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Musicians fine-tune their work

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It wasn’t only their instruments that needed fine-tuning when COVID-19 hit home.

Like most others, Angamus Duo, made up of violinist Chin-Hwi Ang and pianist Greg Paterson OAM, were forced to adapt in the months that followed from their last live show on Tuesday 17 March.

The pair, who had a residency at Wests New Lambton, would normally play at the popular location twice a week. 

Ang said it took some time for the pandemic’s impact to sink in.

“I had to come to terms with the fact that my main source of income was gone,” she said.

“We’ve been this dynamic duo for the last 10 years and music, for both Greg and I, has been a huge part of our life.

“We’ve had to adapt to the changes more than ever [before] during this time.

“It has been one of the toughest things we’ve gone through.”

To help fill the gap that was left by the cancellation of their live shows, Ang and Paterson turned to the virtual world to create a new experience.

Every Thursday at 3pm, the duo livestreams a concert through video conferencing app Zoom.

Called Happy Hour, the virtual concerts are a way for music lovers to connect with the pair.

Ang said they choose a theme each week and play through a set while asking their listeners questions.

“It was quite clear that people were feeling more depressed and anxious – I  can’t even imagine what it was like for people who don’t have a lot of social support, so we wanted to do something,” Ang said.

“It does take a little while to get used to it, it’s just the interaction between the duo and our subscribers – it’s kind of like talk back radio.

“[It’s a chance] to stay indoors and tune into something if you are feeling really vulnerable and, because we are COVIDSafe, it’s nice to know that if anything does happen, we can still continue.

“We can create something just as magical as if they were here with us.”

Go to the duo’s website for more information or to subscribe.

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