A pandemic is painful. And it’s actually painful for performing musicians, with many caught pondering Prime Ramen recipes.
Regardless of, mentioned Carlos Reyes, a virtuoso harpist and violinist.
“My job is to create a sense of well-being and make individuals really feel good,” Reyes mentioned. “It’s at all times, ‘How can I assist heal by my music?”
If individuals suppose it’s tough now, recovering from a pandemic received’t be a lot simpler, he mentioned.
“The therapeutic course of goes to harm, however we have now to undergo it,” Reyes mentioned.
The Paraguay native gratefully returns to the stage Dec. 5, reunited with longtime buddy Roy Rogers in a live-streamed 6:30 p.m. live performance from the Downtown Theatre in Fairfield.
Although Reyes and the Grammy-winning producer and slide guitarist discuss continuously, it’s the primary time they’ve seen every since a number of days earlier than the March lockdown.
“Typically, he’s the optimist, I’m the pessimist. Typically I’m the optimist. We’re so shut,” Reyes mentioned. “We belief one another.”
The 2 “are brothers who’ve gone by thick and skinny,” Reyes mentioned.
A pandemic? Past skinny, hinted Reyes, with a tinge of darkish humor saying he’s glad he hasn’t considered harming himself with a violin string.
Although his financial savings account is dropping sooner than the February temperature in North Dakota, Reyes stays on board for the journey.
“I come from a non secular place in life,” he mentioned. “I’ve performed much more praying.”
Certain, he mentioned, there was lots of concern in March “and there nonetheless is concern … however right here I’m,” he mentioned. “I preserve going. My reward has been given to me. I can’t preserve the reward from therapeutic individuals, so I play.”
Reyes obtained a soar on many musicians within the now-saturated live-stream world, having invested in gear improve whereas delivering live shows each Sunday from his Contra Costa County residence for 4 months.
At the beginning, there could be 7,000 views, he mentioned. Earlier than ending the sequence, Reyes mentioned he may get 20, 25 individuals donating to the trigger.
“Now individuals take it as a right,” Reyes mentioned of live-streaming live shows. “Everybody and their mom is doing it. Some are doing it totally free. Folks simply wish to play.”
Sadly, Reyes mentioned, golf equipment that may nonetheless ebook acts and different promotes are additionally hurting — and the pay is minimal at finest. Reyes was provided $50 and dinner for a latest gig.
“Once I first began out, I made greater than that,” he mentioned. “I do know everybody’s toughing it out. Somebody advised me there’s near 30 million individuals within the leisure enterprise out of labor.”
Reyes has performed what he can bodily to not turn out to be a pretzel after sitting a lot of the day engaged on music from his laptop … then performing throughout his residence gigs from a chair so he can play and function tracks concurrently.
“My physique’s not used to sitting a lot,” he mentioned, relieved Tuesday afternoon after acupuncture therapy.
“That and chiropractic therapy has saved me going and wholesome,” Reyes mentioned.
Mentally? It’s arduous to get previous having roughly 50 gigs cancelled. He did handle to snag a senior residence gig, taking part in 5 20-minute exhibits for less than eight individuals at a time. That’ll pay a number of payments. However with no pandemic finish in sight, the waves might be tough, Reyes mentioned.
“It’s scary. Christmas goes to be thank-you playing cards. It’s ‘I like you’ and that’s it,” he mentioned, managing to quip, “I’m going to carry up politics and piss individuals off so I don’t have to offer them something.”
A pandemic “isn’t the top … however a helluva transition,” Reyes mentioned. “We’re not giving up, that’s for certain. By no means.”
Roy Rogers and Carlos Reyes in a live-streamed live performance Sat., Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m. Free with “suggestions” taken. For extra, go to ftpresents.com.
