Live music events all but disappeared under the global lockdown but Los Angeles-based design studio, Production Club, have come up with a creative but rather bizarre solution for music festival and concert-goers to be able to safely socialize during an epidemic. The Micrashell is a “virus-shielded, easy to control, fun to wear, disinfectable, fast to deploy personal protective equipment (PPE) that allows socializing without distancing”.
But until solutions like this become commonplace, what’s a musician to do?
South Africa's Musicians Innovate
Bizarre suits aside, the reality is that musicians need to keep in contact with their audience as well as earn a living whilst stuck at home during lockdown.
We’ve already seen artists like Dan Patlansky move into the online guitar lessons space, and a host of other initiatives keep cropping up. So, if you’re a musician looking for some ideas, we’ve tracked down a few more…
Get Online Lessons From Some of South Africa's Top Musicians
Founded in 2017, years before Covid-19 was ever heard of, Bandwith Pro has really come into its own during the current era of social distancing and quarantine.
While the core offering of Bandwith Pro is music lessons, the fact that the teachers are some of the most experienced and respected musicians in the country means you’ll benefit from their vast knowledge and experience.
You can choose lessons from the likes of Valiant Swart, Tim Rankin, Hunter Kennedy, James Stewart, Jonno Sweetman, and many more.
Between them, the teachers have played over 23 00 shows, recorded over 400 albums, including 20+ gold and platinum records and more than 35 number one hits. Check out the impressive list of A-list artists at https://bandwith.pro, choose an instrument and artist, book your 40 minute session and get ready to learn from the best!
Live Streaming Shows on Social Media
Musical duo, Acoustic Element, have been on the active members of the local music scene since 2010, building up a strong fan base in that time.
Now, with their live performances on hold for the duration of the lockdown, the group have put together a series of online performances to keep themselves firmly top of mind with their fans.
If you’re looking to stay visible and relevant to your audience with your own live streaming system, you’ll find some great ideas here.
Check out Acoustic Element’s StayHome Sessions on Facebook.
Live Concerts Go Virtual
Cape Town-based live music platform, Show Live, have taken live streaming one step further by offering musicians to present live shows to a paying online audience. Think of it as a virtual concert venue.
Artists simply create an account on Show Live , set a show date and time, decide on a price for the event, then promote the show to their audience.
Audience members can then log into the site at the advertised show time, pay for the show using a debit or credit card, or instant EFT.
If you’d like to present a performance, you can find out more about the system at https://showlive.co.za/how-it-works/
