Online Music Lessons

Yes! I teach online!

Why Choose Online Lessons?

No Commute – Skip the drive! Save time and gas by taking lessons from your own home.

Learn Anywhere – Set up in your living room, bedroom, or even on the patio. You choose the learning environment that works best for you.

Access the Right Teacher – Not everyone has a great local music teacher. Online lessons open the door to the perfect teaching match, regardless of location.

Consistent Scheduling – Weather, transportation, and busy schedules won’t get in the way of your musical progress.

Barrett Simms wearing a navy shirt and black vest smiling at a microphone with his maple electric Strandberg guitar.
Your instructor Wm. Barrett Simms

Online Considerations

An overhead shot of a young girl wearing a school uniform and headphones looking up and smiling from an electric keyboard.

Technology Setup

Don’t worry—I'll guide you through everything you need to get started. A stable internet connection, a device with a camera, and Zoom are all you need.

Be sure to install Zoom and test your audio and video settings prior to the lesson.

A tween boy with navy hoodie concentrating on playing an ukulele.

Focus & Engagement

Especially for younger students, it can be harder to stay engaged through a screen.

I often recommend that a parent or caregiver sit in on lessons to help, at least during the early stages.

Female teen wearing a maroon knit cap and jean shirt strumming an electric Stratocaster guitar.

Brand New Beginners

For students just starting out, I encourage (but don’t require) a few in-person lessons to get over the initial learning curve. This can be especially helpful for learning posture, hand positions, and basic technique.

How do online lessons work?

I use Zoom for all virtual lessons. You’ll receive a recurring link through the student portal so accessing your lesson is easy and consistent.

Technical setup is part of lesson time. For this reason, I strongly encourage parents to attend the start of lessons to learn how to setup and configure Zoom for online lessons

What about recitals?

Yes! If you are in the Austin, Texas area, you can attend Spring and Fall recitals.

For those that can’t make it, we will still work to get a song recital-ready and record it. These are great to send to family and friends.

What about group lessons?

Currently, I don’t offer group lessons online. I may change this in the future if there is interest. 

What instruments do you teach online?

I teach drums, ukulele, piano, and guitar online.

What are the expectations for students?

It is expected that students will be able to maintain an age-appropriate level of self-control. Lessons are most effective when a student is able to sit still and focus. For this reason, I encourage young students to be accompanied by an adult until the student can attend independently.

We recommend all students

Start with a music discovery session

Our 15-minute music consult is a relaxed, no-pressure opportunity to explore music lessons for you (or your child). Meetings are held in our music studio so you can get a feel for the space, ensuring it’s a comfortable, welcoming environment where you (and your child) feel safe and supported.

During this session, we’ll chat about your goals for the lessons so that we can find the best starting point. We’ll also discuss musical interests—favorite genres, songs, or artists—and how we can make lessons engaging and fun by incorporating those. By the end of the session, you’ll have a clear understanding of what to expect.