Music is a huge part of my life. I consider it a defining part of who I am. Whilst the dream of being in the heaviest metal band IN THE WORLD hasn’t quite materialised, I can be a dedicated fan of the artists I love.
Live music is simply everything. You stand unified with a bunch of people that all share something in common – appreciation and admiration of the band playing live. In my case Download Festival, Bloodstock, and random gigs around London have connected me with people from many different walks of life.
But COVID-19 has paused live music. Bands can no longer play to their fans, at least physically. What does that mean for the bands?
Well, most seem to be writing new music. Faced with a situation where performance isn’t possible, a creative outlet becomes critical. It’s not easy though. Lockdowns do the worst possible thing – disconnecting us socially from each other. This can impact our ability to access new ideas. And no, a Zoom call does not suffice as proper social interaction. It’s a shadow of the real thing… sad but true.
So, what does this mean about being consultant ‘fit’? On a walk yesterday I began reflecting on the last few months.
As a communication consultant, my life used to consist of daily travel to London. Buzzing around the City to meet senior and smart people. Stimulated by the speed of an office, the pace of a world without restrictions. As a band, I would be touring.
Now, I am certainly not touring. Unlike some, I have a proper home office, but I am a home potato. Enduring a routine that is bizarrely mentally taxing because it’s the same; wake, work, eat, sleep.
Thank goodness I still have interesting work to do. It’s still busy and I learn something new each week. But life is very different to 2019 and early 2020.
If I were a band, now is the time to be creative. It’s time to really focus and build something that can be played live later this year. See being a consultant as more than a job, it is an outlet for creativity.
