MARGARET KEYS
MARGARET Keys has also had her jet set lifestyle completely curbed by the lockdown, but the Londonderry-born classical soprano says she has found slowing down has had a positive side.
“Just before lockdown I was travelling between London and Derry,” she says.
“Thankfully, since then I’ve been able to stay at home. That’s certainly been unusual for me as I’m used to always being on the go and travelling a lot for work. However, to be honest I have found it really therapeutic in many ways.
“I have been able to spend time with my family and do things that I never seemed to have the time to do, like decorating, baking, catching up with people — albeit on Facetime or Zoom — and generally upskilling. I could be a Jack-of-alltrades by the end of this.
“In addition to streaming my own online concert series Song And Conversation I’ve been getting into DIY. I have managed to decorate quite a few rooms at home. It’s become a little passion that I never knew I had. And I have always enjoyed keeping fit, so I have been walking and running daily and doing online Zumba classes.”
Like Nathan, she misses playing to the crowds. “I am very much a people person and I really enjoy interacting with audiences both during and after my concerts,” says Margaret (35).
“Prior to the pandemic I had never really experimented with virtual shows. Everything I did was within an audience-filled theatre but now all my live performances are streamed on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
“To be quite honest, I don’t know why I hadn’t tried it before. One of my concerts had over 150,000 views, and I now feel a part of something that has gone mainstream. Thanks to increased audiences, limited resources, closed venues, and more than likely a spot of boredom thrown into the mix, we seem to have unlocked something during lockdown that everyone is a part of and will most certainly be the way for musicians for the time being.”
To her surprise she has been able to continue interacting with fans, just in a different way.
“The benefit of live streaming is the instant interaction with the audience. It’s giving them the chance to participate. They ask me questions, suggest songs, and we can celebrate together special moments such as birthdays and anniversaries. It certainly has its pros and it’s bringing my audiences together in a way I have never experienced at a live venue setting.
“Thankfully, so far I haven’t experienced any major technical problems, but I am literally running the whole show. I have to wear a lot of hats. I am looking into upgrading my equipment and experimenting with the technical side of it all. This really could be the silver lining, though, as when we do get back to some sort of normality these new-found skills could prove to be very useful.”
Margaret knows the music industry has been changed by the pandemic but she is philosophical about the challenges ahead. “We just have to learn to accept this, there are varying degrees of catastrophic situations right now.
“We have to adopt a new approach. There is no doubt that we will need our audiences to support us and get behind whatever new protocol is needed. But I have received so many lovely messages and gifts of appreciation, which is encouraging.
“People still need music and entertainment. It may look a little different but it could actually allow us to become closer to the audiences. They literally could have the best seat in the house.”