by Anca Simon
Since Franklin Suzuki Academy (FSA) transitioned to online instruction in March of this year, the instructors have been actively looking for resources to help maintain communication between students and instructors and address the gap left by not being able to meet in person. Collabra is a “remote learning and practice management platform for K-16 music and performing arts education” (https://www.collabramusic.com/) that drew their attention among the many tools available and helped them envision new and exciting opportunities for their students. Now, just two months into FSA’s partnership with Collabra, those visions are becoming reality, and we are finding that many of our students are thriving off of our new online tool.
Jennifer Hutcheson, mom to 2 amazing young violinists at FSA, shared with us: “Collabra has solved so many problems we didn’t even realize we were battling. It has brought so much more consistency to our practices and personal accountability from our kids.” Like with any online tools, “there was a learning curve initially — since we are a family with 2 student accounts, we have to log out of one account in order to log back into another account, but it is a minor inconvenience in light of the app’s many benefits. We have really appreciated having Collabra!”
Like many parents who may share the responsibilities of taking their children to lessons, the Hutchesons found it difficult in the past to communicate all the lesson notes between themselves to ensure all the practice assignments were completed each week. They had settled on shared iPhone notes – but Collabra has solved that problem in a much better way – not only are the assigned practices communicated well to the parents and the students, but any nuances regarding particular fingering or bow holds are much clearer in a video uploaded by their instructor, Ms. Andra Prewett, onto Collabra. In the past, the family tried YouTube videos to practice along with a recording, but finding the right videos was difficult. As Jennifer pointed out, “Violin playing is such an art – and the wrong video can derail your practice instead of helping. Collabra has resolved those issues! Going from looking for a YouTube video that can match your practice style to having access to a higher quality video has been a game changer. Even being able to hear Ms. Andra play the pieces — in addition to the professional audio recordings we listen to — is helpful because there are nuances that match our lessons.” Last but not least, Jennifer highlighted that using Collabra in practices has really taken the pressure off of the parents. The children can view the instructors’ videos; they know they are supposed to upload videos for the instructor and view it as any other assigned homework; and, of course, they love getting the comments back on what they did well and reinforcements on what they need to keep practicing. The kids get to watch their practice videos and choose whether to upload them or not. “Even the practices when we don’t upload any videos are helpful,” noted Jennifer, as the kids critique themselves and identify ways to improve their playing.
“Having a tool that is personalized to each child’s needs has been amazing. I cannot envision not using Collabra even after we go back in person. While we do miss the in-person instruction – and details such as finger-correction that happen more easily in person – I think a hybrid of in-person instruction with the continued use of an online tool to enhance practicing is the perfect combination for the future.”
Echoing Jennifer’s thoughts on how Collabra has enhanced her children’s practice routine, their instructor, Ms. Andra shared: “As a teacher, I’ve noticed that students who use Collabra are progressing faster. Since I am able to check on students’ progress mid-week, I am able to offer helpful suggestions on tricky practice spots, as well as quickly address any bad habits that might be creeping in before they become a larger issue. Going into the lesson, I already have a game plan of what to work on, which means we can cover more material in the lesson. Interestingly, Dr. Suzuki himself used to listen to students’ recordings and offer feedback. When a child polished the last song from a book level, they would mail a cassette tape recording to Dr. Suzuki for approval. He would listen, write down his comments, and mail his words back to the student, sometimes with a hand-painted watercolor painting, along with a calligraphy note with some of his famous quotes, like, “Where love is deep, much can be accomplished.” He did this not only for his students, but all Suzuki students around the world.”
Besides enhanced practicing, how else has FSA benefitted from Collabra, you may ask? This week, Ms. Andra’s Violin Group B made a collaborative recording of Sonata No. 4 by Joseph Bologne de Saint-Georges. The students were able to record their part along with a reference track. Miss Andra then combined the parts, and the class listened to the final product at Tuesday’s group class. “We were able to hear everyone’s sound playing together for the first time since the pandemic started!”
This collaboration gave FSA instructors, students, and parents a taste of the opportunities ahead and made them more enthusiastic about new ways to connect with one another in spite of the Covid19-imposed physical distance. We can’t wait to see all their future “Collabra-tions”!
