Singing Isn’t Cancelled

Most singers know that when they perform there are dangers. Singing is deeply emotional and spiritual- when you bear your soul to the world it’s vulnerable and scary. Singers are weary of vocal injuries and the physical toll that being a vocal athlete can have. However, most of us did not think that singing could be a contributor to a pandemic.

NATS Fight the Fatigue Campaign

#FightTheFatigue is an initiative started by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). NATS has been working tirelessly to provide resources for teachers, administrators and singers about how to keep singing alive in a time where singing needs to be reinvented. Check their website out for resources about singing safely during COVID-19.

Here are some ways that The Interlude Community has been fighting the fatigue and keeping music alive:

Covid Caroling:

We drove to 50 different houses to bring cookies, Christmas cheer and socially distanced caroling in December of 2020. It was a wonderful and safe way to continue to connect with music.

Virtual Lessons:

Before the shutdown I was coincidentally already experimenting with online lessons. Thankfully, this allowed for a fairly smooth transition when all of my lessons went virtual in March. With time, research and tweaking I am loving the new format. It allows me to see exactly where and how my students are practicing. It gave students the opportunity to get over practicing anxiety in their homes and for many the familiar space helped shy students to shine! (Keep your eye out for future posts about the benefits and drawbacks to online lessons and posts about optimizing online lessons).

Revamping Home Recording Studios:

We’ve been updating our recording equipment as well as helping others update theirs! We’ve been making videos and audio recordings for Churches, Special Events, Communication by Captivation, and other musicians looking for instrumental and vocal tracks.

Virtual Concerts:

My husband and I have held a variety of virtual concerts (both live and pre-recorded. Some have been just the two of us and others have been with our students. We’ve also been able to have students participate in virtual competitions such as the Hal Leonard Competition and the NATS Boston Competition.

Below is our Christmas Vespers concert we created for the church Devereux is the Worship Arts Director for Community Congregational in Billerica, MA. We arranged each of the songs ourselves for this reflective service which combined songs and scriptures.

Spotlight Series:

We’ve been working to showcase the work of different musicians and educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. So many artists have been innovative and inspiring and we want to highlight to amazing things people are doing. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get spotlight updates about music happening right now.

How are you keeping music alive? Comment below with what you have been working on, and any links, or social media accounts to follow with your work 🙂