HARMONY AT A DISTANCE Written by Shannon Golden Photos by Jozie Donaghey
The Delgani String Quartet is discovering safe ways to foster comfort and community through music during the pandemic.
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imberlee Uwate, Jannie Wei, Wyatt True and Eric Alterman sat together with their instruments in hand on a platform at the altar of a church. It was late October, and soft beams of afternoon sun shined through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The Delgani String Quartet began to play. Melodic sounds filled the church. Two violins, a viola and a cello joined in song. Masked concert-goers sat among mostly empty chairs. Crepe paper streamers blocked off rows of seats to ensure social distancing. A camera was set up at the back so the concert could be livestreamed. It was not unusual for the Church of Christ, Scientist in Eugene, Oregon, to be filled with music before the pandemic. The members of the Delgani String Quartet were well acquainted with the space. Its high ceilings and wooded accents created good acoustics. There were plenty of seats for Delgani’s large community of patrons. They have played many shows here in the past, but this time was different. This was Delgani’s first in-person concert since the beginning of the pandemic. Uwate, the quartet’s violist, says she found it jarring to see the space so empty. “We couldn't gather as we normally do,” she says. “We couldn’t have the same energy of a concert that we usually have.” Still, Uwate says she felt grateful to be playing at all. Despite the challenges caused by COVID-19, Eugene’s Delgani String Quartet is providing comfort and community in a time when it’s needed most. Through virtual concerts and socially distanced events, the quartet is bringing people together to share in music. The coronavirus pandemic made it impossible to safely enjoy music in social settings like before. Many music venues, concert halls and festival grounds shut down indefinitely, so people went online for this connection. In the first half of 2020, revenues from music streaming platforms grew 12 percent to
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$4.8 billion from $4.3 billion in the first half of 2019. Increases in subscriptions for services such as Apple Music, Spotify and other online music providers contributed to this spike. Musicians also found creative ways to bring live music to people virtually. Symphony orchestras live streamed their performances. The New York Times, along with other publications, began posting monthly articles that provided information about classical concerts to look forward to in the near future. Musicians used social media platforms to livestream themselves playing. Artists sang from rooftops around the world. Zachary Wallmark, a musicologist and University of Oregon professor, says music can help us feel connected to others, even when it’s virtual. Wallmark studies the relationship between music and social cognition. His most recent research project focused on the connection between music and emotion. He notes that there are overlaps between how our brains process music and interactions with others. “Music can kind of serve as a virtual substitute or a virtual social contact or social encounter. Listening to music, even if you're alone, is bringing somebody to you,” Wallmark says. “It's bringing human emotional intentions and agency straight to you, even though you're not physically together in the same space.” Historically, humans were only able to share music with each other in person through singing, musical instruments and dance. “We have hundreds of thousands of years of evolutionary history that is positioning music as essentially a social human activity,” Wallmark says. Today, technology makes it easier to find this connection virtually. “Part of the reason why I'm a classical musician is I like the fact that I don't have to be plugged into power in order to play my instrument,” Uwate says, chuckling. But in 2020, all musicians have had to become video producers, audio engineers and IT experts.