Thomas Evdokimoff music studio

A Primer for New Online Music Theory Students

Many of us have become quite comfortable with technologies such as Skype and Zoom over the past little while. Through these technologies we visit with friends, hold meetings, and now, attend school. Private online music lessons have much of the same requirements and similarity to online lessons at school, with one major difference: private lessons are one-on-one with an instructor.

Students interested in studying music theory with me should first sign up for a free online private lesson. The purpose of this trial lesson is for us to meet, discuss your musical goals, and to test out your set-up. It will also help you decide if online lessons are for you. Plan on about half an hour for your trial lesson. The rest of this page describes what new students need and how to register.

Technical Requirements

• Students need to be somewhat tech-savvy for online lessons - be able to create accounts, use online tools, be familiar with Skype or Zoom, and so on. If not, find someone at home to help you out.
• A computer. A desktop computer or laptop with a large screen is best. Tablets may work but you may find them limiting. Smart phones are not recommended for lessons.
• A fast internet connection
• A writing stylus is helpful. I use a Wacom tablet.
• A headset that has a built-in microphone
• A webcam
• An account on theThomas Evdokimoff music studio website
• An understanding of how to use Google Meet.
• A method to scan homework and make PDF files. Although I still use a flat-bed scanner, a smart phone may help you. See this tutorial for Android/Google Drive users

Enrolling in A Trial Lesson

1. First time students will need to create an account. Go to the login page and select "Create new account." You will be asked to read and acknowledge the site's privacy statement and studio policies. Fill out the account information. You will be sent an email which contains a confirmation link that's required to activate your account. Watch your email for it and be patient, sometimes this takes a while.
2. Once your account is set up, login to the site and explore your Dashboard a bit. It lists links to courses, your profile, and a message system. We will use this message system for communication outside of the lesson. Important: review your profile settings so that your time zone is set to your own and you have provided a Skype ID. Parents/Guardians may also enter their contact information in the profile settings.
3. Enrol in the course "Free Trial Lesson."
   From your Dashboard, navigate to this course via Course categories -> General Programs then select "Free Trial Lesson." Scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the "Enrol me" button.
4. Choose a lesson time. Go to the Trial Lesson's course page and follow the instructions for choosing a lesson time. If a suitable time is not available, message me a few days/times that work for you. If you have set up your timezone in your profile, times shown should be your local times.

Preparing for Your Trial Lesson

• Double check your lesson time and make sure you have set your time zone correctly on your profile page. Skype users will also need to add their Skype Id.
• Collect any material we need for the lesson such as any text you have been using, as well as a pencil and eraser. Write down any questions you may have for me.
• Log into Google Meet 5-10 minutes before your lesson time and test that your headset and camera are working fine. Set your status to available.
• Please wait for me to connect with you, as I may be with another student.  If you are having any technical problems message me via this website.