From the desk of “just when you thought it couldn’t get worse”… The San Diego Zoo announced that members of its gorilla troop have tested positive for Covid-19. Apparently, they showed mild symptoms of the virus so, thinking quickly, the administrators sent in the youngest member of the zoo’s team to stick a cotton swab up the noses of the infected gorillas… Then they sent the second member of the team… Then the third. I’m only kidding because, most likely, the only human who could have done a rapid Covid test on a gorilla would have been Dian Fossey and, unfortunately, the late primatologist is unavailable, so they actually examined fecal matter to make their prognosis. Still, no matter how they test the gorillas and get their results, this is upsetting news. Yet while the CDC has posted on its website that the spread of the virus from animals to humans is a rarity, the CDC says the virus originated in bats and that the first reported infections were linked to a live animal market.
Lions & Tigers & Minks — Oh My!
It seems that dogs and cats can also become infected with Covid-19. So while the CDC website states that the virus appears to spread from people to animals and not the other way around, they also admit “we are still learning about this virus.” It seems that large cats such as lions, tigers, snow leopards and pumas have tested positive for the virus after being exposed to infected humans. Again, anyone who’s undergone a Covid-19 test can understand how delicate an operation it is to get a Q-tip up the nose of a 500-pound lion or tiger, not to mention quick-to-anger pumas or reclusive snow leopards. All kidding aside, it’s the minks that we need to worry about, as the virus has been reported on mink farms in multiple countries. Most other animals express mild symptoms, but an increase in mink deaths has been reported around the world. As also reported, the virus spread from humans to the minks — not the other way around — and while the CDC reports that infection from animals is low, there is a higher risk for people working on mink farms. Go figure.
So, what’s the takeaway from all of this? Get your household animals tested and, if they test positive, quarantine them. Don’t go to the zoo, and avoid any places that might bring you in contact with large cats or gorillas. Lastly, do not hang out at mink farms or associate with mink farm workers. Get vaccinated. The good news is that the developers of the vaccine, Pfizer and Moderna, both report that the vaccination is known to be 95 percent effective in preventing one from getting sick. The not-so-good news? It’s still unclear as to whether (or not) the vaccine can prevent asymptomatic infection and transmission. This is all still very new and not all the information is in, but the idea is to reach herd immunity. This would mean that 75 to 80 percent of the population is immune to the virus; however, reaching that number might not be that easy, as new strains keep emerging. Therefore, even if one is vaccinated, the suggestion is to still wear a mask and keep social distancing so as to reduce transmission.
Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It’s Back to Work We Go
This is important information to keep in mind, considering that Congress has passed the $15 billion Save Our Stages Act. This bill offers grants for qualifying music venues, museums, zoos and aquariums that have lost 70 to 90 percent of their revenue over the past year. I suggest that we remain ever-vigilant in our long road back to, once again, being productive members of society and doing what it is we do. It’s comforting to know that there will be music venues for us to work in once we conquer the virus, but it’s also reassuring to know that museums, zoos and aquariums will be able to survive, as there’s a lot of audio for events at these locations. While working at Madison Square Garden or the Beacon Theater is always fun, mixing at The Guggenheim Museum or Museum of Modern Art can be an interesting test of one’s skills. The theaters are comparatively easy, since they usually have a stage, runs for snakes, space for racks and consoles, hang points, and a crew, while event spaces require a bit of improvisation. The Whale room at The Natural History Museum always provides an interesting test of one’s abilities; and bringing in audio for a wedding at The Central Park Zoo poses multiple challenges, not the least of which is being scolded or splashed by seals.
It’s easy to complain about the negative aspects of all these spaces, and “bringing sound where it doesn’t belong” was our call to arms when doing these events.
The Impossible Dream
Hired by people who thought it would be romantic or exciting to book a name act for their event, in a not so perfect venue, they would then pepper us with classic rhetorical lines such as, “This isn’t Madison Square Garden” as we loaded in the required equipment to get us through the night. Not only would they complain about the amount of gear, but also such things as the placement of the console and the color of the speakers.
Clients would ask for impossible production feats. For example, striking the stage after one song to put up a video screen so they could run a slide show. They would show us their implausible run of show and demand we stay on schedule: 9 p.m., band plays a song; 9:10 p.m., clear the stage and set video; 9:15 p.m., video presentation; 9:25 p.m., reset the stage; 9:30 p.m., band plays again. We would explain that what they were asking for was impossible, and with much weeping and gnashing of teeth, we would present them with a revised and practical production schedule. Of course, by the end of the night, after the success of their event, all was set right, and we would load out to prepare for the next day’s show or event.
Things That I Miss
After a year of basically sitting idle and waiting for our part of the universe to right itself, I miss the things I used to do. I miss negotiating speaker placement and being told to turn down the band. I miss feeling that satisfying thump of the kick drum. I miss the contented feeling I would get after hitting the sweet spot with the mix. I miss knowing that the gorillas are okay. I miss the security of understanding that while the big cats could eat me, at least they wouldn’t infect me with a deadly disease. I miss the excitement of a crowd. I miss the rush of doing a live show!
