When I talk about music on hold, I am not talking about being on the telephone and having to wait until someone can speak to you. Although this practice can get pretty annoying, hearing the same music play over and over again, repeating in an endless loop can put you in a terrible frame of mind when you finally reach the person on the other end.

What I am referring to is the fact that the stay-at-home order in Hawaii has now been extended to September 23rd, banning all social gatherings. What this means to me as a musician is that I will continue to prerecord my prelude and postlude for Sunday morning church services and then sit home and listen to myself play when the prerecorded service is broadcast. (By the way, if you would like to listen and watch my playing for these services, an archive is available at Nuuanu.org. I’ve been playing since August 2, 2020.)

It also means that I no longer can teach in-person organ lessons even though we practiced safe distancing and I wiped down the keyboards before and after touching the organs.

But it also means that the Early Music Hawai’i virtual concerts have been delayed until probably October. We were supposed to have our second rehearsal tomorrow night but now that rehearsal will be postponed.

Yesterday, though, before we knew of the lockdown extension I spent the afternoon recording the music of Thomas Tallis, John Bull and Thomas Tomkins, for our “Masters of the English Reformation” concert. Now that I am recording my prelude and postlude every week, I have to admit that I am getting much more adept in doing recording (either that or I’m letting a lot more mistakes fly by!) Seems I am able to record the music in only one or two “takes” and don’t frustrate myself by thinking I can play the piece more accurately by making another “take.” In the past, I’ve made more and more mistakes with each “take!”

When you play in front of a live audience, the ensuing adrenaline rush you get somehow puts you more aware of “every single note,” at least it does for me. When you play for a bunch of iPhones and iPads mounted on mic stands it’s a different ballgame altogether!

I think I’m definitely feeling more relaxed about the whole idea of recording.

I’ll let you know when we emerge from lockdown and we broadcast our performance. Viewing will be free, but we will encourage you to make donations.