By Matthew Rowe

The lives of musicians across the U.S. have been drastically changed since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. From the cancellation of live concerts and gigs to limitations on studio recordings, professional musicians have had to adapt and find new ways to share their music with the world. 

In late March and early April last year, the U.S. went into lockdown, essentially pulling the plug on touring and performing for professional musicians and hurting their livelihoods. For those first few months of the pandemic, there were no ways to safely and effectively share live music. Performing via conference calls on platforms such as Zoom was impossible due to Internet lag, and, frankly, listening to live music over a computer screen doesn’t have the same effect. Musicians have had to adapt to find new sources of income online. 

A September 2020 NBC News article highlighted The Band of Heathens, a rock ‘n’ roll band based out of Austin, Texas. They, like so many other bands, rely on tours and live performances for revenue. Over the course of the year, the band had been “learning streaming technology and holding private virtual concerts, rather than playing live shows on the road.” The Band of Heathens is just one example of a group that was able to adapt and succeed in these troubling times. Lead singer Gordy Quist explained that “the concerts and other streaming shows we do help bridge a gap and keep a roof over our heads.”

While some musicians have been able to make ends meet without picking up another job, many others have struggled. Richmond-based bands NO BS! Brass Band (which includes former Collegiate music teacher Bryan Hooten) and Big No have been mostly unable to perform live shows, which has been challenging for them. In an article for Richmond’s Style Weekly, Big No lead singer Nathan Grice explained that “with the constant deluge of bad news, creativity dried up.” With venues such as The Camel and The Broadberry in Richmond closed for live shows up until recently, these bands have been without their traditional indoor concerts for revenue. 

NO BS! Brass Band at Millennium Park Summer Music Series in 2017. Photo credit: flickr user Pete.

No BS! Brass Band did have some success during the pandemic. In September 2020, with the help of The Broadberry Entertainment Group, the band hosted a Drive-In Concert at City Stadium. Other professional artists, such as Trey Anastasio of the band Phish, have had live streaming success. Anastasio played eight virtual concerts in NYC’s Beacon Theatre to an empty theater. These Beacon Jams, as Anastasio named them, pulled in numerous viewers last fall on the live streaming service Twitch.

In Virginia nowadays, according to state regulations related to COVID-19, live performers must be at least ten feet from patrons and staff, and no open mics, karaoke, or other shared equipment should be used. Nonetheless, there is still a substantial amount of risk to performers, even if they follow the mandated guidelines. A handful of countries, such as New Zealand, have been able to conduct live performances thanks to more diligent and strict COVID-19 regulations. These nations have set the standards for the United States’ return to live music venues in the near future.

JC Kuhl performs pre-pandemic. Photo credit: JC Kuhl.

JC Kuhl is a Richmond-area professional musician and saxophone private lesson instructor for Collegiate. Since March last year, Kuhl has learned a considerable amount about computer technology for performing, recording, and teaching. From purchasing the best sound equipment to working out one-on-one teaching over Zoom, he has become familiar with being an online musician. Kuhl noted the importance of being “multidimensional” and being “able to make money in many different ways” during the pandemic. 

For private lessons, Kuhl has adapted his teaching style to overcome the latency on Zoom that makes it impossible to play at the same time with his students. Instead, he has recorded himself playing and sent that to students, allowing them to duet with his recording. Kuhl said, “it’s a good workaround for teaching over Zoom;” however, “I would much rather be instructing in-person.” 

In terms of his professional career during the pandemic, Kuhl has played some tunes online with the R4ND4ZZO BIGB4ND. During COVID-19, the group has put out songs by combining their individual recordings and videos into one big piece. Kuhl described this as “the perfect example of learning to function as a musician.” You can check out these tunes on bandleader and bassist Andrew Randazzo’s Instagram page. 

Within the Collegiate community, music-making has been limited due to COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing concerns. Traditional live music events such as Convocation, Pep Rally, and orchestra and jazz band concerts have occurred in diminished fashions or not at all due to safety concerns. Wind instruments cannot be played on campus because they can spread germs through the air, and group members must be masked and socially distant. The lack of a wind instrument section, one of the defining features of the Upper School Jazz Band in past years, has hindered rehearsals and live performances. Musical creativity has managed to prevail, however, as the Collegiate Jazz Band figured out how to play and record an original tune for the Collegiate Winter Auction on Friday, February 19. 

A few Upper School Jazz Band members recently formed the Rio Street Band in order to play together outside of school. The band includes Chase Conquest (‘21) on the keyboard, Jack Stepanian (‘21) on guitar, Dylan Robinson (‘22) on guitar, and Connor Gocke (‘22) on bass, along with Peyton Hayes (‘21) on drums. The band falls under the category of a garage band, playing in Hayes’ garage on Rio Grande Road, just across the street from Collegiate. Conquest, Stepanian, and Hayes formed the band last spring with guitarist and banjo player Johnny White (‘20) to destress from online school.

The Rio Street Band. Photo credit: Instagram @riostreetband.

Conquest described Rio Street Band as “a great way to connect with people outside of school.” Together, the group plays blues, rock, and “some funkadelic tunes.” Conquest said, “We get to play what we want.” This generally includes covers of songs by artists such as Eric Clapton, the Grateful Dead, The Black Keys, and various other artists. The band members also noted that they have plans to work on some original pieces in the future. 

In terms of live performances, the band is limited as of now. Gocke said “we want the opportunity to play publicly. We have even had to turn down some gigs due to COVID-19.” Their followers look forward to the chance to hear them in-person. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @riostreetband; you may just be surprised by how talented these Collegiate high schoolers really are.

While COVID-19 has caused many struggles in the live music industry, many artists have adapted to find new ways to not only make, teach, and perform music. As our nation begins to turn the corner on the pandemic, hopefully, we can get back to watching our favorite artists in packed concert venues soon.