If you had told me back in February that by June I would be using an app called ‘Zoom’ to teach my lessons and choirs online and delivering webinars instead of workshops I would have said that I was the last person to consider to be doing these things. However, life has changed and in our present situation we have all needed the internet and IT skills more than ever, whether it be for ordering our weekly shop, teaching our children or for creating virtual music performances.
As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive, but those who can best manage change”. For me, change has meant learning a plethora of new skills over the last two months. My latest is learning to use the computer programme ‘Final Cut Pro’ which is used for producing video performances. Up to now I have been very fortunate that I have had friends who have kindly been willing to put together videos for me when I have needed them. However, these talented people also have day jobs and I realise that I cannot continue asking them to give up valuable time. So I have decided to learn these skills myself and here is my first completely solo project. It involved recording an audio track on Garage Band and then producing videos of each vocal part. I chose some easy material from the Barbershop section in the ‘Songs of Yale’. These songs take me back to my teenage years when I and my friends would busk in St Albans and then spend our meager earnings to pay for a curry. I will probably use more of these as I develop my skills. But for now, I hope that you will enjoy my first effort.