Over the past two months many spaces and venues that we use to make music have been shut down. As necessary as it is, it is obviously still sad. It’s no shock to us that concerts, rehearsals and practice spaces are not essential to the the health of our planet, however the surgence in online music making and the need to continue to entertain each other has been very apparent. I think it is important for those who don’t see the relevance of arts education, whether in an institutional setting or not, to witness now that gatherings have stopped but that does not mean music is not essential.
In this time of boredom and cabin fever people have leaned to the arts to keep them busy. I keep asking myself questions to prompt proof as to why music is essential. Questions such as ‘Why do I have more students now then when lessons were in person?’, ‘Why are online music programs seeing a surge?’ And ‘Why has there been so many new songs, whether parody or not, about the quarantine circulating?’. I think the answer is all the same. When we are tested in this way to be left alone with nothing to do and no one to talk to, music brings us together. It makes us laugh, it makes us happy, it helps us to communicate and it makes us better! When we strip down the lighting rigs, the tuxedos and the stadium seating, we get something pretty amazing. A raw and personable way of sharing music with one another.
Those of us who make music do it because we love it and are passionate about it. We cannot invite you to our concert halls right now, but how cool is it that we are welcome into living rooms to show that music is essential and we need it now more than ever.