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Robin T., Australia

Easy and planning some online jams

Sandy B., California

Robin Thomson that could be hard because I hear a slight delay

Kimberly B., Oregon

Zoom pro has a cost, so that is the downside. It is actually really easy to post videos to you tube so that no one else, but those you invite can see them. I think this could be easier. When you upload the video you just use the drop down menu to pick ‘unlisted’, and then you can invite whoever you want with their email.

If I were to do it I would have the students send me their video via dropbox or google drive and then compile it in imovie with some titles and transitions to make a compilation to post to YouTube as ‘unlisted’. I only have 14 students though, so larger numbers might make a live event much less time consuming

Rachel M.

I’m planning on using Marco Polo app. Everyone can be in a group and record their videos when they can in a given timeframe and then everyone can watch and give likes and comments. That way there’s no uploading or downloading. It’s really simple to use.

Ian B., California

This isn’t THE answer, but I’m going to mention it because I haven’t heard anyone else talk about it yet – Facebook Live or YouTube Live Streaming. 😀👍🎹🎬🎥

This is only available for paid Zoom plans, but it might be worth upgrading even if just for the month that you want to host the online “recital.” The Pro plan is $14.99/mo, but if I compare even my yearly cost to what I’d normally pay for a venue, printed programs, etc. it’s a complete WIN financially. Even without the streaming option, if you’re student roster is less than 50, you may just opt to use the upgrade so you can host up to 100 people in the same session and not have to worry about the time limit.

However, I think it would be a bit of a bear to manage 100 online attendees simultaneously. So what I would do is schedule students to join the meeting in groups of maybe 10-15 at a time and then “spotlight” each performing student one at a time as they perform on a schedule/program similar to live recitals. You can even assign any students “on deck/backstage” to a breakout room so that they do not clutter the session.

For EVERYONE else – i.e. attendees – streaming a feed of your meeting to YouTube Live or Facebook Live will allow parents, grandparents, and even other non-participating students and teachers to watch the performances without affecting your attendee count or causing issues with background noise, etc.

This will require a great deal of planning and the technical execution, and will definitely need a more advanced level of knowledge, where operation of Zoom is concerned. But it’s worth considering in my opinion. And especially for those of you with larger studios, it could bring a level of community and connection that very closely replicates what would be achieved via an “IRL” recital (in real life).
I’m just beginning to research and plan this, but I definitely think Sandy Osborn Bourgeois is right that we should begin having discussions and sharing knowledge.

On a related note, take a moment to notice and acknowledge just how much CREATIVITY is being required of all of us in this situation, and how much of an impact such creativity brings even to the use of technology! It’s blowing my mind how much the community at large is showing up causing yet another version of “breakthroughs in creativity” as we respond to the current crisis.Keep it up! 😎✊

Cheri S., Utah

I did Zoom recitals this week, just 3-4 families at a time, so multiple recital nights for me, but just one for each family. Worked great!

I showed families the setup someone posted here using plastic bins on a chair, so that we can see the student and the keyboard.

I had everyone set it to gallery view, so everyone could see each other and feel a little more like we’re all together.

When it was their turn as audience instead of performer, many families switched the camera to show their family all gathered on the couch, so the performers could see their appreciative audience.

We did “camera clapping” — everyone except the performer is muted, but audience members make sure we can see their clapping hands in the camera.

I think everyone had a lot of fun connecting with each other in this new way, in our homes, as families, and actually in a way more face-to-face than a recital.