It is Thursday night. I am supposed to be at practice with the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble of the University of Chicago. We were to have our second concert of our season, the Persian Concert, on Saturday February 19. We have been meeting but over Zoom rather than having live rehearsals. We have several pieces selected but have only been able to review them on our Zoom sessions and then practice on our own.
It is impossible to practice with two musicians on Zoom due to latency. So there really is no practice. It is certainly fun to see everyone and interact. But, talking is not the interaction we want. We want to play music and want to play together. It was good to have a live performance, the Turkish Concert, this past November (Contagion: Music in Pandemic Times).
In our call tonight, it was announced that we would not be having the Persian Concert in February. We are not entirely sure of what we will do. There are two options we are considering and exploring with the University to secure the venues for the concert dates. One option is two have a smaller group Persian Concert on March 12. The other is to have a combined Persian-Arab Concert over Memorial Day Weekend. I guess a third option is to do both. It will be a week or six before we have clarity.
The University is being very careful as well they should. They want to keep the students and the community safe.
It is a major effort to get down to Hyde Park for rehearsals. In part, it is nice not to trek down there for practice and get home late. But if we had practice, the trekking down there and back is a small thing compared the fun and satisfaction of being together, practicing, and then playing the actual concert. As I have written in other posts, it has been one of the best avocational activities I have ever been involved with.
The sense on the call is the same frustration and Covid weariness everyone is feeling these days. Like the rest of the country, we are hoping to the pandemic to fizzle out soon. But, we will dutifully follow the rules set forth by the University. Omicron seems to be waning, but the rate of decrease is not clear as we have only just crested. Our director, Wanees Zarour, has prepared a fully orchestrated midi files for us to practice with. I will do this but, again, it is not the same.
Everything I do or don’t do is because I am following the guidance of the state, the city, and both North Park University and the University of Chicago. Is this the right or wrong thing to do? Well, I have been conservative in behavior for almost two years and am sticking with it. Why? Because I am sticking with it.
I talk with people from other parts of the country and see friends on social media that are basically living their lives on vacation and at larger social gatherings mostly without masks. Some get the virus, and if they are fully vaxed and boosted, they stay home for a few days and move on. Who’s right? While I am sticking with the conservative approach, I am thinking more and more… who knows.
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