Just Thinking (Music) 5/6/2020

Future of Music

The ACDA (a music association) recommended that there be NO singing groups for 1-2 years or until a vaccine/cure is found for Covid19.


To sum up the ACDA/NATS/ChorusAmerica/BarberShop national Pandemic webinar: 

1)      There is no safe way for choirs to rehearse together until there is a vaccine or 95% effective treatment in place, most likely 1-2 years. Perhaps occasionally outside in small groups, but only when the wind is not at your back. Masks and spacing DO NOT protect your singers from contagion, and singers are super-spreaders

2)      Though there may be some mitigation using a combination of UV lights and fan/atmosphere scrubbing inside, it is not 100% effective and the UV in particular may be both expensive and dangerous

3)      No concerts or public performances this fall, and frankly, maybe not for 1-2 years, though we actually don't know.

4)      Once rapid testing becomes available, possibility to rehearse with immediate testing before every rehearsal with iron-clad agreements from choir members.

5)      AUDIENCE: liability insurance for your arts org. Temperature checks at the door and required masks. US government Phase THREE recommendations for actual safe return to public performances. 

This seems to be an incredible recommendation - can you spell overreaction?

Singing has nothing to do with the affairs of this world: it is not for the law. Singers are merry, and free from sorrows and cares.

Martin Luther

Just Thinking (Perspective) 5/11/2020

It’s a mess out there now.  Hard to discern between what’s a real threat and what is just simple panic and hysteria.  

For a small amount of perspective at this moment, imagine you were born in 1905 like Al Tietjen, Nancy’s Dad.  On your 9th birthday, World War I starts and ends on your 13th birthday, 22 million people perish in that war.  Later in the year, a Spanish Flu epidemic hits the planet and runs until your 15th birthday.  50 million people die from it in those two years.  Unfortunately, you had the Spanish Flu and, fortunately, you survived.

Yes, 50 million. 

On your 24th birthday, the Great Depression begins.  Unemployment hits 25%, the World GDP drops 27%. That runs until you are 28.  The country nearly collapses along with the world economy.  

When you turn 34, World War II starts.  You aren’t even over the hill yet.  And don’t try to catch your breath.  On your 36th birthday, the United States is fully pulled into WWII.  

Between your 34th and 40^th birthday, 75 million people perish in the war.

At 45, the Korean War starts. 5 million perish.  Sometime between 40 and 45 you are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease caused by the Spanish Flu you had back in 1918.  

At 50 the Vietnam War begins and doesn’t end for 20 years.  4 million people perish in that conflict.  

On your 57th birthday you have the Cuban Missile Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold War.  Life on our planet, as we know it, should have ended.  Great leaders prevented that from happening.  

When you turn 70, the Vietnam War finally ends.

Think of everyone on the planet born in 1905.  How do you survive all of that? 

When you were a kid in 1965 and didn’t think your 65-year-old grandparents or in Nancy's case her parents understood how hard school was.  And how mean that kid in your class was.  

Yet they survived through everything listed above.

Perspective is an amazing art.  Refined as time goes on, and enlightening like you wouldn’t believe.  
Let’s try and keep things in perspective.  

Let’s be smart, help each other out, and we will get through all of this."

Just Thinking (Numbers) 5/5/2020

20,000 or more of those Covid19 deaths where not related to Covid19 in anyway.  Most did not even have it. Yet, they were told to lie and list any deaths they feel they could justify doing so as Covid19 deaths with the promise of more federal funds funneled their way for doing so.

Wonder why no one seems to talk about the sexually transmitted disease known as life that has a 100% mortality rate. No one survives it.  Everyone dies from it, period.  There are no vaccines, no cures, no treatments. It is 100% terminal. . .  for everyone.

I wonder what the above numbers will be in 4 more months?