During a recent “Happy Hour” livestream event — dubbed ‘Touring’s Out. Now What?’— we invited two distinguished musicians to discuss the professional changes they’ve made amid the coronavirus-prompted suspension of concerts and music festivals.
Happy Hour Guests
- Grecco Buratto — In addition to working with artists such as Gwen Stefani, Shakira, BTS, and the Backstreet Boys, to name just some, the guitar-meister, producer and Brazil native has written for a number of notable visual-media projects. He’s also released a Portuguese-language album, Essas Coisas Todas.
- Lachy Doley — Besides frequently collaborating with prominent acts, the veteran artist, songwriter, and keyboard specialist has released four studio albums with his eponymous band and played north of 300 gigs since 2011.
The discussion was moderated by Songtradr CXO, Victoria Wiltshire.
Touring’s Out
Both Buratto and Doley said they maintained extremely active touring schedules prior to the pandemic – and, in turn, that they’ve been without a key source of income for about half a year.
Just before the crisis’ onset, Buratto had traveled to Portugal to rehearse for a European tour, which he expected to precede 10 shows in China and a more than month-long concert series in the U.S., Canada, and possibly Australia.
The five-language polyglot summed up his pre-bug situation: “I was already dealing with 2021.”
The pandemic forced Doley to halt his 25-show Australian tour at its halfway point, and the “Stop Listening to the Blues” creator also shelved plans to play Europe and Canada.
“You still see in your diary, you know, you see the dates of where you were meant to be. … Yeah, so all that was just wiped clean instantly,” Doley told viewers and his fellow panelist.
Despite the differences between their careers – and their locations – both Doley and Buratto quickly adopted a positive mindset and adapted to the new normal.
“Of course I was bummed because, you know, my whole schedule, my whole source of income just disappeared,” said Buratto. “I kind of switched gears almost immediately; I had a list of things that I needed to do, a couple albums that I was producing. And it was like, ‘Alright, well, we’re not going anywhere for a little while, so I’m just gonna go through my list and cross everything that I’ve been meaning to cross but didn’t have time.’”
The “Só Uma Chance” singer credited his savings and a steady regimen of meditation for rendering him calm, focused, and ready to make the most of a decidedly less-than-desirable reality.
“This is the situation,” he said, “and what can I do to work with it and not be ruled by it. I think that definitely helped.”
Shortly after it became impossible to tour (or even perform before a traditional crowd), Doley also switched his focus.
“As soon as it all happened, I just had a little bit of a freak out, you know, because I’ve got a family and a small little one,” stated Doley.
“Gigs are gone, there’s no money coming in. And I just sort of went, ‘Alright, I’ve just got to do as much work as I possibly can to try and keep it coming in and work out ways I can bring in new ways of earning money.’”
For the “A Woman” artist, these new means of earning cash in music included offering lessons, livestreaming, and focusing more closely on his own projects. Additionally, in keeping with Buratto’s advice to make the most of a trying period, Doley has embraced multiple unexpected positives.
Having a break from playing – he spent over three months touring internationally in 2019 – has proven refreshing, and he’s even transitioned to a rehearsal studio. A friend suggested that he reach out to some of the (otherwise unoccupied) establishments, and after doing so, Doley managed to score an excellent deal.
“I ended up ringing up a few rehearsal studios, and they were totally empty. And I’ve been in one for the last four months probably for what it costs to hire it for a day. … It makes me wonder how I’m going to go back when I can’t afford to have that space anymore.”
Plus, each of the Happy Hour guests relayed that they’re using the time to sharpen their skills and broaden their knowledge.
Buratto enrolled in an orchestration course – something he’d previously been unable to do, owing to his packed touring schedule – prioritized writing, and began mastering new software.
“I started learning Logic, which I’m a Pro Tools guy and have always been,” said the Guitar Institute of Technology graduate.
Doley noted the immense benefits that have accompanied his livestreaming and playing solo, without the instrumental support of his bandmates.
“I think that’s probably the biggest thing that I’ve sort of learned, is practicing just being able to accompany myself all on my lonesome. … It’s just discovering that I can actually do it and that people enjoy it even if it doesn’t have the raucous energy.”
And by staying active, learning, and expanding their professional horizons amid the pandemic, Doley and Buratto have been setting themselves up for success in more ways than one.
“Just keeping very busy, basically, I find that if I’m busy, I’m in a good headspace,” Doley said, and Buratto promptly agreed.
Buratto also suggested that the eventual transition from this self-centered norm and back to the pre-virus standard may bring with it a new collection of considerations (and potential challenges).
“It’s gonna be an interesting thing going back to work for other people,” said the Boyz II Men session musician. “Because during this time, a lot of us have been developing our own businesses. It doesn’t matter how small they are – they’re ours, and we’ve been investing energy or investing time.”
“It’ll be interesting going back to some sort of – the old norm, where you’re working for somebody else’s dream.”
With any luck, musicians will draw upon the perspective and knowledge they gained throughout the pandemic to effectively strike a balance between the pursuit of others’ goals and the realization of their own dreams.
Fans can catch the full replay of the Songtradr Happy Hour on YouTube. The next edition – scheduled for Thursday, September 17th – will explore the reach and significance of hip-hop music with giants of the scene, Murs and Havoc of Mobb Deep. Join us on Facebook Live.
Watch the full panel discussion:
Watch other Songtradr Happy Hour Sessions in full:
- Power Songwriting for Sync Placement
- Up Close and Personal with Hit Filmmaker Jon Turteltaub
- Pitching Yourself to the Industry
- Music for Gaming: What’s Working + What’s Ahead
- Balancing Branding with Artistry
- Music Through the Ages: Soundtrack or Catalyst for Change?
- How to Make Money with Your Music: Monetization Tips for Indie Artists
- Music Supervisor Roundtable: How the Music & Media Business Has Been Impacted by COVID-19
The content of this post was adapted from an article written by Paul Resnikoff and Dylan Smith, originally published in Digital Music News, as a broader partnership with Songtradr.
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