What it means to be a musician...and other thoughts

Hello Everyone; A lot has been on my mind is the last few days. As many of you know, because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, many institutions are closing down in an effort to practice social distancing. This means businesses, schools, and jobs; but it also means concert halls, theatres, churches, and restaurants. The ramifications of this to musicians and artists around the world cannot be overstated, and that’s what I’d like to talk about today.

The first thing I’d like to make clear is that the local, state, and federal governments are absolutely doing the right thing. There is still so much we don’t know about this virus; how contagious it is and how deadly it is are aspects of the disease that we are still learning, and the health and safety of our society is of paramount importance. I once read an interview with a vocal coach where she stated her policy on cancelling concerts when her students were sick; she said “you can cancel one concert or you can cancel them all”. She was referring to how if a singer or musician over exerts themselves when they’re sick, they could do lasting damage that would do permanently affect their voice or their ability to perform. I think a similar concept applies to the Coronavirus; if we do nothing and the virus gets worse and many more people get infected, there might not be crowds to perform for. There might not be anyone to buy tickets or higher us for gigs. So as difficult as this time is for musicians, the alternative is far worse. I’m also grateful that we live in a time where medicine and healthcare has developed so well. Many musicians and artists before us overcame much more dire circumstances and we even got some great artwork as a result.  

I can speak for many musicians when I say that this is soft comfort for us. On the pragmatic side, many musicians have now lost all sources of income. Not only in performing, but not all teachers can teach music classes online. Conductors and directors can’t easily coordinate rehearsals or organize concerts online. I and many other church singers won’t be able to perform for our Sunday services. Actors and musicians in pit orchestras are robbed of theatre patrons. Many of us also work in restaurants, bars, and other services that have been closed down or are significantly reduced to due to the virus. So much of our anxiety right now is in how we are going to make a living.

Not only do many musicians have to worry about sustaining themselves with no income, but music students also have several challenges up ahead. Many majors and fields of study allow classes to be taken online, and while that certainly has challenges of its own, musicians are required to participate in concerts for our grades. Seniors such as myself are required to present recitals in order to graduate, and the logistical nightmares of presenting those when large gatherings of people are discouraged cannot be overstated. Composers have additional difficulties as well, many of us need at least 30 people in order to present all of our music in a recital setting. The most frustrating aspect of all of this is probably the amount of hard work we put into presenting the best concerts we can. We practice, rehearse, and prepare for weeks, months, and often times years to get to this point, and for that work to be undercut because of something so far out of our control can be devastating.

I’m well aware that everyone is every industry is going through similar stress, and I don’t mean to say that the financial or logistical challenges facing musicians right now is greater than the challenges facing anyone else. But there is another emotional layer to what many musicians are going through right now, and it’s a layer that’s been particularly difficult for me to digest. Performing with and for other people is why we do what we do. I’m sure I can speak for every musician when I say that as important as it is to practice as much as you can, the real gratification comes from when you share a stage with your fellow musicians and you present something together. Even rehearsing with other musicians can be more gratifying that simply playing or practicing on your own. In regards to solo musicians, we still get so much of our energy from interacting with our audience. I don’t know a single singer, pianist, or guitarist that would rather play by themselves at home than in front of a live audience. All of the stress, pain, and hard work that goes into presenting a concert is worth it when see the positive reaction of an audience. And let’s not forget the joy many of us get from attending concerts, and the inspiration we are now robbed of since we won’t be able to see our peers to what they love.

As someone who has composed for live instruments for many years, social distancing has been particularly painful. I’ve made no secret of how time-consuming composition can be. Coming up with ideas is at best 10% of the work; the real work is in editing scores and parts so that they are easy to understate, organizing rehearsals and concerts to present your music, and preparing recordings to showcase your work. I’ve never been confident enough in my musicianship to present music that I could sing myself or play on the piano or guitar, nor am I comfortable enough with music technology to present my music electronically. I would have many of the same compositional hurdles in those circumstances as well, but my need for live players augments the pain of this crises exponentially.

Even if I didn’t need live players to realize my music, the highlight of my career has always been working with other musicians. I’ve said often that even when a performance of my piece at a concert goes very well, my favorite part of the process is the very first rehearsal with a group of players. To hear a piece played live for the first time, and to see a positive reaction from the musicians and players that I respect so much, is why I became a composer. It’s why I’ve stayed up until 3:00am engraving parts. It’s why I’ve sent 10 Facebook messages or emails at once trying to get rehearsals together. It’s why I’ll start composing a piece 6 months in advance just to make it is performed at a specific concert. It’s why I’m struggling not to cry just typing this message. Because without the chance to rehearse or perform my music with live players, I’ve been robbed of the very thing that gets me out of bed most morning.

However, I want to end on a more positive note. To my fellow composers, artists, and musicians, until this nightmare is over, here’s what I’ll say. We are blessed to live in a time with abundant access to technology and the internet, so please listen to as much as you can. Play your instruments, sing at the top of your lungs, finish that piece, and watch that concert online. Don’t let anything stop us from doing what we love. Constantly remind yourself why we do what we do, and why we sacrifice so much for it. If you feel inspired, create. Some of the best music and art in history arose from adverse circumstances such as these. And to those of you who are reading this who might not be musicians or artists, please keep us in your thoughts. Many of us are going through an identity crisis that we never thought we’d experience. And if/when this is all over, please come to our concerts. Listen to our music, higher us for your weddings, donate to our schools and theatres. Because it’s more than a job or class to us. It’s our lives.

Until next time, and I hope I’ll be performing for all of you very soon. Lots of love and stay safe out there.

Lots of love, Brandon K Smith