As with every other music educator I know, my household has dealt with its fair share of cancellations in the name of social distancing. In just the last twenty-four hours, we have had the following happen:
- Moving to online-only until at least April 3 for my GRCC Shades of Blue students and private composition students.
- Canceled Rockford Aces trip to perform at the Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses Inc National Symposium.
- Canceled Shades of Blue’s annual trip to WMU for Gold Company Vocal Jazz Festival.
- Four performances canceled of Rockford’s production of Mary Poppins this weekend, featuring music director Mandy, fly crew member Owen, and performing statue Daniella.
I wholeheartedly support the social distancing being urged by the experts among us, and at the same time it is all very hard to process.
What I’m telling myself is this.
- Do the right thing. Experts say social distancing has the potential to save thousands upon thousands of lives.
- Permit yourself to grieve. This is hard. The lost work, the lost opportunities, the lost educational experiences. The speed with which the loss has arrived. The uncertainty of the future.
- Move forward and be a helper. Mr. Rogers famously said, “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” Now is a good time to not just look for a helper, but be a helper.