A University of Virginia professor, Mark Edmundson, recently published an editorial for The New York Times titled “The Trouble With Online Education”, where he poses this question: “can online education ever be education of the very best sort?”. 

Edmundson is of the opinion that online learning cannot do what in-person learning can. While many online education programs do not deliver what they promise, when it comes to learning music, online education can actually be more effective.

Mr. Edmundson only mentions online education for universities and does not consider its role outside of the traditional classroom. He's also (incorrectly) assuming that all online education programs operate the same. While he is correct that online learning can often be an impersonal and less effective learning experience, he is not taking into consideration new advances in education technology. Moreover, just as the quality of education from a traditional universitiy varies depending on the institution, so do online education programs. 

There is a new wave in the growing field of online education that combines elements of traditional classroom learning with education technology to create an entirely new platform. At ArtistWorks, we use a patent-pending education technology called Video Exchange™ .

I doubt Mr. Edmundsonh has ever tried to learn an instrument at one of our online music schools. If he had, he would not be so narrow minded about the use of online learning when it comes to music education.