As independent music teachers, we’re constantly bombarded with messages about the latest educational technology that promises to revolutionise our teaching. But here’s what I’ve learnt after over twenty years of teaching and seeing what this looks like through my kids’ education.  The most powerful teaching tool isn’t found in any app store.

When Tech Becomes a Crutch

We have twins.  Having the privilege of seeing different teachers at the same grade level approach their craft has been genuinely fascinating. As a former classroom teacher myself, I’ve found this to be illuminating to say the least.

One year, let’s call it BC (Before Covid), one of our children had a teacher who apologised profusely during our parent meeting for not having her SmartBoard installed yet. She assured us that once it arrived, the “real” teaching would begin. I found this to be an odd approach, but I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.

Meanwhile, our other child’s teacher during that same round of meetings never mentioned technology once. Instead, she asked thoughtful questions about our son and shared specific positive observations she’d already made during the first few weeks of term. The contrast was striking.

Months later, the schools closed due to the initial Covid outbreak, and both teachers suddenly had to pivot to online learning overnight. Our school’s approach seemed sensible: one page of work for each core subject per week, with teachers sharing the workload so all students received consistent weekly assignments and resources. Their teacher planning time dropped to about 25% of normal levels.

Can you guess which teacher handled the transition better?

The first teacher, who had been relying on her SmartBoard for interactive lessons, really struggled once she could no longer use it. Assignments weren’t posted for weeks at a time, then suddenly everything was due at once. She was occasionally late to Zoom classes, leaving confused children waiting in virtual rooms. The students, unable to connect during lessons, created their own Discord forum just to maintain contact with their classmates.

The second teacher, meanwhile, was navigating her first pregnancy during this chaotic time. Yet within the first week, she had personally contacted every parent to check on how our families were coping. She established weekly one-on-one check-ins (in addition to the regular lessons) with each student throughout the months they were learning online.

The Real Foundation of Great Teaching

How that second teacher handled the transition to Zoom lessons has stayed with me ever since. She understood something fundamental.  

Great teaching stems from relationships with individual students, not from sophisticated technology. 

How you nurture those relationships can look different depending on circumstances and might include tech.  But it absolutely doesn’t have to.

As independent music teachers, this lesson holds true for us as well. In conversations with colleagues, I frequently hear statements like, “I could never be as techy as you” (though I don’t consider myself particularly techy). What they don’t realise is that they’re already using technology in meaningful ways: 

• FaceTime/Skype/Zoom lessons when students are unwell,
• Music apps on tablets,
• YouTube videos during lessons to demonstrate techniques or explore new pieces.

These teachers have intuitively grasped what that second classroom teacher knew.  

Technology should serve the relationship, not replace it.

Starting Simple: My Tech Evolution

I have 3 guiding principles when it comes to choosing tech.  Any technology I adopt must: 

• Solve a genuine problem,
• Significantly decrease my administrative time, or
• In the case of AI, protect my creative energy for tasks and projects that only I can do.

I also built my tech toolkit gradually over several years. It has allowed me to test whether a new piece of tech or a new program really is the best solution.  Otherwise, I would have gotten  overwhelmed and potentially abandoned some truly useful tools!

Here’s where I started (well before Covid disrupted our world):

Basic Implementation:

• Pulling up YouTube videos during lessons when students requested specific songs,
• Using a tablet with music apps during studio lab time,
• Offering FaceTime lessons occasionally when students were too unwell for in-person sessions but well enough for low-key lessons,
• Recording simple song tutorials for challenging pieces,
• Creating spreadsheets to track various administrative tasks and data,
• Setting up shared Google Drive folders for each family to access resources for during the week,
• Using online financial software that automatically sends scheduled invoices,
• Scheduling studio newsletters.

Current Setup (Several Years Later): 

After gradually building on that foundation, my piano studio pivoted to strictly online.  Now my setup includes:

• A permanent teaching space with multiple camera angles so my students can view playing techniques from the side, above, and during movement activities away from the piano bench.
• Upgraded my microphones and audio setup, which allows my family to move freely around the house whilst maintaining excellent sound quality for remote students.  My students just need their laptop or tablet.  Nothing fancy on their end!
• Document templates that dramatically speed up administrative tasks whilst maintaining personalisation (that’s the key).  This is nothing fancier than copying a template and filling in relevant details.
• Tested several online programs and settled on Zoom as the best for my studio’s needs, including the recitals our students, families and guests look forward to twice a year.
• Audio practice reminders are recorded and uploaded immediately after lessons for one of my neurodiverse students who needed extra support this year.
• I set aside time during lessons to train my students in any new technology so they can confidently use it during lessons or throughout the week.  I also make sure they have screen recordings that walk them through if they need a reminder during the week.
• Strategic AI use for data compilation and brainstorming.  A little disclaimer here.  This requires back-and-forth ‘conversation’ with the AI rather than just mindlessly taking the first answer. It’s quite different from searching online and much more interactive than traditional research methods.  In other words, whatever you use from AI still needs to be you.

The Real Question: What Problem Are You Solving?

Before adopting any new technology, I ask myself three questions: 

• Does this solve a genuine problem in my teaching?
• Will it significantly reduce my administrative time?
• Does it enhance rather than complicate the student-teacher relationship?

If the answer to any of those three is no, I don’t adopt it.  Regardless of how impressive or trendy it might seem, it’s not worth it.

The most effective music teachers I know aren’t necessarily the most tech-savvy. They’re the ones who understand that great teaching stems from genuine care for their students and the wisdom to choose tools that serve these priorities rather than distract from them.

Technology can absolutely enhance your teaching, but it should never become a substitute for the fundamental human connection that makes music education transformative. 

That second teacher reminded me of this fundamental tenet of effective education.

Sometimes the most effective teaching approach requires no technology at all.  Just your knowledge, your care for each student, and your commitment to their musical journey.

What simple technology solutions have enhanced your teaching without overwhelming your students or your schedule? Have you found that sometimes the most effective approach requires no technology at all?