Splendid Isolation

karrastock

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.