Before we began social distancing, I was getting in shape through spinning at this awesome spinning studio in Stowe, called Ride. Aside from getting a killer workout, the music is great and the instructors are inspiring. For each class I went to, the instructor would share one tidbit of encouraging words. Maybe it was a quote or maybe it was an anecdotal story to keep us motivated on the bike. On my last spin class there before we started social distancing, the instructor was playing some music and said “when all else fails, at least we still have music.”
Those words have been sitting with me for a few weeks now that we’re all cooped up in our homes and everything is pretty much shut down. We do still have music. As I sit here surrounded by 2 fiddles, a uke, a guitar and a mandolin, I’m also reminded that even if the power goes out we still have music.
So as we buckle down and distance ourselves socially to help stop the spread of Covid-19, here are some ideas to keep you from losing your mind and to remind the world that when all else fails, we still have music.
- Practice your chops – There is no time like the present to start working on those pesky little foibles in your playing. Mine come in the form of sloppy Irish rolls, and inconsistent timing. I plan on practicing tunes I already know with a metronome to make my timing more solid, as well as going through those same tunes to fix the weak spots. What will you work on?
- Learn a new tune – Did you know that you can almost always find your favorite tune on YouTube and
slow it down without changing the key? There is a little button in the bottom right hand corner of all YouTube videos that looks like this. Click that button for the playback speed and slow it down a bit so you can learn it at your own speed. - Learn a new instrument or music theory – Or learn a new genre on your current instrument. I always find learning something new helps improve the old. There are plenty of online music classes to check out. Below are a few I’ve found in a quick search. Feel free to share your favorite in the comment section below.
- Traditional Irish Music Online – for strictly Irish music
- Artist Works – a variety of genres mostly bluegrass, blues, and folk music
- Coursera Online Music Courses – A variety of music courses, theory classes, etc.
- Perform a live feed on Facebook – If you love your music, chances are somebody else does too. So why not share it on Facebook? If you’ve never done a Facebook live, it’s pretty easy. Here are some resources to help you:
I hope this helps keep you all sane during this trying time. Please stay home, stay safe, and stay healthy. Now go play some music.
Session Obsession 