Our local newspaper, the Star-Advertiser, runs a feature photo on Sundays titled “Back in the day.” Last Sunday, when I opened up my paper, I was so surprised to see this!

Unfortunately, it’s not only the tradition of theater music that’s dying… it’s organ music in general. There are simply fewer organists to go around — fewer people learning how to play the organ, fewer churches needing organists, fewer organs worth playing. We are truly living dinosaurs!

A couple of weeks ago, I received a survey from the Pa’i Foundation seeking answers “to gauge the economic impact the Covid-19 closures and cancellations are having on the arts and entertainment industry in Hawaiʻi, which otherwise may not be accounted for or evaluated by other sources.”

One question in particular stood out for me:

How will the Covid-19 closures and cancellations impact the future of your business?

I answered, “it means the end of my musical career.”

That’s my life right now, I’m not teaching any organ lessons, I’m not playing for church, and at the moment, I’m not practicing for any concerts, because there aren’t any.

Instead, I’ve been cocooned in my apartment for the last four days, sewing up a storm and making about 60 cloth face masks to give away to friends, family, and the 25-person staff in my condo building. I’ve found out that people who sew are also in short supply (nowadays called “sewists,” not sewers—pronounced SOW-ers, not SOO-ers, like the community waste system!)

When I was in 8th grade and at John Muir Junior High in Burbank, CA, all girls were required to take two home economic classes, “Food” and “Clothing,” where I learned how to cook and to sew. (OMG, that was in 1963, fifty-seven years ago! YIKES!) My 8th grade Clothing teacher was Neala Yde, who I remembered was very nice and full of patience. Some of my classmates have contacted her all these years later—she’s now known as Neala Bacon. I wish that I could express my gratitude for knowing how to sew, which is a skill like riding a bicycle. Once you learn it, you never forget it!

In high school, I made most of my clothes, and I even made my recital outfits. When I married Carl Crosier in 1977, I sewed my maid of honor’s dress. I also sewed a baby quilt for my son Stephen when he was born in 1982.

Since then, I haven’t done much sewing yet it was about 7 or 8 years ago, I asked for (and received) a sewing machine for Christmas. So it’s on this machine that I’ve made all these face masks. They have been sent to friends and family as far away as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California.

A dying art … like organ playing. 😔