[ConnorTsax]

Hello all!

It goes without saying that we're living through some truly crazy times, and that everyone's lives are just a little bit different right now than they were a couple months ago. This being said, I just wanted to start a thread to ask how everyone is holding up? I know some places are on total lockdown, and others are still just in a social distancing order. As musicians, our industry has suffered quite a bit, with no definitive end date. Lots of not-so-good stuff out there right now.

So let's hear it! How're you adjusting to the current world climate?

 

[sandster]

Good post! I live in a small city quite removed from larger centres. So far, we have no occurrence of the virus. locally. My wife and I stay the f. home. Practicing is one thing which I can accomplish daily. I do most of the cooking and have delved into baking. Made a bean soup today, looking forward to dinner. We get our groceries delivered once a week-ordering on line. Lots of hand washing and surface cleaning.
Thanks to SOTW! I check it out several times each day.

 

[riceman]

Wife and I both have "essential" jobs that have mimimal exposure to others so I guess that's a good thing. Two college aged kids, 19 and soon to be 21, are home and going stir crazy. Nice thing is spending wonderful time in the evenings as a family. Down side for me is that I actually playing/practicing has gone to almost zero. So with that I took the horn I've been playing in for work. Now is as good a time as any and hopefully keeps my tech working as well. I can't think of a better way to spend stimulus money than to keep my local tech busy.

 

[Budget Explosion]

My family and I are doing well. I'm working from home (super busy) and the kids are doing remote learning and their school is putting a lot of thought into the lessons. Folks in my part of NYC are doing a great job staying in (I have to walk the dog...so I'm noticing this.) The city is quiet. When practicing sax on Sunday, someone could hear me two blocks away.

Someone I know from an old job is on a ventilator and one step removed from me, I know of three guys that died from Covid-19 last week. This is real.

 

[motteatoj]

My home office is my music room....I am loving the work from home thing!
All safe here in Westchester, NY even though we are #2 in NYS for COVID cases.
Still amazed at the number of people NOT paying any regard to social distancing and being vigilant.
At the grocery store today I had to ask someone to please step back, his response “But I want a lobster roll” which i was apparently standing in front of looking at something else.
This was his excuse for coming right next to me.
The more folks ‘wanting their lobster roll’, the longer we are doing this folk, do smarten up!

 

[A Greene]

Mini-tour cancelled, practicing a lot, getting regular exercise but also eating too much. Teaching my middle school band student online sort of. Loosing track of the days and time in general.

 

[Jazzoetry]

I'm safe at home playing music and writing down some good musical ideas to share, and reading SOTW often to appreciate and communicate with other Sax players and musicians..

 

[adamk]

I go between home and an apartment I own.
Have been rehabing it for months (reversing 48 years of neglect).

 

[marton]

Total lock-down here in Au. Cops are enforcing the rules with very hefty fines. Social distancing all that. I don't find it a big lifestyle change. I've been social distancing for years. This is a virus I can really get behind.

 

[bandmommy]

If I didn't babysit 2 of my grand daughters on weekends and have community band/choir on Thursday nights I basically would be a hermit.
Now that their parents are unemployed and rehearsals have been cancelled, I am a hermit.
In the past 2 weeks I've only left my home twice to ride with my husband in the semi. If he gets exposed on the road he's going to bring it home during his home time, so riding in the Big Red Truck is a non-issue.

 

[J-Moen]

Surviving out here in Colorado. We found out my wife was pregnant in the middle of February, and have been super excited. Except then all the chaos started shortly after. We are expecting in November. Needless to say, My wife is not to happy about being cramped up in the house on lockdown, and I'm sure the hormones aren't helping at all. Hopefully this all starts boiling down in the coming months and we can welcome a (hopefully) new saxophone player to the world!

I'm working as a contractor on an Air Force base, so I'm still required to be working once or twice a week. But luckily, I have more downtime, and have been able to get back to practicing regularly. Just gonna ride this thing out.

 

[10mfan]

Doing OK, thank you for asking.
The family is safe, which is the top priority. This has brought us even closer.
It’s incredibly scary to see what is going on out there. I’m sure none of us could’ve imagined that something like this could happen.
The good news is, I’m still selling a ton of mouthpieces and I’m practicing alot, but the bad news is I’m not sleeping very well because of the anxiety with this virus. My sleep is so off right now, that I’m finding myself taking a nap in the middle of the day just to get sleep when I can.

It’s very unnerving to see what’s going on around the world.

The worst part is knowing that we probably aren’t even near the worst of it yet.

 

[jazzbluescat]

Doing good. Got my catheter changed after a few questions; been outside the country, been around anyone infected.

Riding the bike for errands...business as usual. But this virus crap is putting a crimp in my social life.

 

[Grumps]

My state (Maryland) has shut everything down other than "essential" services. I'm self employed with no employees and am deemed "essential", so I can work if need be and when required. Thankfully, both my son and his wife are also "essential", so they're making wages. I'm blessed to share my life with a woman I'm realizing I actually get along with in close quarters, and am most thankful. We make do, have meals together and go on walks.

I know there's a lot of tragedy out there, and uncertainty, but I'm set on making the best of this any way I can. Just stinks all the gigs I've lost. I mean... one of the groups I play in had gotten super busy over the last couple of years. It'll all come roaring back, as we're a party band. So just keeping my chops up at home. I had a tune I want the band to learn and I just went at it the other day, playing it over and over, doing all the parts, and just getting it down. Normally I wouldn't have the time for such focus... but here we are. Can't wait to get the others on board.

 

[sandster]

If I didn't babysit 2 of my grand daughters on weekends and have community band/choir on Thursday nights I basically would be a hermit.
Now that their parents are unemployed and rehearsals have been cancelled, I am a hermit.
In the past 2 weeks I've only left my home twice to ride with my husband in the semi. If he gets exposed on the road he's going to bring it home during his home time, so riding in the Big Red Truck is a non-issue.

You are still going to band practice?! No lock down? What about social distancing and self isolation? Seems unhealthy, attending large groups during this covid crisis.

 

[Grumps]

You are still going to band practice?! No lock down? What about social distancing and self isolation? Seems unhealthy, attending large groups during this covid crisis.

Read what she wrote again, this time without the urge to judge. She's saying she was practically a hermit before all this. Now that she doesn't babysit and "rehearsals have been canceled", she actually is a hermit.

 

[swperry1]

Uncertainty and a sudden complete lack of income in mid-March (all gigs and a tour canceled...June and July dates are tentative and canceling) have me kind of freaking out. I’m not sure what I’m going to do as, like everywhere should be, my state’s pretty much shut down so there’s no job market. I’m a hermit-type, but forced distancing has me as anxious as ever.

 

[sandster]

Read what she wrote again, this time without the urge to judge. She's saying she was practically a hermit before all this. Now that she doesn't babysit and "rehearsals have been canceled", she actually is a hermit.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Grumps! I guess I only read the first sentence. Oops!

 

[Arundo Donax]

Washington state has a stay-at-home order for all but essential services, but people can go out for walks or basically do anything that doesn't involve social gatherings.

As spring is becoming very colorful here now and occasionally we get a nice sunny day, I've been able to walk around and make photos of the neighborhood trees, as I usually do. There are people around walking or walking dogs, as there always are, but no one is even within 50 yards of anyone else.

I go to the market about every four days, late at night about 15 minutes before closing to minimize the number of people there.

Restaurants have been closed for 3 weeks now. Take-out food options are everywhere, but I have to sanitize the packaging to feel safe.

A friend's neighbor opens their door in the evening and plays the piano.

 

[Llareggub]

Taking the dog for a walk the italian/greek way

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=693818188055346