A Year of Social Distancing

One year ago I was preparing to travel to Austin, Texas for the 2020 SXSW conference. I wasn’t quite packed, but I was confirming itineraries and hotel reservations when the conference was cancelled (the first of many). And since then, pretty much everything changed.

Conferences: We’ve now had about 9 months of virtual conferences, and I have to say it’s been pretty good. We’ve learned that much of the content (talks, slides, posters, etc.) translates well to an online format. Of course, the social component (catching up with friends / colleagues and meeting new ones) requires greater intentional effort, but it’s all possible. I think many, if not most, conferences (particularly in academic specialties) will continue as virtual or hybrid virtual/in-person events. The benefits of broader and more equitable participation and lower overall costs (travel and hosting) outweigh the downsides.

Performances: What can you do without a live audience? Streaming (both TV/film and live performance) is bigger than ever, and many arts organizations quickly developed video production expertise. But I’d argue the breakthrough medium of social distancing is the collaborative performance video. The explosion of such content, from elementary school choirs to professional works, is testament to our human desire to create together, no matter the constraints.

The format enables a more participatory culture, and although it’s a process, more and more people are finding ways to contribute. I believe some form of this medium will continue, even after it’s permissible to gather in person.

Workplace: In early March 2020, how many people had even heard of Zoom?  Now, we’ve all learned to reflexively mute our microphones and be 100% certain our cameras are really off when we think they are. Dealing with audio issues like background noise, feedback, and delay are part of the daily routine. Only slightly less visible are the tools of collaboration: Slack, Teams, Google Drive, and other platforms that allow groups to work together, remotely. For the most part, the organizations that have maintained a high level of productivity through the pandemic were already familiar with such tools. For many others, it’s been a long process of learning to adapt and playing catch up.

Now, I’ll be one of the first to return to some in-person activities, once it is safe to do so. Hopefully, that time is now within sight. But resilience isn’t about returning to the same state as before; it’s the ability to cope with change, adapt, and identify a path forward. I believe that is what will be needed most in a post-pandemic world. It will be another new normal, and will introduce new challenges and opportunities. Those who solely seek to go back to the way things were will be forever playing catch up to the way things are.

(Socially) Distant Creations

• Lift Every Voice and Sing [Berklee College of Music] A beautiful a cappella performance from Berklee's We Will Rise Summit: Black Artists and the Soul of Our Music.

• Sons of Liberty Cypher [Ham4Progress] Been a while since we had a Hamilton reference! Check out this original piece by cast members from various productions of the musical. From "The Joy In Our Voices", an evening of hope, inspiration, and community celebrating Black art and artists (the whole program is worth watching).

• Think & Respect [Commonwealth Youth Choirs] As mentioned above, there's been an explosion of virtual collaborative videos. This Aretha Franklin medley by the combined forces of Keystone State & NJ Boychoirs and PA & Garden State Girlchoirs, is part of GFS' Virtual A Cappella Fest program, featuring middle, high school, and collegiate groups across the region and beyond (again, the whole program is worth watching)!

• Star Spangled Banner [QW4RTZ] One more a cappella treatment... Much merriment has emerged from the rendition of our national anthem at CPAC. Here's Canadian a cappella group QW4RTZ's heroic international rescue attempt to salvage this, shall we say, tonally ambiguous performance.