The Tempo of the Summer

This summer played out in a somber minor key, adagio with seemingly no cadences. The pandemic and continuous acts of racism have brought a sense of perpetual doom to many.

After the sadness that came with going home, Cornell students were still able to experience a virtual Slope Day filled with exciting live performances. This made me realize that music can exist no matter the situation, even during a pandemic.

At Cornell, I had to desperately find time to visit the practice rooms in Lincoln Hall. But going back home was actually a blessing in disguise. It gave me the opportunity to fall back into my routine of daily piano playing. The keys under my fingertips transported me out of quarantine and into the worlds of Chopin and Debussy, swiftly evading any feeling of being trapped inside.

Not only did I get to play more, but I also listened more. My favorite artists including keshi, UMI, and Taylor Swift took advantage of this time to bless fans with new releases. I discovered emerging artists too, spending hours browsing through Spotify. I also made a playlist for every possible occasion, from a “oui oui baguette” French playlist to a “my essay is due at 11:59” one (my procrastinator self is listening to this currently). Blasting these in my room felt like my own personal concert, and my appreciation for the artists only grew for giving me this newfound vitality.

After the adagio came, the harmony modulated towards a more light-paced, cheerful tempo. Even with all the minor chords of the summer, musicians, including myself, adapted, creating and listening to more music than ever before. The barriers of masks and social distancing mean little when there is so much music to be heard.