Being able to teach piano virtually became critical as the COVID pandemic took hold on the world. Even now, in these (hopefully) waning days of the pandemic, it seems certain that virtual piano lessons for adults (especially adults) are destined to remain popular. Health concerns aside, many adult piano students have discovered the enjoyment of being able to take piano lessons without having to leave the house (where they may also be working full-time). However, it can often be hard to teach piano virtually with perfect audio quality. This guest post from Doug Harvey offers a solution to this issue for those with a Digital Piano.
The importance of audio in virtual teaching
Piano teachers around the world had to take a crash course in virtual teaching when the pandemic began. There were so many technical issues to figure out, and many ways to achieve the same ends.
Most piano teachers would probably agree that when it comes to virtual lessons, the importance of audio fidelity cannot be overstated. Being able to hear the fine details of a student’s tone, dynamics, articulations, phrasing etc. is critical to effective piano lessons. For this, there are reasonably-priced options for miking acoustic pianos.
A solution adapted to Digital Pianos
Of course, digital pianos can also be miked, assuming they have onboard speakers or are connected to external monitors. Many of my students (nearly all of whom are adults) own digital pianos. That being the case, I felt fortunate early in the pandemic to come across a nifty little software application, Internet MIDI. Internet MIDI transmits MIDI data through the Internet. This allows one person to play another person’s digital piano virtually. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of MIDI, this post explains in a little more detail.
The result? I could hear on my own digital piano exactly what my student was playing with no loss of audio fidelity. This seems impossible to attain through videoconferencing applications like Zoom or Skype etc. Similarly, my student could hear me play with perfect audio quality on their instrument.
After trying Internet MIDI with several students, I immediately required all my students with digital pianos to purchase and use it for their virtual lessons.
The switch to Internet MIDI
Internet MIDI works on both Windows and Apple desktops and laptops. It has an initial learning curve, though this isn’t terribly steep. Once you as a teacher have mastered the various features, the main time commitment occurs helping students complete the initial setup of the application on their computer. This can take 10-15 minutes.
Each user must connect their digital piano/keyboard to their computer, preferably with a USB cable. If an instrument doesn’t have a USB port, MIDI cables will also work. Although my experience is that USB is easier to set up and is more reliable. Once the basic settings are chosen, users will rarely if ever have to return to them.
The main part of the application is the “Internet Connection View.” From here, users can connect to “buddies” they have added.
Additional Features
An excellent feature is the on-screen keyboard and pedals that allow the listener to view keys as they are played. Equally, the software transmits the rough MIDI velocity of each note, and when the pedals are depressed and lifted.
Another essential feature of Internet MIDI is that it prevents a problem that is destined to occur when video conferencing. The potential issue is that both Internet MIDI and the conferencing program (Zoom, Skype) can transmit keyboard data nearly simultaneously. This leads to a cacophonous listening experience. To prevent this from occurring, Internet MIDI automatically mutes both users’ computer microphones when one person is playing.
Microphone controls allow one or both users to unmute their microphone (when it has been automatically muted by the program) in order to interrupt the other person as needed. This of course is particularly useful in piano lessons.
The application also has a MIDI recorder allowing one or both players to capture and save performances and play them back on their own instrument as desired.
Not perfect, but still an excellent tool
TimeWarp Technologies, the company that developed Internet MIDI, has their customers’ interests in mind. While they could have easily rationalized raising the price of Internet MIDI during the pandemic when it was needed more than ever, they discounted it by half instead.
Internet MIDI isn’t perfect. The application’s UI (user interface) in particular is clunky and unattractive, and badly needs an upgrade. Internet MIDI agrees. However, the pros far outweigh the cons. I highly recommend Internet MIDI for piano teachers who have virtual students with digital pianos. In my experience it soundly trumps listening to a miked digital instrument through Zoom.
Doug Hanvey studied music and education at Indiana University. He blogs at Creative Keyboardist and is a member of Music Teachers National Association.
