Making Music During the Pandemic

COVID-19 seems to be on everyone’s minds these days. It’s all over the news and is disrupting our favorite activities such as: hanging out with our friends, going to worship services, and even making music. 

One of the biggest parts of my life is weekly church choir. I love the community and the feeling of singing together. Unfortunately, the church choir has not met in three months due to the pandemic’s safety restrictions.

So what’s a musician to do? If you are like me, you have been wondering when we can all get back together again and make music. I don’t know about you, but this thought makes me very sad. However, there is hope! Musicians are some of the most creative people I know. They are finding brilliant ways to still make music together (virtually or otherwise) during this time. Here are some ideas I’ve seen so far:

• Virtual Choirs/orchestras/bands
• Singing with friends on the Smule karaoke app
• Live streamed concerts/sing-alongs using social media
• Composing/mixing tracks with friends using Garage Band

While all of us have the privilege of attending or teaching private lessons, it is important that we maintain a sense of camaraderie in isolation. So grab a friend, and make some music. We will get through this by staying positive and doing what we love “together.” What creative ideas do you have to make music with friends during the pandemic?