House Calls: How the pandemic was a good thing for musician Natasha Blackwood
Even though COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in Newfoundland and Labrador, we're still living with a lot of changes brought on by the pandemic.
As part of a new CBC N.L. series called House Calls, we caught up with a few Newfoundland and Labrador musicians by video call to see where — and how — they've been making music and to talk about coming out of the pandemic.
In this episode, St. John's singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and arranger Natasha Blackwood plays two new songs and talks about how the pandemic forced her to slow down and change her music and her personal life.
Blackwood says when COVID kept her from playing with large ensembles, she learned to play guitar to accompany herself. When the pandemic kept people at home and cancelled activities, she seized the opportunity to spend more quality time with her kids and examine life.
"When everything slowed down and stopped and we were all home all the time, we really had to evaluate how we'd been living," said Blackwood.
"What really matters is are you fulfilled as a person? Do you feel connected to the people that are around you? Do you feel supported and loved?… That's what really matters if you're talking about enjoying your life, but now we have this different outlook."
Look out for future episodes of House Calls for more virtual visits to home studios around Newfoundland and Labrador and intimate live performances from the province's musicians.
