In A Far-Away Land...
/You know how most fairytales begin by specifying that either the events of the story or the Prince/Princess live in a “Faraway Land”?
That’s us. All of us.
We are all the people in extraordinary circumstances living out strange stories in our own personal faraway lands. (Though I’m not sure if that take makes me feel better or worse about it…)
What we have at our disposal however, which the characters of the fairytales sorely lack, is a way to communicate between our faraway lands. A way to peek through small windows into the other peoples’ lives. A way to connect.
Is it as wonderful as being able to ride a steed or step through a portal and be fully immersed in another space?
No, certainly not.
But we do have this technology to give us an advantage. An advantage allowing for new and continued connection, friendship, and creation.
Today, I would like to share some of my quarantine connections, and how they’ve worked (or not worked).
A Workplace
When everything was moving online due to COVID-19, I was anxious and uncertain:
“I mean, I work in music and theatre. These are skills that must be learned in-person, right? I know some people teach and give lessons online, but it can’t really work that well, can it?”
And of course there was research to be done:
What tech is required for me?
What tech is required for students?
Which programs are the best?
Are subscriptions necessary?
How does sound flow work?
What about internet speed and delays?
How do I restructure lesson flow?
Can you even teach music to groups online?
There were so many questions to answer! And it took some time to do all the research necessary in those first few days. Much of it was frustrating.
But - for the most part - it has actually worked out quite well! Particularly for voice lessons.
Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned:
Voice lessons without an accompanist - or ability to accompany myself in person - allow for a greater focus on the minute details. This is neither better nor worse, but different and highly technical. Though lessons may feel slower, improvements have remained on par or even quicker in some cases!
There is no good program for online music-making in remote locations. Sound corrupts easily and internet speeds are large roadblocks. Hopefully this quarantine will incentivize someone much smarter than me to create a program to solve this!
Zoom is the best of the free/easily-accessible programs.
Group singing is impossible remotely. This is a total bummer.
Teaching group vocals is quite possible, but much slower. For classes and rehearsals I’ve been able to teach the music remotely from my end and have the students sing along in their homes while on mute, which does allow for forward progress! However, I am not able to hear mistakes or how well harmonic work is actually going. This is also a bummer.
Most devices these days (phones, tablets, and computers) have really decent audio and video capabilities.
Tracks are more necessary than ever. Accompaniment tracks to sing along to, as well as tracks of vocal lines for learning purposes (especially of tricky vocal parts and harmonies).
Just being able to see one another’s faces and work together - even if remotely - is still a joy. I do love to teach.
Has it been strange? Yes.
Has it been different and sometimes difficult? Yes.
But has it been doable and still successful? Absolutely.
And that was a pleasant surprise.
A Gathering Space
I am qualified as an “extroverted introvert.”
“What’s that?”
Good question! Basically, it means that - when it comes down to it - I am an introvert, but I also display some extroverted qualities.
You know, things like:
Giving off abundant energy.
Enjoying group gatherings (at times).
Putting myself constantly in front of large groups of people to teach them or perform to them.
You know, those things.
But generally, I spend the majority of my time by and with myself. I often work alone at home, often consume entertainment alone, and thoroughly enjoy my “me time” on a drive or walk with headphones, listening to a good podcast.
Hence, “extroverted introvert.”
“Very interesting, Michael, but why are you telling us this?”
Because, dear reader, this quarantine has reminded me that - despite my introverted tendencies - I love and thrive off of being with people! And boy has that been hard to fulfill this need during isolation.
Well, until we figured it out, at least.
Thank you to the magic of the internet and being friends with some of the most wonderful people on planet Earth, I get to spend weekly scheduled evenings hanging out with different groups of friends on video chat! And these times have become the highlights of my week.
We have:
Game nights
Happy hours
Random talks
Jackbox evenings
And just plain silly meet ups
Of course it isn’t the same as being in person, but you know what? Since quarantine, I’ve seen some of these people more than I had in the previous 6 months.
And that’s something I cannot complain about.
A Creative Base
Everyone - myself included - has talked a lot about creating in isolation and how to collaborate online.
Some of these talks have even begun to get contentious (see the Medium article I shared on Facebook this past Wednesday).
But the main thing I have learned about online creating and collaboration is that it’s an excellent time to prepare for the future and review the past.
“What does that mean?”
Well, writing online together or performing online together is something that’s truly difficult. These are things that really require people to be in the same space at the same time in order to work most efficiently. Of course there are ways around it, like recording videos and putting them together (see Some Good News episode 2 with the cast of Hamilton).
But - as many creatives will tell you - there is a lot of preparatory work that goes into the making of future projects, much of which can be done without being in the same collaborative space.
Things like:
Outlining
Schedule projection
Initial collaborative discussions
Finding a new collaborator
Brainstorming
Learning new technology
Learning new skills
Creating a website or social accounts
Submitting to opportunities
Applying for grants/awards/residencies
Writing a new draft of any project, large or small
And more. These are things creatives often avoid or put off because they’re not as pressing as the in-person, in-the-moment creative processes, but now is a great time for them.
Likewise, it’s an excellent time to look back at past work, to do things like:
Edit or revise
Self-critique
Reflect on past work
Enjoy past work (watch or listen or read!)
Share past work
Help review/edit/critique others’ past work
I got the opportunity to reflect on some of my work this week in a casual Zoom interview with Heather Teysko (of the Renaissance English History Podcast).
Heather is awesome and I adored getting the opportunity to speak with her again. We did an episode on her podcast in July about the then-upcoming premiere of The King’s Legacy and then she brought me in to TudorCon in October to do a concert of music. And throughout the process we became fast friends!
So when she reached out to me last week to ask about having another online chat about The King’s Legacy and to share some of the music and video from the summer, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to look back at the work of the past year with her!
Listen to/watch our chat here!
I had a blast looking back at the work, and it lit a small fire to start thinking about the next creative phases.
It may not be the same as making something new in a creative room, but there’s still lots of value to be had through doing preparatory and reflective work during the quarantine!
Face to Face
So, what’s my main point?
We may all be in our own Faraway Lands, but connection is not lost. Friendship is not lost. Creation is not lost.
It’s different. It’s often frustrating. And it’s sometimes lonely. But there are ways to create bright spots in the darkness, and so I thought I would share a few of mine.
Thank you for being here with me, and I wish you all the continued best. Cheers!
