Over the last week or so, it’s become clear to me — as I’m sure it has to you — that the spread of the coronavirus is going to completely change how we live our lives in the coming weeks and months.

And the way I teach students will be no exception.

The more I read about the pandemic, the more I’m convinced that we need to take seriously the CDC’s calls to practice “social distancing” in our daily lives. So with that in mind, here’s how I’m planning to practice “social distancing” in my teaching studio, for as long as necessary.

Discontinuing In-Person Lessons (For Now)

Although I’ve always believed — and still do — that in-person lessons are best, I also have to acknowledge that we’re living through a pretty extraordinary time.

So, for the time being, and for as long as the CDC and the State of Minnesota are recommending social distancing, I’m going to discontinue in-person lessons at my studio.

And once things return to normal, I look forward to teaching in-person once again.

Teaching Lessons Online

For years, I’ve been teaching students around the country using Skype, Facetime and Google Hangouts. Now I’m going to be offering online lessons to my local students as well. If you aren’t currently using Skype, Facetime or Hangouts and aren’t sure how any of this stuff works, I’m happy to set up a time with you, at no charge, to talk you through it and get you and your computer (or phone) up and running for video lessons.

When I teach online, I generally record a quick video that you can practice to throughout the week, send you sheet music and audio files, just the way I do for in-person lessons. The main difference is that I’ll be in two dimensions instead of three!