Finding Hope through Music: The Voices of Quarantine

Haley Griffin was heading into a busy week of senior classes at Berklee College of Music when she was told to pack up her studio apartment in Boston and move back to her home in Wisconsin. As a major in Professional Music at the distinguished university, Haley would now have to repurpose her suburban living room as a rehearsal space and concert hall.

“We didn’t really get to grieve the end of college, and now all that’s left is the workload,” Haley said. “Musicianship is like training at the gym: if you don’t train for a month, you won’t be able to lift as much as you could at the height of your strength.”

Haley was determined not to let quarantine affect her professional progress, yet she and her colleagues were met with newfound difficulties with the switch to a virtual lifestyle. Performance classes based in physicality and stage presence became impossible to replicate online. Technological delays from poor internet connections and unbalanced audio levels became obstacles to timing and rhythm, which Haley says are essential in music. 

Despite the challenges set forth by the coronavirus, three local singers decided to work harder on their craft to prove that their artistic passion cannot be extinguished by unexpected isolation. These vocalists are sharing their work with others to reinforce that music will endure, and that the virus will never be able to take their voices away.

Claudia Schabes is the president of the UW-Madison all-women acapella group Pitches and Notes. After four years of singing with Pitches, Claudia was ecstatic to participate in the group’s traditions for graduating seniors, including songs and heartfelt speeches delivered on stage. But the pandemic forced a stop to all student events for the semester.

“These girls are my best friends and have been by my side throughout all of college,” Claudia said. “When we graduate, it’s more than just ending an activity. It’s a complete restructuring of our worlds. It was hard to lose that opportunity for closure.”

Claudia and her fellow seniors surprised their friends with a virtual recording of the song ‘The Parting Glass’ on the day that was supposed to be their spring show. She said they arranged a cover of the traditional folk song to show family and friends how meaningful Pitches is to them.

The Parting Glass by Pitches and Notes Seniors

“This time is hard for everyone, no matter who you are, and music lets people share how they’re feeling in a way that resonates with a larger audience,” Claudia said. “It provides another avenue for people to be together.”

Meanwhile, Haley released her first original indie-folk song “Ferris Wheels” on streaming platforms at the beginning of May. She found that a stay-at-home order gave her time to develop her craft and gain traction in her music career.

Ferris Wheels by Haley Griffin

“It can be a distraction, it can be something to express your emotions, it can have the words you can’t articulate yourself,” Haley said. “Music is just so beautiful that way.”

To Milwaukee-based singer and vocal instructor Ellen Winters, sharing music with others is the therapy keeping her steady through this time of upheaval. 

“The quarantine has reminded me why I went to music in the first place,” Ellen said. “It’s taking me back to the times when music was the only tool I had for self-expression where I felt safe.”

Ellen turned to Facebook to provide a space for her students to gather and sing while they were isolated from each other. Armed with a core of award-winning musician friends across the country and an endless supply of show tunes, Ellen introduced virtual vocal showcases for her students.

“I think the quarantine has helped me realize just how crucial music and all of the arts are to society globally,” Ellen said. “Music allows us to explore different aspects of our personality and the arts have the ability to lift our souls.”

All three singers say they will look back on this time as a period of personal development and self-awareness. Music was the tool they needed to keep their creativity, motivation and inspiration thriving through a global pandemic.

“I think for me, it’s been about massive growth,” Haley said. “I’ve always felt that I knew myself really well, but with all these unexpected curveballs, I’ve realized I can be whoever I want to be.”

“Music gives me hope,” Claudia said. “It reminds me that I will sing in a group again. It reminds me that this pandemic will end and life will go on, and I will once again be able to sing in the same room as my friends.”

“Music has given me a place to belong and a place to be my best self,” Ellen said. “I will be grateful for the fire this pandemic lit under me to restart my own growth as a musician.”