Larrakia Country, Darwin, Northern Territory.
Larrakia Country, Darwin, Northern Territory.
Aldous Huxley
This pandemic has been exhausting for everyone, to say the least. But music was one thing that helped me feel joy. It helped me get through this great almighty pandemic.
As at 2022, I have worked full time on COVID-19 as a health worker/communications specialist for more than two years and counting. Throughout this relentless pandemic, it became more important than ever to find places of joy, amidst the sorrow, the pain and the uncertainty.
Enter EDMusos. ED stands for Emergency Departments. This was a wellness and joy project (2020-2021) created by an inspiring friend in 2020 to support fellow emergency medicine specialists and staff working in Emergency Departments in Australia and Aotearoa NZ. At the time I was working in emergency medicine.
Being a member of EDMusos has been such fun. Moments of joy and the best morale booster singing with friends and colleagues. Please note: health workers and staff participated in this in personal time, outside of working hours.
I still smile listening to the joy in our voices. It lifted spirits, mine included, on Christmas Eve 2020. I worked through Christmas on COVID-19 but this little slice of joy did wonders for the spirit. Enjoy!
Te Aroha means 'love' in te reo Māori . Sung together by Australians and New Zealanders. This song is often sung in Aotearoa New Zealand by young and old alike throughout preschools, high schools, universities, government agencies and Parliament at formal and informal gatherings.
This production was near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne Victoria in 2020, soon after the deadly second wave. A whole new world that was, at times, very traumatic.
Participants sang in EDMusos videos in our own personal time, outside of working hours.
I started capturing the unprecedented times in Melbourne by blogging at viennarichards.org