Zoom Tips for Students

May 1, 2020

Sunburst is now offering online lessons and programs through Zoom! We put together a guide to help students get the most out of their online lesson experience.

EQUIPMENT/CONNECTION

In order to connect to Zoom.us, you will need one of the following devices:

Smartphone
Tablet
Mac or PC with Camera and Microphone (recommended)

You’ll also need an internet connection that can handle the call:

WIFI Internet with speeds of at least 5mbps download and upload.
Zoom calls work over strong 4G LTE connections and use approx 500mb per hour.

Other recommended equipment:

Headphones (recommended)
2nd Device w/ speaker to play music in the room with you
Stand for phone or tablet

GETTING SETUP

Download and install the Zoom.us App:

To join the meeting:

Click “Join Meeting” in the Zoom app
Enter in our phone number for the meeting ID: 412 475 8280
Enter your Full Name for Screen Name
click “Join”

Please join the meeting at least 5 minutes early to make sure we can start on time.
Follow onscreen prompts to allow Zoom to use your camera and microphone.

WAITING ROOM AND LESSON

We have a little virtual waiting room set up to help make connecting students and teachers as easy as possible.

Once you’re in the waiting room, our admin will check in to make sure you’re good to go with all of your equipment and everything, then we’ll move you to a room with your teacher as soon as their available.
Make sure to unmute your microphone
At the conclusion of your lesson click “Leave” then:

If you have more questions for the admin click “Return to Main Session” and follow above steps to initiate a chat.
If not, click “Leave Meeting”

Other tips and tricks:

HEADPHONES / MICROPHONE

Since music is the name of the game, having both students and teachers wear headphones greatly improves the overall experience. Headphones with a microphone (such as apple air buds or a gaming headset) are even better. Also, if you have an audio interface at home, try setting up headphones and a microphone through your computer for the best possible audio! Let us know if you have any questions as far as equipment and best practices go, we’d be happy to help.

IMPROVE AUDIO BY TURNING OFF NOISE SUPPRESSION

Zoom has an automatic feature called noise suppression that can cause loud instruments to cut out during calls.

ON MAC OR PC

In the Zoom App, navigate to:

Preferences>Audio>Advanced>
Then set both "Suppress background noise" options to "Disable"

ON iOS

Go to the Settings Gear > Meetings > check Use Original Sound
In the meeting, click More > Enable Original Sound

PLAYING MUSIC

Playing or singing along with recorded music is a big part of lessons. The best way to facilitate this is to have a separate device with speakers in the room with the student, that can play audio from Spotify, Youtube etc., this allows you to hear the music well enough to play along to without latency, and lets your teacher better observe.

LESSON MATERIALS

Your instructor may share lesson materials with you during your call. They will be put up on the screen and If you’d like to save them for later, take a screenshot:

IOS: HOME + POWER buttons
Android: Press the Power button for a few seconds. Then tap Screenshot.
Mac: COMMAND + SHIFT + 4 then drag and click
PC: PrtScn button

Your instructor may also email lesson materials after the lesson to the email address on your account.

RECORD YOUR LESSON

You can record part or all of your lessons to review later while practicing!

On Mac/PC - Click Record along the bottom, then select Record to Computer
IOS - Instructions here

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5 Reasons to Start Playing in a Band

July 30, 2025

As summer break comes to a close, we’re gearing up for the next term of the Sunburst Band Program and would love to see some new faces this fall. Playing in a band is one of the best ways to progress as a musician, so we put together a list of five reasons why we encourage our students to seek out opportunities to play in groups—whether it's starting a band or jamming with a couple of friends. Progress Your rhythm, timing, and listening skills improve quickly when you start playing in a band or group setting. While private lessons and solo practice are essential pieces of the puzzle, playing with others introduces new variables—like tempo changes, dynamics, and coordination—that challenge you to stay in sync with your bandmates and adapt to each other. We’ve seen so many students level up after just a couple months in the Sunburst Band Program–the progress happens fast! Friends and Connections We love watching our students and their families become friends and our band program has been a natural starting point for many of those relationships. Some of our current bands have stayed together for years, and it's awesome to see them hang out outside of lessons and support each other at shows. Plus, one of the best ways to get gigs is through connections with other musicians! Motivation Playing in a band is super motivating because you're part of a group working toward an exciting shared goal. Whether you're learning a new song, building a set list, or getting ready for a show, the process becomes more exciting and rewarding when you're making music you love with people you enjoy being around. That shared energy turns practice into something much more fun and meaningful. Performing Performing can be nerve-wracking, but it gets easier the more you do it, and being on stage with your friends makes it less scary. We love seeing how our students' stage presence and confidence grow with each performance—it’s one of our favorite parts of being teachers! As we mentioned, shows are a great place to make connections with musicians who you’d like to collaborate with in the future. Simply put, playing more shows leads to playing more shows. Creative Outlet Music is a powerful tool for expression, and it’s important to have outlets for that at any age! Life is very fast paced for many of us, and it can be tough to pause and do the things you enjoy. Band practice can be a consistent anchor in your week—something you can rely on for connection, processing, and creating with your bandmates. As corny as it sounds, playing music is good for your spirit! If you’d like to know more about the Sunburst Band Program, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information. We also recommend talking with your private lessons instructor so that they’re aware and can help you prepare.