Looking back on 2020...
We can all agree that 2020 was not the year that we expected it to be. It brought many exciting opportunities and also some heartache for us and our community. As we look ahead to 2021, we thought it might be nice to revisit some of the ups and downs from the year!
This year started off on a high note. We were preparing for our first full classical recital in March. Our program was a celebration of new works and forgotten classics. Our violist Alex Mueller even wrote us a new piece to premiere. In February, we had the opportunity to perform part of our recital for the talented students in the Legacy Arts program at North Community High School. in Minneapolis. These talented students came prepared not only to listen , but also share powerful spoken word pieces and original songs. Sadly, Legacy Arts was one of the many organizations whose plans for 2020 were thwarted by COVID-19 and were unable to participate in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year. Luckily, their invitation for inclusion is extended through 2022. You can donate to support their mission on GiveMN.
In early March, Parks’ Place Memory Care invited us to perform our recital pieces for the residents there! We had so much fun playing for the residents and getting to chat with them. We also are grateful that we could share music with them before the pandemic made it unsafe to visit care facilities. Our recital performance at St. Anthony Lutheran was sadly cancelled in the middle of the final rehearsal. It was disappointing, but sometimes the show should not go on (at least in person).
You may have caught our “Songs You Can Quarantine To” series on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. It was created not just as a personal performance outlet, but as a way to give our friends and family an escape through music. We were delighted that Hallelujah Chorus, which we had shared for Easter, was viewed by over 6,500 people. We also recorded “Cantina Band” from Star Wars for May the 4th, and an original arrangement of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What A Wonderful World” for Mother’s Day
We spend much of our summer and fall performing for weddings and events. Given how fast things had changed, we weren’t quite sure what to expect for 2020. With the shift to small intimate ceremonies, we performed as soloists and duos more often than previous years. We also set a BISQ record when we received an inquiry 10 days before the wedding and the client signed a contract two days later! The couple had decided last minute to have an intimate backyard wedding, and we were so happy to be part of the celebration. We feel lucky that we were able to provide music for so many beautiful weddings this year.
Photo Credit: Nikki Jilek Photography
In a year where we are all looking to make connections wherever we can, we had the privilege of working with a number of wonderful vendors here in Twin Cities. If you’ve been following us on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen some of the styled shoots that we have been a part of. These shoots provided such a fun and collaborative creative setting for us. Check out the gallery of some of our favorite shots.
