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Covid-19 WTF! You may have caused a more rapid and catastrophic seismic shift than what talkies did to silent movie ear stars in the 1920’s. Or, synthesizers did to studio musicians in the 1980’s. Or, Napster did to the recording business in the early 2000’s. Those events took a few years to upturn everything. Covid-19 about 2 weeks.
Truly a black swan event. Now what? Good question. Time will tell. In the meantime, time to step up and take care of business.
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 Perhaps too many of us are. And, maybe we don't give a shit either. But if you feed yourself from music in some way, it might be time to get up to date.
I teach piano. Classical and Jazz piano play lists are stuck and rarely move. Bought a new book of modern piano music. Turns out many of my adult music students are hip to the artists therein. With Dad and Granddad bands, playlists can be just as stuck. So, I've engaged a drum teacher half my age and asked him to show me his world. Staying as fresh and open as I can. David Darn Tootin' it does. This won't last forever. Reach out everyway you can to stay in the loop. Project positivity, keep moving, keep practicing. Be ready.
David Take care of yourself.
David Your high school track days are over. Remember that as you consider how to maintain fitness after 60. Recovery is neither quick nor easy. So, rule number 1 is don't get injured. Rule number 2 is seek some professional input before starting to exercise again if you have been inactive. First stop is your doctor. No point dropping dead in the first week. Here is the recommendation for a seven-day cycle: 6 days of activity, one day of rest from Dr. Stuart McGill is professor emeritus in Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo. He's our age, these are his recommendation. Check out his article on the CBC website. https://www.cbc.ca/life/wellness/how-to-change-your-fitness-routine-to-stay-strong-and-mobile-as-you-age-1.5471940  Cycle 1:
Day one: strength training Day two: something else, like biking, walking, something to "get the old ticker going" Day three: mobility training Day four: something else Day five: Strength training Day six: rest Day seven: mobility training Cycle 2 Day one: Something else Day two: strength training Day three: something else Day four: mobility training Day five: rest Day six: Strength training Day seven: Something else and so on I’m going to try this new routine over the next six weeks and see what happens. David Reach out and stay connected. I've sent and received a number of messages from friends and music making colleagues this week.
Jim and I had a coffee date on Zoom to talk jazz. A little awkward to start but good none the less. Pete and I agreed that after this passes we will reconnect and play some music after so many years apart. Tim and Rory and I are in contact. We all miss the monthly jazz trio sessions. William, Gordon, and I continue to make our "Cinematic Noise" videos via file transfer. It all helps. David Fifth week, wow. An unknown number of weeks to go. Let's stay busy with positive activities.
This will end. David  I had been doing the following things on a regular basis.
I did the following things on a yearly basis:
How did I practice in my studio?
Now what? No jamming for the next few months or even longer. No face to face, mano a mano interactions of any sort. A few assumptions before proceeding.
The plan is simple
Best, David Story  How to live in the moment. Shaan, age 4, is learning to rock on in the midst of everything that is gong on. His dad loves KISS, so we are playing appropriately titled etudes as he learns skills at the piano. Music he can show off. He doesn't see work, he doesn't feel stress, he sees fun.
Maybe we should be learning some new music that gives us the same thrill. Think way back, which piece of music from your youth do you wish you could play? Now time to get busy, dust off your ax and jump right in. David
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AuthorDavid Story: Professional pianist, drummer, composer, and educator. Well into his 4th enthusiastic musical decade, David works with adults pursuing musical dreams in the autumn of life, while he maintains an active presence in the Toronto arts scene. Categories
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