Buddy Akita: The pandemic has been a strange and stressful time for everyone, myself included. In my musical context, this is the longest I have ever gone without playing music in front of a crowd. My last show was with my band This Moment in Black History in January of 2020. Before that I had played live at least once a month since the age of 17 (I am currently 43). Hopefully with the advent of vaccines and ever-advancing medical science this pandemic will become more controlled and I can get back to doing what I love- playing live music.

Chris Kulcsar: Music has always been about time for me. If I want to go backwards and locate myself on a personal timeline, I think of what was playing on the nearest radio. Similarly, playing music (in bands or as a DJ) has always been an escape valve from the monotony of day-to-day existence. To mentally remove myself from the myriad of menial tasks that are required of us I will often float ahead to whatever gig, tour, or recording project lay in the immediate future. Covid has robbed me of these coping mechanisms, I feel unmoored, unstuck in time. The van is moving at a snail’s pace but is also horribly out of control. Whatever existential crisis that the pandemic has personally brought on it still feels completely insignificant given the hundreds of thousands that have lost their lives and the utter global chaos that has been wrought. This is not the future we hoped for, but this is the future we have.

Christina Akita: Playing music sadly took the backseat for myself as Buddy and I started a family. Kids, work blah blah blah, it’s been really hard to find the time. Honestly, I’ve never been much of a fan of crowds or playing out live, so we joked that we were preparing our whole lives for 2020. What was cool during the initial shutdown was waking up and just turning our nervous energy towards playing music. Everything is set up in the basement ready to go. That was super fun! Having no schedule, nothing really to do. I’m sure this would have happened pandemic or not but our kids have REALLY taken to playing music. Both of them have a natural ear and can figure out most things quickly. I’ve absolutely loved every moment of that. I miss going to shows and feeling that energy. I feel really bad for musicians. Buddy is coping as best as he can but it’s definitely not his normal. I’d really like to start playing again regularly. I’m looking forward to that. Cheers to 2022?

James Long: "Celestial Dynamism, the quality of being"

"Celestial" meaning divine or heavenly and "Dynamism" meaning the quality of being characterized by vigorous activity and progress. This external and divinely created irresistible force (the pandemic) that initiated this period of vigorous personal focus and a determined drive to keep moving forward...to keep creating.

Lamont Thomas: Honestly, I've had a little writer's block. I've lost track of certain people I normally work with. Not nearly as inspired as before. I'm slowly getting back into music with a new studio situation in the second bedroom of my apartment and a repaired van if I decide to tour. I suppose I needed a break having released more than two dozen records in ten years. Unfortunately, the break is not over. The world's moving again. But I'm not quite ready yet. This is one of those times where music isn't as important as survival. Some claim that music is the source of their survival. Let's hope...

LaToya K. KENT: “Art is my life. Everything I do orbits in its realm. 

Not being able to perform, deliver babies, teach and record literally sucked a part of my soul from me. 

I remembered to dream and visualize the time when everything would shift into action again. 

Never the same but evolved.”

Maura Rodgers: It was clear from the beginning of the pandemic that the music industry, with its driving focus on bringing people together in close proximity, would be hit hard and hit hard for a long time. The pandemic delivered a devastating blow to my work as a performing musician-going from 30+ gigs a year to 5 has no doubt hurt my pocket and my spirit. As a transplant recipient on immunosuppression medications, the pandemic continues to feel like a ticking time bomb. It has destroyed any sense of security in doing what I love most as a musician: deeply connecting to a room full of people. In this regard, it’s been a very lonely 22 months.

As a songwriter, I’ve written a lot of new material during the pandemic. My personal life has been redefined as a new mother of twins, and the love and emotion that has emerged within this role has no doubt shaped a new soundscape and direction for me creatively. So much is spinning in my mind, on the piano, in notebooks, and on my guitar. I am eager to bring it all to life with my band and look forward to the day when I can safely share it with an audience around me.

Moises Borges: When any crises hit an area the entertainment industry is the first one to get fired. All the stages in the city got shot down and all of us became unemployed at once. There was stress and uncertainty, bills piling up, pressure from everywhere. At the same time with all the musicians available to play and we had no work or gigs to play I came up with the idea that all the front lawns in the city became an stage. Immediately I started to set up outdoors concerts with the band in front of the houses with social distancing, and that with the tips it helped me and the musicians to make money. 

By the end of 2020's summer we did about 80 concerts and saved some money for the winter.

The pandemics distressed me as a musician and pushed me to adapt and innovate to find a solution to a new common community problem. It helped me to see that we are able to overcome challenges by using creativity from outside of the box, doing something not done yet, help others and still share good music to the community and make some good money.

RA Washington: I think going into the pandemic knowing that it meant there would be no performance income was the hardest thing to wrap my head around. My thoughts and those of my collaborators went from how many shows are we losing to what can we do with the time and how can we shift/innovate our presentation to still promote a new record while not being able to perform it. On a personal level, it gave me the space to consider my long-term commitment to art and how it was serving me. Did I feel fulfilled by the business aspects? Were there skills I could acquire to make me a better artist? Where would my income come from? So for me, the pandemic gave me the break every creative needs to recharge and consider my approach to being in mid-career, and it also gave me the perspective of gratitude and the acceptance of where I was.

Rich Ellis: The isolation of quarantine made me miss my band mates.  Camaraderie is a big part of band life for me.  I did find myself streaming a lot of live performances, and buying more records (not vinyls), and other merchandise.  Most of the bands I like are not platinum selling artists, and I tried to do my part to make sure they would continue to exist on the other side of the pandemic.

Shelby Sangdahl: The pandemic has changed everyone's perspectives and priorities on so many things.  I now appreciate every opportunity to play for people and with people.  I cherish every occasion to inspire each other.  The pandemic gave me time to release the debut album for my band Reginleif.  It was recorded in a cave and it comes in a CD, a DVD, a book of short stories, and artwork.  It was a lot to get together and if I wasn't forced to stay at home and get it done, it would probably still be a dream.  Although playing music with and for people is such a blessing, live shows are far from what they used to be.  Numbers are super low and just the fact of playing a gig can start a political rift.  The drummer of Reginleif, Jeff, is a hustler but all of his freelance work and multiple teaching jobs came to a halt.  The guitar player, James, explains it well, "If the music scene was a bike covid was a stick in the spokes."  Many bands have broken up and some people haven't played music since the pandemic.  Live music is a collective experience and I think that sense of togetherness is what will save it.  People from all beliefs, races, and backgrounds come together because of their love of music.  Hopefully that love can heal our music community and we can continue working and loving what we do.

Theresa May: As a musician I am both an educator and performer; the pandemic has affected both facets. My students and I had a huge learning curve once everything shifted from in-person to virtual. While I am now used to teaching private lessons online, I am still not a huge fan of lecturing via Zoom. 

One thing I did not anticipate as a performer was the number of amazing opportunities, I received to collaborate with musicians from all across the globe, which has been a definite highlight during these times.

Vigatron: As an extreme introvert and antisocial black belt, I would have never imagined the loss that I felt, not being able to satisfy my exhibitionist tendencies while on stage. No amount of home or studio recording can make up for the energy that is received and transferred while performing my latest creations. Once the pandemic hit and lock downs began, I embraced the idea of working from home, completely neglecting the thought of no audiences either, except virtually. This is not the same. This is where the levels of depression set in. After more than a year of not gracing a stage, I was relieved to finally get some opportunities to knock the dust off. Most of us don't make music to keep it to ourselves. That being said...PEOPLE MATTER. I actually miss the people...and the money, but mostly the energy and smiling faces of those that chose to watch me work.