How I Continue to Perform Live Music During The Pandemic
When Covid-19 came to Canada in a serious way in the middle of March, I thought that live performance would be finished for me in 2020. Weddings were postponed or cancelled, bars were closed down, and gatherings of more than 5 people were not allowed in Ontario.
In March and April, I saw some wonderful ingenuity of artists continuing to perform their music by live-stream on various platforms. Despite some occasional technical issues with video or audio quality, artists managed to get their music heard and to audiences local and global.
Starting in May, I did my first live-stream performance on Facebook, playing piano and singing Broadway Hits for the Bernard Betel Centre. It was a different experience to be performing to a screen and not see people’s reactions on their faces. There were some lovely comments that I was able to read after the show, and it was a great experience overall.
From that first live-stream, I was asked to perform for the Sisters of St. Joseph over Zoom. This was a different experience from the Facebook live-stream as I could see the faces of some of the people in the audience.
I’ve also been able to do some fun outdoor performances on the piano and accordion in Bolton, Thornhill, and Mississauga for birthdays and celebrations!