If you've ever taken private lessons to learn anything, you know they can be expensive, and a logistical challenge to get there.
This year, the Dallas ISD started offering free lessons through its Virtual Private Music Lessons Program.
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WATCH HERE"It levels out the playing field for some for sure," Carter High School choir teacher Demetrius Ethley said. "What's been able to help is telling the virtual teachers, 'hey, we have some issues with understanding the vowels and singing a scale.' So, that has improved."
Ethley was rehearsing with a choir on Thursday morning before heading off to a UIL vocal competition.
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SIGN UP "This song we're about to do now, he's been working with his virtual teacher on," Ethley said pointing to senior Tre'Vione Spooner, who had a solo for the competition.
"I've learned how to open my tone and sing better," Spooner said. "I've just gained the knowledge of being able to sing and read music better."
The free one-on-one virtual lessons are taught by University of North Texas graduate students and faculty members.
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"That one-on-one time is also all about me," Carter High School junior Makaila Jones said. "They help me with me."
The Virtual Private Music Lessons Program was soft-launched in October and has grown to almost 650 lessons a week with about 60 middle and high school students. They take what they learn in those lessons to their bands or choirs.
"I like to say I'm creating music 'affectionatos,'" Ethley said. "That means I may not go into a degree, or if I go to college I may sing in the choir just for fun, or maybe on scholarship; but if nothing else, I know good music!"
