Flutes use breath to create music. Which means for the last year and a half, I have not gotten to play live for folks (unless I was over 20ft up on an outdoor balcony). I missed people waiting till a tune ends to talk with me. I missed the kids who stand right in front of the flute/whistle to hear it better. I missed the people, young and old, who sit down next to me and close their eyes to float with the music.
And then, I did get to play with a group of vaccinated musicians on an outdoor stage. We were all slightly delirious with musical joy and anyone depending on us for rides had to wait quite some time that night! (I must find a way to let little kids try out the instruments without risking infection because I was devastated when I had to turn a group of 5 year olds away even though the kids took it just fine. Maybe several of those short bamboo flute heads? Or cheap whistles that I can take home and clean in between uses?)
Soon after, I got the go ahead to play at an outdoor Farmer's Market. Almost immediately, there were kids dancing in pink tutus. And many people just enjoying the double whistle. And several friends I hadn't seen in a long time stopped to say hi. It was like being in a hazy rainbow filled other-world.
Outdoor performances and caution are my rules (easy to grab masks for when people want to talk are now part of my performance kit). Along with being prepared to change plans with little warning for everyone's safety. (Perhaps I'll be playing at Faire soon.)
But for now, we'll just enjoy a bit of distanced Musical Dreaming under the Summer Sun.
