COVID-19 Has Changed Our World - Part 1

It is surprising how much our world has changed within this calendar year of 2020. Back in January, the world was operating in a normal manner. All restaurants were open for dine-in service (in addition to take out and/or drive thru). Similarly, movie theatres and bars were open for business. Shortly after January however, these services were shut down due to the coronavirus. Events such as concerts and important meetings were either being cancelled or postponed. In addition, schools were closed and people were laid off from their jobs. In today’s society, many people are working from home. Business meetings are now being held through means of virtual communication Those who are not able to work from home (with the exception of essential emergency services) have had to file for unemployment. The large number of people who have had to file for unemployment has led to a financial crisis. This financial crisis is in addition to the health crisis that the coronavirus has caused.

It’s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us. We’ve all had to make significant adjustments in how we function from day to day. One of the most noticeable changes is wearing face-masks in public locations such as the grocery store. In general, public locations highly encourage, if not require by law, anyone entering a business to wear a mask in order to help slow the spread of the COVID-19. Other than essential trips into public spaces, we are encouraged to stay home.

Another noticeable change is the limited amount of time that we are spending around other people. Before the pandemic started, we would go out to locations such as bars, restaurants, and nightclubs with our friends and spend hours around others. However, that changed very quickly once the public was informed about the coronavirus. In other words, this virus has revealed how important social gatherings are to us.

There is a lot of uncertainty in today’s society. With that comes feelings such as stress, sadness, impatience, and frustration. Nobody knows when this pandemic will be over but we are all eager to see the end point.

In order to convey how we are all feeling, I’ve written two short pieces which were released with the album name “Foreign Area”. The first piece has the same title as the album. This composition expresses feelings of impatience, frustration, and stress. It was written for orchestra and primarily features violins and percussion. The piece begins with a short drum solo. The drum part then calms down and the strings enter with the support of the percussion. Throughout most of this piece, it almost sounds as if there is a constant drum beat. However, it is not a traditional sounding groove. Overall, the piece is supposed to help illustrate the fight against COVID-19. (See the links to the piece below.)

I can also say that as a musician, the pandemic has made it harder to bring in steady income now that public performances are not a suitable option during this season. Many musicians had gigs booked throughout this calendar year for events at small pubs to prestigious performance venues all around the world. In normal circumstances, it is important to support musicians you like, but nowadays, it is especially important to support the musicians you love hearing.

I’d like to thank you for taking the time to listen to this piece and reading through this article. If you enjoyed them, then I kindly invite you to provide a tip through the virtual tip jar below. Any amount you are able to provide helps. Even a small amount makes a huge difference. Stay tuned for the second piece of the album and part two of this article.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3Sw98AEGYtIcVtrIQWH3JQ?si=hawzMvYDQ8C3ayEE6uqnDw

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/foreign-area/1507678762?i=1507678763