The Truth About Online Coaches: What You Need to Know.

Overview

Earlier this year, I was notified that a musician's mastermind group I had been a part of was dissolving because the coach was quitting.

It got me reflecting on the importance of distinguishing between true educators and online coaches.

Full disclosure: I had joined this group on the recommendation of a peer. And while the content was produced well and the founder had decent street-cred, I had some reservations about their pedagogical skills from the beginning. It felt a bit flashy to me. And I wasn't sure it addressed some core issues artists struggle with.

The whole experience ended up reminding me of how important it is, to distinguish between coaches who offer quick online courses (often after getting certified with something similiar themselves) and true educators with decades of experience.

Online education to me, is a means to make quality education more accessible, and discover the power of music as a healing force.

Personally, I think of myself as an educator/practicing artist.

I’m not just an ''online persona'', per se.

But I'm also acutely aware of how quality education and access to it is still a privilege in many parts of the world. So going ‘online’, was always my way of contributing to making a change in that.

Not just a trend or money-making opportunity.

Keep reading.

(Edited & Embellished)

I just received word that a musician's mastermind I had been a part of for a couple years is closing shop, and it made me want to record this little message with a few thoughts I'd like to share.

To start off with, I really appreciate this person's transparency in the manner in which they went about informing all members of this mastermind why they're closing.

It didn't work out for them, and that happens all the time. I think it's good in instances like these to move on and make a clear decision on what is meant to be part of our ‘calling’, and what isn't.

That being said, I would also like to use this as an opportunity. Maybe it's not very cool of me, but I'm just going to take that risk and share a few thoughts on how I feel it is imperative that we start distinguishing between this plethora of ‘’coaches’’, and real educators. There is a marked difference.

When the pandemic hit, one of the first things a lot of people started to look for, were alternatives to the lifestyles they had been living.

It was a wake up call for many of us, to realize that the lives we’d been leading, the lifestyles we had built, were not really something we wanted.

And the first space people went to to find an alternative was online entrepreneurship. Online education.

And it's not my place to judge the integrity of the decision, (that's for every individual to decide upon themselves).

But I would like to share this: the coach who's taken a ‘’weekend course’’ or done a couple of ‘’online certifications’’ to start an online business overnight, and an educator who's been doing that, (educating people for decades, pandemic or not, online trends or not) are not the same!

I am an educator. I'm not an ‘’online persona’’. I'm a practicing artist, an independent musician and an educator.

I've been educating people, working as a music tutor, a guest lecturer, workshop organizer, for 25 years.

Apart from being a practicing professional artist myself.

And I know that sounds like me bearing some kind of flag or blowing my own trumpet. But the fact of the matter is, I do think that we're headed toward the phase where the true distinguishing factors between educators and online opportunists, will make themselves increasingly apparent.

I didn't sign up to be an educator to find an alternative to a lifestyle I thought had ‘’sucked’’.

I followed my passion and paid with my blood, sweat and tears when I made the decision to pursue my passion (music), when I was 17 years old.

When online entrepreneurship and online education systems where a reality, the only ‘’opportunity’’ I saw, was making what I teach, accessible to people all over the world.

This had not been the case before. I’d been working in a very privileged part of the world, offering my skills and educating people, sharing my experiences to very few who had access to the kind of very unique, combined tutelage that I've been offering most of my life.

And now this is available to anyone.

It's not because I want to become a millionaire (though I feel all dedicated musicians totally deserve to be, if that's a goal).

It's not because I want to establish myself as some figurehead in the ‘’online space’’ (though I'd love that to be a ''side-effect'' of my work).

It's because this what I've been doing this all my adult life, I love doing it, and I intend to do it for the rest of my life.

I want to empower artists and musicians!

Because I think music is a healing force: Regardless of what industry trends tend to dictate or not.

And I guess the reason I'm putting it out there is this: for what it counts, I think this is a good time to delve deeper.

Online education is not ‘’online education’’.

It's Education!

Online education is not ‘’online education’’. It's Education!

Online is just a format that makes it location and time-independent.

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