Another week gone…the fifth week of quarantine, as such. It’s been a very long time since I’ve spoken in person to anyone other than Louie. I do get to talk to a lot of people nearly everyday online though.

There isn’t a whole lot to write about…I’m keeping busy with teaching and even picking up a few more students (I definitely have some openings right now, especially since college classes are wrapping up). I can’t see how concerts go back to normal any time soon so I’m assuming lessons are the way to go for quite some time. I am hoping I’m wrong and that the timeline people are talking about for concerts (basically, when there’s a vaccine) won’t come to fruition, but since everything else has happened, it’s hard to see how!

I’ve been continuing to make a weekly video of myself performing. I’m having trouble deciding what to do next week but I have a few random ideas. I hope you enjoy this one! It’s by a woman named Grazyna Bacewicz and is a short unaccompanied piece called Polish Capriccio. I had a student play it a few years ago.

There’s been a lot of talk about how musicians and orchestras should reinvent themselves during this time. Naturally there’s been a lot of people berating musicians for not being adequately prepared for the streaming world, but I think they are missing the point. The main reason I am hired is to provide live music. If people just wanted streaming concerts they could probably get by with listening to a half dozen solo violins and two orchestras, but the idea is that you can have live music—at the concert hall, in a smaller space, at your church service, in your home for a party, etc. We are the musicians you hire to personally have in your lives, and that is why we live amongst you and not in New York or Vienna. Yes, having an internet presence is important, and live streaming performances or having good quality videos might also be a good thing, but let’s not pretend that 1) there is anything normal about all of this or 2) that there is room for the number of musicians that exist if we weren’t providing small scale, local events and instead were just doing thing for a greater, international audience. And it’s a GREAT thing that no matter where you are, you can (normally) attend events which feature local musicians and you can go up to them and say hello, and you can hire them for your wedding or see them play at your local church or whatever. They aren’t just some superstar who exists (to you) only on the internet.

Suffice it to say, this will change things, and many good musicians will likely have to jobs in other fields. And I don’t know the future. I just hope that I can continue making my videos, maybe getting a few $$ in tips along the way, and teach lessons on the internet while it goes on.

I’m getting calls for events in the fall though, so who knows. I’m thinking, do I want to play everything I did before…should I focus more on what I truly enjoy? I enjoy serious concerts, I enjoy broadway shows and operas, I enjoy working with a variety of local musicians…I don’t particularly love when I have to reschedule students too often, and I don’t love having every day busy but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Then again, what will really be happening in the fall? Will there be school/college? Will it be canceled or online? When will I see my students in person again?

These are all answer no one knows, and at the rate of testing here in the US, the answer seems to be, not for some time. So we persevere. We persist. We keep at it. We try not to let the naysayers and the negativity get us down, and we just do what we always do: we work hard, we network, we tell people we are looking for more students and more work, and we do the work.

It goes without saying, but in case it doesn’t, I’m going to say it. I am fortunate that I am able to do a lot of my work from home. I am fortunate to have a safe home with an awesome boyfriend (who is also able to work from home) and we enjoy spending time together. I am fortunate to have my health, and that so far my family is also staying healthy. I know many during this time have much greater worries and struggles. But this is my space on the internet, and I’m just sharing my thoughts and concerns.

I haven’t gone anywhere, I haven’t been in a car since last Friday evening, can you believe it? We are planning on takeout again tonight—it’s our quarantine tradition, so we’ll drive somewhere. If the car starts, ha! I didn’t have to go grocery shopping this week at all due to some deliveries, but plan to go next week, probably on Wednesday. We’ve been eating well, tons of veggies and such, and I’ve had more time to cook which really helps (and plan deliveries as well). We’ve taken a few walks this week, but less than we probably should…it’s been cooler and I haven’t felt like going out as much. I hope we don’t go straight to summer without having a bit more of spring.

I’ve got a full day of teaching ahead of me today-about 7 hours worth. I woke up before my alarm this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep, so that’s why I ended up having extra time to blog. I always want to write more often, but get bogged down with other stuff!