One of the industries that have been most affected by the pandemic is the music business, especially musicians who earn a living gigging in various bars and nightspots. Because of music venues being shut down and canceled shows, musicians struggle to make both ends meet. It is challenging enough to have a job that is not as stable as most, where they depend on whatever they earn from performances that are not as consistent as they would hope. With no health insurance or other basic benefits from regular jobs, musicians certainly seem to be at the losing end.
However, musicians are also a happy lot of people, resourceful and hopeful in the midst of a crisis. They do not easily give up. Stuck at home, they continue to work on their craft, making improvements and fine-tuning their talents in preparation for whatever the future holds for them. It must be the music itself that inspires the artist to maintain an optimistic view of life as it is now.
Getting help from the internet
The internet has proven to be effective for musicians to reach out and share their music. Spotify and YouTube also allow musicians to earn money through their music. Online streaming has also become quite the rage and while performing live in front of an audience is an exhilarating experience, showing off music online has its own kind of charm. A musician needs to earn like anyone else, but the passion for making music is something that money can’t buy. To continue performing and sharing that special gift is rewarding in itself. People need music to make life bearable, whatever the situation may be. This is where the musician can contribute to the world during these trying times.
Learning new skills
Without ignoring their music, musicians have also started to discover that they excel in various skills they never thought of. Some have even started businesses from home to earn while they are not as busy with performances. They have found hobbies to occupy their time, which sometimes turns out to be financially rewarding. A singer may have started to learn a musical instrument to add to their list of special talents. An instrumentalist would have also begun to teach online, sharing their knowledge in their specific instrument with eager students. Others have learned how to create their own home videos making use of their creativity and find it fulfilling.
Collaborating with fellow musicians and bandmates
Most musicians keep in mind that they should keep themselves connected to the people they have worked closely with. This keeps them from feeling out of the loop, causing a lot of anxiety and stress for someone so used to performing with other people. Bandmates or members from musical groups are like family. They all share the same passion, making music together. They can still collaborate and come up with something to satisfy the craving for performing. They can even improve their music by communicating closely and finding out how to get their act even better.
Life may be tough right now, but the music will always be there as it always has. It may take some time, but musicians will cope, looking forward to a bright future ahead.
Photo Attribution:
1st and featured image from https://www.pexels.com/photo/calm-woman-playing-electric-guitar-with-closed-eyes-4471311/
2nd image from https://bandzoogle.com/blog/17-ways-to-promote-your-music-online
