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2020-11-15
The Healing Power of Music
My friend Sarah who currently lives as St. Mary's University sent me pictures of the way she gets through her anxiety which is with music. The pictures that she provided show that the Healing Power of Music is a way to escape all the chaos that is happening in our lives around us. This shows when there is no where else to turn music always seem to have your back by providing comfort. -
2020-11-15
Faces of the arts shutdown: Nathan Hubbard: ‘As far as I know, everything is off the table’
The San Diego Union-Tribune has published a short series chronicling local musician's experiences and struggles during COVID-19. This story is about drummer Nathan Hubbard and how he has gone from performing almost every day to having very little work. -
2020-11-10
Keith Sweat’s “Nobody” Election 2020 Version
A FB friend shared this spoof on Keith Sweat’s song “Nobody” talking about the 2020 election of Joe Biden. The video was shared by Jody Hawes Jr. with the hashtag #NobodyRemix. -
2020-09-15
Jewish Melbourne: Chabad on Carlisle Q & A with the Rabbis about Rosh Hashanah
On Tuesday 15 September Chabad on Carlisle held an online Q&A with their Rabbis, along with musical entertainment, for Rosh Hashanah -
2020-03-17
Corona DJ
When faced with boredom, you either figure out a way to do something, or you rot away in peril. During the early stages of the pandemic, Italy was one of the hardest-hit countries in the world, the Italians would have to figure out how to do something when faced with the attached boredom. The residents in an unnamed neighborhood would innovate with this boredom in a fanatisic way. One of the residents happened to be a DJ and set up his rig to play to the whole block. -
2020-11-04
A Puzzling Distraction
HIST30060. Millions of people picked up hobbies during their respective lockdowns, mine happened to be puzzles. A few in this photo I had before lockdown, but most was bought in the lead up to, as well as during. I bought my first colour puzzle about a month before lockdown started, when I first discovered the board games store Mind Games in Melbourne's CBD, though I did not touch it until study at home began. These puzzles gave me something I could be good at, with only one still incomplete months after I first got it (in my defence, it changes colour). They allowed me to multitask, I would watch movies for university while I had a puzzle in front of me, I discovered so much music through my Spotify recommended playlists that have become solid favourites, I've caught up on podcasts that were usually relegated to my daily commute to university. They gave me something I could control, in a time of change and confusion, a welcome distraction from everything happening outside of my house. -
2020-10-05
Xbox Live Shenanigans
This is a trap remix of Darkthrone’s “Transilvanian Hunger” that I made on my phone in GarageBand. My friends and I usually congregate on Xbox Live every night after we get home from work for the night. With rising costs, dwindling savings, and less work available than ever before, we don’t really plan things anymore. When we do, the plans usually include cooking dirty burgers, drinking beer, and playing board games at someone’s house. That and playing Xbox together are the cheapest options for hanging out that we even have. Lately, our favorite pastime has been making beats on our iPhones in GarageBand. Someone jokingly told me that Norweigan black metal is the only un-sampleable musical genre. I set out to prove him wrong. Laughter and hilarity ensued. -
2020-10-28
Pandemic Playlist: Reflections of Quarantine Life Through Music
In March I was laid off from my full-time job of 6 years. Those first few weeks of unemployment found me struggling to stay productive and positive. With too much time on my hands I did what any well-adjusted person would do in that situation—listened to sad music to make myself feel worse. Tom Waits – More Than Rain Like many Americans, I live paycheck to paycheck. I knew that missing even one pay period would mean falling behind on several bills. I get paid weekly which means that even though I don’t make a lot of money, I at least always have enough to make it through to next Friday. Being broke made me feel like a failure. I resented my pre-pandemic life of always being so busy and going the extra mile at work. What did I have to show for it? “None of our pockets, are lined with gold Nobody's caught the bouquet There are no dead presidents we can fold Nothing is going our way” The “our” in this song made me think of all the other people who were in the same situation as me. I was sad not just for myself, but for everyone else who was out of a job. It reminded me to be grateful for the things I still had. Tom Waits is someone who I admire for his humor, but this particular song is void of any playfulness. The best way I can describe this song is to call it a cross between a lullaby for pirates and a circus ballad for depressed clowns. It features a melancholic vocal and a wearisome accordion sluggishly making its way through the song. “It's more than rain that falls on our parade tonight It's more than thunder It's more than thunder” The pandemic is much bigger than what we initially took it for. It’s poverty, depression, isolation, death… The Specials – Ghost Town The Specials are my favorite band, and this song which is perpetually on my playlist took on several new meanings for me. “Ghost Town” was originally written in response to unemployment and racial tensions in Thatcher era England. Now the song seems as though it was written against the backdrop of Trumpism. “This town, is coming like a ghost town All the clubs have been closed down This place, is coming like a ghost town Bands won't play no more” Driving around downtown San Antonio during the early days of quarantine was incredibly eerie. All the usual sights had vanished: tourists waiting at crosswalks, work trucks driving to their next job sites, bicyclists slowing down traffic, mariachis playing at restaurants, and people strolling the Riverwalk. San Antonio was dead. “This place, is coming like a ghost town No job to be found in this country Can't go on no more The people getting angry” The harmonized ghostly screeches in the chorus set the spooky tone for the song. How can we possibly live in a city that is dead? When everything was closed, I felt like a ghost--dead and unable to enjoy my favorite hobbies. I couldn’t visit friends, travel, or waste time browsing clothing stores. I had a difficult time figuring out how to enjoy life. Ginger Rogers – We’re in the Money Of course a depression era song would resonate with me. For the first time ever I had money in my savings account. This was only possible because I was temporarily laid off and able to receive unemployment benefits. I begrudgingly went back to work when my boss received a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Not only did I have to work in-person putting my health at risk, but I also had to do so at my regular pay rate which was much lower than my unemployment benefits. Body Count – Body Count I discovered this song while watching a video montage of BLM protests on Instagram. I was immediately drawn to Ice-T’s angry vocals complemented by an equally aggressive punk rock backing. The lyrics sound like they written this year, but they are from 1992—a year after the Los Angeles riots. “God damn, what a brother gotta do To get a message through To the red, white and blue What? I gotta die? Before you realize I was a brother with open eyes” The Specials – B.L.M. Just like Ice-T, The Specials have been singing about Black lives for decades. In 1980, Specials guitarist Lynval Golding wrote a song called “Why?” after he was violently attacked because of his race. In that song he seeks understanding and asks his attackers “Why did you try to hurt me?” Almost 40 years later, Golding wrote another song about his experiences with racism. Again, he takes a gentle approach by telling the listener: “I'm not here to teach you I'm not here to preach to you I just want to reach out and say Black lives matter” Cher – Chiquitita These days everything exhausts me, and I feel like I have no time to rest. As soon as Cher opens with “Chiquitita tell me what’s wrong?” I start crying. Thanks for checking up on me, Cher. As with most of her songs, I get happy when her music comes on because I know I’m about to do an ugly sing-along. Nowadays this song just hits different. “You were always sure of yourself / Now I see you’ve broken a feather” I have never felt so uneasy and uncertain in all my life. I used to be the shoulder to cry on when my friends needed comfort. I no longer have the energy to offer my strength. Lila Downs – Una Cruz de Madera Despite being a song about death, the Lila Downs version is a happy, upbeat tune. She turns it into a party song. The overall translation of the song captures how I want my loved ones to handle my passing. Instead of a fancy funeral, I’d prefer a big party in my honor. I don’t want my family and friends to shed tears, or feel any sadness. The only thing I want at my wake is a serenade in the early morning. Toots – Got to Be Tough Toots is one of those artists who radiates positivity. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when his upbeat tempos and powerful, soulful voice booms through the speakers. I saw him perform live a few years ago and watched him with awe. He would step away from the microphone and continue singing at an impressively loud volume—his voice filling up every corner of the auditorium. I was pressed up against the stage because he motioned for everyone to get closer. Toots came over to me several times and squeezed my hand and sang directly to me. In those moments I felt so happy and lucky to be alive. My best friend was right next to me and we both had tears in our eyes. How lucky we were that this Jamaican icon came all the way to perform for us in a stuffy San Antonio venue! We swore that we would see Toots again. I was excited when Toots dropped his new single “Got to Be Tough” earlier in the year. It meant that a tour would follow. The song itself was also a great comfort. “Got to be tough when things get rough You got to be tough and this is a warning You got to be smart, living in this time It's not so easy to carry on” Sadly, Toots passed away from Covid-19 two weeks after his “Got to Be Tough” album was released. Listening to the title single doesn’t bring me much comfort anymore. It makes me think of how excited I was that I was going to see him next year. Now it just makes me nostalgic for the days when we could go to shows and experience a more intimate connection with music. Nothing beats bonding with thousands of strangers who are singing, crying, and dancing to the same music as you. The song makes me miss being as happy as I was that day Toots held my hand and sang to me. -
2020-07-01
Summer baking
Over summer i quickly realized that there was not much i needed to or could do during the midst of a quarantine. So i used it as an opportunity to just have more alone time. I would wake up sometime at night, go downstairs and bake something or even just listen to music if i was feeling lazy. Then I slept through the rest of the day. It was extremely fun to just reverse my sleep schedule without much consequence. It was also fun to fail a bit at cooking without anyone being awake to judge me. Sometimes, i wore halloween makeup out of boredom, and again, no one to judge. I still miss having so much time to myself to just recharge and be silly. -
2020-10-27
Driving during COVID
The first time I went driving after March 13th was to drop off groceries to my aunt. The freeway was empty with very few cars on the road. It was very peaceful being alone on the road. I heard the music from my car but not alot of other car engines. -
2020-07-27
"Hope to see you soon"
Due to Covid-19 my uncle's birthday party was turned into a Zoom get together. The participants were asked to create a video and submit it before the event. Normally, I probably would have just said a simple hello but feeling isolated and full of stored creativity I decide to make song. Aiso, I had lost my job due to covid. The subject of the song was the wish we, I , have to interact with fellow humans at a time when we are not able to. Who even knew what Zoom was before Covid and would I have ever tried to create a song with a harmonica if i was not quarantined, probably not. I do not think I even said the word "quarantine" more than once a year, and then only for a crossword puzzle. I tried to create a song that expressed my feelings for the time and create a performance piece that was challenging for me to do. I think after the tenth take my lip muscles were cramped and I had actual lip abrasions from sliding the harmonica back and forth. The finished product was rough and maybe one of the other 30 takes would have been better but i was on a birthday dead line so it is what it is. Unfortunately, the video file proved too big or the sound too bad that when my video was played for the Zoom "party" most of the sound was lost. Hopefully, it was not edited out. This little video will always be my gateway memory of time spent during the Covid-19 lock down. Through this song I will remember everything that happened, which was and is a lot. During my time at Brooklyn college getting my MA in education there was a focus on different learning styles which I think is typified by my video. -
2020-10-20
Triggering Tik Tok Sounds
The sounds in this video are from about 7 months ago, March 2020. Relatively, it wasn’t that long ago. And for me and many others, it feels like a lifetime ago because so much has happened this year. Many of us have had to grieve the loss of loved ones or our lives before the “new normal”. There’s been so much uncertainty with COVID-19, the economy, the 2020 election, and even our plans for next week. I was really struck by all of the comments accompanied with this video. And it really interests me how we turn to particular habits or media to cope with loss, uncertainty, and trauma. I feel like Tik Tok is a significant facet of 2020, especially for young adults and teenagers. -
2020-10-20
Carly's Quarantunes
This is a playlist of songs I've listened to during quarantine and an explanation about each of them. -
2020-10-19T22:08
WEAR A MASK!!!
Wear a Mask Mesita Wear a mask Saving people's life Is really heavy metal You could do it today If you wear a mask If you need to go out Decide to go get cucumbers or something I don't know Something essential Like wearing a mask Wear another mask Wearing a mask Is really, really cool It stops you from getting sunburnt on your lips Wearing a mask Is really, really cool It doesn't hurt your breathing at all Your oxygen levels will stay the same Trust me, random lady Wearing a mask is the coolest thing to do I think you should probably wear a mask And if you don't like to be told what to do, hey I mean just like, just look at- You can't drive drunk either Wearing a mask Wearing a mask, mask I found this song “ Wear a Mask.” by Mesita as a sound on the social media app Tik Tok, and when I saw this assignment I thought it would fit pretty good. This song isn't very good but It has a really good message about this pandemic and how people are taking it. Due to the pandemic we are required to wear masks for everyone's safety and to help stop the spread of Covid-19, but many people don’t seem to grasp that concept. During this pandemic I have learned how flawed our Government System is and the lack of action taken to help those who are suffering is outrageous. Out of all the issues that are contributing to the spread, NOT wearing a mask is one of the big ones. Those who are against wearing a mask think that wearing a simple piece of cloth is violating their First Amendment rights. They can seem to see as to why wearing a mask is for not only the protection of others around them but for them as well. People who do not wear a mask are the people who are spreading the virus, they are endangering everyone around them and action should be enforced among these people who are refusing to follow state mandates. One of the ajor reasons why they are not going to take action are that the majority of these people are of white complexion, but that's another argument for another time. ., Mesita, director. Wear a Mask, 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EXZKO56syo. -
2020-10-18
Care after 5km
A friend of mine had a rough week. She lives down the coast, well out of my 5km play pen (the distance we Melbournians can travel from home). The phone calls are fine, but can be draining and don't replace a supportive hug. Feeling a bit helpless as a friend, I put together an hour of music I thought she'd find comforting. Diversifying the kinds of connections we keep up has been relieving in that way. Low pressure interaction, much like spending time in person when it is relaxed, calm, and conversation will bounce off stimuli in the world, is hard to replicate digitally. I've really stepped up my playlist game these days. She loved it. HIST30060 -
2020-10-09
Jacksonville Drive-In Concert
his news article talks about a drive-in concert performed by country singer Jon Pardi in Jacksonville, FL. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many notable concerts and live events have been canceled in the area. Hopefully, until the pandemic calms down, drive-in concerts and theatre will help keep the performing arts alive. -
2020-09-29
FigureItOut's Livestream Concert
COVID-19 has made it near impossible for concert goers and fans all over the world to enjoy live music. Drive in shows have been happening across the globe but the band I work with felt like they could do more to bring the concert straight to the publics fingertips. Mike Weakly, a U of A graduate and great long time friend of mine, asked me if I would like to join him and his band for a livestream recorded performance for his album he just released titles "Searching For More". The set was made using social distancing safety parameters and all of the crew that was not the performing band wore masks at all times. The set was done locally at the venue known as the rebel lounge in Phoenix, AZ. It felt so good as a musician to get onstage again and perform even if it was just for a live audience. As long as you put passion into any performance, I believe you can portray the message you want to any group of people no matter what the environment is like. A lot of venues have been suffering from the lack of shows and events to host so many have been asking for donations or support from the Save Our Stages movement which is a fund to help venues stay open through such hard times like this. -
2020-06-01
Life During Covid-19 Digital Pop-Up Exhibition
Students in Dr. Michael J. Kramer's Digital Methods for Historical Projects seminar at SUNY Brockport share stories about one object from the spring of 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, https://brockportkramer.com/covid19/. Alan Gowans—Getting Past Personal and Public Anxieties Carson Werner—The Day Baseball Stood Still Cecil Frazier—Double Standards Gilberto Diaz III—Memes of COVID-19 Education Jared Rosenberg—Diary From a Mini-tunnel Joe Lasky—The Twitch and the Rosary Jordan Aviles—Music and Other Necessary Items Joseph Massaro—Music as an Escape From (and Turn to) the New Abnormal Leslie Hoag—TikTok-ing History Connections Nate Mundt—Recognizing First Responders Ryan Gibbs—Am I Doing It Right? Samantha Symonds—Saving Lives or Saving the Economy? Sebastian Phipps—Living In a Twenty-First Century Pandemic Steven Willard—Brutal and Grim Realizations Will Secules—Bringing The Office Home -
2020-09-20
Musical Monday's
Chet Rosenbaum and his wife Dianne host “Musical Monday’s” every Monday night in their retirement village in Tamarac, Florida. Chet, a retired chief financial officer and military veteran, and his wife Dianne a professional performer and singer have always appreciated the joy music has brought to their lives. Now, in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, the couple takes that love of music and selflessly shares it with their retirement community. Whether it is Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” or The Platters’s “Goodnight Sweetheart” Chet and Dianne host an oldies party for fellow residents who comprised this county’s greatest generation. Solitude, boredom, and depression has turned into memories, laughter, and a strong sense of community with every note that is played. The tough times are subdued by the immense participation from the community. As each song is played another heartfelt memory from the past is found, and the hours of seclusion forced on them by the need for social distancing seems to be less and less significant. The love that Chet and Dianne give to their community members has been mutually shared in their appreciation and participation. Each Monday night Chet sets up his sound system and blasts oldies from his garage to a group of residents who although are wearing facial masks, dance and sing to every song that is played. The residents are so grateful, that the community presented Chet with a plaque of thanks signifying their appreciation. It read, “Your unselfish effort to bring some normalcy to our Monday is appreciated more than you can imagine, many thanks from your grateful Monday audience.” With that kind gesture by the community, Chet and Dianne realized how important music can be in our lives and how important it is with any difficult time to reach out to your fellow man, lean on one another, and use this shared strength to overcome adversity. Chet and Dianne are role models in their community, and I am proud to call them my grandparents. REL 101 *This is a photograph taken of my grandfather who was presented with a plaque of gratitude for his work in the community during COVID 19. -
2020-03-30
The Great Outdoors
The pandemic continues to rage over the country and has changed the daily way of life for millions. However, sometimes change isn’t bad and might even be needed. Before the pandemic hit, I lived my life mostly stuck inside, only going out for school and necessities. Due to the lockdown and shutdown for most businesses, my parents decided that this was a great time to explore the great outdoors. They knew that my lack of activities already would lead to an even lazier demeanor if those ceased to exist with the pandemic. I absolutely am not an outdoors person, nor do I enjoy being under the hot sun, but my parents forced my siblings and I out of the house. The first few days weren’t great as it was quite hard to go from nonmobile all day to exercise under the blazing sun. As I got use to it, I actually began to love the daily routine of wandering for hours and leaving my stresses behind me. I also picked up some earbuds and began listening to music as I explored. Sometimes the music brought me great energy and a new bounce in my step and sometimes, it swayed me into dreaming about endless possibilities. However, as the days passed, I began to notice more than my just my thoughts and I begun to take more interest in the nature around me. I would often stop to stare at the various flowers, trees, and scenery in my neighborhood. Hence the picture of the green fern as I begun to take pictures of the plants that I thought had a special aura. The day I saw the fern, the sun happened to be at the perfect angle shining down upon it and the swaying wind made it look majestic. What I believe is that the pandemic may have completely flipped one’s life upside-down, but it doesn’t mean it has changed it for the worse. Rather it simply takes just a little effort to take notice that there is so much more to the world surrounding us. *Photograph, I took the picture. change, our, world, perspective -
2020-03-01
Mental Health Effects of COVID-19
COVID-19 was an experience that presented the ideal conditions that would challenge our mental health. The fear of the unknown, fear of losing loved ones, fear of missing out on our precious years of life as well as not knowing when we'll see our close family and friends. We are separated from society unable to see our loved ones, schools are closed, many people lost their jobs or were unable to work to prevent the spread of this horrifying disease. As we're locked into our homes, we confine ourselves in our own minds which can often be our worst enemies at times for people like me. We need to be occupied and be around loved ones in order to stray away from negativity. During these times being surrounded by close family and friends was a luxury we couldn't afford because of the virus and ultimately many people like myself picked up hobbies to distract ourselves from the dreadful events occurring all over the world. During my summer break, I began learning to paint and would spend about a couple hours a day painting with my friends over Zoom which would either sometimes turn out to be a competition between us of who would do the best or we would just freely paint while listening to some calming music and keeping each other company. Although I am not very artistic or good at acrylic painting there was something very therapeutic about it. My entire focus and attention was solely on doing my best to recreate the painting from the tutorial I was watching on YouTube or trying to win the friendly competition with my friends and this helped me steer away from pondering about what's been going on in the world and was very stress-relieving. In a way my COVID-19 experience taught me a lot about my mental health and helped me find ways to make the best of the situation and not take anything for granted. Now a couple months into quarantine I still paint from time to time although not as much because the semester started and being bombarded with assignments and tests but I do make time for it if I find that I need to release my stress. -
09/15/2020
Kate [REDACTED] Oral History, 2020/09/15
Emiko Armstrong interviewed Kate [REDACTED], a Connecticut native, on the impact of COVID in its inception in the United States. They discussed her senior year in high school and Kate’s feelings on how her first year of college is going. They discussed Kate's home life during COVID quarantine, her hopes for the future, and what she thinks might be the lasting historic impact of COVID. -
2020-08-07
Jewish Melbourne: Bring Shabbat Home
On 7 August 2020, from 4-4.30pm, a group of synagogues in Melbourne together hosted a 'Bring Shabbat Home' online event. The synagogues involved were: Caulfield Shule, Daminyan, Elwood Shule and Hamayan. -
2020-08-17
Music Brings the World Together
Over the quarantine, something that I really love was not able to happen. The Drum Corps International 2020 season was cancelled. Drum corps is like marching band, but a lot more intense. There are only brass and percussion instruments, and you spend the whole summer training to learn one 12-minute show. As a result of the season being cancelled, a nonprofit organization has started called Virtual Arts Inc. Over the summer, they put on a virtual drum corps show that I was a part of. I met a bunch of new people, learned a new instrument, and got a lot better at playing music. They are putting on another show in December that I plan to be a part of as well. -
2020-08-10
Music That Got Me Through Quarantine
Music is something that has always helped me. But music has helped me the most with getting through this pandemic. It allowed me to just escape to a whole new world. This playlist in particular has many uplifting songs and very few down songs. I want more uplifting music because we need more positivity at a time like this. I hope my playlist can give others a positive vibe and good feeling. -
2020-08-01
Guitar helps me decompress
During quarantine I was very stressed because of all the uncertainty. Playing guitar really helps me to de-stress so I learned the intro to Nothing Else Matters during quarantine. During quarantine I found it hard to stay busy. There was little to do since I couldn't leave the house so I decided to take advantage of quarantine to learn some new things. I feel that this is something lots of people did during quarantine. It was a great time to use to learn new things because there was nothing to do. I also learned many other songs but this one is the one that I always play when I am feeling stressed. It’s lots of fun to play but also very calming. -
2020-07-03
An Unexpected Spring Cleaning
This story details my experiences with quarantine in my hometown of Palisades Park, NJ, and how I've tried to make the best of this situation. -
2020-08-20
Coronavirus pandemic impacting Alberta music classes this fall
This article from Canada highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting both music majors in college and students in public school and Catholic school who attend music classes. It outlines many of the adjustments being made for music programs, such as colleges restricting voice, woodwind, and brass lessons to being online. Public schools have banned singing in school, as singing has been deemed a high-risk activity. This really highlights how the pandemic may affect performing arts long-term, as college and high-school students may not be able to receive face-to-face training or recital experience depending on their choice of instrument. -
2020-07-08
Sound and Street Art in San Francisco
A regional street art movement is bringing life and culture to San Francisco's empty streets during the COVID-19 pandemic. SF Symphony Associate Principal Bass, Dan Smith, is contributing to the movement by adding sound. In this video, Smith plays Adam Ben Ezra's "Can't Stop Running" in front of a variety of street art installments in San Francisco's Hayes Valley. As a former San Francisco resident, the sound produced by Smith, coupled with the art, feels exactly like the "City by the Bay." Art and culture are the heartbeat of San Francisco. And they remain alive and well during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
2020-06-12
The Bigger Picture
The image I chose represents the pandemic, as it shows the many people protesting in the back with masks on. It also represents Lil Baby’s solidarity with the current BLM movement. He’s leading a George Floyd Protest in his hometown of Atlanta on a bicycle. This image is very important to me because as a Lil Baby, as well as a huge hip-hop fan, it represents how although we have a worldwide pandemic going on, that we shouldn’t stray away from the true problems in our communities. Baby used his huge platform and fanbase to spread his feelings and stance on a very relevant issue during today’s day. Even though he had COVID to worry about, he didn’t let it stop him from participating and leading protests over an issue that he believed strongly in. -
2020-06-05
Singing A Little Louder
For as long as I can remember, there has always been music playing in my house, whether it be as my two sisters and I wake up each morning or up until the moment we fall asleep. Over the years, we have memorized thousands of songs and have connected with thousands of artists as we listen to anything we could find in the depths of our parent’s music collection. Our parents soon realized that they could teach us anything by means of a good song. As we would press play on the little radio that used to sit in our room, each CD would expose us to a different place, time, or mindset, while also subtly infusing messages of acceptance, equality, culture, kindness, and more. My sisters and I memorized songs in different languages, while also learning about the history and experiences that shape good music. Music became our life’s foundation and soon, in addition to listening to music for hours on end, my sisters and I started singing at various places in the small town of Smithfield, VA, where we grew up together. Hungry for more, we each picked up an instrument and learned to play guitar from listening over and over to our favorite albums and the occasional YouTube tutorial. We started to dissect the harmonies that we would hear in our favorite songs and ultimately formed our own sound that we loved sharing with the people we met within our little southern town. After learning hundreds of songs to play together, we soon realized that we wanted to start writing songs of our own. We were excited to create something that was inspired by our own experiences together, whether it be derived from feelings of happiness, sadness, heartbreak, anger, or excitement. Since we had listened to and interpreted music since we were born, the importance of songwriting is was not lost to my sisters and me. We understood the power it holds, as it frees the minds of thousands who desperately want their perspective to be represented and encourages storytelling that is inspired by real love or real loss. We were intrigued by the strong beliefs, wild imaginations, and raw emotions that ensure the timelessness of great songs. Being provided a space and a medium to write down unbridled and heartfelt ideas in addition to working with artists who inspire a safe and collaborative environment has allowed the intricacies of songwriting to come naturally to my sisters and me. Sharing my songs to audiences of all ages and sizes is absolutely exhilarating and I view my passion for meaningful lyrics as the greatest gift that has been given to me. My sisters and I began traveling to and from Nashville, meeting and collaborating with songwriters and artist to create meaningful lyrics and beautiful melodies. As our music began to directly represent what we were feeling as individuals, over the years my sisters and I started to use our original songs to communicate with each other and those around us. On March 13, for the first time in our lives, the music in our house stopped. It was replaced by the sounds of live updates from the news. As we watched the death toll rise and the heartbreaking stories of people who lost their loved ones to the virus, we were silenced by the impact of the disease. We realized that people were unable to interact with each other and that the effects of virus was attempting to strip humanity of things it needed to survive. As for my sisters and I, our entire lineup of summer performances was canceled, as well as the final trip to Nashville we had planned before I left for college. My sisters and I finally had to come to terms with the reality that we may not be able to sing out together again, as I would leave Virginia to move to Boston at the end of the summer. We struggled with the fact that we wouldn’t have the time to say goodbye to the thing that had connected us the most throughout our entire childhood and as we came to terms with our new reality, turned to music to help us get through this challenging time. With the rest of my senior year canceled, I had the time to sit and think about a lot what music has given me throughout my life. I discovered that even though I loved the songs and albums I listened to over the years, it was the time spent with my sisters that meant most to me. I thought about all of the different experiences we have shared over the years and how hard it is going to be when I would venture off on my own soon. My sisters were truly the thing in my life that I loved the most, so how was I going to be able to live 700 miles away in the middle of a global pandemic? My sisters faced the same uneasiness and uncertainty, and as usual, music served as our escape. We realized that while our situation may have been difficult to navigate, we are so incredibly lucky and grateful for the experiences we have shared and the opportunities we have been given. In the end we understood how fortunate it was that we were healthy and committed ourselves to always staying grateful even in times as unprecedented as this. We discovered that all we ever really needed was each other, and that there is more power in the relationships that you build with the people that you love than any virus or other obstacle that may come our way. I think that throughout this pandemic, the world is coming to terms with the same lesson: that human connection is one of the most impactful aspects of our lives. I hope that in the aftermath of a world redefined by a global pandemic, we all hug each other a little tighter and sing a little louder. Attached is my sister and I singing on Zoom for the first time. -
April 9, 2020
Tuning in online for virtual music lessons
Uptown music collective continues their lesson online for their students -
2020-04-09
Tuning in online for virtual music lessons
Uptown music collective continues their lesson online for their students -
2020-08-04
I am living in Florida. If it weren't for COVID, I would be on Campus at Rollins soon.
During the pandemic, I have been listening to a lot of music, reading, and deepening my faith. -
2020-08-04
Spencer Briscoe
When ever I get stressed out or depressed I play music on one my instruments to relax. (that or I would play video games) -
2020-06-06
Cancel the noise
Since I've been stuck in the house doing a lot of chores, I use my AirPods a lot. I like to put them in and play some of my artists while I do chores. It makes a not so pleasant activity pleasant. Even when I'm not doing chores it provides a release. I get to kind of take a step back from being stuck inside with my family because I can't hear anything when they are in. -
2020-04-16
Plague Journal, Day 35: Shuttered on Waverly
I'm keeping a Covid-19 journal. Here's the latest entry, pondering the fate of workers from eight shuttered businesses on a single block across the street, plus detailing my further adventures in Unemployment Insurance applications. -
2020-04-13
Music Lifts Neighborhood Spirits
A month into shelter-in-place orders, the streets of San Francisco's Marina District were filled with the sound of a local resident playing an accordion outside. People came out to share in the joy of music during this difficult time. -
2020-03-20
Plague Journal, Day 7: "Power to the Little Creatures"
Keeping up with the news enrages me, so The Kid and I climb on bikes to ride through Prospect Park; Brooklynites seem withdrawn, more dour. The Kid gets her first online middle-school assignments; The Girlfriend packs up her son's New Jersey dorm room; and as the city empties out, we begin to hear birdsong and sirens. -
2020-05-31
A Very Normal Quarantine
This song can also bring your mood up. A lot of my friends enjoyed the comedic value within the music video. -
2020-05-21
42 Days, a T-Shirt Chronicle
"This is an extraordinary time and our creative way to journey through it is to document staying at home the first forty-two days expressing what we have left behind, and to give meaning to what we have lost." Elaine Cohen, age seventy-three, compiled 42 Days, a t-shirt chronicle of staying at home living in Massachusetts with the Covid virus. The photos depict her husband, Don Milotte age seventy-two, in the same pose with a different t-shirt each day. The t-shirts represent their lives before the virus and the years of adventures, interests, family celebrations, and travels experienced prior to the virus. -
2020-04-29
Living through Covid-19: 04/29/2020
This is a journal entry that specifically focuses on the transition to online learning and the practice of social distancing. *anonymous *This was intentionally a journal/diary entry therefore it was done through a word doc. -
05/22/2020
Native musicians find fresh ways to reach fans
"With concerts canceled, artists such as Joanne Shenandoah, the Battiest brothers and Keith Secola are coming up with new ways to connect with listeners" -
2020-05-25
Delayed Shipping Email
An email which states that due to international shipping issue related to COVID-19 they anticipate the order will be shipped late April/early May. At the time of contributing to the archive (late May) the item had still not arrived. It's frustrating that the delay has been this long. HUM402 -
05/21/2020
"'There is no curbside or take-out music' Music Venues Face Unique Challenges Reopening," 4WWL, New Orleans
4WWL Eyewitness News -
05/22/2020
Food Give Away, Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, New Orleans, LA
The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music distributes food to Musician's Village residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
2020-04-27
Spotted Cat Music Club Relief Fund for Musicians, New Orleans, LA
Spotted Cat Music Club started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to support out of work musicians. The club details in their facebook post that they established a goal of raising $44,200, which is the bare minimum musicians working at Spotted Cat Music Club would earn in the month of April. -
2020-03-02
Spotted Cat Music Club Boards Up Doors, New Orleans, LA
Spotted Cat Music Club announces on Facebook that it is (temporarily) boarding up its doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. -
2020-05-14
Musician's First Post-Stay-at-Home Order Gig, New Orleans, LA
Text message between to New Orleans musicians scheduling heir first live performance since the stay-at-home order went into effect. The city of New Orleans is loosening stay-at-home restrictions on May 16th, 2020. -
2020-05-12
Treme Lafitte Brass Band Performs Traditional Jazz Funeral Music at New Orleans Jazz Museum, New Orleans, LA
Treme Lafitte Brass Band performs Traditional Jazz Funeral music at the New Orleans Jazz Museum to honor the lives lost to COVID-19. Musicians played on the museum's balcony and a Livestream was shared via Facebook.