menu Home chevron_right
SCIENCE

Being a professional musician during a pandemic.

Benn Jordan | December 11, 2025



No gear here, just my perspective on how to best deal with the current crisis.

Thanks to my partner, CuriosityStream. Click for a good deal or free trial on a library of documentaries: https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-8843609-12658720

Written by Benn Jordan

Comments

This post currently has 39 comments.

  1. @BennJordan

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    Hey everyone. Thanks for the kind words. It has come to my attention that "The Epoch Times" has been buying advertising for this video that spreads right-wing misinformation relating to the pandemic. This is not okay, and if I cannot block this type of advertising, then I will find a new way to fund this channel. I apologise to anyone who had to sit through that bullshit, even for 5 seconds.

  7. @corydharma

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    June 2021 for a Vaccine was actually a really good guess, considering that at the time of this comment 30% of the US has been vaccinated in Feb and March.

  11. @chefzoot

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    I haven't had someone speak this directly to me in a long time. Discovered your channel and your music videos today and feel incredibly inspired.

  15. @robertvendetta6752

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    After watching this I felt lucky – for being an artist in norway where the music organizations are working close to government for solutions – and also paying all kinds of fees in advance. And lucky for having my own studio, able to record a new album. And watching this got me inspired to continue that work. Thanks!

  16. @donpandabeats4775

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    I've made a living as a full time musician for a couple of years now. I would earn most of my income by playing for an artist in my country. The pandemic has definitely shook me, but also triggered a sense of entrepreneur version of me. I've moved to music tutoring at least for as long as I need to, and have made a new YouTube Channel (this one) in the hopes to begin an online beat selling business. I've published my first personal album being shared on a messaging platform. I've done music for an entire mini series posted online. In perspective, the pandemic has been a blessing. I've worked in more projects during the last 3 months than I have in the past 2 years. I'm still able to make a living off of this craft and I'm incredibly thankful for what I've been able to learn during lockdown. <3 Thank you for your content! It gets incredibly profound.

  19. @onelittleatlas5645

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    Dude I completely didn't realise until this moment you are The Flashbulb + all the other pseudonyms. Own a lot of your records and love your music. Also your Mother 32 review made me pick one up! Love it.

  22. @LeHeartly

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    It's kind of crazy how Benn described the transitional period I'm currently going though. The past year I have been working at a local seafood restaurant. The state shut down dine-in services when most states were issuing stay-at-home orders, and so for a month and a half I was without a job. After the state reopened I got back to work like nothing's changed. However, during the past three weeks of working six days a week, all I could hear from somewhere deep within myself was the urge that this is not the position I want to be in while the world is going through this crisis. I didn't want to be devoting so much time and energy filling my pockets with cash only because it provided security while the world was in this crazy state, all the while it leaving me with so little time and energy at home to do anything I'm passionate about — whether that be my own hobbies or being present and contributing to the endeavors of my friends that are trying to thrive during this time. For the last week now I have been battling with a tough decision of approaching my manager to let them know how I felt and that I didn't want to be a part of the restaurant anymore. For many, many years I always wanted to create music full time but never took the dive because something was always in the way — some sort of serious obstacle, obligation, or fear of security — but recently I have been realizing that I will always have something in the way; so if that is indeed the case then I might as well start now while I am and we all are in such a vulnerable, precarious point of our lives. Its an opportunity I could no longer leave on the back-burner waiting for all the dots to line up. I love that restaurant, I love my coworkers, and I've always prided myself on being a fiercely loyal and dependent worker, so the thought of me leaving felt like I was committing betrayal. A few days ago I told my manager that I'll be stepping away, that I can't be a part of something that only offers stability and privilege while all I can think about is how we're taking our lives and our time for granted. Of course, I still couldn't bring myself to just leave them, so I requested to be part time that way I can still help them out while they are trying to stay afloat during this uncertain time, and it gives me the freedom to explore and make the changes in my day to day life to make creating music my way of life. I hope that this inspires anyone that is reading this and is on the fence of making a change for themselves.
    I am really thankful for you sharing these thoughts and feelings Benn. It's weird how a few days ago I have been gradually making this big change in my life and out of nowhere I get a random video recommendation on YouTube about you making music how you did 20 years ago and I thought it seemed interesting and I didn't know you had a YouTube channel. When I saw the thumbnail I was like that person looks familiar but didn't think too much about it and just clicked. I saw the name Benn and was like "huh, that name sounds familiar" … and then that's when I realized it was you, haha. It's such a wild coincidence that I run into your YouTube channel as I am going through this transition and you have been one of the biggest impacts on the development for my life with music and love for it, one of my biggest musical influences, and one of my favorite artists of all time. Thank you for everything that you've helped cultivate in me and everyone that finds something special in your art and existence, even if unintended. Best wishes, everyone. Stay safe, be well, and stay motivated. I'm rooting for every one of you!
    <3

  24. @lil-link

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    So, the pandemic sucks and no more shows etc etc. You have the platform right here that could potentially, right now during the pandemic, generate you more views, fans, traction and money than before. I like your content and you should try to go "all in" on this.. For now at least!

  25. @MikkelGrumBovin

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    theres one good thing – the electronic computer music is EXPLODING right now – i thnk because of eurorack is getting – more and more , not mainstreram , but highly "cool" to be a part of – and what i call the "Behringer effect" and you are in that pretty "cool" elite of wizkids – like Red Means , Stimming, Lisa Bella donna , Jeanmichel jarre……Daftpunk…..right ? said fred ,- Mylar, Huang, lightbath, Omri, etc. et. (Youtube heroes) that will survive-no matter wtf happens in the world – the Joe Rogans of electronica – thats how i see it – but… maybe im just to much in love with this music , to have a straight head on my shoulders…. anyway , hope youre well and all the best from Copenhagen

  27. @cojack55

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    👏🏼 Well said. Been into your stuff since my buddy Franky brought me to one of your shows in Detroit years ago @ The Works. Glad to see you still going and it's cool to see you pop up in my feed YouTube feed since I've subscribed. I enjoy your content, and now try not to fuck with my vinyl albums ha. This video was posted on my birthday and was a little boost to remind me that all this energy I'm putting into my next music release isn't stupid. Things seem bleak for performers, but this gave me hope. Thanks! – Steve (moonbath)

  28. @silversulu

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    Thanks for the insightful, sobering, and well articulated thoughts. I feel certain there are creative income opportunities in a more virtual world as we begin to up our livestream game and figure out how we connect & share creativity during these waves of being indoors with a whole wide world on the other side of the screen. Maybe YouTube was already on its way, and now it's amplified. Keep on being Benn. Always appreciated. Cheers.

  30. @exquisiteoath

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    As a never-was/almost-ran throughout most of my life wit headful of musical ideas I've never quite done anything with it's fantastic to me that we have all of you who have commited to music simultaneously saying "we don't know how to get from here to there, but we know we will and, please come join us in this journey". You've said it beautifully here but there seem to be a lot of people echoing this message. Hope your hand is healing well.

  32. @Alphastare23

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    It'll be interesting to see how the music scene/industry restructures itself. I'm in SF where we've already lost a lot of important venues recently. Good perspective here. I see the times to come to be very interesting and hopefully it all leads to a new outpouring of art and creativity of another level.

  35. @francoissioarnaud236

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    Hey Benn ! I’m currently a design student working on future tools for virtual gigs for musicians. Since gig werethe main income for most musicians, and none of them are able to play at venues right now (this may let the music industry changed too). It would be nice if we could talk about the issues together !

    Please upvote so he can se this 🙏

  37. @warp9988

    December 11, 2025 at 4:16 am

    I think you have this about exactly right.
    However I think the rebound timeframe, to get to a pre-pandemic music live scene going again, could be like 5-7 years, not 50-70 years. So the "never play again live" would only be if you decided to never play live again.
    Now is a hell of a good time to learn C++ and learn to write some Audio software. I've already spent 30 years coding and what I wanna do is make art.

Comments are closed.

Related
He Cracked Every Layer of Reality… And Became a Target
Be Inspired | August 5, 2026
Related
This El Niño Is Starting to Look Like the One Scientists Feared
Fexl | August 5, 2026
Related
There Are Files Stored in This Video
Benn Jordan | August 3, 2026

This area can contain widgets, menus, shortcodes and custom content. You can manage it from the Customizer, in the Second layer section.

 

 

 

Go to album
  • play_circle_filled

    92.9 : The Torch

  • play_circle_filled

    AGGRO
    'Til Deaf Do Us Part...

  • play_circle_filled

    SLACK!
    The Music That Made Gen-X

  • play_circle_filled

    KUDZU
    The Northwoods' Alt-Country & Americana

  • play_circle_filled

    BOOZHOO
    Indigenous Radio

  • play_circle_filled

    THE FLOW
    The Northwoods' Hip Hop and R&B

play_arrow skip_previous skip_next volume_down
playlist_play