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Live Web Lessons : Sorry, Not Accepting New Students at This Time.

Over the years I have received many requests for private lessons. Sometimes players come to Boston and I am able to meet with them, and other times I'm on the road and I meet with players. When Berklee College is in session, I don't have much extra time and I don't give lessons outside of the school. Now, with the advances in web cams, software and hardware, live Internet lessons are possible. If you are interested in live web lessons, I'm going to tell you what I use and everything you need to have to get going.

The Computer:
I am using a Apple Powerbook G4 with a 1 Ghz processor. Any comparable desktop or laptop, PC or Mac will do.

The Camera:
I use a Apple iSight Camera. It costs more, but this is buy far the best picture quality of any web cam I have tried. Other cameras are cheaper and will work, but after the initial coolness factor wears off, it becomes all about the picture quality. If you use a PC, do some research and get a good quality camera.

The Connection:
You must have a high speed internet connection. DSL or higher. Dial up service will not work for video. Also, make sure you are not behind a firewall. That may prohibit communication. I use DSL over a Apple Airport network.

The Software:
I use Mac's, so I am using Apple iChat AV. You will need to set up an Instant Messaging account through .mac (Apple) or AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). I use AIM. They are both free, so you can choose. Apple's iChat AV uses the Screen name and Password from these services to communicate. If you are using a PC, I would set up an AIM account and follow the web cam directions for that. Make sure you get the latest version of AIM and with a PC, you will have to use an external mic. We will be able to communicate without a problem.

The Sound:
There are a few things you will need to achieve a good sound over the Internet. First, you will need a small mixing board. Nothing fancy, just a few channels so you can plug in a microphone for your voice, a metronome and your Bass. This way, you can blend the sound, I can hear your voice and you are playing to something in time. You could also plug a drum machine in if you want. Second, a small practice amp so you can hear yourself. You could also use headphones to hear yourself off of your mixer. Most people have decent speakers hooked up to their home computers so you should be able to hear me just fine. If not, you can plug the headphone out of your computer into your amp.

My Setup:
For my sound input, I am using a Eurorack MX 802A mixer. I have a Peavey mic, my Bass and a metronome plugged into it. I use the Aux send to run a line to my Bass amp so I can hear myself and I run the main outs to the computer input. To listen I have a nice set of computer speakers that I run off the headphone jack.

Quick Start:
If you just want to try this out, the easiest way is to just play your Bass through your amp and have the computer mic (external mic for PC) pick up the sound. It's not the best, but I do it with some students and it works.

Lessons on Your Terms:
You will not be locked into weekly lessons like most teachers or stores do. You will have the time you need to prepare and practice the material I give you. You can then contact me and set up your next lesson. That's total flexibility.

Talk To Me:
If your thinking about web lessons or if you just want to check it out and talk to me about it, contact me. E-mail me and I will set up a time for us to video conference over the web or, you can try to catch me online. My iChat/AIM screen name is (jbass1969). Click here to download a Quicktime Sample Movie. Be patient, because it is a large file, around 7 minutes long. It's worth the wait if you are really interested. The movie will probably answer a lot of questions you may have.

Prices:
1/2 hour Live Web Lessons are $30.00. 1 hour Live Web Lessons are $50.00. I can keep the prices down, because I don't have to leave my house. I can only take a limited number of students due to my availability. You can pay by Credit Card, Paypal or Money Order.