And here we are, struggling with a new variant of the Covid-19, this one spreading like wild fires. It has engulfed all of our lives once again. We are not as afraid as we were two years ago but we don’t feel very safe either. More than that, many people are sheltering and refusing to go see shows. Understandably. In response, theaters are closing, some of them for good, and musicians end up wondering how they will pay their bills. But there is another danger for musicians, especially the ones that are self-employed just like me.: they can feel very lonely.
For most of us in music we find everything we need in our passion: a job, a hobby, a mate and a social life. The last part is the one that hurts because musicians are not necessarily social creatures. We have to spend a lot of time practicing our craft alone with our instrument. For a lot of pros we did most of that when we were young and forming the tools to navigate humanity. Loneliness is not a good compass to communicate.
My heart go to the musicians of our pandemic world. Their passion is put to a very rude test. I want to send them a message of hope and tell them that it is very possible that this super contagious Omicron strain is the last one we see. Once everyone has been infected, everyone is immune. I do not know if it works like this, but I know that the hospitals are crowded right now mainly with the people who did not get the vaccine. They are going through their first infection. I wish them to recover soon and forget the nightmare of this disease.
I advise my fellow musician to entertain strong relationships with loved one through Skype, to maybe even look for platforms that gives them some social contact through a fun activity. For example: Dungeon and Dragons. I happened to like that game. Anyway, that’s just my nerdy little example. There are a million others. Try to stay social, no matter what, is my message, don’t walk too long in your own head. I wish you luck out there.
