Of course anyone reading this post knows that the "entire world" has seemingly been put on hold as of this time, and that the arts and entertainment industries have been savagely hit by the effects of COVID-19. They're currently "non-essential", and it's probably dangerous to be involved in anything like going to a show, or participating in a show. As a responsible person, I have to accept this fact. Hence, I sit at home, and, naturally, reflect.
For the past six months or so, I've been reflecting more and more about my time spent playing music. "Career" could be used to describe the last thirty years, but, then again, I've never really made any money from the pursuit. One thought that's been at the fore of my dwellings upon the issue has been just how outside of the music industry the experience has been for me. Essentially, all of this activity has "not happened" within that sphere, and has only "happened" for me and possibly a few other people that have either been involved with me or witnessed/heard the things that I've done in music. If this sounds bitter, it's not meant to. Just a fact, and something that I've been reckoning with.
Looking forward, I think that it would be foolish to believe that the pursuit of music within this isolated forest in which my musical tree has grown will look the same as it had for so long. The music industry infrastructure, already gutted in so many ways, will take a long time to recover. The cottage industry that feeds downstream from said industry, the one that I've been working within, will no doubt be effected by these changes as well. The future of all of it seems, at best, very uncertain, especially for those of us operating outside of the conventional channels.
So, what to do? Currently, I'm using the downtime to practice techniques that I've always wanted, but not had time, to practice. There is no guarantee that any of this practice will pay off in most ways, but I'll continue to do it. I'm also savoring the break that's been imposed upon me, upon all of us. No running around from rehearsal to gig right now, that's for sure.
I have no idea what music will bring to me in the near or far future. Time will tell, of course, but for the present, the most that I have to work with is uncertainty.
It's my hope that there will be more posts here, announcing this show or that release. I mean, one CAN hope, right?
