Performing “Outside” the Box during COVID-19 School Closures
Jake Bergevin
We musicians have really been struggling artistically, emotionally, and financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as Ruth Bader Ginsberg once said, “so often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.” Starting as an effort to encourage first responders and especially health workers, I began playing short concerts for my neighbors from my elevated front deck. These “#MakeAJoyfulNoise” concerts went on to last twenty weeks and turned out to be a huge blessing for my family and me, our musician friends, and our neighbors. Percussionist Jeff “Bongo” Busch said it well: “The neighborhood hang and highlight of the week.” RBG knew what she was talking about: in the midst of so much tragedy in the world, the COVID closures have opened some opportunies for bringing our communities closer together.
On March 12, 2020, as my band-director life at Edmonds-Woodway High School (north of Seattle) was going full tilt and heading toward some big performances and projects, my life, like the rest of the world’s, was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Spring is always a hectic season for our band program. We have been a finalist at the Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival in New York five times and are regularly invited by Starbucks to perform—as one of the top five high school bands in Seattle—at their prestigious Hot Java Cool Jazz Concert, held each year at the Paramount Theater. My responsibilities include Director of Band as well as Music Department Chair, and after twenty years in this position have overseen many traditions that the students and community look forward to each year.
As my students said goodbye with comments like “I love you” and “I didn’t realize how important this class has been to me,” I began to grapple with what life would be like without my daily routine as a music teacher. I was really going to miss my kids. It felt a bit like how I imagine an astronaut feels when they embark on a trip not knowing what’s in store or how they may be changed when the mission is accomplished. The only difference is that I didn’t get to plan or even put on my space suit, and we’re all blasting off at the same time and don’t even know what our destination is!
Like many during those early days of the pandemic shutdown, I was at once sad, confused, and unsure about what would come next: how we would all fare, how we would all cope with isolation, but also how we would organize our lives without the routines we’re all accustomed to. My own daily schedule (and maybe even my persona) has been revolving around attending a physical school since I was five years old. Zero-period Jazz Band has been a monumental force in my life since I was in seventh grade at Rose Hill Jr. High. I mourned especially for my senior students who were not going to get to experience some of the big events we had planned and been looking forward to. But I was also cautiously excited for what opportunities this may lead to.
While I continued to try to teach music online as effectively as the technology would allow, the experience of online classes didn’t come close to the power and magic of actual live music rehearsals. Students slowly disengaged from Zoom meetings and stopped submitting assignments. While I reached out to them, they rarely responded and it left me wondering if band class was as important in their lives as they always made me feel that it was. By April, I began to realize that my strength in our community is as a teacher and performer, so I considered making some changes to get out of the all-virtual environment—out of the the “box”—and back to “real life.” I’m often encouraging my students to look at obstacles as opportunities and now I found myself in a situation where I needed to do the same.
While I definitely benefited from the many inspiring performances and lectures that were becoming available online, it all served in the end to intensify my need for making music with real live humans. I began inviting my private students to meet outdoors for their lessons, always at a safe distance. Then I thought maybe I should start a chamber group with musicians from the local community, focusing inclusively on enthusiasm rather than professional-level expertise as criteria for participation. I thought if I could start this outdoor group it would keep me learning and working on my playing and teaching skills without the exhaustion that often results from a zoom call, and it would give some of my music-making neighbors a “real life” experience once a week too. I live about fifteen miles from the community where I teach, so commuting back to Edmonds from Everett for this idea was not in the cards. I needed to find some neighbors that wanted to meet and play.
PARKING LOT BRASS
We formed the Viewridge Brass Quintet. I began by brainstorming which of my neighbors might find this idea intriguing. It didn’t take long to find a brass quintet worth of students ages 17–22 who would agree to meet in the local elementary school parking lot for 90 minutes each Monday night at 5:30. We agreed to bring our own chairs and stands and I provided the music and instruction. The members of the group include Jackson Cruz (trumpet), Zendell Fajarillo (horn), Parker Thompson (euphonium), Neil Northrop (tuba), and myself. They all agree it has been not only fun but good for their mental health. The custodian at the elementary school noticed our “guerilla group” on the first night and said he loved it. Since we started, we have had some weather challenges so on the nights where we need cover, we head to the nearby LDS church and play in their entryway, which is covered but still isolated enough not to disturb the neighbors.
Now in our sixth month together, the Viewridge Brass Quintet has played several performances for the community not only from my deck but also for the residents of the local retirement home. For the latter we set up in their courtyard so they could listen from their windows. This group turned out to be a wonderful experience for us and our communities of listeners, but also for my student teacher, Michael Galeotti, who was really getting a raw deal. Without the Viewridge Brass he wouldn’t have been able to work with any in-person music. Michael, who has now finished his teacher training at the University of Washington, jumped at the chance to work with the group, and it gave me a chance to help him with his teaching skills.
JOYFUL NOISE
My second idea was to start performing from my deck with the permission and blessing of my music-loving neighbors and my ever-patient wife Christina, who liked the idea too. I called these concerts #MakeAJoyfulNoise. I started with solos which lasted only about 20 minutes but provided a little food for the soul for my pent-up neighbors. I play trumpet primarily and also enjoy singing jazz and pop standards. I began in April by playing familiar melodies on trumpet and flugelhorn, trying to think of tunes that neighbors may recognize and enjoy. I made a sign from construction paper which I would hang from the edge of the deck/stage each week. I felt a little like a kid putting on a show for their parents. I emailed my closest neighbors to warn them, but more importantly to invite them to listen if they wished. I mentioned that this was in support of healthcare workers and shared with them an article about the project from the local newspaper. I also asked if they would consider quieting their lawn maintenance noise makers during this short window to reduce noise-pollution interference. The neighbors loved the idea.
By the time I stepped out onto the deck the first night, the family across the street had already read the email invite and forwarded it to other neighbors. By the second night I had requisitioned support from bassist Greg Feingold to come join me. By the third night the neighbors had decided to buy a keg of beer and turned it into a socially-distanced block party. As the weeks went by it became apparent that the social fabric of our diverse neighborhood was starting to be knit more closely together in a healthy way. The neighbor girls across the street would show up on their porch a full hour before the concert began each week with their lawn chairs and blankets. Some of the neighbors have posted videos to their Facebook pages. Folks that have lived near each other for years are finally getting to know each other.
Holding these weekly outdoor concerts has also helped me get to know some musicians I hadn’t known well in the past and as a result has been growing my own friend group. One such associate, Greg Feingold, is a great acoustic bass player and now a solid friend. Greg jumped at the chance of playing and has become a steadfast contributor and says he is glad to be involved in this unique way to help build ties in our community. Greg is the bass instructor at Western Washington University and also has a wide group of friends who are great musicians, who have all been guests on the deck. This past week we featured his trio with other top Seattle musicians Cole Schuster (guitar) and Max Holmberg (drums). After the music is finished the musicians usually stay for some refreshments and some friendly but intense ping pong battles in my open air ping pong court (ping pong is a game particularly well suited for social distancing). Added bonus, I’ve definitely upped my ping pong game too.
Some other regular members of the Deck Tunes #MakeAJoyfulNoise Concert series have included pianist Marina Albero, vocalist Adriana Giordano, drummer Jeff Busch, and jazz veteran Dan Greenblatt on tenor saxophone, who has played on several nights. One especially fun night was when John Sanders (piano) and Stuart Vasquez (hand percussion) joined for a night of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian-tinged jazz. When John, who is the head of the Edmonds Community College Music Department, agreed to play my accordion on “Sway” the neighbors really cheered.
We’ve had several brass quintets and other area professionals including Ted Lombard (piano), Bill Park (trombone), Chuck Weise (trombone), Robin Stangland (horn), and Joe Gudorf (trumpet). I was grateful to have several EWHS alumni come out and play, including Nebee Yohannes (keys), Miriel McFarland (drums), Jack Hillman (trombone), and Andrew Sumabat (trombone). My teenage nieces Charlotte, Chloe, Chelsea, and Joy also joined forces to sing the Andrew Sisters’ version of “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon” which was a rare and charming treat. Everyone is volunteering their time for what they all agree is a cool community gathering.
A few weeks ago my neighbors, who I had only met once before all this started, arrived with a decorated custom cake for us with a note inscribed on the top “Thank You! #MakeAJoyfulNoise.” Each night we conclude the Deck Tunes session with a somber rendition of “Taps,” which is also well received.
I’m grateful for the privilege to be able to host and organize these events. I haven’t made any effort to broadcast them to the web and am enjoying how down-home they feel with no expectation for pay or CD sales, etc. I have been able to include my mom a few times via Facetime or Skype, but more often she receives a video summary the next day from my brothers, who often attend. My neighbors and musician friends have all been eager to support. I hope life is back to normal as soon as possible but in the meantime, I’m glad to have helped to make some lemonade out of the sour lemons known as COVID-19.
Taking the music “outside the box” (also known as our lives on Zoom) has turned out to be a powerful way to feel useful during the pandemic. I encourage others to continue to look for the opportunities hidden within what may first appear to only be obstacles. Live music is still the soul nourishment that America needs, now more than ever.
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Jake Bergevin is an active music educator. He earned his undergraduate and Masters Degrees in Trumpet Performance at Central Washington University. He keeps a steady schedule of performances as both a clinician and performer (as trumpeter, vocalist and band leader). He is currently the Director of Bands and Department Chair at Edmonds-Woodway High School where he teaches three Concert Bands and three Jazz Ensembles in addition to cultivating a thriving jazz combo community. Follow his blog here.
