During this difficult time, artists have been trying to find ways to practice their creativity. They have found ways to adapt and overcome the limitations of staying at-home in order to do what they love.

Having to express creativity individually has been tough for some artists. Leland Smith, an opera singer and Amador Valley senior, explains how the pandemic has changed the ways in which he performs.

“The thing I really miss from before the lockdown is performing in front of a live audience and watching live performances. These experiences really shaped my love for music and it saddens me that the pandemic has limited this. Pre-recording and performing online is not as good as performing live. I really miss the nervousness and having to convert that nervous tension into charismatic energy and musicality. You don’t really get that when you’re in front. There is also a difference in the collaborations with your colleagues and teachers via Zoom,” said Smith (‘21).

Despite the challenges he has had to overcome as a singer, Smith has used this time to further his musical abilities and work on new projects.

“During quarantine, I’ve mostly been preparing for college auditions with a lot of contrasting songs and arias. Almost every Saturday in the past month, I have gone to the conservatory for recording sessions to prepare for them or record them beforehand. I’ve been singing a lot of Mozart recently, dusting up on my Schubert lieder, French Chansons, and American/English art songs. As of right now, I am studying ‘Hai già vinta la causa,’ which is an aria from the third act of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. In the scene where this aria takes place, I play a married aristocrat, Count Almaviva, who deviously plans to have a romantic rendezvous with his servant’s fiancee on their wedding day. I set up a legal case to prevent their marriage but I overhear the lovers claiming that they will win the case, and I angrily swear that I will not allow them to outsmart me,” said Smith (‘21).

Other artists view the pandemic as a way to explore new areas of their art. Amy Wang, a senior at Amador, has used quarantine to explore different sketching techniques and ideas.

“I paint a lot with acrylics and oils, but recently I’ve been trying to do more practice with a ballpoint pen. Recently, when I go outside, I just sit somewhere, maybe in a park, or when I go hiking, I take my sketchbook with me. I try to sketch out what I see, using less tools and no correction. Previously I had not done that as much, and also, I’ve really been working on sketching people, so when I go to the park, and I see people who are playing tennis or having a picnic, I try to draw that. I’ve also become into architectural drawings and city drawings, so I’ve been practicing that as well. I have been doing research on what makes a city accessible and sustainable that is beneficial for human wellbeing, and I’m doing this research because I would like to produce a sketch drawing an actual city. Right now I only have the center of the city ready. It is a double loop and bicycle lanes, and lanes where people can walk, and bus lanes as well,” said Wang (‘21).

Like Wang, Angela Zhou, a photographer and Amador student, likes to go outside to find ideas for her art.

“I like to do nature photography, so when I go out and walk around the neighborhood, and something interesting catches my eye, or other things I find on the streets, I like to capture those. Because I try to leave my house as little as possible, it’s harder to find new subjects and so little opportunities to do so, which is why I’ve also been taking more photos indoors. I try to take pictures of things around my house, like photo’s of lights and trees,” said Zhou (‘22).

Although navigating this new experience is a challenge, artists must push through it, as Leland Smith explains.

“My advice to other artists during this pandemic is to continue to find new ways to create or fulfill your creative and artistic goals. Make connections with things or people that inspire you, come up with a daily routine, and continue to develop yourself toward your goals,” said Smith (‘21).