'Being unable to work is almost like having a part of who you are taken away '
Musicians too are amongst those in the arts sector who have been rocked by the coronavirus restrictions, as LIAM MCCABE explains. Here's the Bailieborough man adds his voice to the ‘National Campaign for the Arts’.
IT’S been a strange time for everyone but particularly for creators. As a self employed musician and music teacher my profession has all but disappeared. I have been teaching music in the Cavan area and beyond for almost 13 years in many schools but primarily in the Bailieborough School of Music.
When the schools closed in March this all stopped. The school of music has been operational in Bailieborough for 31 years and has given hundreds of people from the area, myself included, a musical education. As a student, and later a teacher, I have gone to the lessons every weekend for 19 years. At the moment it is unclear if we will be able to return with restrictions in place and the challenges that schools are facing. It is my sincere hope that people will help support the school in this time so that one day it can return. It is an invaluable resource to the town.
The one benefit of the lockdown is it has afforded me with more time to write and record. I have been working all the time writing music for my band Heroes in Hiding as well as working on scores for short films. This has been a true joy but also a challenge.
Life feeds art and isolation does not always help to encourage creativity.
Making a living from music has always been an immense challenge. Performing live is really the only way for artists to make money. This is obviously not possible at the moment either. I sincerely hope that we can find a way to bring this back.
Music and musicians can sometimes be taken for granted as ordinarily it is so ubiquitous in our lives that it becomes part of the background noise. People can forget that it takes years of hard work, training and education for people to master their instruments. The government needs to step up and recognise the value that the arts bring to people’s lives. It’s hard to imagine how people would have managed during lockdown without music, movies, tv shows, live streams, etc.
More support is also needed for the artists themselves. As a creator, so much of who you are becomes tied to your work. Being unable to work is almost like having a part of who you are taken away from you and can have serious implications for artists' mental health.
Liam McCabe is a musician and music teacher from Knockbride. He is a current member of Heroes in Hiding and Blutack and The Greenhorns and a teacher in Bailieborough School of Music.