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This was not my idea of a first blog post, but the Coronavirus decided to make its rapid entry into the state of Colorado along with many others, shutting down schools and making it impossible to get toilet paper, so I had a change of plans. Yes, I am one of the few that didn’t freak out and buy out the store because I personally do not understand how toilet paper is going to stop the virus. Same with bottled water. I didn’t know this virus had the capability to shut off our water supply and cause us to wipe our asses 30 times a day. I must have missed the public service announcement.…
Oh well…at least I have furniture polish.
But all this panic made me think about how this Coronavirus is impacting everything we do on a daily basis and how quickly things can change for the worst in the blink of an eye. Things like what is going to happen to the global economy over the next year, and what are we going to do to make ends meet? It’s a lot of uncertainty and we probably don’t want to know but we all know most businesses are losing customers because of this virus (except the toilet paper ones, they’re making a killing). The music industry is going to be one of the industries hit the hardest I’m afraid. Since we don’t buy albums anymore and music is streamed for free on the internet, musicians depend on touring to make a living doing what they love. Performing live and selling merch at shows is the main source of income and now we have a global epidemic where gatherings of the public are being postponed or cancelled until further notice.
I guess now is the time to thank technology and put it to good use. While staying at home to stop the spread of the virus may give us cabin fever, it’s also the perfect time to get creative. People are listening right now, with quarantines and limited exposure to the public now is a great time to reach out and share your talent with those that could really use a boost. Musicians are excellent storytellers, and the world needs to hear some good stories to take our minds off this epidemic. Let’s use technology to collaborate, create videos and narratives, put on a live show at band practice, and most importantly, to share our hopes and fears with new audiences eager to listen through the universal language of music.