Editor Letter

by Ward Hughly

-It is fair to say that most of us were not prepared for Covid-19. Many are hurting mentally, financially and more. For musicians it has been quite difficult. Not only are they not around peers and fans, but they are not able to be paid for performances. For musicians in our area, and worldwide the loss of income is grand. Now, I know they are not the only ones in dire straits, but being that this is a music magazine and I a music editor I wish to focus on it. 

I cannot imagine what it must have been like for the many musicians we know and love when this pandemic started canceling everyday life and upcoming plans. Tours called off, releases postponed, gigs shut down… the list goes on. Based on conversations I have had this all has been devastating. It is not just financial, though that is obviously quite a large part. The loss of sharing their craft on stage, playing with bandmates, and interacting with fans has been tough as well. I do not believe I have to be a musician to confidently say this has taken quite a toll on the music community. 

Just in case you are unawares, musicians are artists. They create. Covid-19 has led to learning to create in different ways. Livestreaming has been around a few years, but for many musicians it was not something they were working with. With no venues to play many have decided to take advantage of our current technological age. Musicians now understand bandwith and webcams in ways many had not before. If they did not already, they now know what room in their home has best acoustics. Thanks to money apps like Venmo and PayPal people could send money in support. The term “digital tip jar” quickly has become a norm. Online communities, Socially Distant Fest for example, have formed of musicians sharing their stream and video recordings. This is not just the solo artists either. Bands have figured out how to record videos of songs, each member their part, and then stitching it all together to make great videos. 

Seeing the hard times musicians are going through is painful. On the flip side, the innovation of these artists is admirable. Until we can fill up venues again, let us continue to support as they grow and recreate themselves.