Locked in! Music at a distance

What is music if you can’t even listen to it live? For 21 years, Bê Ignacio and her husband depended on international concerts, until, all of a sudden, everything changed. The closure of all venues essentially put artists and performers out of a job.

If every concert gets cancelled overnight, will I still have a job in the future? That was the question that I struggled to get to grips with at the start of the pandemic. Artists like me have been hit especially hard by the coronavirus crisis. We were not prepared for this.

As I sat there looking at my calendar with 80 cancelled concerts, I decided there was no time to waste. We didn’t have any money coming in anymore, and I wrote desperately to my friends. Suddenly the idea came to me: “Anyone can sing”. I decided to offer online singing lessons, especially to those looking for some escapism from the coronavirus crisis. This turned out to be a huge success.

When I started with nothing, I used any free channels I could find on my iPhone and did lots of testing. I adapted to the needs of my students and the many different cultures and languages I came across, and I learnt a valuable lesson about how singing can unite us all over the world, and the amazing energy it gives us. By training our vocals, we become more confident, considerate and more attentive to both ourselves and other people. It makes us feel connected, it helps with stress and is really good for breathing as well. I was able to help a lot of people online, be it young or old, through these tough times

A portable singing coach

With21 years in the music industry and a year of online experience under my belt, I was able to come up with my own unique technique. With my vocal coach app “singmefree”, my students can access my training sessions any time, any place and whenever it suits them! If they want upfront feedback, they can book an appointment with me online.

The challenge for me was making the exercises simple, clear and intuitive, whilst also getting across my own personality. I wanted them to come alive. Here’s an example for you: I call my relaxation sessions, which involve breathing and rhythm exercises, “Mach dich locker, Babe” (“Just relax, Baby!”). There are six of these sessions of three to six minutes, and they focus on voice, posture and general well-being.

For the first 50 videos, which I shot over the course of five days, I borrowed some equipment. This took a lot of effort, but it really helped me focus. On the fifth day, I’d got the hang of it.

Life is hectic, time is short, and we need a lot of flexibility to make our ambitions a reality. This is why cultural content online continues to be very valuable, even after the crisis. Culture is essential, and it always finds us in the end. Ultimately, this also helped me try something different. Today, “digitainment”, alongside my concerts, accounts for the majority of my income.

Due to the current situation, Connecta Bern will again be held as a digital event in 2021. Connecta is renowned for shining a light on the diverse nature of digitization and this year will be no different with content presented across the three formats of Connecta Blog, Connecta TV and Connecta Talk. Find out more here: www.swisspost.ch/connecta.