When the government announced the lockdown in March private music tutors were worried it could be the end of their careers.

With face-to-face learning being the core aspect of the job, how would they keep their pupils engaged and focused through a video call?

But to one guitar teacher's surprise, his students have progressed more quickly than ever.

Steve Cleare, 35, from Canterbury, has been teaching guitar since he was 17.

As well as teaching children and adults privately, he provides guitar lessons for pupils at King Ethelbert School in Birchington.

He said: "I'll be honest, I was incredibly negative - I just thought this would simply not work, and could be potentially career-ending."

The guitar teacher went as far as looking for temporary work elsewhere, but after trialling lessons over Zoom realised all was not lost.

He said: "Not only has it worked, but it's been incredible - I would say 85 to 90 percent of my pupils are progressing faster than they have ever done before.

"Parents have told me kids are practising for 20 minutes to half an hour after the lesson, because they've just finished the lesson, they're at home and they're feeling inspired.

"Normally they probably wouldn't - they'd put the guitar back in its case, drive home, when they get home put it in the corner and it'll probably stay there until the next lesson."

Steve's lessons would usually be focused around both he and the pupil playing along to a backing track, but the new online video call set up means the pupils have had to work even harder to improve their timing, rhythm and awareness.

The online format has proven so popular that the guitar teacher believes many of his students will want to keep online lessons going even once face-to-face tuition can take place again.

One family from Hersden have found the online lessons easier in practical terms, and has even brought them closer together.

Paul and Lorraine Bunting's two children, Matthew, 14, and Luke, eight, both have lessons with Steve online.

Lorraine said: "Being able to see the interaction, support and encouragement he gives the children has been great from a parent's perspective, as this is not something we ordinarily get to see.

"The chance of a choice between on site and online lessons going forward is great, because it builds in further flexibility to our already-busy lives and removes some of the stress."

Matthew and Luke's dad Paul has now taken up lessons too, giving them a chance to all learn and practice together.

Steve was not the only teach who had reservations about remote teaching when the pandemic struck.

Chrissy Grimsdale, 32, is a singing teacher at St Lawrence College in Ramsgate and Your Music School Canterbury.

Chrissy had her doubts about online vocal tuition working in practice, but found the video format made it even easier for her to analyse her pupil's singing techniques.

She said: "When you teach singing you have to look at what's happening with their larynx, the jaw, the tongue, and often in a face-to-face lesson it's a bit awkward to just stare at someone.

"But online it's really clear, I feel like I'm able to focus even more on those things.

"I'm also really having to finely-tune my ear to hear all the little tweaks to the technique that we can make, so actually I think students are getting a more focused lesson."

Chrissy has even been coaching some students through graded performance exams, which they have been taking remotely during the pandemic.

The vocal teacher said: "Students seem more excited about the prospect of doing an exam, to not have the anxieties of having to go to an exam centre.

"I believe the exam boards will probably maintain their online exams now, and I think they should."

James Wilford, managing director of Your Music School Canterbury, thought he might have to close his premises in Wincheap if online teaching ever took off.

He said: "I've always thought that online tuition would finish the business off, but we've embraced it.

"There are roughly 75% of lessons from before now running online, with barely any drop outs and everyone's loving it."

To find out more about Steve's guitar teaching, click here

To see Chrissy's vocal teaching work, click here

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