Living Music: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Screen

While the absence of functionally recreational concerts may seem trivial for a nation battling an unprecedented pandemic, the world needs music. In light of the transition from a world with live concerts to a world with livestreams of concerts, the question is begged: what becomes of live performance when the performer and audience are separated by screens? Through a series of case-studies and interviews, I have conducted qualitative research to better understand how our world’s transition from live performance to virtual performance has affected not only musicians’ careers but also their general happiness and livelihood. This diverse pool of participants includes teachers, jazz musicians, singer-songwriters, touring musicians, festival organizers, self-proclaimed blue-collar musicians, and more. The data I have gathered will take the form of a video documentary that simultaneously encapsulates the overall effect the pandemic has had on live music along with the impact it has had on the individual level in terms of audiences and performers