Writing this feature during the most fantastical year of my existence has been especially therapeutic.

Musicians and music teachers were suddenly thrust into the world of Zoom, JamKazam, YouTube & Facebook Live. They didn’t even have time to kick and scream about it at first; they just figured it out!

In mid-March I didn’t have to look far to find several daring darlings of songs strings and other things, keeping their chops and spirits up by diving head first into the live video streaming pool. So in April and May I wrote about the local mavens of motivation and innovation I was discovering day in and day out on social media. From all over the country, I saw and still see groups of women in the entertainment field, giving advice and free tutorials; blogging and sharing how to do what they’re doing!

Summer found some artists/performers accepting a scant few gig opportunities for the chance to generate income by playing on an outdoor stage in front of a limited audience.  As summer heated up, so did the demand for acts needing to, having to and wanting to play for the larger audiences phase 2 of opening the state would allow. Some expressed trepidation in sharing their in-person live performance dates on websites, event invites and email blasts for fear of judgment. Some forged ahead incorporating their own strict personal distancing guidelines, limiting mingling time with fans.  Some acts formed Covid bubbles that now include band mates, in addition to mate-mates.

Our June issue’s featured female and I spent an hour on the phone commiserating about the changes going on in our lives. I found myself having to shift the conversation back to her and her incredibly creative music endeavors several times and not the pandemic, like how the pandemic was affecting us, or how we were coping and not coping with the pandemic!

By August and September issues, I focused in part, on a small wave of career musicians who began to reinvent themselves; courageously stepping outside the music pool to create something new on dry land to survive; putting their music on the backburner and becoming trailblazers in this hopefully temporary new normal.

October found me finally meeting over the phone at least, a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and teacher I’ve admired and followed online and had wanted to interview for over a year. The selfless endeavors I learned she and her daughter undertake and initiate for young musicians, put hope back in my heart that day, it put a smile back on my face for at least the next week.

One of the youngest female music artists I’ve interviewed was featured last month. This humble and articulate ingénue feels all the feels. Her music is realistic and fantasy, structured and loose, fearless and fearful. She’s a wall flower AND the life of the party.  Who can’t relate to all of that; especially these days?

So like the rest of you, I’ve taken each month as its come, doing my utmost to keep myself sane. I took up “adult coloring” (G-rated) before the pandemic. Just since March I’ve colored over 100 pieces – mostly birds and safari animals. I received a Keanu Reeves coloring book from a girlfriend for my birthday. I’m saving that one to delve into on a snowy day.

But also and through it all, I’ve tuned in, tapped in and turned myself on to a smattering of live streaming concerts; virtually supporting artists through their online tip jars. I co-produced a successful socially distant fundraising concert for a dear friend and female musician who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Everywhere I turn, I see local charities and venue owners establishing pioneering ways to reach the public safely in order to stay viable, solvent and open.

No matter how you’re feeling over the outcome of the election, no matter how empathic you are toward those who have and those who are suffering; if you are mourning the loss of a loved one or your income, if you cry even harder now when you see an SPCA or St. Jude Children’s hospital commercial, if you’re a front-line worker or a gig worker in and out of your own solvency, or a parent juggling and struggling to keep it all together: remember there are ways to tamp down the anxiety by tuning into live music; the easiest being live streaming platforms and sponsored live streaming ticketed concerts.

While the energy of big crowds sharing those mighty pulsations that in-person live music experiences bring, we absolutely have viable interim outlets. Local women are still making music; local people are still making music. Support them, I implore you. Follow them on social media. Drop them a line of encouragement on their Instagram accounts and Facebook timelines and contribute to their virtual tip jar; tune into those live stream concerts when you can.  Supporting local live music is medicine for the soul; make no bout-a-doubt it!

Remember, my feature, Women Making Music is archived on thesofiamagazine.com. I cordially invite you to visit the website and acquaint yourself with the plethora of savvy professional female musicians I’ve written about over the past year. The November and December 2020 hard copy issues can be found in kiosks around town. There’s a list
of where they are located on the webpage.

Peggy Ratusz, writer, singer, vocal coach, coloring book artist

reverbnation.com/peggyratusz

loveisaroselive.com

paypal.com/paypalme/peggyratusz

Sunday, December 13th, Isis Restaurant & Music Hall – Love Bubble Christmas with Peggy Ratusz, Hank Bones & Paula Hanke, 8pm.

Sunday, December 20th, A Silver Linings Christmas live stream solo concert with Peggy Ratusz from her living room, 5pm – Facebook Live: facebook.com/peggy.ratusz

Peggy Ratusz is a vocal coach, song interpreter, and songwriter.
For vocal coaching email her at

[email protected]

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