Light Sprinkles of Joy

During this coronavirus pandemic, there are myriad of folks on the frontlines – people risking their health while protecting ours, keeping our communities safe, educating children from afar, allowing us to eat, supplying critical items, sharing informative news, picking up our garbage, delivering packages – who are providing a vital service on a daily basis for our general well-being. They are treating the sick, and helping the rest of us stay well. To them, I say “thank you.”

In addition, there are countless individuals and groups – arts organizations, musicians, performers, museums, libraries, educational entities, community institutions – who have tapped into their own ingenuity to bring us together even when we are apart. They are offering up an assortment of smiles for our souls and lifting up our emotional well-being. To them, I also say “thank you.”

All combined, this is essential. We remain #AloneTogether.

Back in March, I started to keep a running list of some virtual opportunities which caught my eye. These were my initial #LightSprinkles of joy. We need joy, now more than ever. You can still tap into these 120 (!) goodies; many are ongoing for the duration of this health crisis. Now, in May, here are some fresh ideas and inspirations. This covid19 situation brings new meaning to a famous saying by renowned dancer Twyla Tharp, “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.”

What is your favorite below? What would you add? What brings you joy? Like the sprinkles in the photo, I hope you feel the sprinkles in your spirit. I invite and welcome your comments. 

Feel the music groove.

1.    Enjoy a free video series with live-streamed shows by jazz artists, since the annual summer jazz festival has been postponed. Thank you, DC Jazz Fest.

2.    Find some healing through a weekly remembrance in the form of a short concert honoring and celebrating those who have left us too soon due to covid19. #MemorialforUsALL. Thank you, Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma, and Lincoln Center.

3.    Lose yourself in the splendor of virtual orchestral masterpieces, like in New York or Milwaukee or Baltimore. Thank you, New York Philharmonic. Thank you, Milwaukee Symphony. Thank you, Baltimore Symphony.

4.    Catch unique performances and pageantry from 41 countries across Europe through a panoply of home concerts and a grand finale on May 16. Thank you, Eurovision.

5.    Attend a live virtual music ritual for mourning, community, and healing on May 17. #PassingNotes. Thank you, Tory Anthony, Jerome Ellis, and The Shed.

6.    Watch theater casts around the world come together with uplifting musical performances. Thank you, TodayTix.

7.    Check out a set with jazz club resident artists, literally from their residence. Thank you, Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Emmet Cohen, Jim Caruso, and Birdland Jazz.

8.    Eavesdrop on a weekly live energetic, and socially distanced, jam session. #EavesdropOnFred. I saw him play live last year at Blues Alley, and he blew me away with the harmonica! Thank you, Frederic Yonnet and The Band with No Name.

Discover new entertainment.

9.    Join a soiree on May 9 with a premier Chicago theater company and celebrity artists. #PantsOptional. Thank you, Steppenwolf.

10. Post your own artistic dedication and be part of a community pausing to recognize our shared humanity. #HumanityInConcert. Thank you again, Lincoln Center.

11. Watch great digital ballet offerings from around the world in the month of May. Thank you, New York City Ballet, Scottish Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet.

12. Celebrate being indoors with quirky challenges and follow along each week of May. #MayHomeChallenge. Thank you, Stephen Colbert.

13. Enjoy a Mother’s Day matinee variety show on May 10. Thank you, Broadway stars.

14. Honor our troops, veterans, wounded warriors and their families with an online National Memorial Day Concert on May 24. Thank you, PBS and all those who have valiantly served our country.

15. Be captivated by remarkable storytellers on May 27. I never miss one of their lives shows. I won’t miss this virtual one either. Thank you, Pop Up Magazine and Google.

Enrich your learning.

16. Tune into to a live audio broadcast of oral arguments for 13 cases before the US Supreme Court for the first time in its 230-year history. Thank you, US Supreme Court.

17. Experiment with delish dish recipes to spice up quarantine. #RecipesForThePeople. Thank you, Jose Andres and other culinary wizards.

18. Better understand the world outside while you stay inside. Thank you, New York Times Event Hub.

19. Listen to some of the world’s leading thinkers thoughtfully debate, in a new virtual format, on issues that will shape our planet in the months ahead. Thank you, Intelligence Squared.

20. Learn a creative secret and how to do something new, from a fascinating community of writers, comedians, filmmakers, photographers, and podcast producers. #HeresHow. Thank you again, Pop Up Magazine.

21. Dabble in a new eclectic class from May 14-June 11, or read a weekly digital digest that’s entertaining and insightful. Thank you, Smithsonian Associates.

Bring out your inner artistic or literary muse.

22. Find comfort in a weekly poetry workshop. Thank you, Brooklyn Public Library.

23. Sketch in a weekly digital workshop about portraying the human body. Thank you, National Portrait Gallery.

24. Submit a video for a worldwide virtual open casting call for Broadway’s first Korean musical. Thank you, KPOP on Broadway.

25. Keep clicking your camera with 22 photo projects inside your home. Thank you, Photo Shelter and Feature Shoot.

26. Explore diversity of art and perspectives on May 18 for International Museum Day. For instance, here’s one planned BYT/IG Live Takeover with institutions in Boston, NYC, and DC. #IMD2020. #MuseumFromHome. #MuseumsAndChill. Thank you, International Council of Museums and thousands of museums around the globe.

27. Join doodlers of all ages for the “Yo Yo Mo Show” on May 31. Thank you, Mo Willems, Yo-Yo Ma, and the Kennedy Center.

28. Add your voice to a large-scale aerial art installation that could hang over the National Mall. #ChangeInTheAir. #WhatIfWeHad. #WhenThisIsOver. Thank you, Poetic Kinetics.

Stimulate your kids.

29. Use pots and pans in new ways, and use a ping-pong ball to match a jingle. Thank you, Scott Ryan. Thank you, Samuel Grubbs.

30. Showcase your best silly walk. Thank you, silly walking zones.

31. Create whimsical drawings, kids and grown-up pals alike, to thank frontline and essential workers. #ThankORama. Thank you again, Mo Willems and the Kennedy Center as well as Disney Publishing Worldwide.

32. Fire up your computer and celebrate America’s high school graduates at three different historic virtual nationwide events - #Graduation2020 on May 15, #GraduateTogether on May 16, and #DearClass2020 on June 6 - with global leaders, celebrities, creators, cultural icons, including Oprah Winfrey, Barack and Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, and more. Thank you, Facebook and Instagram. Thank you, XQ Institute, LeBron James Family Foundation, and The Entertainment Industry Foundation. Thank you, YouTube.

Move your body.

33. See if you’ve got dance swagger like these nurses in Missouri or Florida. Thank you, health care professionals everywhere for your hard work.

34. Tone up with a daily workout. #OrangeTheoryAtHome. Thank you, Orange Theory Fitness.

Or… just be still.

35. Sample a collection of free soothing audio experiences designed to invite relaxation and sleep. Thank you, Audible.

36. Try meditation and mindfulness tools – a free sample for everyone; plus an expanded free suite for covid19 healthcare workers; K-12 educators; and now a one-year subscription at no cost if you are unemployed in the USA (sign up by June 30). Thank you, Headspace.

Hope that this is useful. Here’s my wish for us all – may we be safe, be well, and be joyful.