Perhaps even more than “Well, in my day we didn’t feel the need to ,” one of the most ubiquitous phrases of adulthood is: “I wish I’d learned to play the piano.”
Just be sure to say it like you mean it because, as of late last month, there’s no excuse not to: the acclaimed Sokol Piano Academy is now offering anyone over the age of 16 individual lessons online in real-time. Students can choose to learn via WhatsApp or the Academy’s own video platform. While online courses already exist, the institution claims to have launched the first interactive virtual course with a real teacher.
As recently as 2003, when Skype was released, live video chat remained in the realm of science fiction. Now, the technology is widespread. WhatsApp has 1.5 billion monthly active users worldwide, while in the UK it is installed on 84 per cent of all Android devices.
The maestros of the Sokol Piano Academy – who claim to “teach a unique methodology that works even with complete beginners” – are now available to would-be ivory-tinklers across the globe.
“Not only do students save time from travelling, but the lessons can also run more efficiently since you have two pianos at hand,” says Georges Sokol, the Academy’s founder. “It is surprising that nobody has thought of doing this before.”
For more, visit sokolpianoacademy.com