covid-19 and work

[Phil O]

So far the band I work in has had multiple cancellations due to the outbreak in our state. It looks like we'll be out of work for a while. The ballroom where we were scheduled this coming Wednesday has closed its doors until further notice. I've had two cancellations for sizable projects this month in my studio.
How are the rest of you all faring?

[bayswater]

Vancouver is slowly but surely shutting down. I've got a load of long delayed home projects I can get on with.

[mikehalloran]

All three of my church gigs are on hold for at least three weeks and both my wife’s are on hold indefinitely. As I told my choir on Thursday, “It’s possible this is the only rehearsal we’ll have before Easter — if we have an Easter service.” My other gigs have all cancelled as well.

My wife’s Adult Ed classes were cancelled yesterday so only my day job remains.

The only bright spot is that, for those of us born 1954 or earlier, the 3:1 rule for outside income no longer applies with Social Security. in January, I applied to receive my first check this month. We were looking at this for a nice raise but now it will barely cover the income we’re losing.

[HCMarkus]

Studio currently OK

Live? Work, what work? Cancellations abound.

[stubbsonic]

Yea, I've had quite a few cancellations, understandably. Folks are all being very gracious as we go through this tricky time.

I've had some private students switch to Skype lessons.

And for gigs that continue in "meat space" we're all being very careful about hygiene, distance, surfaces, etc.

[HCMarkus]

I've had two cancellations for sizable projects this month in my studio.

The secondary effect of the general economic shutdown... although the studio is a relatively safe environment (exposure limited to a select few), the money to pay for the studio time is often sourced from an impacted activity.

Tiny Tim's (no, not "Tiptoe thru the Two-lips", the one from Dickens' classic) iconic words ring true at a time like this. Best wishes to all my friends here at MOTUNation.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Virtually every performer and creator of content has been impacted by this. I had 6 med/large venue gigs cancel for March and April. Hopefully May on Catalina will still be a go.

It's also a lot of local mom & pop type businesses that are going to be severely impacted as people don't collect their pay checks, and if they do, tend to be much more careful about what they spend money on.

It is truly hard for us to wrap our heads around what is going down. Nothing like this has happened to such a large extent since, perhaps, the middle ages. It has become clear that we, the people, are now in charge of our own futures to a much larger degree than every before. That can end up being a very good thing in an odd, roundabout way, but it is going to get a lot tougher before it gets any better.

[cuttime]

It has become clear that we, the people, are now in charge of our own futures to a much larger degree than every before. That can end up being a very good thing in an odd, roundabout way, but it is going to get a lot tougher before it gets any better.

I think that is a good observation. Sometimes we just need reminders. A person I work with on the day job, last fall, had to move his family to a hotel because the POWER WENT OUT FOR TWO HOURS! This was a temperate day, not too hot or cold, and no one needed life saving powered equipment. Most sensible people would have candles or flashlights on hand for these occasions, but not them. Their first inclination was to panic. He then had to miss the next day of work because he had so much stuff to move from the hotel back to home. Needless to say, they are again in panic mode. I have become aghast at how helpless some of us have become, but perhaps it is because of my age. I was allowed to play outside unsupervised as a child, and I did enough stupid things growing up that could have killed me many times over. I'm not trying to minimize the situation at hand at all, but my wife and I have been blindsided by enough things that we know to be prepared for the worst, or to be highly inconvenienced. I guess we are lucky enough to have some savings and enough space to store food and supplies, but this is something we've actively worked at for many years. I'm not a "prepper" or survivalist. I'd like to think a little common sense goes a long way.

I hope everyone remains healthy and safe. This is a great place to hang out if we get bored. And, remember, don't double dip the chips!!!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Listen... Jimmy!

You dip the way you dip, and I...

[he dips]

Dip the way I dip.

[crunches chip at Jimmy]

Jimmy's getting upset.
DON"T UPSET JIMMY.
LEAVE JIMMY ALONE!
DON'T TOUCH JIMMY!

I have the great pleasure of working with Jason every so often in an improvisational setting. He's truly a great actor and gentleman.

[EMRR]

I was only going to be home 4 days in March, only made it out 3. Currently have 36 indefinitely postponed full work days. I do have some mixing and tracking work that was going to be very hard to schedule in the short term, now on front burner. That may be wrapped up in another 2 weeks. Plenty of time to do taxes after that? If I can get some of my repair customers to send equipment for restoration I can do that, no idea how many will feel they can spend on that.

[mikehalloran]

Plenty of time to do taxes after that?

My thought, too.

[Phil O]

Weather has been nice here. I'm getting some spring yard work done.

Phil

[HCMarkus]

All the gigging folk are free... so it's a good time to RECORD THE ALBUM!

...or do yard work. (I like that, too, Phil)

[Prime Mover]

I'm very torn. For the house band I play in, our venue is still open and has made no noise of shutting down. Both my wife and I are very very concerned about the pandemic (our elderly parents are at high risk). Since it's not my main source of income, I would be okay shutting down for a while, but I have to keep that from my bandmates who many of which believe it's no big deal.

On the other hand... my video game cover band project is having one of our biggest shows in April at one of the sister-venues to my main venue. If one closes down they probably all will. It will be the culmination of many years of work and the last with our amazing drummer. So I'm sort of praying it doesn't close, even though I know it probably should.

It's going to make telling my friends to come out and support us very difficult.

[Phil O]

Our governor has just put into effect a ban on public gatherings over 25 people. So I guess our band is banned. (see what I did there) All restaurants are closing as well, except for take out. My daughter is a chef and this will affect her as well.

Anyway, it's beginning to look like early retirement.