Music is once again ringing through the Harris Fine Arts Center. During the pandemic, musicians were challenged to perform and learn music through Zoom but now musicians are experiencing excitement and anxiety going back to in-person performances and lessons.
“It’s always better to have human interaction, especially in a lesson. I think, at least for performers, everyone learns in different ways, but to some degree we are all very tactile,” BYU music composition major Christian Maucotel said. “So for me, it helps when I can be with someone where I can see them moving, or they can guide my hand.”
When lessons weren’t on Zoom, most musicians were spaced out in large offices for lessons.
“My professor would stand in the corner so we were all six feet apart. All in masks. It was a really uncomfortable arrangement and I had just the smallest square I had to stay in,” music education major Sydnee Hinrichsen said.
Many musicians were left in a concert hall by themselves with a camera to live stream their personal recital.
“There would be no one there, so it’s just like, we and the sound crew would just like clap for ourselves. It was a very lonely feeling,” Maucotel said.
“I am scared I am going to cry talking about this. My recital has been the big event I have dreamed of my whole life. So my recital was just me in a concert hall and it was really hard. And I can’t lie, it was pretty disappointing. But people knew how I felt and they made it really special,” Hinrichsen said.
Even though it’s been difficult for musicians to be socially distanced and on Zoom lessons, it’s been more magical for the students to connect with an audience again.
“It was so fun. Like there’s just an energy that the audience brings that feeds into your performance and you really need it as a performer. They are kind of like your hype man,” Hinrichsen said.
“It was great to have everyone there, it was ah, the applause alone,” Maucotel said.
Certainly musicians have been grateful to have in-person performances again.
