The word ‘Zoom’ took on a whole new meaning in 2020. No longer just a reference to speed though it did accelerate the ease with which people connect, whether across town or around the globe. Cellist Amit Peled felt that boosted connection in his newly launched online cello academy--his response to being cut off from students by the pandemic’s lockdowns. Plus, we meet one of his online students, Elham Al Marzooqi, the first and only female Emirati cellist in the United Arab Emirates based in Abu Dhabi.