So how are you all doin

[unclrob]

Rev aren't you a little old for adding more kid's


Thank you for removing your post.Should I assume that another ignore is coming my way.

Again this is about how your holding up thru this strange world event.


Thankyou

[Strings4Him]

This has really caused me to examine the chronic disease which is rampant in our country.  We are a sick nation.  I am holding up by trying to get back to basics by taking care of myself.  Self care is health care.

Anybody else feel the same?

[prof_stack]

This has really caused me to examine the chronic disease which is rampant in our country.  We are a sick nation.  I am holding up by trying to get back to basics by taking care of myself.  Self care is health care.

Anybody else feel the same?

Yes, I've been wondering the same thing as the days fold into the next day and the week meld into more weeks.  My devotional time in the Bible and prayer has increased, a good thing, and guitar playing is a sure refuge.  I live in a gated 55+ community with my lovely wife, but we aren't seeing any of our many friends.  Texts, phone calls, sure.  Even the time in the house together can get strained.  This is a hard time, a historical time, and we get to be part of it.

I do worry about the psychological effects this will have on the US and Canada and Mexico (I currently live in S Arizona).   

[Mikeymac]

Rev aren't you a little old for adding more kid's


Thank you for removing your post.Should I assume that another ignore is coming my way.

Again this is about how your holding up thru this strange world event.


Thankyou

Rob,

Thankfully, there's NO DANGER of my wife and I having more kids...  took care of that many, many years ago, and then, of course, my wife also ended up having a surgery that doubled our "insurance"! However, I will say - we have four wonderful kids, and after the last one left home, we both wondered to ourselves, "Why didn't we have more?" It was only later that we both shared that thought with each other. Most people have a different mindset today (population control, etc.; but again, we won't go THERE...)

And I'm certainly not planning on "ignoring" you - or anyone else around here. Not sure if any of my posts are any more inflammatory or inappropriate than some others; I'm just saying that - while we need to take every illness seriously, we also have to take people's livelihoods seriously, too. Some folks have worked for decades - and generations - to build a business, and this could destroy all that.

As I heard someone say the other day, "The only 'non-essential business' is the one YOU don't own." How true.

[unclrob]

Rev glad to hear that...

Because I'm a musician and a string instrument tech I have become a non essential business,also because I have never cut a pay check to myself I get nothing.I have friends who play for a living and a dear friend that also works as a stage hand for big show's and is concidered self employed he gets nothing.We're helping to feed him and his wife.

As for me and mind we're holding together rather well.

[ST]

Doing okay here.

I'm not particularly social, although I have savagely resisted using ATMs and self-checkouts. All my clients are far, far away and we interact online in text and teleconferencing. Before all this happened, I could easily go a week or two without seeing anyone in person except to go out and play music. Even the music-related outings are like traveling in a bubble except for the music itself.

Lately, I've been playing outside a large assisted living facility weather permitting. The place is under total lock-down - so talk about a captive audience. We used to rely on a staff member to throw down a long extension cord from one of the balconies so we'd have AC power.  This was okay, but we play for 90 minutes on one side of the building, then pack up everything and set up on the other side for the second 90 minutes. The first shows were challenging because it was chilly and overcast (40 degrees F, 5 degrees C), but the last one was better - about 50 degrees under partly cloudy skies.

The residents come to the balconies or wave from the windows. We're usually there for the staff change at 3:00 PM and they often dance and wave as they boogie on by. We're just loud enough (but not too loud) - I've seen people on the balconies six storeys up. The facility is eight storeys, but I've not seen anybody from the upper two floors.

We've now got a couple of battery-powered PA amps and things are easier. There's another building in the complex. The management wants us to play there too.

There are up to five of us doing three vocals, three guitars/bass, squeezebox, harmonica, clarinet, and percussion. Among the three of us who sing and play guitar, it's easy to come up with three hours of music off-the-cuff. Some of us have played together in different situations although this is the first time we've played together doing shows. We do an eclectic collection of tunes because we come from different places musically. To my relief, we're not doing any covers of 60s-80s rock/folk-rock. There are show tunes, light jazz standards. country, lots of Canadian content, Tom Waits, Gershwin, and originals. There are lots of spontaneous vocal arrangements. Because we're all following physical distancing rules, we can't rehearse. But that's okay. We're doing fine and by all reports, people inside are happy to have us come by.

There's a personal connection: One fellow's in-laws live on the fifth floor. This place is near the centre of a small community. From what I can tell, everybody knows somebody who has lived or passed in that place.

I'm playing an electric guitar (Flaxwood Liekki), there's a Godin Nylon String Multiac and an acoustic dread, a Fender bass guitar, a Kala U-bass. The Flaxwood (slim hollow body composite) and Godin (solid body) and Fender bass have been stable in the chill.

We can only talk to the people from their balconies (and it's hard to hear them), we can see them singing along, clapping, tapping the rail, smiling, swaying. They seem to be glad we're there.  


We've got strict rules:

• We travel separately
• Each performer brings everything needed to perform (mic, instruments, cables, portable amp)
• We touch only the things we bring
• We are never closer than six feet and 10 feet when we're performing because six feet isn't enough distance when you're exerting yourself (running, jogging, cycling, and singing)
• Only performers in our entourage. No friends or family or guests.
• Only the staff in the facility know when we're coming. No advance announcements because we've had people asked when we'll be there so they can come and take in the show. Nope - can't do that.

We can never forget what's going on because we're so hypervigilant about the rules, and constantly reminded we're playing to people who can't leave their rooms. It's not as though the music lets us transcend the circumstances.

People have been kind and thanked us for what we're doing. Really - it's not entirely altruistic but it may be symbiotic.  Judging by all the personal concerts I'm seeing online, I think it's true: Some musicians have to play, and some of those have to play for others. It's as necessary as breathing.  Getting out in the fresh air, playing with others, and to be candid, having an audience - well it's making things easier.

[ST]

I moved about eighteen months ago. This is the view from the end of the driveway.



I was never an outdoor person, but eleven months ago I went for a walk. Changed my life. The daytime temperature has been above 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) and the winter rain lets up about three weeks ago.  I can walk in this 100+ acre wood every day now.

[Strings4Him]

ST that view is AMAZING!  You are a blessed man for sure.

[unclrob]

Having played in cold weather congrats on stepping out and doing a really wonderful thing for others and pass on a big thanks to the other players.



I fully understand playing is breathing and without it there is no life.


I wish I could go walking but I fall down a lot these days.

[ST]

Hi Barefoot Rob,

We were out there again today - three locations - four hours. Lots of people hanging over the balconies and waving from their windows.

There were folks who would stop for a song or three to sing along (at a distance).  It was a little cool to be out for so long in the shade but it was worth it.

Thanks for your kind thoughts. I will share them with the others.

[ST]

We are still doing our shows outside assisted living facilities two or three times per week, weather permitting. We now visit four sites over four hours.  In most cases we are facing a building 6 to 8 storeys high and we're using self-powered pa gear. I'm using a Bose S1 Pro. I've been playing a Flaxwood Liekke semi-acoustic. It's definitely an electric guitar although it can be pretty mellow.  


I have no business or reason to be looking at Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.  I had my guitar vault built for the guitars I had a couple of years ago. I was resolute in my decision not to get more guitars. There's no room in there for more guitars.

Our Canadian dollar has taken a beating but strangely, prices in the used market haven't changed much. However, with all the uncertainty, I think it is even more of a buyer's market these days.

Call it COVID-19 Cabin Fever, but I picked up this Gibson Chet Atkins CEC (2005) yesterday and then played it at the assisted living center in the afternoon. It's ideal for playing amplified loud. It's a slim, solid-body guitar.  Even though it needed new strings and some setup work it sounded good yesterday.

.


I just finished changing the strings, adjusting the bridge height and playing it for several hours. I'm happy I got it.

[ryler]

It's very pretty!  That will lift your spirits, good decision.  Glad to hear people still get to hear you entertain them.

[Queequeg]

I'm hunkered down in mask and gown
The order states: Remain homebound
I flew my drone o'er my hometown
Video reports no one around
Audio can't detect a sound
I thought I'd see a car or plane
This isolation's inhumane
I think everyone's gone underground

[ducktrapper]

I thought the reaction to this virus was nonsense from the start and nothing has changed my mind. Maybe I'm crazy but I'm not afraid of it. Time to call off the insanity of having EVERYONE quarantined whether they are sick or not, whether they are at risk or not. WTF?????????????????? 

[Mikeymac]

I thought the reaction to this virus was nonsense from the start and nothing has changed my mind. Maybe I'm crazy but I'm not afraid of it. Time to call off the insanity of having EVERYONE quarantined whether they are sick or not, whether they are at risk or not. WTF?????????????????? 

^^^ Mega-dittos to this! ^^^

All the evidence is starting to shift in the direction of a whole lot more people have already been exposed/infected, yet in many cases never showed symptoms or barely got sick from it. I hope we learn a major lesson from this...

[Queequeg]

I thought the reaction to this virus was nonsense from the start and nothing has changed my mind. Maybe I'm crazy but I'm not afraid of it. Time to call off the insanity of having EVERYONE quarantined whether they are sick or not, whether they are at risk or not. WTF?????????????????? 

Opinions vary.
And like most things these days, it seems to break down along political lines and ideologies.
(So what else is new?) 

Depends on where you are, how old you are, what color you are, and what you do.  Some places have overflowing morgues, lots of hospitals don't have enough masks or gowns.
The greater metropolitan area near me has 2400 healthcare workers who have been infected.
Other places seem to be pretty much business as usual.
I've got several family members working in healthcare.  I don't want any contact with them right now.
I fall into one of those 'higher risk' demographics.
I expect to see things open up here pretty soon, albeit gradually.
Older folks who are more susceptible to serious problems resulting from this virus and who have less of an impact on the economy will likely be the last to return to what we think of as normal life again.

[kwakatak]

Hi folks,

I was already socially distanced but wanted to check in anyway. Everything here is fine.

My wife is working from home and has adopted my picking parlor as her home office so I moved my guitars up to the room that used to be my own home office before it became a nursery. My OM-03R and D-16GT hang side by side on String Swings with no fear of El Kabong because things are calm.

She and I are getting along better but I know to keep clear when she's on the clock. Thankfully her job is secure despite a slight temporary pay cut. I think being out of the office and away from toxic people in the workplace have allowed some of the steam to vent from her ears.

My youngest son is now a teenager so he spends most of his time in his room. Every now and then I will pick the lock and fog the room with air freshener. School is canceled for the rest of the year so he has to work from home too on his Chromebook. So far no lectures on Zoom but it think they kind of dumbed it down so that the teachers could keep up. It shows; he's in AP classes and breezes through the whole day in less than 2 hours. He's not blowing off his work either; we can check his transcripts online.

My oldest son still doesn't live at home but it's been so long we're kind of numb about it - though I still get sad (hence the social distancing prior to the actual order from the governor.) Oddly, the previous 7 months have shown a world of improvement in his daily living. He was finally accepted to an intensive autism support residential/therapeutic program after languishing for a year in a pediatric psychiatric hospital. The reintroduction into a home-like setting brought about a drastic improvement in his behavior and demeanor and they're beginning to wean him off most of the medications they had him on. For the first time in three years he was finally able to venture back out into the community - albeit with the requirement of two caretakers be with him at all times. As of December he was stable enough to be accepted into an autism support day school and just a few weeks before the lockdown we finally were able to arrange for transportation to and from school on a special needs school bus.

Despite that though, my frustrations now are that his schooling is on hold until the end of June and the mobile therapists aren't cleared to meet with him in person.lSince he's in assisted living even we're not allowed to visit - so we bought a refurbished iPad and call him on FaceTime every evening. I also drop off comfort items for him at their office. Oddly, he's not upset about this situation at all. He's comfortable and well looked after and can still go for walks and rides which is still a vast improvement over his previous living arrangements - plus he doesn't have the stress of being in a classroom; he does virtual schooling and therapy on his iPad too.

My 80yo mother lives nearby and she comes to visit from an acceptable social distance. She comes around the back of the house and we sit on the back porch and catch up behind our face masks. Prior to this she and I were exploring assisted living arrangements for her too but in light of current events I'm actually glad she's still independent and safe.

Meanwhile, back at home the remaining 3/4 of my family lives a surreal and quiet life. We have dinner together every evening (which was rare before,) my wife and I go on neighborhood walks every evening and one night every weekend we FaceTime with friends, open a bottle of wine or two and chat and play online trivia games - which was also harder to do in person.

Even my mental health is better despite what my mom says. I've been talking to a therapist and am feeling much less depressed and anxious - despite the rest of the world seeming to be now. I actually feel like some good has come about from all of this. Even our spending is down which is a good thing. Even our vacation plans (once the All Clear is given) have become a little more modest; instead of doing a cruise from Boston to Quebec we're thinking of just renting a house up on the Finger Lakes in New York and inviting some friends along.

This all has to change though, but I hope we can hold on to some of the good habits we've picked up. I was hoping to pick up a job at Lowe's and talk to some of the nursing homes about playing.

[unclrob]

Niel sounds real good.

Me and mine still getting along well.She's gotten use to the belt sander,drill and me wondering why someone did some thing to that poor guitar or the next time i prick my finger trying to undo someone who should not be allowed to string a guitar while she doing her work on the computer across from.
Getting some work in mask on when they come and go.

[ST]

Hi Ryler,

It's very pretty!  That will lift your spirits, good decision.  Glad to hear people still get to hear you entertain them.

Here is my Larrivée C38 beside the Gibson Chet Atkins CEC



The Larrivée is now 38 years old. It is magical in a lively room.

The Gibson is a wonderful instrument, a little more utilitarian. It sounds terrific amplified.

[Queequeg]

The Larrivée is now 38 years old. It is magical in a lively room.

The Gibson is a wonderful instrument, a little more utilitarian. It sounds terrific amplified.

ST, what's the neck like on that Gibson nylon? The fingerboard looks flat and wide much as I would expect on a nylon string guitar. Or is it more of a hybrid?