Happy New Year!

 

I believe all of us are ready to see this year, 2020 go. It has certainly been a year of challenge, loss, change, chaos.  Yet I have also seen that this year has given us some unexpected gifts. In asking friends, what was an unexpected gift you got out of this pandemic? Some said they got to know their neighbors more. Others reconnected to estranged family members. Another said he got much needed down time. The list goes on. 

Here are some of the things I take away from this year. As you know, I lost most of my work as a professional therapeutic musician due to covid. This meant I had to reinvent myself and my way of making a living and I now work as a caregiver. I enjoy this work and having one steady job to support myself.  While I loved gigging and bringing music to so many different places, it was also a difficult lifestyle to never work the same schedule week after week. I can remember many nights waking up in the middle of the night and asking myself, "What day is tomorrow? Where am I supposed to be? " The same was true about the freelance financial life. It could be weeks before I received payment for a gig and sometimes my savings came close to depletion before I was got enough money to pay my bills and expenses for the month. 

The other gift about losing my professional musician "status" is that I can go back to doing music for the love of it and not to have to strain to try to support myself. I now do virtual music sessions and I love to learn new music to play for my nursing home residents. I love the growth that comes from my continual growing repertoire and new clients. 

Another unexpected gift is that I joined a Handbell choir at a church where I used to play percussion (snare drum).  When that ensemble ended due to Covid, I was invited to play the handbells.  We were able to keep that ensemble going because we can practice from a distance in the large sanctuary of the church.  I enjoyed this new role of mine, ringing the bells with others. To me it became a metaphor for listening to how my notes fit into the melody and how we all contributed to bringing harmony and beauty in a dark time. 

Above is a photo from Christmas Eve just before our ensemble rang, "Carol of the Bells." A great way to end the year. 

What have been your unexpected gifts 2020 brought? 

I am happy to see this year ends with hope. Vaccines on the horizon, a new president ready to take office. I wish you all much peace, good health and happiness this year and always!