live Online Music Lessons
I teach voice, ukulele, harmonica and guitar live over Zoom, one-on-one with a real teacher rather than a pre-recorded course. I teach online the same way I teach in my studio in Victoria, BC: patiently, at your pace, on the songs you actually want to play. Students join me from across Canada, from kids to retirees, and most of them had never taken an online lesson before their first one with me.
Choose your instrument
Online Singing Lessons
Find your real voice, build range and breath, and sing without strain. Adults and complete beginners welcome.
Harmonica Lessons
Folk and blues on a diatonic harp: single notes, bending, cross-harp, and playing along with your guitar or your voice.
Online Ukulele Lessons
From your first chord to fingerpicking, with the former director of the Victoria Ukulele Festival.
online guitar Lessons
Acoustic, folk and fingerstyle guitar, taught by ear and by song, from a touring folk guitarist.
“Jessica didn’t just teach my son music; she opened a world where every step in our musical journey was met with patience, understanding and warmth. For anyone looking to embark on learning music, I cannot recommend Jessica Benini enough.”
How an online lesson works
We meet on Zoom (or FaceTime if you prefer) for 30, 45 or 60 minutes. You need a laptop, tablet or phone with a camera, and your instrument. No special microphone, no software to buy. I send a short recap after each lesson with what to practise, and I record short demo clips you can replay during the week. Lessons run Tuesday to Friday, Pacific time, with afternoon and evening slots that work well for Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.
Who I teach
Adults who always meant to learn. Teens and kids from about age four. Complete beginners, returning players, and people who have played for years and want to get unstuck. My lessons are welcoming to everyone, including 2SLGBTQI+ and neurodivergent students, and I work as a music therapist alongside my teaching, so if you need lessons paced or structured a particular way, just tell me.
Rates
Online lessons are the same price as in person: $50 for 30 minutes, $75 for 45 minutes, $100 for an hour. Semi-private lessons for two or more people are the lesson fee plus half per additional student. See full rates.
Questions students ask
Do online music lessons actually work?
Yes, for these four instruments especially. I can see your hands, your posture and your breathing on camera, and you can replay my demos as often as you like, which in-person students cannot. Most of my online students progress at the same pace as my studio students.
What time zone are you in?
Pacific time, in Victoria, BC. Afternoon slots here are evening slots in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, which is when most adult students want to play anyway.
Can my child take online lessons?
From about age eight, yes, and I ask a parent to sit in for the first lesson or two. Younger children usually do better in person or in a group class.
What if I don’t have an instrument yet?
Book anyway. In the first lesson I’ll help you choose one that fits your budget and your hands. Ukuleles and harmonicas are inexpensive; a decent starter guitar is a little more.
Do you teach students outside Canada?
Yes. Most of my online students are in Canada, but I teach in the US as well. Rates are in Canadian dollars.