Digital Teachers - are there any?

[timothy42b]

I think the traditional approach is to consider the digital a barely acceptable substitute when the real thing (acoustic grand piano) isn't available. 

I'm curious whether there are any teachers who've tried to use the features of a digital as a pedagogical tool to speed learning.  It seems like an untapped but potentially fertile field.

Also, are there any teachers who try to develop the digital as a performing tool, which would involve using all the bells and whistles in a musical way? 

[joyfulmusic]

Personally, I have recommended a yamaha digital piano for about a $1,000 rather than a piece of crap acoustic.  The children often play the demos and that's getting some great music in their ears.  These pianos have a pretty good weight to the touch, never go out of tune and there's always room for one.  I have had a least one student do so well on digital that dad got excited and went out and bought a 6' kawaii grand for her (despite my offer to participate in the selection he found it himself). 

In families where no one has been a musician in the family before, it is a manageable step into the world of instruments.  I am always amazed at students who can "get it" at all with a clueless family all around regarding creativity of any kind.

[amanfang]

I teach on some digitals and have students that own some also.  My preference of course is an upright, but digitals are better than nothing, and they are certainly better than cheap keyboards.  I also teach a couple beginner college piano classes all in a digital lab.  The benefit of the lab is the MIDI disks that come with the curriculum.  So when they are able to play along with the MIDI, they sound like they are playing "real music."  Most of them enjoy it much more than just hearing themselves play little melodies with no real accompaniments.  I also will have them play together with ensemble pieces, and I let them all choose a different sound.  They all enjoy that too.  Occasionally when I listen to them individually through the headset, I will notice that one of them is playing on the harpsichord sound or organ.  I get an occasional guitar in there too...