The Lakes District Arts Council has come up with a new and innovative way of continuing to share music with others, while COVID-19 takes its toll on social gatherings.
Normally at this time of year, the Arts Council would be gearing up for their busiest season of music brought to 亚洲天堂 Lake. But this year, social distancing means that all in-person concerts are restricted until further notice.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing as an arts council is going back into history and finding performers that were popular with our audience and where we had a really good time hosting them in 亚洲天堂 Lake. And we鈥檙e going back to our programs,鈥� said John Barth, volunteer with the Lakes District Arts Council.
鈥淪o, we keep on digital file all the programs back to within a year or two of when we started up and we are also keeping audience comments,鈥� he added.
According to Barth, the archived programs and audience comments from that time are posted on Facebook by LDACs Facebook volunteer.
Based on those old concerts that received a pile of good feedback, John and Sandra, and the Facebook volunteer, search for online links鈥攍ike through youtube, and from the artist鈥檚 home webpage even鈥攁nd post it together with the old program and audience comments. It works like a mini concert, but online, and acts as a refresher of some of the great performances that have rolled through 亚洲天堂 Lake, said Barth.
He fondly recalls one of the greatest performances they鈥檝e had in the 14 years he鈥檚 been with LDAC, a Connie Caldor performance. A quick sweep of LDAC鈥檚 Facebook page shows Connie Caldor鈥檚 concert was posted March 22, and was the first one in their online series.
Two followers 鈥渓iked鈥� it, and one 鈥渓oved鈥� it (as per the Facebook options).
鈥淚n most cases, we have an email connection with the artist or with their agent, and we鈥檙e sending some of the comments back to the artist so they know that in 亚洲天堂 Lake where they performed鈥� so the performers know that people in 亚洲天堂 Lake are thinking about them and still enjoying their music,鈥� said Barth.
Most of the artists, or their agents at least, have responded positively he said.
They鈥檙e doing one show weekly and have posted about five online so far, he added.
And in lieu of the closure of the in-person concerts, which would also have a small art show attached to it in the lobby of the performance hall, LDAC will start what they鈥檙e calling the Off-the-wall Online Art Show in the next few weeks.
The show showcases art in people鈥檚 homes right now, along with stories about the pieces. This will be posted online as well as circulated via email to the newsletter recipients they have on their list.
Barth doesn鈥檛 know when the live concerts will resume, but he鈥檚 happy he and LDAC can still keep the arts community connected.
鈥淲e know that people are appreciating it, and that it鈥檚 contributing to their positive outlook and entertainment right now,鈥� he said.
