I was in stormy Louisville, KY on March 12th. Thousands of pounds of guitars and pelican cases had just been unloaded off the semi trucks when our tour manager texted the team and told us to pack it up. COVID-19 was here, and the tour was canceled (along with side gigs, future concerts, recording sessions, in-person lessons, etc.). Every musician around the world collectively started to panic, tabulating plan B, C, and D.
I am grateful for the way Kairos has responded to the Coronavirus, prioritizing the care and continued financial support of all 1099 contract employees, and providing deeply appreciated stability for cleaners, childcare workers, and even us loud musicians during a time of uncertainty. I am equally impressed with our musicians, generously sharing their unique skill-sets to collaborate and record from their living rooms, serving the community in a manner authentic to Kairos.
Despite the havoc quarantine has wreaked, it has delivered its fair share of glorious gifts: Marie Kondo’d closets, Tiger King binge-athons, and split screen Sunday mornings featuring pink-haired Anthony Aparo playing bass AND dad-shorts-and-hat wearing Anthony Aparo simultaneously killing it on the drums AT THE SAME TIME! It has also presented the opportunity for me to sample this foreign legend called “spending Sunday with family” for the first time in over 15 years! Sarah and I have thoroughly loved streaming the services, mesmerized by the Old Testament beards (Evan Fricks coined the term), and experiencing the Lord’s Table with our banana-and-almond-milk communion.
We extend our deepest compassion and love for the pain attributed to the virus, and prayers of gratitude for the connection and innovation caused by it. Peace be with you, and thank you for bringing some of it to us professional musicians.
– Derek Mount
*Derek serves Kairos as our worship service producer and as a musician