Using Technology To Boost Confidence

More than anything, I want my students to believe in themselves. The teacher in this video uses technological resources such as Google Hangout to help. She offers Hangout times in the evening when students can chat and struggle with her and other students in a relaxed setting. Ms. Paraiso is dressed down and in her own home while on these Hangouts. She allows the students to reach out to her and "see" her as a real, caring human being. I can see this becoming a beautiful, communal, evening Hangout hour open to my students. I would sit near my piano and be available to play a certain part of a piece, or just to talk and listen.

Ms. Paraiso gives the students in-class opportunities to have Hangouts with other students in different schools, as well as to watch themselves, current students, and former students in video recordings. One student shared that seeing other students communicating on the screen gave her confidence because she felt that if they could do it well, so could she. To put this in practice, I would love to create small groups that become friends and mentors. These groups could meet on Hangouts just to chat about life, school, and what they are learning. This is also a safe space to practice singing in front of others and getting constructive feedback.

Allowing students to see themselves on a screen gives them a real sense of how they are presenting themselves, both musically and personally. As an artist, you are communicating a story as a human, so it is important to have confidence in who you are. It is shocking at first, but extremely helpful later. In my own music training, I have always been asked to record my vocal lessons, and sometimes to watch videos of myself. As awkward as it is, it continues to get easier and, in the end, gives me confidence in who I am and what I can do.