What a week. Began to teach at the Tennessee Governors School for the Arts (GSFTA) last week as I have for the past three years. The GSFTA is a month long intensive music festival encompassing all disciplines including; music, art, theater, dance, etc. This year, because of COVID19, posed many obstacles in the way of being a successful music festival.
The biggest obstacle was setting everything up on the Zoom platform. Being well versed with the Zoom platform, I had to learn how to use google classroom, and integrate it with Zoom. I taught two oboe masterclasses per day which included not only playing and demonstrating, but reed making. the use of multiple cameras and refining my virtual reed making teaching skills was exciting. Also, I taught two “Career Development and Music Entrepreneur classes a day which were exhausting but also invigorating!!!!!! Here is where I developed my google classroom skills and how to share screens.
This first week was exhausting but I hope the second week brings on more endurance. Its hard to believe that sitting in front of a computer for 5 hours a day can be so draining.
