Musicians coping with COVID-19 while supporting the fight for justice
Musicians and other artists have been impacted both financially and emotionally by the coronavirus shutdown. Many of them have had to make significant adjustments to their lives and lifestyles, as well as to where and how they produce their art. Local jazz musician Elijah Jamal Balbed shares with Black Exchange how he has survived the shutdown and how the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests led him to rethink his priorities.
By Elijah Jamal Balbed
The coronavirus shutdown has created new and different challenges—and opportunities—for musicians like myself. My last gig prior to the shutdown was supposed to be Friday, March 13th in New York City. I was set to perform with Lauren Henderson—a phenomenal vocalist who I had been touring with. It had already been a somber week. The virus had begun to spread, and just a week later the country would hit 10,000 cases—which seemed like a lot at the time. Almost half of those cases were in New York. My energy was low when I woke up on the morning of the 13th. I didn’t feel any better a few hours later and I decided not to go to New York.
So, as it turns out, my last gig before the shutdown was on March 11 at the historic Eighteenth Street Lounge in northwest DC. I had been performing at the lounge with two different bands—Donvonte McCoy Quintet and, most recently, with See-I.—for almost a decade. Sadly, the lounge is now permanently closed. It was a casualty of the pandemic. It’s hard to put into words the emotions I have for the Eighteenth Street Lounge—an how saddened I am by its closing.
During the pandemic, I’ve been able to keep a handful of students with whom I now conduct virtual lessons. This is an important source of income for me. And I’ve live-streamed concerts where I’m able to accept donations from my community of supporters. In addition, my band The JoGo Project did a studio performance at WERA, and I performed for the Chuck Brown Band’s Go-Go Relief Live concert.
But the most important thing I’ve done this period is pivot from being purely a “performing artist” to being more of a “recording artist.” Prior to COVID-19, I had been investing in recording equipment piece by piece: microphone, interface, etc. So when the pandemic hit I just had to deal with set-up and learning how to use programs like GarageBand, iMovie, or whatever else I might need to create. Once I overcame those obstacles, I felt like I was on a roll. I was feeling a nice creative flow—producing, composing, practicing, and even diving into video editing.
Then in May we had the gruesome murder of George Floyd and a flurry of social outcry from people around the world. At that point, I took another pivot. It just didn’t feel right to be in my studio making music or live-streaming and asking for money while less than a mile from me people were in the streets marching for justice. I decided to put some of my personal aspirations on hold, and go down to Black Lives Matter Plaza to be a part of the movement. I marched with Sound the Horns For Change, a Clarion Call For Justice organized by Jeff Bradshaw, and I even organized a musical protest of my own - Second Line for Pride.
Now I’m just taking it one day at a time, hoping that there will be justice for Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and the many others whose families deserve some sort of peace of mind. It’s a tough time, but to go down to BLM Plaza and see people of all races, religions, sexual orientations, and different backgrounds come together in unity does give me a hope that I never really had before.
Connect with Elijah and support his music.
Social/Web Links:
Facebook: Elijah Jamal Balbed / The JoGo Project
Instagram: @ejbjazz @thejogoproject
YouTube: Elijah Jamal Balbed / The JoGo Project
Website: EJB Jazz / The JoGo Project
Music: