Learning To Play The Pandemic: Greg Keel

Hamline university jazz ensemble director Greg Keel discusses how the pandemic has affected the music industry, and how he has been able to survive.

Greg has been able to stay busy through the difficult times with performances at different venues. “I've been lucky to play clubs and festivals, I've had enough work to make me happy.” he said.

Even Broadway has been affected in a great way by tha pandemic “It’s impacted everything from Broadway, clubs and orchestra.” he said

Some of the music venues that Greg has performed at have had to shut down due to the pandemic. “I work about 4 or 5 different clubs and everyone besides one has had to shut down,” he said. The one club that was able to survive was because it was able to accommodate social distancing.

Greg has been offered to play at venues but had to turn them down. “I've been offered opportunities to play in Wisconsin but I just didn't want to deal with the lack of people not wearing masks and socially distancing.”

Along with Greg other musicians have had to learn to adapt, this is something like we have never experienced before. “It's made musicians like myself get into alternative ways to put out our music and our art,” he said.

The pandemic has noy only affected the music industry but other art forms “Even graphic artist and dancers writer and publisher to get more into technology.” he said

With musicians needing to buy equipment for streaming and making their music available music stores have benefited from the pandemic. “Music stores are going crazy whether they are open or all online, everyone is buying gear in preparation.” Greg said

For some people music might already be their life and something that they want to do, but know they might have to reconsider. “This pandemic is going to force some people to leave the music industry or not go into the business in the first place.” he said.

Greg brought up how it even impacts college students wanting to go into music. “While I'm going to go to college and I'll play in the college orchestra but I won't become a music major or minor because I don't see any hope, I could become a doctor and be guaranteed work.” talking as if he was a college student.

As well as students not knowing if they want to go into music and risk not having anything to do, it is a financial challenge. “Students don't have the time and the money to invest in all the stuff you need to be able to survive through this pandemic.” he said

The pandemic is also leading to new experiences that we never would have had without it. “A good friend of mine, a guitar player came over and we played jazz standard 10 feet apart, the neighbors loved it, it was a hoot, we probably would have never done that if it wasn't for the pandemic” Greg said.

Along with live performances Greg also conducts the jazz ensemble at Hamline University. Both Greg and the students are learning how they can get their music to their families and Hamline faculty and alumni. The jazz ensemble has broken rehearsals into their main instrument group Woodwind, brass, and rhythm section. They have been working together to try and record all the pats separately and combine them in the future. Greg has also been working at Macphail using video technology to teach the students to lower thr risk.

With the pandemic being something we've never faced before we are going to have to face it and learn from it. “Not every problem that is faced can be solved, but nothing can be solved until it's faced.”