Virtual Options

BY MU PHI EPSILON CONTRIBUTORS

Which one is right for you?

For many since the start of the pandemic last year, online education and virtual meetings have become the norm. It’s how we learn and stay connected from afar. For musicians, the sound delays have been problematic, although some technologies seem to work better than others, depending on one’s goals. Here are a few platforms that Mu Phi members have used with good results. This is by no means a comprehensive list; be on the lookout for additional resources, improvements to existing platforms, and new ways to address this ongoing challenge. Word to the wise: Always check the specifications for your devices when looking at all of these options.

“About 13 to 14 years ago, I had a private student who was starting to make real progress. Her stepfather got a job in Idaho, so they moved. I did some research to find an excellent teacher, but she really did not connect with anyone. So we decided to see if we could make lessons work on Skype.

Immediately, I discovered some important things about teaching in a distance learning situation. First, I made sure that I had a copy of her music, and we both agreed to number the measures in each of our copies. She was required to keep a pencil at the ready to mark in anything on which I commented. She was studious and an eager student, so she definitely complied. I knew that I would have to change my teaching style so that I could be very specific about where we were in the score. We also had to always keep in mind the time difference, which meant we were clear about that lessons were at 4 p.m. Central Time, 3 p.m. Mountain Time. Phrases such as, “In measure 5 (pause), on the and-of-3 (pause), the right-hand top voice is an A, not an A-flat,” became quite common. Next, I absolutely never could play together with this student due to latency, so rhythm was a very big challenge. Rhythm was a major challenge for this student, but ironically, this was an ideal situation because it made her count more accurately instead of relying on hearing what I was demonstrating. Additionally, I realized quickly that the student would need to overdo anything, whether that was articulation, dynamics, or phrasing. Again, Skype was ideal because it made the student really differentiate any musicality so that it would come through the internet. Unfortunately, she had to quit taking lessons due to some circumstances, but I was happy that we could continue her studies for a while longer than she would have otherwise.

I continued to use Skype on a number of other occasions, such as when I went to Iceland for half of a year on a Fulbright Scholar grant. It meant that I could continue lessons with a number of my students. Ironically, the winter weather in the U.S .on the student end tended to be more of a factor for internet reliability than from the Icelandic side. All the same problems existed as they had a few years earlier with the first Skype student.

When the pandemic hit, I tried Zoom, but immediately I found I was quite unhappy with the reliability of the application. Skype tended to be more reliable both for video as well as sound. Latency continued to be an issue, but I started combining Skype with another program, called CleanFeed, where Skype would serve as the video, and CleanFeed would provide the audio. This helped lift up the spirits of my students who otherwise found themselves feeling quite sad at the lack of good technology. When Zoom’s audio improved, I decided to start using it instead of FaceTime or Skype. My husband continues to use FaceTime in his private lessons with good results.”

Dr. Kristin Jonina Taylor, Alpha Kappa, Lincoln Alumni, board member, Mu Phi Epsilon

“I had a marvelous experience using FreeConferenceCall.com with my virtual District Director visit. In preparation for the meeting, I looked for a way to connect easily with my Alumni chapter for our visit. I was familiar with Zoom and had used it before for Collegiate visits because most of them were using it for classes, but I knew there were a few extra steps, so went with FreeConferenceCall’s ease of joining the call. I knew software downloads were best avoided. I was pleased to see that it was simple. Users dial in a normal nine-digit phone number, then enter a seven-digit PIN and the pound sign. Most of the members were able to join the meeting because it was super easy to dial in. Also, if the President and I needed to share docs on screen sharing, she could download the app, and we could video chat online. I also recommend FreeConferenceCall.com because we don’t know how long Zoom Basic will be free. I joined with a pay-what-you-can membership of $3 per month. This feature is the most important one for my Atlanta Alumni chapter members who are mostly retired with 50 or more years of Mu Phi membership.

I found that FreeConferenceCall is a good platform with clear HD video capture and clear sound. Its dashboard is comparable to Zoom and includes host controls to mute, invite guests, and a chat for written responses. Being able to use the telephone call-in number with an access code made connecting with the meeting very easy. The Atlanta Alumni visit was fun and all members were successful in dialing in with the code to join the meeting. Also, another plus: it would have been possible to play music through the phone or computer audio for an added element of an in-person meeting, and a recorded video or a live performance can be shared via the computer camera.”

Arietha Lockhart, Beta Gamma, Atlanta Alumni, ACME, DD SE 2 and co-chair of ACME “The Alpha Zeta chapter’s experiences with Zoom are unlimited. As a chapter, we use it for our regularly scheduled meetings, and it allows us to screenshare the PowerPoint we use to present our topics. The co-host feature is often used throughout the meeting to allow other members to use their own documents for the screenshare, as well. Within the committees, committee heads host their meetings with their group via Zoom, and socially distant social events, such as movie nights and game nights, often take place over Zoom as well.”

Matthew Rhoten, president, Alpha Zeta chapter at

Radford University

“Zoom has been a fun and reliable way to connect with the chapter. It is easy to connect and use. There are also capabilities to connect members who have only landlines to the call to increase the opportunities to connect. Zoom is all around the best way to connect!”

Alex Lyons, Alpha Zeta, president, Roanoke Valley

Alumni chapter

“You can bet your bottom dollar that Beta Alpha has had their share of socializing this year! How has Beta Alpha avoided Zoom fatigue? We’ve done it through the use of Discord, a platform with instant messaging, voice and video chat, and the ability to create communities. Discord has been primarily known in the past for gaming and includes the ability to create groups called “servers” to communicate with your selected community of people. What makes Discord different from Zoom? It allows users to go from room to room without an administrator moving them around. It also has the functionality to create “channels” or chat rooms with a given topic. Discord is free to download and a great place to host virtual events.

Beta Alpha has primarily used Discord for recruitment and socials. We have been able to host a variety of games simultaneously within our server and our unofficial school server. From Jackbox games to Cards Against Humanity, our members and potential pledges have been able to join us and socialize with one another in a way that mimics how a social event would feel in person. Aside from our planned socials, it also gives Beta Alpha a place to socialize with one another when members are individually gaming with settings that allow other users to see what you are playing. The bonus is that Discord functions for us as a place for fun, mentally categorized away from Zoom and its association with work. Overall, Beta Alpha has fostered a great sense of community with members and others despite the ongoing pandemic, and Discord has played a huge part in this achievement.”

Shania Carden, president, Beta Alpha chapter at

California State University, Fullerton “Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity of primarily using Google Meet to reactivate the Zeta Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon at Elon University. It is extremely easy to use, with features like presenting and group chatting. I have yet to run into any issues with quality of sound and video as well. Also, you do not have to have an active Google account to be granted access to meetings through this platform, which means anyone has the ability to join with the permission of the host of the meeting. Lastly, anyone who has an active Google account has the ability to set up a video meeting on this platform, there is no current limit to the length of the meeting, and the current limit for the number of people admitted to the meeting is upwards of 100 people. All in all, if you are looking for a platform that is easy to access, easy to use, and free, I would definitely suggest giving Google Meet a shot!”

Marshall Pugh, Alpha Xi, District Director Southeast 1