During the pandemic a huge range of musicians found themselves unable to access high-quality music tuition through conventional means. Many looked online. While online music lessons were by no means a new proposition, the standard of online music tuition increased many times over in response to this surge in demand. The Maestro Online, founded by Dr Robin Harrison, has recently stepped into this burgeoning market with a view to offer an accessible platform for a wide range of ages and abilities.
There is a broad variety of materials to choose from across several styles and genres covering piano, organ, singing and guitar. Perhaps due to the wealth of resources, I initially found the site a little confusing and difficult to navigate but, having watched one of the helpful how-to videos to talk me through the logging-on process, I became more comfortable with the platform and how to find the resources that I wanted.
The use of video materials is a theme which runs throughout the site. Most lesson packs are contained in online 'magazines' which open in a built-in PDF viewer. On most pages there is at least one video (often several) discussing and demonstrating key features.
Dr Harrison states that one of his areas for focus is on players who may have been put off by more traditional teaching methods. It is worth noting that resources cater for a range of players, from complete beginners right the way up to near professional standard.
As well as the lesson packs, there's an opportunity to learn through workshops led by leading session musicians and coaches (confusingly labelled as ‘Celeb Masterclasses’) who bring their expertise on a number of areas including vocal technique, pop piano playing and jazz scales. These allow users to access a wealth of experience in easy to digest chunks which can be dipped into at leisure.
At £20 per month, membership to The Maestro Online is significantly cheaper than one-to-one lessons, and the greater flexibility it affords users may benefit a number of learners. However, it is worth noting that this is somewhat more expensive than some comparable online learning tools; for example Yousician, which is arguably more interactive.
That said, the strength of The Maestro Online is in Dr Harrison's personal delivery, as his enthusiasm is infectious. Regardless of whether online or otherwise, a student needs to be able to develop a relationship with their teacher and I'm sure many will be impressed by this platform. While some may prefer more sterile environments, like those seen in Yousician, there will always be others looking to learn from a specific individual who loves the music they're teaching.
