#37 Why Music Teachers Struggle with Virtual Learning—And the Tech That Finally Fixes It with Terry Lowry

Why Distance Learning?

“Geography should not keep us from learning and creating together.”

Music education thrives on real-time collaboration—but for years, online instruction has struggled with one major roadblock: latency. For music teachers, conductors, and performers, even a slight delay makes synchronous playing nearly impossible. What if that problem disappeared completely?

In this episode, Why Distance Learning hosts Seth Fleischauer, Allyson Mitchell and Tami Moehring welcome Terry Lowry, a composer, conductor, and founder of Musical Overture, to discuss how Gig Room, his breakthrough low-latency music platform, is revolutionizing virtual music collaboration.

Terry shares the hidden challenges of online music performance, the technical breakthroughs behind real-time distance collaboration, and how tools like Gig Room are not just replicating in-person learning—but enhancing it.

And now, this technology is paving the way for something even bigger: Stars Align, an ambitious global project aiming to connect a billion students in real-time music performance. Imagine students around the world—led by renowned musicians, astronauts in space, and global changemakers—joining together for a live, synchronized song that transcends borders and brings the world together through music.

Key Topics Discussed:

• 🎼 The #1 barrier to online music learning—and how to eliminate it

• 🎧 How Gig Room achieves ultra-low latency for real-time collaboration

• 🏆 The first-ever “E-Concert” and what it proved about distance music learning

• 🎵 How distance learning can make students better listeners

• 🚀 The future of global music education—can a billion students perform together?

Key takeaways:

• Conducting and teaching share similarities in preparation, communication, and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Musical Overture and Gig Room bridge geographical gaps, enabling musicians to collaborate and perform together in real time.
• Technology like Gig Room can enhance music education by providing opportunities for virtual rehearsals and performances, leading to greater confidence and preparedness among musicians.
• Innovative projects like Stars Align demonstrate the potential of virtual platforms to create large-scale, impactful musical events that unite people worldwide.

Learn more:

• Visit Musical Overture to explore the platform and Gig Room.
• Watch the documentary “Hear Us” on Apple TV and Amazon Prime to learn about the world’s first e-concert and its impact.
• Subscribe to the podcast to hear more inspiring stories from educators and industry professionals leveraging technology in virtual learning.

Guest Bio:

Terry Lowry is a Steinway Artist, conductor, and composer with over 200 works. He is the host of the Tone Poem podcast, the conductor of the Carroll Symphony Orchestra, and the co-founder/CEO of Musical Overture. His work in low-latency music technology has helped musicians worldwide perform together in real-time—no matter where they are.

Host Links:

1. Discover more virtual learning opportunities and resources at CILC.org with Tami Moehring and Allyson Mitchell.

2. Seth Fleischauer’s Banyan Global Learning provides meaningful global learning experiences that prepare students across the globe for success in an interconnected world.

Subscribe to Why Distance Learning for more engaging interviews and insights into the evolving landscape of virtual education. Available on all major podcast platforms. Visit Be Podcast Network to learn more about the network and discover other educational podcasts.