As it has now become widespread and commonplace, I wanted to provide an update regarding performance/event cancellations stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the affected events are:
Higdon Percussion Concerto with Longmont Symphony - April 4th - POSTPONED - possible rebooking 2021-22 season
Orphic Percussion Spring Tour - April 5th-10th - universities in OK, TX, and CA - POSTPONED - possible rebooking next season
Guest Artist at University of North Alabama - April 15th - POSTPONED - possible rebooking Fall 2020
NABBA Judging/Master Class - April 17th - CANCELED
Master Class at Miami University - April 23rd - POSTPONED - rebooking for Fall 2020
Northern CA Day of Percussion at University of the Pacific - April 25th - CANCELED
Columbus Symphony Orchestra Concert - May 2nd - CANCELED
A funny shot from my final performance before the pandemic struck — quite fitting!
Of course, this is hugely disappointing in so many ways, but very necessary for the continued social distancing measures and precautions being taken to slow the spread of the virus. I am hoping that all of these postponed gigs will be rescheduled, but there is still a large question of how next season will look, because much of those booking finalizations (particularly at universities, where I am very involved) would’ve been completed around this time, but many are unsure of their budgets/schedules with the uncertainty brought on by COVID-19. So, all I can do at this point is wait to see what next season brings. I fear the impact on bookings will stretch through next season, and likely return to “normal” for the 2021-2022 season, but everything is to be determined.
One final note: I am hosting an online miniseries on my Facebook Artist Page (http://facebook.com/cleachmusic) every Tuesday night at 8pm EDT, titled “Cameron’s COVID Concert Miniatures.” Here’s the description:
“ABOUT THE SERIES: In an effort to fight back and embrace these challenging times, I will be hosting video premieres of unseen live performances on my Facebook Artist Page (http://facebook.com/cleachmusic) on Tuesday nights at 8pm EDT. Each "episode" will be about 30 minutes in length, featuring an introduction to the piece(s) being performed, as well as some post-performance commentary. You'll see the good, bad, and ugly of live performance, and everything will be completely raw. Commentary will include general things about touring/performing and the pieces themselves, as well as specific moments/mistakes to check out when you re-watch the video (hey, that's live music for ya!). I'm hoping that for those of you who choose to tune in and find some value, that you will be able to contribute a small donation amount (around $5-10 per episode that you enjoy), in order to combat the financial struggle that this shutdown is causing. I'm hoping to keep these "virtual tickets" (donations) around the price of a coffee or beer, and of course, there's no need to donate if you don't have the means or feel inclined. My PayPal and Venmo info can be found in the description of these videos as they are premiered on my Facebook Artist Page. Thank you, and I'll see you all next week!”
And finally, I’m releasing some new commissioning projects / joining several consortiums to continue supporting composers and generating new music — be on the lookout for all of that, and let’s keep the creativity going!