COVID and Creativity

Macarina

Macarina

Silver Member
I didn’t know how to title this thought, so here it goes with a bit more detail on my comment/ question.

With COVID shutting down most things, especially live events, do you think the bands that are now doing very little, have shifted their efforts to a more creative state? Or stalled?

I would think COVID shutdown, would be an enormous opportunity to be creative with your own thoughts (and with band members) to write and explore more musical possibilities. Maybe stresses from the music businesses would lighten up?
On the other hand, maybe bands are most creative when they are touring/performing, experiencing things outside their home bubble And they are struggling to be creative in this environment?

Maybe artists will stagnate, but I’m trying to be hopeful we will see and hear some great interesting stuff in the future.
 
I don't think this is causing any new opportunities as far as creativity. It's not like every band out there planned on touring this year. I would imagine many active musicians would prefer to spend their newly acquired time with their families and take a break while it's available.

As far as production I might be wrong but I don't see any reason why bands can't record?
 
I think those that can play to a click are in a good spot. Those that need to perform live are in a tough spot.

P.S. The band I recently joined lost two players and all gigs up through the end of the year. Consequently, I'm not sure what band I'll be in in 2021 at this point.
 
I've been woodshedding TONS! Since mid March when I started working from home, I setup my practice pad set in my apartment and I've been working out of New Breed and the Lifetime Warmup almost daily, sometimes 2-3 practice sessions a day. I learned a DCI drum cadence, and I only did high school level marching band so that's a high bar for me.

So I don't know about creativity so much, but my technique has skyrocketed the past few months.
 
Kids in my neighborhood are jamming and writing songs. I don't think their creativity is stopping any time soon. They don't go to bars so the thought of the loss of gigs may not enter their minds.
 
Andy said:
Thread edited - Please refrain from political messaging.
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johnwesley said:
The upside to this China virus is if you post youor drumming on You Tube......it's bound to go viral.
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John, I removed your post in another thread and left the above message. In case you didn't view it, for the avoidance of doubt, this is not acceptable.
 
We're just a weekend bar band, but we've managed to do some creative stuff thru the down time. We did two live shows on FB to try and raise money for one of our local clubs, and we've been working on a bunch of original material. Enough that we're gonna probably try and put together a CD. We have 7 or 8 songs pretty close to ready, and a few more in the beginning stages, so that's kind of exciting.
 
Andy said:
Thread edited - Please refrain from political messaging.
Click to expand...

johnwesley said:
Click to expand...
The upside to this China virus is if you post youor drumming on You Tube......it's bound to go viral.

John, I removed your post in another thread and left the above message. In case you didn't view it, for the avoidance of doubt, this is not acceptable.
Click to expand...

Momentary hi-jack continuation: I'd like to give a big thumbs up and shout out to DW and the moderators on this forum for the diligence on the no politics rule. We get bombarded daily with so much political crap and it's REALLY nice to come to a place to read and talk about a shared interest without all the flack and distraction of political opinion. Thank you!
 
The first month here in New York was SUPER depressing. I lost all of my work in just a few days. As a result, I didn't feel at all creative. I was honestly quite depressed. Luckily, we got back into producing episodes for Sounds Like a Drum and I got myself into a good mental space to start thinking creatively again. I've seen similar responses from other artists of various types.
 
Early on the COVID train was more tolerable ("It'll be over soon enough."). But here in California, with the resurgence of cases in the last 6 weeks it's been more depressing for me. As we all now know, it's going to be a while. And, I'm already in a gig/concert-starved state. Not playing music, not seeing music - it's really having an impact on my outlook. Both bands I'm in are practicing a bit which helps, but it's not the same as gigging. I am woodshedding like crazy which is enjoyable and better than nothing. Still, I'm starving for a little live music and a little on-line creativity can't make up for that.
 
Well this is either coincidence or big brother tech has tabs on my every move... I think the later.

Anyway, this just in from Reverb... How Artists are Working From Home
 
I'm not sure about creativity...but I think the COVID blues are finally starting to hit a little.


I was looking at our band calendar and this week were supposed to be headed to NYC to play a festival at Lincoln Center.

Then I was looking at other canceled dates: The Steps of the Smithsonian in DC, The Smithsonian NMAI, Western Arts Alliance showcase, Duet Jazz in Oklahoma, two week residence at Caldera Arts for composing our second album, Darwin Festival in Autralia, 3 major festivals in California, three performing arts centers in Montana...now canceling things like APAP in January.

Ugh.

totally over this.
 
NouveauCliche said:
I'm not sure about creativity...but I think the COVID blues are finally starting to hit a little.

totally over this.
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Agreed. We had a band meeting last night & reviewed our calendar. We should have been right in the middle of some great stuff right now :(

More than that, we openly discussed mental health impacts, and it was clear we're all suffering in one way or another, and that manifests itself in multiple minor ways that conspire to create bigger issues. It's a hit, that's for sure, and it's sobering to contextualise just how long this is going to be affecting everything we do.
 
Experiencing the pandemic, a move , then wife’s Mom back surgery. I completely lost my marbles but without any help from Peter Pan I found them. No drums for a few weeks surely didn't help but now out of my old basement into the Cave of Wonders which I share half the room as hobby and play area for Grand child. But I got my stereo and a TV for gaming and my lil SONOR Safari to noodle on-I'm good to go. I've been practicing playing quiet and using brushes quite a bit-which is I always enjoy. All I can say is "Thank God for drums"-sure helped in my sanity.
 

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Red Dead Redemption (which I've played through several times but your choices determine fates and outcomes and then lots of treasures, etc I never found all) Grand Theft Auto , and Call of Duty (I spend most of my time dying) then some freebies games-I play some with my son-in-law and his friends on-line. They've got on this laptop gaming lately with Sim City and Civilization that I haven't followed. Hopefully they'll come back to killing and mayhem LOL.
 
GetAgrippa said:
Red Dead Redemption (which I've played through several times but your choices determine fates and outcomes and then lots of treasures, etc I never found all) Grand Theft Auto , and Call of Duty (I spend most of my time dying) then some freebies games-I play some with my son-in-law and his friends on-line. They've got on this laptop gaming lately with Sim City and Civilization that I haven't followed. Hopefully they'll come back to killing and mayhem LOL.
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I've played the hell out of RDR1 and RDR2, and I've spent a lot of time with GTAV as well (I loved the flying!). And I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for RDR1 - it's one of my favourite games ever (do you remember Red Dead Revolver on the PS2? what about GUN on the PS2? those were both great too).

I haven't played Sim City or Civ., but I'm wondering if you've played Fallout 4 (there's lots of scavenging and building amid the shooting and looting). It's also one of my favourite games, and probably my favourite series.

And, if you haven't played TLOU2 yet, you may want to give it a go - great tension and a more compelling story than the first one.

Didn't take you for a gamer, grippa.
 
beatdat said:
I've played the hell out of RDR1 and RDR2, and I've spent a lot of time with GTAV as well (I loved the flying!). And I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for RDR1 - it's one of my favourite games ever (do you remember Red Dead Revolver on the PS2? what about GUN on the PS2? those were both great too).

I haven't played Sim City or Civ., but I'm wondering if you've played Fallout 4 (there's lots of scavenging and building amid the shooting and looting). It's also one of my favourite games, and probably my favourite series.

And, if you haven't played TLOU2 yet, you may want to give it a go - great tension and a more compelling story than the first one.

Didn't take you for a gamer, grippa.
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Man I've been a gamer since Pong, back in 80s had Mattel "Intellivision" games (I was a single grad student then and everyone would come over to game-I'd wake up with strangers in my apartment sometimes LOL). I never completed Donkey Kong on my Ninetindo. Then got into PC games of Doom, Duke Nukem. It's an alternate universe to explore. It's amazing the evolution of gaming now. But my hands just don't function like they use to with age-so I find it more difficult now dammit.
 
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