I hope everyone is hanging in there in this 'lost year', it's been a bit strange, hasn't it? There was definitely a moment when the lockdown first kicked in that I paced around the house shouting "all of my work has gone! Help!"
If you're in the same boat, I hope you managed to keep your head above water, somehow. I've switched my lessons over to an online format, which took a while to adjust to - there's a lot that changes when you can't be in the same room as the student...I can't just jump on the kit and demonstrate something and even the slightest delays in the internet speed can totally throw a song. I've found ways around it, but it did take a bit of tweaking. Some students even prefer it now and, whenever we can have lessons in person again, they're up for keeping it virtual. That's fine by me, I mean...I get to save on fuel and I can wear my comfy slippers, but I personally can't wait to be back out there again, teaching one-to-one. Which brings me to the title of this post: am I allowed to, now? If I bring my own sticks, and keep two metres away? Probably gonna leave it a while, just until everything settles, but we'll see.
Alongside the home-recording stuff for various people, I had my first totally live gig in three months the other day. Socially distanced, with each musician kept apart in the studio, with an audience online only, but broadcast live from Soham. Made me realise how rusty I was in the rehearsal, but two days of panic practicing and I was back in the swing of things, and how lovely it was, too. Can't wait to gig properly soon, and to be onstage with theatre stuff, too.
In the meantime, the new Fred's House EP has just been released and I've been sent a copy of the new Glymjack album, which I recorded drums for last summer, and it's all wonderful stuff.
Also, we finally managed to move house! 3 months after we were supposed to, and 5 months since we made an offer for it, but it's worthwhile.
Anyway, back to unpacking the five million boxes that remain untouched in the garage...
Take care,
Paul