Yanik Giroux - Stage & Studio

Online Coachings

Please note payment at time of booking is now REQUIRED for all new Online Coaching bookings.

Please send payment at time of booking or your booking will be cancelled.

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You must pay for your lesson during the booking process in order to secure your spot and finalize your booking.

Please, allow 24 hours when booking a new coaching, thank you.

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Online Coachings Set-up & Guidelines

Everything you need to know to get started online with me!

THE BASICS:

1) My preferred online lesson platform is Zoom for its audio and video quality.

For lessons, it is preferred for you to run it on a computer (desktop or laptop), but the app can work on a tablet or phone as well (but the platform behaves better on computer and the bigger screen is preferable for our purpose). Desktop or laptop are a must.

For those of you on Mac products, Facetime would be a second option.

Facebook Messenger is not an option as its video and audio quality are poor, and Skype presents lagging issues.

You must have a reliable internet connection for online lessons to work.

Wired internet connection would be better than wifi.

If on wifi, reduce bandwidth usage on your network as much as possible.

Internet Speed can also make a big difference. You can check your Internet Speed.

Always close ALL other programs and apps. If you’re using a web-based service, your browser should be the only program open. If using an app like Zoom or Facetime, close EVERYTHING else. This is ESPECIALLY important on simpler machines like Chromebooks and iPad (They just don’t have the CPU power to handle video conferencing well).

2) We have two options on how to use the Zoom platform:

Option 1: EASIEST! You do not need to create an account. At the time of your lesson, I will send you an email which will contain a link. Click on the link and follow the instructions on the next two screens. I will accept you in the chat when I am ready, and we’ll be up and running. Easy!

Option 2: BIT MORE WORK! Ahead of our lesson, you go to Zoom.us and create an account (free). Let me know when you’ve done so, and I’ll add you as a “Contact”. From there, we’ll be connected. At the time of your lesson, open your Zoom and wait for me to invite you directly within the platform. You can use Zoom through your browser, or I recommend to download the “Zoom Client” (free); to do so, click “Resources” at the top right corner, then click “Download Zoom Client”.

This method saves going through emails and go directly to Zoom, but the other method is perfectly fine as well.

3) If you join early and I am still busy finishing another lesson, you’ll be put in a “Waiting Room” until I admit you. My teaching schedule will be the same as if I was meeting in person, so if you’re waiting, rest assured that I’m just finishing up with another student and will be with you shortly. Use this time to organize your music.

THE SETUP:

1) You will need two devices: one to host the call (desktop/laptop) and one to play back your accompaniment tracks (phone or iPad). You cannot play your accompaniment on the same device as the call; it will distort the sound. Use your phone or another device.

Tip: if your device is not loud enough and you don’t have a speaker to plug into, stick your phone in an empty ceramic coffee mug. It will amplify it plenty. I swear it works!J

We need to use tracks because I cannot accompany you in real time as we will have lagging problems: the singing and the accompaniment have to come from the same side of the call (yours!). I will do my best to keep up and emailing accompaniment tracks ahead of time and before the lesson.

2) You DO NOT need a mic but you DO need headphones. Your desktop/laptop microphone should suffice and headphones will prevent sound looping.

Never sing directly into the microphone, it may create more distortion and clipping. If issues, back up at least 3-5 feet from the computer or laptop and play off-axis. This allows a little buffer

from overwhelming the on board mic.

3) Please arrange for the camera to be at eye level as much as possible, so that you do not have to look down all the time and can keep good posture/alignment. Step back from the computer so that I can see you from the waist up, sitting or standing.

4) Keep your device plugged into the power source. We don’t want the battery dying during the session!

5) Have your music binder on hand, pencil, straw, water with you and ready to go. Whatever you need for an in-person lesson, you’ll need for an online lesson.

6) For younger students, I ask for you to set up your lesson space in a common, well- trafficked area of your house. If the set-up is in your bedroom, please keep your door open. I want to be able to say hello to mom or dad at the beginning and end of your lesson.

THE EXPECTATIONS:

1) The flow of online lessons is different from an in-person lesson. Most platforms only allow for one person to talk/sing/play at a time; we cannot make sound at the same time. This means that the

way I will interact with you might be a little different than what you’re used to. We’ll communicate a lot more with gestures and body language instead of words. In my case, not sure how different that may be! Ha!

Expect more character work, more diction work, interpretation, and a bit more planning on your end.

2) Our first online lesson may be a bit bumpy, but we’ll figure it out and adapt to this new environment. So much of our world is now dependent on online communication, and so, we’ll make it work for our work too!

3) There is less room for spontaneity in online lessons. If we want to be productive, we have to plan ahead. This means words, sheet music and tracks ready to go.

4) Because we will be working more with tracks, the focus might be greater into interpretation than technique for a short while. Might be a good time to review older songs and prepare for auditions for example.

That’s it! :)

USEFUL RESOURCES FOR VOCAL EXERCISES

https://www.appcompanist.com : a great resource of vocal exercises and transposable accompaniment tracks for musical theatre singers. Basic download and use of vocal exercises is free.

USEFUL RESOURCES FOR TRACKS

https://karaoke-version.com: great sounding tracks for pop music, cheap! I have an account and can buy whatever song you’d like to work on for you.

https://pianotrax.com : another resource for musical theatre tracks. More expensive.

http://youtube.com : Of course countless accompaniment/karaoke tracks there. You may or may not be able to find the right track/key for you.

Yanik Giroux - Stage & Studio

Vocal Coach and Performer

Online Coachings