had the video lessons inside, lesson notes for each practice and any supporting material (backing tracks, website links, etc.). I was able to do that for the same 7 levels PLUS another method book series that don’t have videos (yet).

THE PROCESS

I thought it might be easier to show you my process instead of typing it all down. In this video you will see that I use Tonara, an app that allows me to clone myself in many ways. While I highly recommend Tonara, if you don’t use it, you will still gain valuable information from watching.

*UPDATE! Tonara is no longer available. I now use PracticeSpace which is very similar to Tonara but has even more features you will enjoy! Save 50% your first two months after the free trial when you use the code: foxx50. Check out PracticeSpace here. (affiliate link)

TOOLS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED IN VIDEO

*PracticeSpace– Tonara is no longer available. I now use PracticeSpace which is very similar to Tonara but has even more features you will enjoy! Save 50% your first two months after the free trial when you use the code: foxx50. Check out PracticeSpace here. (affiliate link)

Camtasia This is what I used for quick editing. I already had this, so if you have something else, just use what you have.

HandbrakeFREE download! This will compress your videos and also convert them to other platforms you might need. (i.e.: mp4)

Webcam (Amazon affiliate)- I bought this one because it had wide angle lens and a good mic with built in noise reduction. I am really happy with it.

Piano Pronto– I used a piece in this method (Movement 3) as an example so wanted to give it a shout out.

THE REWARD

After it’s all said and done (well almost… still have a little more to do), I have already seen the reward from it. When students need to miss a lesson, I most likely have a video lesson all ready to go. I record an introduction video that is personalized especially for them letting them know what I am having them work on that week and then I attach the video lessons with the detailed assignments.

If a student came to a live lesson and I felt they can really use some further review from me at home, I can easily send them the video I already recorded. No extra time on my part, but an extra benefit for them to get continued instruction from me. Win-Win!

Curious… If you had a clone, what would your clone do? What things can you do now to save you time later? Share below! And remember to join Music Educator Community on Facebook where you can share your thoughts, ask questions and get support!

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8 Comments

  1. Anna

    Thanks for sharing these insights. I’d never have considered creating a “video lesson” base like that. Neato! You’re awesome!

    Reply
    • Jennifer Foxx

      Thanks, Anna! It is a game changer for sure. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Adrian

    Personally I use Soundslice for this kind of thing. It’s a way to combine videos with sheet music, with integrated music-practice tools such as slowdown and looping. Super slick and my students love it.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Foxx

      That’s great, Adrian! I’ve heard of Soundslice but haven’t tried it hands on yet. I’ll have to try it. That may be something I can use for my next batch of videos.

      Reply
  3. Laura Lowe

    Thanks so much for this! It’s so helpful to see how you’re organizing this in Tonara. I spent the summer creating video lessons, too, and this is helping me know how to make the best use of them.

    Reply
    • Jennifer Foxx

      I’m glad to hear it was helpful, Laura! 🙂

      Reply
  4. May Laing

    Great tips here, I also have a base of video lessons but couldn’t figure out how to make them timeless – super idea to video the hands and add short personalised introduction to the lesson, thank you!

    Reply

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