Inside isolation

Jenna Smith, Associate Principal Trumpet

My day starts with some form of exercise; Pilates, a run around Lake Monger or a bike ride to the beach. Then I'll dedicate most of the day to trumpet practice. I've really been enjoying spending time on music and aspects of my playing that I wouldn't have the luxury to work on during "normal" life. 

I've been learning guitar for the last two months. I'm still very much a beginner, but it's been a fun way to break up my trumpet practice. Once I finish my practice I spend a bit of time doing watercolour painting. I'm going a bit better with that than I am on guitar.

After my husband finishes work we've been going for walks around our local park. It's my favourite part of the day, and definitely something I want to keep doing when life becomes "normal" again.

At the end of the day I've been cooking new recipes since I've got a bit more time on my hands. The best meal so far has been homemade gnocchi, yum!

Melanie Pearn, Violin

Each day begins the same as prior to COVID-19, getting up just before 5am to go for a 6km run with the dog. In the early days of the shutdown when the shops were barren and schools/day care were still open and I had a few blissful child-free days, I would make multiple shopping trips to buy enough food to feed a hungry family of six – my weekly grocery shop was no longer possible with the limits in place.

When the schools shut, the reality of home-schooling three kids (Pre-primary, Year 2 and Year 4) with a headstrong three-nager running around looked to be a long road ahead. My husband avoided this home chaos by being required to teach online from his comfortable and quiet office at school.

All my plans for book reading, tidying, cleaning, gardening and enjoying peaceful alone time were shattered. Playing the violin was beginning to look like a distant memory. The home-schooling was a lot of fun, and our days ran like a school day with breaks for recess and lunch, conducting many science experiments and utilising many educational online activities and resources. It was great to be able to spend so much time with all my children and watch them learn and discover new things without the usual distractions and rushing around.

Having a band of helpers has also proven very useful in turning our garden jungle of grass and plants into a cleaner and tidier garden where all the plants are now visible with space around them. My house is much cleaner and tidier than it has ever been, including cleaning all the little fingerprints (and footprints) off walls that slowly appear over time - they all thought I was going mad when I started scrubbing walls, doors and cupboards!

Many board games have been played together, lots of movies watched, trips to the oval to kick the footy and many long walks/bike rides to count all the stuffed toys and generally tire everyone out. Now that the schools are back to normal, after the daily walk to and from school, my three-year-old keeps me busy playing ‘match,’ mums and babies, doctors, fulfilling the many baking requests and watching her learn to ride a bike (without training wheels) so she can keep up with the others.

I snatch the odd half an hour to reacquaint with my violin, the books will still be there to read another day, and hopefully I can keep on top of the mundane home jobs once things return to normal since fingers crossed this is a once in a lifetime experience.

Liz Chee, Associate Principal Oboe

I have been trying to stick to a bit of a routine, which includes long dogs walks with fellow dog owners of WASO, craft, socialising, cooking, some study, practice, a TV series, cleaning and teaching. 

My dog Jess Chee has been a great companion to me during this time and every day we go for two walks. Since restrictions have eased I have been able to go for weekly walks with Kate Sullivan (Violin), her son Oscar, and dogs Mason and Winnie, Mary Anne Blades (Flute) with her dog Toto, Leanne Glover (Cor Anglais) with her dogs Billie and Toby and Chloe Turner (Contrabassoon) with Betty and Ebony. It’s been great for me to go from Marmion dog beach to the Swan river, Yokine Reserve to Perry Lakes and all the other great places in Perth you can take your hounds. 

I have embraced the knitting loom, so most nights whilst watching TV I have been making beanies for my nieces and nephew as well as for a few friend’s kids. Other craft I have tried to learn during this time includes friendship bracelets, macramé necklace making and French knitting (with a ‘Knitting Nancy’).

I’ve taken advantage of the musicals on offer on YouTube. Every week one Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is available to watch for 48 hours. I’ve watched Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies and Cats. I’ve also watched the Stephen Sondheim 90th birthday celebrations with two hours of Sondheim songs being performed by actors and singers. 

In my Oboe practice during this time I have tried learning movements of a new concerto by Nigel Westlake, as well as revisit old solo pieces and concertos that I haven’t had the time to play for a while. This week I’m meeting up with Leanne Glover to play Cor Anglais duets. 

My house and garden have had some good cleaning and revamping during this time. I did some rock art painting and wood staining at the start of lockdown and also lots of potting of succulents. I even got onto diamond art so there’s a few of them on my wall too. 

My current projects are to do a duet with the Principal Oboe of the QSO, learn how to use an Afghan Loom and making Limoncello and mandarin liqueur. 

Safe to say I’m not bored yet!