Pandemic Piano Lessons

Topic: Pandemic Versions
A new Coronavirus appeared in China in December 2019, and the World Health Organization declared on emergency on 30 January 2020.  The respiratory disease it spawned took a little time to spread, but by 11 March 2020 WHO recognized its dispersal had reached pandemic status. [1]

The disease, COVID-19, did not begin to affect most Americans until state governors began declaring emergencies that closed schools and businesses.  California was the first to issue a stay-at-home order on 19 March 2020. [2]  Even where governments did not act, large companies began finding ways for their employees to work from home.

The enforced leisure time called the bluff of all those people who fantasize about what they will do when they retire or get so rich they do not have to work.  They now had the time to pursue their dreams of learning or relearning to play piano.

The videos uploaded to YouTube in the year from March 2020 to March 2021 feature both adults and children.  Most pianists are white, but a number look Asian.

The instruments vary in size: many are spinets, but a few are grand pianos.  If the individuals are using music, it is set in the groove for the music rack.  Jose Luistello rests a hand-held computer on his keyboard. [3]  Luis Zurita has an electric instrument with a laptop perched on top. [4]  He also uses an electric metronome.

Most versions are short, about the thirty seconds it takes to play the eight measures through once.  They usually begin with two notes that introduce phrases, followed by chords, two notes struck by the left hand, two by the right.  Every note is equally loud, in a style needed by individuals who accompany amateur vocal groups that need the beat reinforced.  This may be people’s most common piano experience.

Some of the versions learned by children have small variations.  CellPK’s daughter crosses her right hand over to play a single bass note in the pause between phrases. [5]  Joanna Cadence Egbert repeats the entire song one octave higher. [6]

Fewer individuals have arrangements that allow the right hand to play the melody, while the left hand plays chords.  Like band method books, [7] there is a great deal of similarity between publisher’s arrangements.  Once one editor decides what a song should teach, the others follow.

Learning to play an instrument is a lonely act: one simply plays something over and over until it sounds right.  Unless one has a particularly tolerant family, the feedback is as likely to be negative as positive.  Sounds right often means no criticism.

In normal times, a student can receive praise when he or she plays an assigned piece for a teacher.  Many instructors hold annual recitals that give novices the experience of performing.  These are the things that are lost when one cannot leave home, although one man says he offers Skype lessons. [8]

The absence of a teacher’s praise may be one reason people post videos of themselves playing something they have perfected.  They all have been seen a few times. [9]  Sean’s video is identified as his “piano learning diary.” [10]

Making music is one of the activities a utilitarian culture sniffs at unless it can be monetized. Diana Dilee Maher says she had just returned to the instrument, before hawking copies of her CD. [11]

This problem seems to have been especially acute for men who no longer are spending their days at offices.  The most complex arrangements are by men, who identify themselves as some kind of company, albeit an LLC or virtual persona.

Mark Looney’s 1:29-minute arrangement features a right-hand melody and left-hand arpeggios.  He repeats the song, by crossing his right arm over his left to play the melody on lower notes. [12]  Rick Robertson also uses the melody-arpeggio format, but his left hand plays a counter melody when he repeats the main passage.  His version lasts 2:29 minutes. [13]

Sam has the most elaborate arrangement; he is no apprentice.  He begins playing the melody on his electric instrument, and a counter melody with his left.  Then he turns on a rhythm maker, and begins playing jazz variations. [14]

End Notes
1.  Wikipedia.  “COVID-19 Pandemic.”

2.  Wikipedia.  “COVID-19 pandemic in California.”  Minh Nguyen uploaded a map showing the dates different governments imposed stay-at-home orders to Wikimedia Commons.  It can be seen at Wikipedia.  “COVID-19 Lockdowns.”

3.  “Kum-Ba-Yah!”  Uploaded to YouTube by Luis Zurita on 7 January 2021.
4.  “KUM-BA-YAH.”  Uploaded to YouTube by JOSELUISTELLO on 7 May 2020.

5.  “Kum Ba Yah.”  Uploaded to YouTube by CellPK on 12 March 2021.  For children’s versions, I am assuming the name of the person who did the upload was a parent using his or her own logon ID.

6.  Joanna Cadence Egbert.  “KUM-BA-YAH !”  Uploaded to YouTube by Joanna Cadence Egbert Official on 20 January 2021.

7.  For more on band method books, see the keyword “Pedagogy.”

8.  Sam’s Instrumental Series.  “Kum Ba Yah.”  Uploaded to YouTube by Soundofjoy on 7 February 2021.

9.  One uploaded to YouTube by Daniel Saldivia on 11 December 2020 was seen 1,650 times.  The next most popular were by Sam (432) and by Diana Dilee Maher (135).  More common statistics were around 30 views, with a few less than 10.

10.  Sean.  “Kum Ba Ya.”  Uploaded to YouTube by Dawn & Sean’s Channel on 18 February 2021.

11.  “Kum-ba-yah.”  Uploaded to YouTube by Diana Dilee Maher on 6 September 2020.
12.  “Kum Ba Yah.”  Uploaded to YouTube by Mark Looney Piano Music on 2 April 2020.

13.   “Kum Ba Yah,” arranged by Rick Robertson.  Uploaded to YouTube by Rick Robertson Music on 13 January 2021.

14.  Sam.