Splendid Isolation
Online streams, classes, and more give us something fun and positive to do while quarantined
One of the best things to happen during the COVID-19 crisis of 2020 is the sharing of talent by visual artists, theatrical performers, and musicians, among others. It's a critical component to maintaining a sense of normalcy and a sense of sanity as we engage in various degrees of quarantine and "social distance." It is the collective humanity of people sharing whatever piece of joy they can offer in a difficult time.
Warren Zevon captured the wonders of self (and his disdain for others) in his 1989 dirge "Splendid Isolation." "I want to live alone in the desert," he sang. "I want to be like Georgia O'Keefe/I want to live on the Upper East Side/And never go down in the street." Oddly fitting in these moments.
Zevon's worldview wasn't necessarily an optimistic take, although it often left listeners smiling. In times like these, many of us turn to music for the reminders about the finer things in life and sometimes to remind us that things could always be worse. Whatever the muse, it helps and we've been graced by a world full of finely tuned individuals taking on quarantine in their own definitive ways.
And there's more.
To date, We've listened to the Indigo Girls during a living room concert, we heard Steve Martin played his banjo in the woods (was anyone listening?), and we've stayed up all night looking at the Aurora Borealis via live stream from a Canadian outpost. The world never looked so good. When this is over, maybe we'll all be a bit more compelled to experience the touches, sights, and smells in LIVE and in living color.
But in the meantime, we're grateful that the internet is bringing the outside world into our homes. It's keeping our minds fresh and our spirits high.
LOCAL Streams:
Virtual Jefferson Society Lectures via JES.org
Erie Phil From Home on their YouTube channel
Free online ballet classes from the Erie Dance Conservatory
Lots of Other Cool Science Stuff from Mother Nature, et al.
Aurora Borealis and Lots of Other Cool Sights courtesy of Mother Nature and the live cams at Explore.org
Coding for Kids at Code at Code Wizards HQ
28 Days of STEM and STEAM for Kids courtesy of Left Brain Craft Brain
Virtual Dissection Labs at STEAM Powered Family
Music and Concerts
Virtual Concerts (Updates Daily) via NPR
CBS News Saturday Sessions
Keep Calm and Be Nice
Kids Yoga Online at Preschool Inspirations
Sesame Street: Caring for Each Other
Keep Your Brain Fresh
25 Sources of FREE Public Domain Books at ebookfriendly.com
450 Ivy League Classes gathered at Free Code Camp
Scholastic: Learn at Home (For Kids)
Keep It Creative
Disney: Imagineering in a Box
Free Adobe Creative Cloud for Students, linked via TechRadar
Do you have a local stream that you'd like us to add to this list? Email us at contact@eriereader.com with the subject line "Online Streaming".
Jim Wertz can be reached at jwertz@eriereader.com.
