The digital music teacher

Leo scurries nimbly through Mario Porreca's study. «Erm - there's a cat behind you!» says the girl on the screen. Porreca turns round and laughs.

Mario Porreca is a teacher at MKZ, the Zurich Conservatory Music School. Like all his colleagues, he has been teaching from home since the lockdown. The father of three lives in Andelfingen in Zurich's Weinland region and teaches his 40 students remotely via a computer screen.

«I had to make some arrangements and get organised, but so far it's working very well,» he says. For example, Porreca has reorganised his timetable. He now often teaches in the mornings, when the children and young people are normally at school. «Concentration is much better then than at off-peak times, when the children are often tired.» The accordion teacher has also noticed something else: «Some pupils talk to me more than they used to. For them, lessons on the computer seem to be a special challenge that motivates them.» For example, one pupil taught him how to put a smiley face or a thumbs-up instead of the usual «very nice» when the child has performed. Such gimmicks create closeness and strengthen relationships.

The music teacher really appreciates this. Mario Porreca is pleased that he now not only has contact with the pupils once a week, but also receives recordings or questions in between.

Support is closer

Music schools all over the country are having similar experiences. «Despite the physical distance, people are moving closer together,» says Christoph Schnyder, Head of the Burgdorf Region Music School. And the deputy director of the Bern Conservatory music school, Victor Wanderley, adds: «The children practise much more than they used to and make faster progress. They deliver their recordings almost every other day.» However, Wanderley also admits: «For the teachers, however, it is more strenuous to teach all day long via a screen and to be in contact with the pupils almost every day.»

When the closure of the schools was announced on Friday, 13 March 2020, those responsible for the music schools had a weekend to start new lessons. Since then, processes and technology have been continuously optimised. For example, many have switched from the usual programmes such as Skype, Zoom or FaceTime to whereby.com or doozzoo.com, as these are better suited to making music together.

The music schools also had to connect the teachers with each other virtually. «We set up a cloud with various folders in which the teachers enter their ideas. We also stay in contact with each other via a direct chat,» reports Urban Derungs, Head of the Chur Music School. Of course, the changeover is a technical headache for some of the teachers and families, but it is being handled surprisingly well.

Technical problems such as time delays or distorted faces are everywhere. Old equipment or poor cables can bring lessons to a standstill. There are also very practical obstacles to teaching, such as not being able to write fingerings directly into the child's notes or touch the child to correct their technique or posture. However, thanks to the close-up of her pupil, a singing teacher from Bern noticed a technical error that she had missed during the direct encounter.

Parents get to see much more

Younger children also have more trouble understanding the explanations on the screen than teenagers. This is why the parents of two of the younger children sit in on Mario Porreca's accordion lessons. In general, the parents get much more out of the lessons. This is another major benefit, says the 45-year-old: «Especially for those parents who previously expected their child to pick up the instrument on their own and practise several times a week, it is now more visible how much energy goes into playing an instrument.»

However, despite the many positive effects, no music school wants to have distance learning in the long term. The situation is particularly difficult for all choirs, ensembles and orchestras. Their rehearsals and concerts have been cancelled, although making music together is the crowning glory for many young musicians.

Irreplaceable: the personal encounter

The lockdown is also causing economic concerns. In spring, the planned promotional events such as the open day could not take place and fewer new registrations are feared for the start of the school year in autumn. Victor Wanderley suggests that music schools join forces to advertise online: «Creativity is required here, for example with well-made student videos.»

«Even if face-to-face contact cannot be replaced, the success of distance learning shows how important it is to strengthen the relationship between teachers and pupils,» says Mario Porreca. This is also confirmed by many parents. «My son enjoys the fact that his teacher practically comes into his room once a week to play the saxophone,» reports Petra Forrer, a mum and primary school teacher from Zurich. She was a little taken aback when she met her son on his way to the toilet during the lesson. «I told the teacher to wait in the room quickly,» said the 9-year-old calmly.

Music is a chance to break out of the daily grind.

Short conversations about the everyday lives of teachers and children will also be part of lessons in the future. For example, an update on where Leo the cat is hanging out. Distance learning offers parents the opportunity to accompany their child more intensively while learning the instrument and to be in closer contact with the teacher. However, this is not easy, as many parents are challenged on various fronts: with siblings, the job, grandparents, the household - not to mention economic or health concerns. When the son stands in front of the piano like a dog in front of the vet's surgery, mums and dads shouldn't feel guilty about not being able to provide perfect musical support during the lockdown.

However, the idea of forcing a child who is tired of learning on their own to make music in the afternoon is just as wrong. Music is a chance to break out of the daily grind. You can also cuddle up on the sofa and sing a song together, stream a musical or dance around the house together. You can also clean the bathroom together to music. It's the small and big moments of happiness that count.