If the whole thing about six degrees of separation is true, I would say that in the musical sphere it’s more like three. Wherever I go or whoever I meet in the symphonic corner of the music industry, there is a commonality – a shared acquaintance, school, instrument maker, mentor – we all have something that directly connects us to each other. It’s a big extended family.
The more I travel, the more musicians and administrators and contractors and directors and producers and sound engineers I meet, and the larger that family extends. There are some cities in which I especially look forward to working because I have such wonderfully familial working relationships that I literally feel at home. Even if I see these musicians once or twice a year, we slip back into our comfortable rapport.
This is the longest time I’ve spent in one place, with no travel, in the last 15 years (at least). When people ask me if I miss the travel and the constant novelty of being on the road, I say yes, of course, but what I really miss is all of my work friends, my extended family, all around the world. I miss the connections and the wordless harmony. I miss joking with them, in a dozen different languages.
I’ve been particularly down today.
Do you have relationships that feel like having an extended family?
My task today: so update on my task yesterday (done!), and today I wanted to spend some time organizing one of my file cabinets (annoying but it would be so nice to have it be more usable!) but I just couldn’t get to it (not done!)
Coronavirus Diary: Mental Health in a strange new world 
Hi Maestra,
I have relationships that feel like having an extended family. My nieces and nephews on my wife’s side are living mostly in Australia, Canada, France and USA (California, Massachussets, Pennsylvania, …). This is because of the Cambodian diaspora after the crazy Pol Pot era (1975-1979).
Sometimes I also have patients that I see at home a couple years later for other medical problem(s). We remember each others and we even make jokes.
I also have three colleagues from school that I still get in touch with them (email, Fb).
Whatever what your professions are I think human contacts are parts of our species. We’re supposed to be ‘social animals’ as my former philosophy professor once said.
Virtual contacts (Face Time, Skype, Zoom, …) will never replace real contacts but in this time of covid19 we’re lucky to have these technologies.
We’re behind you, Sarah. Don’t give up!
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