Band instrument rental season is different

 EVERYTHING HAS A different feel to it this year because of COVID-19. School band rental season is no different.

We are stocked with Music Shoppe instruments and ready as we can be for the annual onslaught of questioning parents and budding band musicians. But we would like parents to know a few things before they come into the store to rent instruments.

1. Please leave your child at home if possible. We realize some parents simply can't do that with younger brothers and sisters around. We are just trying to minimize the number of people in the store at one time, and rental season can get a little crazy around here. Sheryl is worried about being exposed to a lot of people in a short time.

2. If your child is playing a stringed instrument, please measure them at home. Here is the link to a measurement guide for Violin and Viola. Your band teachers can help you with this too.

3. Remember, we enforce the mask rule at Second String Music. We have masks for sale for $1 if you forget or don't have one. 

4. If anyone is in quarantine in your house, please do not come into the store. You can order one directly from The Music Shoppe or go to the Instrument EXPO on October 14th!

5. and finally. Yes, we are sick and tired of COVID-19. Yes, we wish it was over. No, we don't think it's a hoax and we do think masks work. We were threatened with a lawsuit last week from a man we asked to leave because he wouldn't wear a mask. Evidently he doesn't know the law or care about his own health. We do.

Our hats are off to the music teachers in our local schools. All teachers, actually. You are commended for being flexible and patient during an unprecedented time. We will all get through it, hopefully safely and alive.

If you have any questions, please call us at 217 223-8008 BEFORE coming in the store. Thank you.

Caution wins the day

MONDAY'S POST ABOUT Kirk Gribler dealing with getting COVID-19 has more than 9,000 views. I'm glad he's helping get the word out.

First off, I commend two local establishments for deciding to cancel all of their August band shows. Both Red Light and The Dock have canceled for the month, citing the need to stay safe and keep social distancing in place. It's not an easy decision and potentially hits right in the pocketbook - bands draw big crowds in the summer, and big crowds drink lots of beer.

The Cheeseburgers haven't played since March. We have two outdoor shows coming up, and we'll wait to see how Kirk is doing and how the area is responding before making any decisions to cancel.

Cori, Lincoln and I (HartLyss) have played a few outdoor shows, but none have had more than 50 people and we've been comfortable and distanced enough from the stage. I've turned down a bunch of potentially good-paying indoor gigs - it's just not worth the risk.

We've been holding our own at Second String Music and we are confident we'll continue to do so the rest of the summer. We are keeping a close eye on the numbers (Adams County is one of the worst in the state) and if we have to, we'll go back to being open by appointment only. Our phone number will be clearly displayed on the door and we can be at the store within minutes if there is the need.

Sheryl is asking that people call (223-8008), email (second.stringmusic@yahoo.com), or send us Facebook messages if they have simple questions or are in need of random information. Minimizing contact is our main goal. We will still take your order/payment over the phone, and deliver it to your car.

We appreciate all of our customers and we are always glad to see them in person, with a mask, of course. Our compliance rate on masks in 100 percent right now and we haven't had any anti-mask or hoaxers come in lately.

I continue giving guitar lessons. We are 6 feet apart in the lesson room, though I'm considering moving back out into the bigger area for more distancing. This week we've had four students decide to stay home because of COVID-19 concerns - one had direct contact with an infected person at work, and three others recently got back from summer vacations and are self-quarantining for a week just to be safe.

We'll look back at all of this mess someday and be glad we took precautions. Sheryl is determined to not catch this virus. Let's help her and be safe out there!

To travel or not to travel

SHERYL AND I would love nothing more than to get out of Quincy for a few days, but the COVID-19 thing has thrown wrenches into those plans. We are still not over our dream vacation being canceled at the end of March, and we are still owed a big chunk of money (we had trip insurance, thank God). Sheryl has been dogged and determined to get our money back and it hasn't been fun.

Traveling during a pandemic is not a good idea. The thought of sitting in an airport with a bunch of strangers, then sitting right next to somebody you don't know on the plane, isn't appealing. On Labor Day Weekend we are supposed to attend the Hart Sibling Summit in Arizona, but Sheryl and I still haven't finalized plans. We will wait another few weeks and then decide.

We have some family camping in West Michigan in two weeks, and again, it would be a blast and fun to sit on a Lake Michigan beach for a few days. But driving up there means going into rest stops, restaurants and maybe hotels. Most of the activity would be outdoors, weather permitting, but there are still a lot of variables you can't control. So that trip is likely a no-go.

It's OK. Health is paramount, and we continue to stress safety and wearing masks in public. Last week I heard about a man I knew a few years ago in Quincy dying of COVID-19. He spent the last week of his life on a ventilator and it was living hell for his family and close friends. There's been other related issues that have affected guitar lessons and even gigs and band practices. It appears in Quincy area businesses are finally taking the mask enforcement issue seriously in the wake of our COVID-19 numbers spiking in recent weeks.

People say, "When will we get back to normal?" Well, there is no normal anymore. For us it's one day at a time and making smart choices. We'll get through it, with any luck, even if it means not hitting the road.

Amazing weekend

WE HAD A fantastic weekend at Second String Music, our first days open for regular hours since mid-March. Sheryl and I are grateful for our customers and it was awesome to see familiar faces and do business again.

Open again at Fifth and Maine!

The support and compliance for our mask policy was overwhelming. We are asking people to wear masks when entering the store, and we are trying our best to adhere to social distancing. A few people came to the door and then and went back to their vehicles to retrieve masks - it's still something to get used to and it will take a while.

I hate wearing the masks all day, but it's safety first and we are VERY protective of Sheryl's health.

We had a few customers not come in after reading the sign on the door. We are not offended. Come prepared for any store to have a mask policy in Quincy. We can't afford to have this pandemic get set loose again and close the state down.

Several of our longtime customers said it was "all about respect" and "I know where you are coming from." They don't want to wear a mask. They do it because they know it's the right thing to do for several reasons. They get it.

Open by appointment, farewell to P&V

SHERYL AND I are saddened to learn our favorite downtown store, Potter & Vaughn, is closing at the end of June. Owner Lisa Crocker is awesome and says she simply wants to retire. We don't like to hear this but this virus probably helped her decision along. We will miss her and the store but we respect her decision.

I love Potter & Vaughn because it sells interesting and irreverent stuff. Every year at Christmas I'd go over there and say, "Lisa, here is X amount of money. Hook me up." I hate shopping in general but I loved going into her store and laughing at all the goofy stuff in there. Sheryl never failed to love everything I bought her there and that is a bonus too.

We hope Potter & Vaughn is the only business closing, for whatever reasons, as we start back up from the COVID-19 restrictions.

Second String Music is open limited hours during the day by appointment only. We are not open for browsing or walk-ins. We ask you to message our facebook page or call the store at 217 223-8008 to schedule. We are asking customers to please wear masks, and we'll make sure we only have one or two customers in the store at a time to maintain social distancing.

We are generally at the store during the day for a few hours, and we live only a mile away so calling us and asking to meet at Fifth and Maine is not a big deal. We are glad to do it.

We expect this will continue for the month of May but we'll be flexible and hopefully be open soon to the general public.

You think you got it bad?

THIS IS A story about perspective. We are living in uncertain and trying times. We don't know if our small businesses will survive, and we certainly know life will be different. The quarantine stuff can really get to you.

Yesterday I was supposed to give a Zoom lesson. The woman messaged me and said she broke a string. So I met her at the store, and from more than 6 feet away, we did a beginner guitar lesson. It's the first one I've done in person in more than a month, and it will be the last until the stay-at-home order is lifted.

When we were trying to figure out a time to meet, she said, "I'm in chemo until 1:30." Yup. She's fighting cancer and has been for a long time. I never hear her complain. Could you imagine having to go through all that in the midst of a pandemic?

My uncle in Toronto was also getting chemo but he's had to stop treatments because his hospital is not a safe place right now, and he's in rough shape. Think about that the next time you bitch about not getting a haircut.

Sometimes it's the small things you need to savor. This morning Malcolm grabbed this horrendous purple chew bone from Angus and ripped the end with the squeaker in it. Yes! No more annoying squeaks when they are chewing on that bone! See? Little things.

You can put numbers on how many people get sick and die from this virus. But the mental strain isn't calculable. Stay strong, peeps. And keep things in perspective. We'll get through this.

Streaming Concerts

HARTLYSS IS THINKING about having a livestream show this weekend. Everything is shut down, and other local artists are doing it. Why not? Sheryl set something up called Venmo, which means people can send in tips if they are so inclined. It's a great idea so we'll see if we can put something together.

A livestream show done on Facebook doesn't come remotely close to an actual live show. You can't replace the energy and the vibe. But it's still a good idea since the world is ending and we still want to play.

We have shows scheduled April 11 at Bricks in Hannibal and April 25 at the Tap Room in Quincy. Who knows if they will actually take place? I have a feeling the COVID-19 pandemic will last a lot longer than the end of this month, but we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope we can get back to a semblance of normal.

If you think this a liberal hoax and you don't think we should be inconvenienced and all the shut downs are unnecessary, fine. I'm not going to argue with you, especially since you know you might be wrong. But don't be like the older woman who came into the store Monday, didn't step one foot past the door, and asked if we had CD players. She then went on a rant about how it was all dumb and we didn't have to do it and nobody believes anything the World Health Organization says, blah blah blah. I stopped talking to her but she wouldn't be quiet - "I've had to cancel all the church activities and only 3 percent of the population will get this so why should we all suffer."

Finally Sheryl said, "Well, if you die from the virus consider it God's will." Two seconds later, Miss Inconvenienced was out the door. God wins again. That Baptist upbringing comes in handy sometimes.

Then there was the guitar student who had two free lessons. He missed his lesson last week and called two days later, saying he had to go out of town. Then he showed up for his lesson yesterday and said he wanted to cancel because of the virus thing. Wait. You are telling us this in person? You don't want to get infected and are "scared" of what's happening, yet you showed up IN PERSON and risked getting infected from us anyway? Please call and cancel if you feel this way.

Sigh ....

I've had several students decide to take the next few weeks off, and we not only understand but support the decision. We will credit them for the lessons and hopefully get back on schedule when this is over. But the majority of my lessons are still coming in. We are taking precautions, like staying back 6 feet, washing hands before and after lessons, and keeping the lesson room clean. Yes, I am actually cleaning it.

So we will make it through the COVID-19 pandemic. I may take weeks or months but in the end we will survive. We are here and we are safe and healthy, and what won't kill us will make us stronger. Literally.

Open for bidness ... take it to 11!

SECOND STRING MUSIC is open for business as usual. We feel the pain of our local bar and restaurant owners, who have to shut down for a couple of weeks. Sheryl and I don't go out to eat that often, but we do a fair amount of takeout and we will try to support our local restaurant economy. We may even cook a meal or two at home.

That being said, we will encourage people to wash their hands before trying out our instruments. And ... get a free toilet paper roll with any guitar purchase! If you are not comfortable with coming into the store, simply call us (217 223-8008) and we'll deliver to the curb. You can also email us (second.stringmusic@yahoo.com) or contact us on Facebook Messenger (https://www.facebook.com/SecondStringMusic/). We are also offering delivery in Quincy for a tiny fee of $2.

For our guitar students, we are open for lessons. We've several students decide to take the next two weeks off and we support that. We will credit for the lessons and we'll resume when they think it's okay to continue. Use your best judgment, if you are one of the classifications that are at risk of this virus we want you happy and healthy in the end.

We are taking precautions and as a low traffic business we hope to stay open for the duration. Rock out at home and lose yourself in the music, you may as well turn it up one louder. We want to keep you all rocking. It's a great time to find the movie Spinal Tap and see what fun the music industry can be.

We'll get through this tough time and be better for it. Stay strong and keep rocking!

We're playing Saturday

THE CHEESEBURGERS HAVE a big show Saturday night at Red Light Bar & Restaurant in downtown Quincy. It's St. Patrick's weekend. We are guaranteed to have a crowd and a lot of fun. It's our first show of 2020 and features the return of legendary bass player Don Van Dyke to the Cheese. We are ready.

Meanwhile, the world seems to be shutting down because of the COVID-19 virus. Some think we are overreacting by canceling games and seasons. Read some of the unfiltered reports coming from outside the country, and from some of our own medical experts. It's true that the flu kills many people every year, but this particular strain is dangerous and puts people with immune system issues at severe risk. It is 10 times more deadly than the flu, so just be careful out there.

The other issue is that people are dumb. The best way to "flatten the curve" is to wash your hands and listen to your body. If you aren't feeling well, don't go out. Repeat ... DON'T GO OUT. It's pretty simple. Use common sense. If you self-quarantine because you are sick, we understand.

Then again, The Cheeseburgers once cured Adams County of scurvy by tossing out vitamin C pills to the crowd at an outdoor gig. We've been known to make normally chair-bound people get on their feet and start dancing uncontrollably. This might be because of our magic music powers, or beer. We'll let you decide.

If you want to have some fun Saturday and you are feeling good, come on out to Red Light and party with us. We will even give you free advice on how to feel better the next morning.