IN CONCERT
What: Jazz Relief featuring Karel Roessingh, Edie DaPonte, Maureen Washington, Maria Manna, Joey Smith and Susannah Adams
Where:
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Admission: By donation
Two months ago, the number of local performers familiar with webstreaming technology was not large. But as online concerts become the norm, musicians such as pianist Karel Roessingh have been on a steep learning curve, improving their computer skills in order to continue performing for fans.
The former Highlands mayor 鈥� traditionally one of the busiest live performers in Greater Victoria 鈥� lost every one of his bookings when COVID-19 arrived, so he鈥檚 investing his hopes in a live-music platform that allows musicians to play together in real time from different locations.
An hour-long concert, Jazz Relief, will be broadcast live on Friday through the , with partial proceeds going to the Rapid Relief Fund, a joint effort of the Victoria Foundation, the Jawl Foundation and the Times 91原创.
鈥淲e are doing a lot of testing, and there鈥檚 always a possibility of a huge trainwreck,鈥� Roessingh said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut we are doing all the testing we possibly can.鈥�
The technology made rehearsals with fellow performers Edie DaPonte, Maureen Washington, Maria Manna, Joey Smith and Susannah Adams doable in the age of physical distancing. But it wasn鈥檛 always easy, with a six-camera shot not unlike the title card of The Brady Bunch series at times.
鈥淗aving all six of us on screen at one time has been dicey,鈥� Roessingh said. 鈥淵ou have to have it set just right, or the audio and video will go crazy.鈥�
Most of the performers involved with Jazz Relief have staged livestream concerts in recent weeks through the Hermann鈥檚 Jazz Club website, which has been offering online concerts since March 30.
Jazz Relief is different in one key regard: The musicians will be performing from their homes, not the stage at the View Street venue.
Thanks to technology, DaPonte (who will be in Sidney), Washington (Broadmead), Manna (Bear Mountain), Adams (James Bay), Roessingh (Highlands) and Smith (Gordon Head) will appear together, despite being separated by dozens of kilometres.
鈥淭his is the only one Hermann鈥檚 has done remotely,鈥� Roessingh said. 鈥淎ll the rest have been streamed from Hermann鈥檚. They have never done this before.鈥�
The concert Friday will feature a link to donate, which Roessingh hopes will encourage viewers to contribute. The payments received by the club will be distributed to both the Rapid Relief Fund and the musicians who performed. In the COVID-19 era, this is how musicians make their money, Roessingh said.
鈥淭housands of people have seen these concerts at Hermann鈥檚 online, and yet the musicians are making far less than they would have had they played at Hermann鈥檚. Even a tiny donation would make a vast difference.鈥�
