This past week, those in the northern hemisphere paused to observe the arrival of the autumnal equinox on Tuesday, September 22. It is hard to fathom that “normal life,” as we like to call it, went into suspension around six months ago due to a novel coronavirus. What began around the vernal equinox on March 19, continues to deeply effect every aspect of our lives. For those who work in the performing arts, as well as those those who support them and their work, the last six months have been devastating. It was also this past week that scientists declared the arrival of a new normal may not come until November 2021.

As numbing as that information is, we must not become paralyzed. We must keep making art. The impulse to do so is strong. We must listen to it even when our creative outlets are temporarily shuttered. They will return. Think of the next few months as that season of time you’ve wished for so that you could embark on a self-improvement project—perhaps one related to your voice. If so, please contact me.

Lastly, per John Osebold¹ below, making art is important beyond practicing to improve your craft. it is incumbent upon all of us to make art ”just because you’re alive and you’re contributing to the masterpiece of humanity.”

¹ John Osebold is a Seattle-based musician, theatre director, writer, actor, composer, and sound designer.