In looking at the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Utah, the current projections show that infections are expected to continue to surge in Utah and not peak until the third or fourth week of April. With churches and schools shut down, this leaves many members of our Chapter sitting at home without much to do. Though I firmly believe that you are a creative bunch and you don’t stop making music.
I’m guessing that some of you are sneaking off to church to continue practicing. I would like to see posts of you playing the organ and singing. Perhaps we could set aside a Zoom Chapter Choir sing, (but don’t invite me if you want a good blend of voices). Share your experiences and pandemic survival stories with us all.
It is in extraordinary circumstances like this which we have the opportunity to realize some benefits of membership in the Salt Lake Chapter. One benefit comes from being part of a group that can remain connected in the absence of gathering together. We can look after each other. We are all just a phone call away, or try some Facetime calls.
Please think about any of our older members who might live near you and need assistance with getting groceries and supplies delivered so they can stay safely sequestered at home. A little creativity here goes a long way.
If you are a member who is stuck at home and not sure who to reach out to for assistance, I invite you to e-mail me with your need/request. John@slcago.org. E-mail is preferred to a phone call so that the information can be easily and quickly shared with others as needed.
Lastly, what a great time to just loaf around and catch up on your badly needed physical and mental health. Consider the fruits of loafing around as shown in the following example:
According to an ancient Chinese legend, one day in the year 2640 B.C., Princess Si Ling-chi was sitting under a mulberry tree when a silkworm cocoon fell into her tea cup. When she tried to remove it, she noticed that the cocoon had begun to unravel in the hot liquid. She handed the loose end to her maidservant and told her to walk. The servant went out of the princess’s chamber, and into the palace courtyard, and through the palace gates, and out of the Forbidden City, and into the countryside a half mile away before the cocoon ran out. (In the West, this legend would slowly mutate over three millennia until it became the story of a physicist and an apple. Either way, the meanings are the same: great discoveries, whether of silk or gravity, are always windfalls. They happen to people loafing under trees.)
John K. Rice, Dean
john@slcago.org