Sharing Ideas at OOTB: My Experience Talking About Online Teaching Tools

25th April 2025

I was invited to be a guest speaker at an online session hosted by Out of the Box (OOTB), an amazing online community of over 350 music educators across India. You can read more about OOTB here.

In short, OOTB is a growing network dedicated to reimagining how music is taught and experienced. It emerged from the work of OffSet Education, creating space for dialogue, collaboration, and meaningful professional growth. It was founded by Nush Lewis and Shanelle Rodrigues.

Shanelle and I go back to our time at Furtados School of Music. So when she reached out, I was more than happy to be part of the session. OOTB regularly organizes events and discussions for music educators, and they’re doing a fantastic job of keeping the community active and connected.

The topic of the session was “Online Teaching Resources”. I gave a short 15-minute presentation followed by a Q&A with the other teachers. In this blog post, I’d like to share a summary of what I presented.

My online setup during the presentation.

YouTube Videos

One of the easiest ways to improve online teaching is to make short, focused videos on things you find yourself teaching repeatedly — like scales, arpeggios, Jana Gana Mana, Vande Mataram, Happy Birthday, etc.

These videos help students revise concepts at their own pace and save time during lessons. I’ve made over 200 videos (most of them private) for my practice or to share with specific students.

Some of the videos on my YouTube Channel

OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software)

OBS is a free and powerful tool.

Instead of showing only your face during the lesson, you can:

• Share a full screen or just part of it

• Show your piano using a virtual keyboard

• Use multiple camera angles

• Switch between different “scenes” during a lesson

• Record lessons

It takes some time to learn and can be heavy on your computer, but it’s worth it. I also shared some photos of how I use it in lessons.

Screenshots of me using different 'scenes' in OBS

Free Audio Editing Software

I often use DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) like Audacity/Ableton Live to:

• Compile assignments

• Record or edit audio

• Add voice comments to student recordings

These are very helpful for students who are learning online.

The second half of this blog post (click on the link to read) explains this technique in detail and how I use it in my teaching and learning.

A demo of how I use a DAW to add comments on an audio file

Music Notation Software

I use MuseScore. It is a great free tool for:

• Creating custom exercises

• Writing down compositions made by students

• Making lead sheets for learning new pieces

I showed some examples of student compositions and explained how I make exercises based on their needs.

1. Student Composition, 2 and 3. Custom exercises made on MuseScore

Using AI for Teaching

AI tools can help with:

• Brainstorming lesson plans

• Drafting emails or messages

• Learning new skills like coding

I even showed a little app I made that creates WhatsApp homework messages for students — adds date, time, everything. It’s simple but saves me time. Just for fun, I even gave some “homework” to Shanelle and Aditi (who were facilitating the session)

Custom homework text messages I created using the Python-based App

Music Theory Websites

Some free and useful theory tools I shared:

• musictheory.net : Free lessons and quizzes

• ABRSM Theory App: Great for practicing on the go

• MTB Theory Courses: Interactive and visual

Students love theory games and quizzes during lessons!

Some screenshots from www.musictheory.net

Websites and Blogs

A blog or website can help you:

• Share your work

• Offer downloadable materials

• Show your teaching style

• Improve your online presence (with the right SEO)

That’s what I’m doing right now, writing this post!

Some of the blogs I've written on this website

Things I’d Like to Try

There are some tools I haven’t explored much yet, like:

• teoria.com for music theory

• Google Classroom

• Note Rush app

• Mooz (Zoom for musicians)

These are on my to-do list!

Q&A and More Discussions:

After the presentation, there was a Q&A session where we talked about MuseScore, favorite apps, personal experiences, and tips. Later, the discussion moved to topics like using extra visual aids in lessons and how teachers can create and sell their teaching resources.

It was a warm and helpful session, and I’m grateful I got to be a part of it.

Thanks again, OOTB!

---