Like the majority of you, all of us in the Philadelphia area are staying at home, learning to adapt to our “new normal.” MAGNET is checking in with local musicians to see how and what they’re doing during this unprecedented time. Photos by Chris Sikich.
Otto: During the COVID crisis, I’ve been working from home full-time while trying to entertain my four-year-old. Early on, as a project, he and I created a video on how to play drums for kids stuck at home. We used our kit and sticks but also showed the viewers how you can use a wooden spoon and a pot or a magazine and pencils. I haven’t been practicing with my band Rainbow Crimes sadly, but we do keep in regular touch.
I’ve been trying to play drums a little. Particularly, I’ve been trying to relearn some songs I wrote in my first band Bald Rapunzel as a challenge to myself. We had some fun, mathy beats I enjoyed. I also made the hard decision to turn my record label’s 20-year anniversary celebration into a virtual event. It’s slated for July. My label is called Exotic Fever Records. For its first decade, I was in D.C., and for the second I’ve been in Philly. It just seemed the right thing to do at this point to cancel an end-of-July in-person gathering.
