Cutting Edge
Screen grab of a rehearsal for a collaborative livestreamed concert at Ars Electronica in Austria in August

Lessons learned in iso

Challenging scenarios for collaborative, COVID music making

The impact of the pandemic for music performers was swift and comprehensive, with concert cancellations cascading into the months ahead. Yet we quickly mobilised to continue music making however possible: we pursued collaborations across fences, through the mail and in the cloud.

Working online left us at the mercy of our Internet connection and our understanding of how microphones work. We quickly upskilled our audio recording skills, becoming familiar with online meeting tools and their hidden ‘audio settings’. We downloaded new software and started using terms that only...