A Chance to take Some Distance
Or, how the Coronavirus Pandemic is the Perfect Chance too Review some Life Choices
It is more than a year now that the new coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives to an unprecedented extent. Actually, only a few of us had ever thought or heard of terms like “lockdown” or “cocooning”, at least in the ways we have recently experienced. Similarly, few were the ones who had ever thought that wearing surgical masks in almost any situation of their lives would become one day the norm or that paying a visit to friends and relatives would become such complicated decision to take. However, all these changes may not be necessarily for bad.
Indeed, this forced break from several, otherwise casual, activities that consecutive lockdowns have imposed may prove to be the perfect chance to take some distance and time for self reflection. Personally, I have been studying music as for about 14 years, while I have also been working as a musician, playing music in several local pubs. In both my violin and viola classes as well as in my harmony, counterpoint and fugue classes I always had the same teacher, whom I adored. We had — and still have — established a great communication while we also share a passion for Baroque music.
Sometimes, taking some distance from a troublesome situation may be the best step towards a solution.
Last year was my last as a fugue student and, having successfully completed my fugue classes and taken my degree, I took the decision to make a step forward and enrol for some music composition classes. Unfortunately, I could not take these classes with my former teacher which, consequently, led to my conservatory assigning me to another teacher. I was aware of that quite a lot of time prior to taking my decision, so I cannot say I was surprised. Nevertheless, it was somewhat frustrating not to have my beloved teacher by my side in this journey — you know, it is that kind of frustration when something not positive that you know is about to happen, finally becomes a reality.
As I explored the magical world of music composition with my new teacher this September, I often found myself not that much amused and enthusiastic about it — at least not as much as I expected. At first, I thought that I just needed my time to get used to my new teacher, establish communication with him and so on. As time passed, however, I could not feel that eagerness neither to attend my classes nor to study at home.
With these thoughts baffling me quite a lot, weeks passed, until November 7th arrived. At that day, the second massive lockdown started and we were obliged to adjourn our classes. All this time until now I have had enough time to disconnect myself from the situation and see it under a wider perspective. It is not only that teacher change that I had to get accustomed to. It was the fact that, after 14 years, studying was not what I sought from music. My initial goals had always been to get my fugue degree and then devote myself to my own musical compositions. However, I decided to pursue a music composition diploma since I had passed my fugue exams with flying colours.
As I found out, after much of self-reflection during these months, this decision had not been actually mine. Be it due to peer pressure or due to positive momentum, this decision had not been genuinely mine. As a result, I found myself in a situation in which I did not want to be, which is what caused the most part of my frustration and unwillingness to devote the time needed to my classes. So, recently, I took, fully consciously this time, the decision to abort these classes and focus more on my own works as well as other projects running at the moment.
The above may not have been possible if it wasn’t for that second lockdown. Through it I had the chance to take a distance from my issues for a sufficiently long time and realise things I hadn’t before, which led me to take more suitable decisions this time. The takeaway from all this is exactly this: sometimes, taking some distance from a troublesome situation may be the best step towards a solution. So, even if things seem bad and you feel tired from this pandemic and all these lockdowns and the induced insecurity, try to reframe your situation. See it as a chance you would not have otherwise to stay in front of things that trouble you, to self-reflect and make decision with a wider view and a clearer mind. See the good and how you can benefit from this pandemic so as to get out stronger as soon as it ends!
