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Thread: I Miss Playing Live!

  1. #1
    Scroll Lock Austin Bob's Avatar
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    Default I Miss Playing Live!

    Most of my friends won't relate to this because they aren't musicians, but one of the things I miss most right now is not playing live music. Sure, it was only in the choir. But we practiced at least every other week, and played 13-14 songs every Sunday.

    It's only been two weeks, but I realized last night that I was a bit sad and that it was because I was missing that part of my life. Sure, we can jam to YouTube or whatever else is out there, but nothing, nothing beats the feeling I get playing in front of people.

    And it also completely clears my mind, at least for a little bit. You can't play live and worry about bills, or the corona virus, or your job... everything is focused on the moment.

    So how is the current situation affecting you when it comes to being a musician? Are you missing lessons, weekly jams, gigs, whatever? This may be the one group in your life that will understand.
    A quarter tone flat and a half a beat behind.

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    Registered User Ranald's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I have autoimmune troubles, so I'm used to a certain amount of self-isolation during flu season. Still, I get out to a few singing events most months and I usually get together with two friends to make music once a week. I do miss these shared musical activities. Still, others are making much bigger sacrifices than me. Think of the clerks in my grocery store, in a city where the virus is spreading. Quiet heroes. Social and musical isolation isn't easy though. My partner is spending considerable time on sites where a person lays down a musical track and others add to it.
    Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
    "I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
    Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.

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  5. #3
    Registered User infocrucible's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    My friends and I are waiting for the weather to improve so we can sit in my back yard and play a few metres away from each other (and I don't mean like rowrowrow your boat).

    The country players I jam with are all in their 70s though except one and so caution is the mandate for now. I have no idea whether playing for an audience again is in my future being in an at-risk group, but I suspect it will be at least 12-18 months for me. As far as the live stuff we did, we are looking at starting over on the other side.

    In the mean time it's just keeping up on the phone and jamming to YouTube or stubs. It is tough to give up the socialization both in terms of musician contact and human contact.
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    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Ten plus/minus gigs canceled so far, no weekly sing-arounds or jams. Minor excursion to NYCity and Long Island, for a couple Irish Immigration jobs, wiped out. New England Folk Festival (NEFFA) killed for April; I was scheduled for two workshops. Two-thirds of my jobs are in seniors' facilities, and they're all kaput, with "no visitors/no larger groups" policies in force. Uke classes I was teaching scrubbed. Hell yes, I miss playing live!

    With such a targeted clientele, largely seniors, I'm gonna feel the effects longer than some others who play clubs etc., I'm afraid. Some NEFFA people try to organize a "virtual folk festival" on-line; ditto with our local folk club, trying for an on-line sing-around. Won't be much use to me, but after all, my problems are minor compared to those who are fighting the virus, or those who've closed their businesses or lost their jobs. I'll get by, and the music will come back. At least I think so.
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  8. #5

    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I was an early adopter (retired public health worker) and shutdown my public playing well over a month ago. None of my accordions have been played since January, since I don't play them at home, so I kind of miss them. And yes I miss the performing as well.

    One of the things I do is teach/facilitate in the area homeless shelter. I know the folks there are missing the music. Of course they're impacted greatly by this crisis, being an extremely vulnerable population.
    Last edited by catmandu2; Mar-23-2020 at 12:10pm.

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  10. #6
    Scroll Lock Austin Bob's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Thanks to all who have read, and for the responses.

    I don't in any way wish to imply that my situation is bad. So far my health is OK, and I'm not threatened financially. I know there are many who would trade places in a heartbeat.

    I guess it's incredibly selfish of me to whine about not playing live when others are preparing funerals or wondering how they will survive with no money.
    A quarter tone flat and a half a beat behind.

  11. #7

    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Bob, I think it's fine to voice your feelings. As you said in your OP, we can all relate to missing interacting musically and socially. Music is missing something too, being that it needs an audience.

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  13. #8
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Bob, I agree with catmandu2. We all need to put our situations into perspective, but the fact that others may be in a worse position doesn't invalidate your own feelings, especially when it comes to musical experiences. I only play out once or twice a month with our youth band at church, and I'm missing it for sure! Those who are much better at this than me have gotta be feeling it!
    Chuck

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  15. #9
    man about town Markus's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I miss it terribly. I go to a wonderful weekly jam where there are a lot of great listeners [as well as players], it's going to be a while.

    I play a couple times a month and practice at least once a week on top of that - one of them is home caring for his 80 year old parents so it's going to be a while.

    I do have a herd of instruments, a looper, the basics to record, and the ability to live stream. That's no replacement for other people, but I am lucky to have an employer happy to pay me to be home and so many toys.

    I've been streaming a couple songs [with replay] onto my social media the last week and I am surprised at the number of views and people happy to see it. I'm avoiding the evenings as the professionals are filling that time, but yesterday's Sunday brunch of 5 instrumentals seems to be my new stage.

    I'm so used to practicing and honing songs for performance that just a week without left me unfocused - until I realized that a livestream works the same.

    Hope you are all healthy and well. We're all in this together.
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  17. #10
    Registered User Bob Buckingham's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    My wife and I had a mandolin rag session this morning and an offer to play on the street in a small town near us with a tip jar at least 6 feet away. Don't that w emight not do it but there probably won't be anyone to listen.

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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I am considering going out to a public place with my guitar and doing a few tunes. Those people who love music and are not panicked, may stop and listen . . . others . . . well . . .

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  20. #12
    Registered User Billy Packard's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Alexis and I are lucky to have each other to play with at home but we really, really miss giging and playing for others.

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  22. #13
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Bob, I love performing as a singer/songwriter and did so as an avocation my whole life. I was in my first band at 11 yrs. and as an adult played acoustic music in concerts, camps, schools, nursing homes and coffee house for years. I also played on the worship team at church for nearly 30 years. Now, older and not very well, I am relegated to making Videos and sharing those with the public. I miss the stage and expressing myself in that way. I'm with you, bro! Dan
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  23. #14
    Mandolin user MontanaMatt's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I’ve been missing it too. I earn half my income from my music business...so far I’ve only lost a handful of shows, but this could be a very lean time for my band. We have been playing 100 shows a year for 16 yrs.
    Gigging might be different for a while.
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    Registered User Mando Mort's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    We are in Southwest Florida and the weather has been great, so I have taught my lessons outside under the cabana 6 feet apart.
    "All of us contain Music & Truth, but most of us can't get it out." - Mark Twain

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  27. #16
    Registered User BoxCarJoe's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Before the virus out break the weather was pretty nice here in NYC.
    And I was able to get a few unexpected days of busking in Central Park in.

    Now with the strict lock down I won't even try it. There wouldn't be anyone there to hear it anyway.

  28. #17
    mandolin slinger Steve Ostrander's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    We have had only one gig cancelled so far but I’m sure that will change. I miss rehearsing with my band mates, but I’m trying to play solo every day.
    Living’ in the Mitten

  29. #18

    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I've had more than 20 bluegrass gigs cancelled, so I'm out nearly $5

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    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Registered User Randi Gormley's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    My-husband-the-guitar-player and I have a couple groups we play with weekly and once a month and found it really weird to miss sessions we've played at for 16 years or more. It makes the week feel really long, or, well, just odd. We play with each other and a friend sent us some sheet music just for fun (Splendid Isolation, iirc) but I miss just hanging with our musician friends. All but the first of our group's St. Patrick's Day gigs were cancelled so we haven't played "with" anybody for nearly 3 weeks now. OTOH, musicians I know have been posting videos of themselves and interesting tunes they've found but -- well, it's not the same. Nice to have music, of course, but different without the live interaction.
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  34. #21
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    While I miss playing out, I miss playing with friends more. We have jams and square dances here regularly. The thing I miss most is we play for a friend, a musician, who was in an automobile accident around 4 years ago and is parallelized. He cannot speak or move much. A group of friends and myself go to his place and play for him every Tuesday. I miss that the most. Take care all and be well, hope we all come out on the other side.
    THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!

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  36. #22
    F5G & MD305 Astro's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    Quote Originally Posted by OldSausage View Post
    I've had more than 20 bluegrass gigs cancelled, so I'm out nearly $5
    Was that 5 bucks a piece for 20 gigs or do y'all usually split it ?
    No matter where I go, there I am...Unless I'm running a little late.

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  38. #23
    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    this social distancing thing has one good - now I can eat all the garlic I always wanted to.
    the world is better off without bad ideas, good ideas are better off without the world

  39. #24

    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I've got a weekly supper club gig, and typically monthly with a different band. And yes, playing ensemble is my reason for playing. I've tried loopers. I've tried writing. Meh. I just don't want to sound like one of those kids that has a fit when the pop machine goes empty. Then DW told me gin is bad for me? Has anyone else heard of this? True?

  40. #25
    I really look like that soliver's Avatar
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    Default Re: I Miss Playing Live!

    I miss the weekly Jam session in our small town square. I am typically the youngest (at 41) and have a great time trying to keep up with all of the seasoned BG musicians who have played longer than I've been alive. Its great fun and I always leave feeling challenged to practice more and prepare for the next week.

    I have 4 daughters and 3 of them are violinists. The oldest (of the violinists) is 11 and is exceptionally talented. She will play with me sometimes. We have been working on a beautiful version of Midnight on the Water. The next oldest in age is 8. She expressed a real interest yesterday in playing some of "daddy's music" so I went onto mandolessons.com and printed off a bunch of the simpler fiddle tunes (thanks Barron!!!) and we played together for about an hour yesterday. She got pretty good at Cluck old Hen. That was loads of fun and a first for her.
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