Photo from Pikwizard
We always hear the saying that when it comes to the arts, they will be the first to go but is that really the case? If you were to look back several months ago at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, it would appear that this saying was true. Museums and art galleries closed, concerts were cancelled, and live music really was not a thing anymore. We needed to focus on the safety of everyone and just trying to get through the pandemic.
But with all these closures, it did not mean that music stopped. If anything, music became more important. It became a way of connecting us to one another through lyrics and melody. Some musicians, such as Justin Maki, turned more into their music than ever before. When asked how COVID-19 impacted his music he said “there are not as many gigs and that’s a fact” and he followed it up with “there were still a few gigs that I played but nothing compared to what I played in 2019 which was between 100 to 150 gigs in that year. And that is a huge source of income as a music artist, playing the gigs”.
Photo from Pixabay
He further went on to explain how he created a new song called Different Kind of Love which was a response to the pandemic. He said that it “is directly influenced by COVID and quarantine that was a consequence of COVID” and that it is about a “budding romance that is rudely interrupted by a period of non-negotiable physical distance”.
But it is not only the musicians who are continuing on during these uncertain times. Music production itself has continued also. Alex Emrich is a music producer and audio engineer who says that the demand for his services did not decrease during the pandemic and if anything, he is busier now. During the pandemic, he worked with local artists such as Justin Maki and Sarina Haggerty to produce their songs.
Emrich says the key right now is to adapt the way we do things so that we can keep going. For him, this was shifting a lot of his business and work online which he says that when he did this “it opened doors that I didn’t even realize were there”. Emrich believes that the pandemic will have a lasting impact on the music production industry and that online is key in the future.
COVID-19 has caused many people to turn towards music and the arts as a form of comfort, feeling connected, and a way to help with their well-being during these hard times. Yes, musicians and record producers took a hit from the pandemic since they were unable to perform and gather like they had done in the past, but they found ways to adapt. If anything, the pandemic allowed musicians are producers to focus more on their work because they were given the time to do so if they pleased.
Of course, not every artist or producer is like Maki and Emrich. Some have taken time away from their craft but I think the main thing here is that individuals are doing what they need to do for their well-being during these hard times and if making music helps then all power to them.
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