Sound of Silence

“Science is what keeps us alive, but love and music is what we stay alive for.” It’s not the exact quote from Dead Poet’s Society, but it’s one that I’ve held dearly for most of my life. Being raised by a musician and a math teacher, this is the sort of dichotomy I see the world in: the pull between science and art. Whether you’re pulled to one side or the other, we do need both around us to lead happy and fulfilling lives, but sadly a large facet of one may be dwindling away.

When COVID hit, musicians and performers across the country asked themselves the same question: “When can I perform again, and how long can I afford to wait?” I know this wasn’t limited to musicians; across fields unemployment has skyrocketed since the start of quarantine. But I want to help explain why this time may be especially hard for musicians. First, I’d like to emphasize I’m speaking of “musicians” as whole, not the few and proud whose names we all know by heart, but the millions of Americans that play locally (or even luckily on tour) whose sole income is their art. The process of becoming a professional musician is one of the least stable, least profitable, and least attainable career paths to follow. You have to start at a young age, with an arguably large level of innate talent, and work tirelessly just to get a shot. I remember hearing stories my dad told me about aspiring musicians around him playing near perfect pieces for final approvals yet being asked to leave their respective music programs because it “wasn’t good enough.” And after everything, if you somehow find a spot, most performances thereafter are still make-it-or-break-it scenarios, forcing you to professionally and financially depend on each step into the limelight. Yet undeterred, so many choose this path because of their incomprehensible love for what they do. So, for those suddenly thrust out of their dream into a world without performances, what option do they have?

Now, some of you may be thinking, “Why can’t they just record and release from home?” It’s a viable option, as the vast majority of people consume music this way. But there are a few problems with this. As said, many a performer’s income is solely dependent on their performances; it isn’t a substantially lucrative field for everyone that gives it a try. The cost of proper recording set up, no matter how small, is a huge barrier for aspiring musicians or even established to continue their work from home. But let’s forget that and say they’re secure enough to do so, are they a solo act? A great number of professional musicians perform in larger groups like bands and orchestras; it’s sad to say but what kind of commercial appeal would one who plays 2nd part violin in an orchestra have on Spotify by themselves? Their specific talent may not be viable to produce alone without accompaniment, which is extremely difficult if not impossible in a quarantined world. But let’s even go as far to say they have the money and they have the means of getting the gang together, how well are they really known? Artists make a fraction of a fraction for every streamed listen they get, so split amongst their members, they may have to ask, “Will this be enough to live on?” I’d argue regrettably for most the answer would be no. This is why a small but beautiful part of the music industry is dying.

I know what some of you may be thinking: this is upsetting, but it’s by no means as crucial as the issue of the disease itself. And to that I entirely agree. It may even anger some to focus on the importance of lesser known musicians in a time like this, which I also understand. But if you would, I’d like you go think about the quote at the beginning. And if you’d indulge me… 
I’d like you to imagine you are a musician. The reason you get up in the morning and what drives you, what is inextricably part of your soul, is gone. Now I’d like you to think about a world without your favorite movie, your favorite play, favorite painting, or any various aspect of art that move you and make you feel. We don’t live in that world, but we do live in a time where guitarists are packing up their strings, where film students are graduating into a market where productions are dying, where that smalltime band you love has dissolved for good. And as COVID continues, more and more of those avenues we love will fade away. No, it’s not the single greatest problem we are facing right now, but every day I can’t help but feel we are losing a bit more and more of what it means to be human and the weirdly wonderful intricacies that make us “us.” For me, a world without music is a world without feeling or joy or love. I pray for the safety and happiness of everyone in this time, and I dream of the day that this is behind us. When that day comes, I hope I’ll cherish more the music of those who gave everything for the chance to give to us, and I hope I’ll appreciate more the blessed sacrifices they’ve made to move me.

Written by: Tyler Beauchamp