Attending Virtually

I attended a virtual session through Sing! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival yesterday. They, like everyone else, have pivoted to virtual offerings.

I admit I didn’t desperately need Anders Edenroth’s session Recording From Home. I’ve done a lot of recording, both in the home and in the studio, and I’m pretty confident in my skills. I attended the session for several other reasons.

  1. Supporting a Worthy Festival. I’m sure it’s struggling financially in 2020, like so many other festivals, workshops, and conferences. I was happy to pay a small fee for the session and support their mission.
  2. Brushing Up & Honing Skills. We all get rusty or rut-y in our skills and workflow. Hearing a new perspective will help me break out into new approaches and new tools. It’s especially true if you’re attending a session from someone as brilliant, experienced, and clear-headed as Anders, who presented the complex information in a way that was accessible and enlightening.
  3. Supporting a Friend. Anders has been living through the same year I have – with different details, but probably the same sense of loss, heartbreak, and confusion. I was hopeful that him seeing an extra familiar face in the Zoom session would be a welcome show of support. We all need more of that.
  4. Learning! I’m always always always trying to learn new things. The opportunity to get even one new idea from this session, especially considering how often I’m using studio engineering skills this year, was incredibly enticing. I did, of course, get more than one new idea.

I’m hesitant about spending more time looking at my computer than I already do. It’s exhausting. But when reasons like those above align with free time in my day, you can bet I’m going to take advantage of the chance. You should, too.