SERAPHIC FIRE: A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF OUR ARTISTS You may be wondering: how are Seraphic Fire artists keeping busy during the pandemic? Patrick Quigley sat down with Brenna Wells and Reggie Mobley to learn more about their passions and how they’ve restructured their time since March 2020.
Brenna Wells PDQ: We all know and love you as one of our Seraphic Fire sopranos, but you own your own business in Washington state. Can you tell us about what you do? BW: I continue to work as a freelance soprano in my own state and across the US, but I wanted to diversify my professional life and make a difference in my community. Five years ago, I opened my business: Little Sprouts Music Together. I teach Music Together classes and curriculum - an international research and evidence-based early childhood music curriculum. We teach the fundamentals of music to children ages 0-6 and their parents or caregivers. This helps children build not only their musical skills, but also supports their entire development. Anyone can be musical, especially when encouraged and nurtured from an early age. PDQ: How has the pandemic affected how you run your business? BW: The pandemic essentially shut down my business, as it did for all the performing arts ensembles I work with and love. It became clear early on that I would need to “pivot” quickly or risk losing my entire livelihood and all the hard work I’d poured into starting this new business. I decided to move my classes online. After observing a wonderful dance class my sons attended, I jumped into offering my Music Together classes via Zoom, as well as “on demand” via my website. It was a steep learning curve, but once I learned all the new technology and how to streamline it for my use and the family’s use, it was up and we were off and running! PDQ: How has your career as a singer influenced how you adapted to this change? BW: As professional singers, we are very used to adapting to any situation. We are constantly traveling, getting sick at the least opportune time, sleeping and living in an unusual new space, singing with new people, new conductors, new music, new and maybe not-so-great venues, jumping into a gig at the last minute, etc. We are very good at adapting, making changes, overcoming physical and emotional obstacles, and always showing up and getting the job done. It’s what we do. I feel this crazy life prepared me for being able to adapt and overcome this giant obstacle.
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PDQ: If you could go back and tell yourself one thing at the beginning of the pandemic, what would it be? BW: Ha! I think the quote I often joke about is “little did she know . . .” But, in all seriousness, I would tell myself, “we are all feeling the same overwhelming feelings right now .” I would tell myself to breathe more; to trust that the path I was about to embark on would be appreciated, loved, and needed especially now . I would also tell myself to be more patient and that this would be a long process filled with more unknowns than I could have ever imagined . PDQ: What excites you most about the future following this? BW: I am excited that Music Together decided to launch this online mode of teaching and that I can now offer my classes this way . I have reconnected with families who had moved away from the Seattle area and who are now excited to be back in my virtual classroom . I believe this is also an exciting avenue to reach families who might not have the ability to come to class due to disabilities or auto-immune issues . I have even had a few families with children who’ve been seriously ill and hospitalized recently . They’ve been able to watch and even participate in my classes from their hospital rooms, and the parents have shared with me that it was crucial to their recovery process . I want to create a community of musical children and parents and I truly believe that we can make the world a kinder and more compassionate place through music .
