Canadian Musician - September/October 2020 | Página 48

PRODUCTIVITY & PROGRESS
By now, you’ve likely had enough of 2020. Most of us have. As musicians, we’re going to be among the
last to get back to business “as usual” and, as so many have pointed out, what that might look like
when it happens is literally anyone’s guess.
If there is anything positive about the year thus far, however, it’s that people have become more
willing and adept at adapting to “interesting times” and that, when we say things like ‘We’re all in this
together,’ we mean it – not just when it comes to washing hands and wearing masks, but also in terms of
advocating for positive change for the many who are marginalized by systemic inequities in our society.
PHOTO: SCOTT LAZER
CREATIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY
& EXPLORATION
Put mildly, the global pandemic
has changed our perspectives. As
Sydney, BC-based pianist Michael
Kaeshammer puts it: “I’ve never
spent this much time trying to
think outside of the box. Whenever
things go back to whatever normal
will be, people will have put a
lot of thought into new ideas and
that will stick. If there is a bit of a
silver lining, that could be it.”
He’s taking his derailed plans
in stride. After all, 2020 was going
to be a big year in a career full of
them. In the first half, he dropped
a live concert album and film, the
latter of which premiered on PBS,
and then had the stage set for his
next studio album later in the year.
That’s since been pushed back to
spring 2021.
During the pandemic, Kaeshammer
focused on projects
he’d previously had little time for,
among them writing a book about
his experiences touring through
China and Mongolia. “And I’ve also
always wanted to put more effort
into my classical playing, so it’s
definitely been great to work on
Ruth B
that,” he tacks on.
Blue Rodeo keyboardist Mike
Boguski has also spent a serious
amount of time practicing: “I went
right back to the woodshed – taking
stock of who I am as a player,
how I perceive myself, and how I
can go deeper with what I naturally
do.”
Following the release of his
second solo album, Detour, in late
May, Boguski had initially hoped to
be touring with his trio to support
the record; instead, like so many
others, he’s embraced livestreaming.
“Everyone is glued to the
screen, so I reconfigured my studio
so I could at least perform with
my bass player. And to be honest,
when we did our first livestream,
we had 65 or 75 people,” he says,
noting that’s better attendance
than some actual live gigs he’s
played in the past.
While being more or less confined
to your home may provide
opportunities for professional
development, financially, it’s a
horror show.
Like Boguski, R. Grunwald –
who’s performed with literally
48 CANADIAN MUSICIAN