For the last week, I’ve been staying with a friend who grew up playing the piano in school. Childhood memories of that experience inspired her to want to learn to play again as an older adult. In the past 10-15 years, I’ve noticed more music programs get cut from elementary and middle schools in particular, and it leaves me wondering who’s inspiring the next generation of musicians, especially in low income neighborhoods where music programs are often cut in order to maintain other “higher priority” programs.
With Covid-19 directly impacting theater and music productions globally at a time when the Arts were already under pressure for share of wallet, I wonder if the “art of music” as we know it is forever changed, and how/if the Arts in general will rebound.
Of course there are two sides to every story… and looking to the positive, Covid-19 has created a lot of pent-up demand for new hobbies and pastimes, so if you’re looking for a new hobby or interest, and to inspire those around you, check out: https://www.hellosimply.com/ – a great site that provides options for learning to play an instrument from Youtube.com videos, or via games and applications. Another great resource is www.thesongbook.org and there are many more if you start googling options.
And who knows? Maybe it’s you that inspires the next generation of your family to want to tickle the ivories, learn to play the guitar, or another instrument for that matter. Oh, and don’t forget, when things return to normal, let’s do our part to support the Arts, and to acknowledge their importance in our world.
– David Sly, President
