Many of those reading this probably remember the show The Jetson's. In this show, the characters often spoke to each other through their computer or TV screen. If you watched this show any time before 2010, you probably noticed how futuristic it seemed to speak to someone over airwaves with video. Now, you can even video chat with others with smart phones and watches. Video conference watches were especially used in many fictional cartoons from the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's. How does this relate to learning music over the internet? Well, with technology being capable of allowing people to see and hear each other over great distances; it opens up a plethora of opportunities and possibilities.
With current technology, you can share audio, video, applications, etc. over the internet with a person, or set of people. For example, I can now share video of me playing piano, while also showing a video of my face, while sharing charts, graphs, and other learning tools. This has vastly increased the ability to teach and learn many subjects online.
With technology as it is today, it is now possible to share information, ask questions, and receive answers in real time. With the use of cameras, video streaming software, and the internet; a teacher can see what the student is doing, and then show the student the correct way to play. Also, with the Internet being a huge repository of information; it is possible to share, discuss, and observe other's explanations and work as well. This offers an additional dimension of perspective. Online lessons already take place at a computer, why not take advantage of the massive collections of information out there?
A teacher can actually draw upon the expertise of another. Due to the fact that it is impossible to become an expert in every subject; being able to access the expertise of others is immensely useful. Writing music and understanding music is also much easier with the use of online tutorials, online practice applications, and music composition applications. Want to know how a piece of music you wrote sounds when it is played perfectly? Well, write the song in a music composition program like Sibelius and you can play back your composition without making any mistakes! Want to find out what your song would sound like in a different key, but do not know piano? No problem, since you can transpose the entire song into another key with a few clicks!