Dr Ralph Strehle is the former associate head of vocal performance at the Royal Conservatoire Scotland, a performance coach at London’s National Opera Studio and has just taken up the position of director of the Mascarade Opera Studio in Florence. Initially trained as a singer, Strehle specialises in audition and competition preparation and designs psychological skills training programmes.

What are some of the challenges blended learning presents for students?

Because they no longer have a performance and lesson environment, many students suddenly find themselves in a lounge, bedroom or even a garage if their parents won’t let them practise in the house. It’s important for them to demarcate a performance space and keep it separate from their living space. Then there’s the additional challenge of noise bleed. A lot of work needs to happen in advance to minimise distractions and stresses.

How should they approach an online lesson?

Because these are more carefully structured than a face-to-face lesson, there is less spontaneity. Students should agree the repertoire with their teacher in advance so they know what they’re doing and what technical aspects they’re focusing on. It’s also important to set out clear lesson objectives in advance. It’s not easy as some teachers like to work more intuitively with any problems a student might bring to the lesson. Online lessons have to be more proactive which increases the workload for everyone.

What new skills are students having to learn?

Recording themselves with a backing track, uploading it to YouTube and then listening back with their teacher is new to most students. They have to start watching themselves on video which many people don’t like as they’re not used to seeing themselves performing. It can get frustrating for them. But it’s also a huge plus point as they can really work in detail on this aspect of performance analysis. For teachers, it requires different skills as it’s important that feedback doesn’t become an aesthetic judgement. Comments should be more task-orientated, such as did that vowel or F-sharp work? It’s a much more collaborative process.

What else has changed for teachers?

 Pastoral care has inevitably increased. If a student can’t differentiate between going into the conservatoire and being at home, it’s difficult for them to leave an emotional life outside, so they’re more likely to bring their emotions to the lesson. In many ways the teachers and students have to adjust their expectations as it’s impossible to recreate the atmosphere of the studio online. People mirror each other when they’re together, they read faces and body language and the teacher picks up on this. On Zoom the focus of attention is always very narrow.

So are there any upsides?

Coaches at the National Opera Studio tell me that now they don’t have to rush around a conservatoire every day, they have more time to work in detail with students on style and technique. Singers sound fresher as there’s no over-singing going on and for some of them, a break isn’t a bad thing. They need more structured rest to memorise and learn visually, they don’t always have to perform.

Do you think conservatoires will be tempted to keep online learning as the new norm?

Hopefully these current adjustments will be temporary. I have a private fear that we’ll come to think of Zoom as a cost-saving medium. While it’s cheaper to have someone in Europe give a lesson online rather than bring them to your venue, it shouldn’t become the standard.

What else do you lose with performances online? 

The creativity of music making in the moment. Taking risks is just not there, so you’re not making music in that sense. Loads of people say it’s working but that’s not the purpose of music. It’s always about bringing artists and live audiences together. Hearing the timbre of the voice with an instrument in the room is unbelievably beautiful and you don’t get that online. When music is made, this communion takes in the physical aspect of both the performing and receiving of the musical vibrations. As human beings we forget our differences for a moment and it’s beautiful. I don’t see this happening when we sit watching YouTube.

'While it’s cheaper to have someone in Europe give a lesson online rather than bring them to your venue, it shouldn’t become the standard'