Musik und Text
#voicesfrom
I am an artist who express his creativity through music. Basically I make a living from live concerts, writing music, recording guitar for other artists and giving guitar lessons. So that was the plan for March- full of gigs, album releases with some bands I take part in and a tour with them.
Spring was knocking on the door and we were about to enter the good season for music and festivals when COVID-19 changed our plans. We all have faced the challenge to find the way to make it through.
Luckily during the lockdown many stayed positive and used the opportunity to work on themselves. So did I. Overwhelmed with work for others recently I had no time for my own project, so I finally have put all my time and creativity in realization of my debut album.
One month later the taste of anxiety came back. I’ve started fearing that paying rent and utilities will become harder and harder as my little savings were over.
As I couldn’t qualify for financial aid from the government because I don’t meet the requirements, I was forced to find an alternative to my usual way of earning income as a self-employed artist.
Thanks to the Internet I continued teaching guitar online. But that wasn’t enough… I still missed performing and creating. Social media is the best entertainer of this lockdown, so this was my only chance to reach the people. Although I’ve invested my time in rehearsing for live stream concerts with bands, produced new tracks, filmed personal videos for my Instagram and Facebook it didn’t really pay off financially. Of course I acknowledge the moral support of my followers but being a musician is a profession and to keep performing, we have to make a living with it.
Every human being use the power of art to escape the daily routines, to express their emotions and to socialize in the theaters, galleries and concert halls. In order to outlive this spaces need their soul- the artist. No matter if it’s live or virtual the artists should be supported by the society. Don’t forget that we need you as you need music, dance and movies.
Petar Yotov is а bulgarian musician, producer and guitar teacher based in Sofia.
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COVID-19 currently has us all in its grip. We will therefor mainly use our contacts and share reports on the situation of people living in countries that are sidelined in the media and which, as it often does, are rarely heard or seen. We will also do it because people in low-income countries will be hit hardest by the pandemic!
#voicesfrom #covid19 #vidc #kultureninbewegung