Art is essential. We feel it, we experience it, we need it. Music, in particular, is a part of our everyday lives that is woven into the fabric of our experience of the world that some of us wouldn’t notice unless it was taken away. For someone like me, music and singing are akin to breathing. Expressing myself through song is my way of being. Helping others on their musical journey brings me so much joy and fulfilment that I couldn’t do without it. However, even those of us who are not musically trained have a dependency on music to accompany our lives in ways that have become fundamental. Have you ever been doing you groceries and found yourself covertly singing along to the song that’s playing through the store speakers while making your way through the produce section? Have you ever imagined what it would be like to watch a movie if it had no music to enhance the experience and guide our emotions? It is even hard to imagine being put on hold on a phone que without the token soundtrack to distract us from how long the wait is. My son enjoys taking time over the winter months to compile a playlist to have at the ready to enjoy on our summer road trips, lake adventures, and backyard bonfires. No matter what your knowledge of music is, or whether or not you sing/play an instrument, the world is more enjoyable when music is part of our everyday routines.
My experience of singing has always been a very social and interactive one. My auditions, rehearsals, and lessons include movement, laughter, physicality and a shared emotional experience with my colleagues. Now that our world has had to depend on screens to allow us to connect, we are more aware than ever just how important being in the same room as others really is. While many artists have unfortunately lost a life changing amount of work during this pandemic, we have at least had a virtual world in which to try to stay afloat in. It certainly is no replacement, but it’s all we’ve got every time a new wave/variant emerges. I am so fortunate to have a thriving voice and piano studio to sustain me during a time when live performances are bleak. As I look back on my work in 2021, I realize why I have felt more drained and less connected than pre-pandemic times. I taught in excess of 845 virtual lessons, examined over 51 practical voice and piano candidates from British Columbia to Newfoundland, and 100 % of my auditions have been self-recorded.
How do we pace ourselves? How do we preserve our vocal stamina while all Zoom interactions feel bigger and louder than if we were in person? Well, we learn as we go and we refer to online resources to help us along the way (some of my favourites for teaching include The FULL VOICE and http://www.rebekahmaxner.ca; “The Mona Lisa Life-Zoom tips for Singers and Teachers” is a great resource for taking or giving vocal lessons on line). While I feel immensely grateful that I have been able to continue doing what I love to do, I (like everyone else) certainly have had to make adjustments to make it work successfully. I have also take this time to develop myself in ways that I was too busy to do before. I have made time to learn new repertoire. I have made time to be physically fit and attend to certain alignment issues that, once corrected, allow me to sing better. I have also found that making time to enjoy nature has helped me to keep a healthy balance in our virtual music existence. It has meant living outside of my comfort zone, it has been challenging, it has been rewarding, it has been draining, and it has been inspiring. And despite the fact that I now need reading glasses in addition to wearing contact lenses, it has been totally worth it!