Your Weekly COVID-19 Update: March 28
Last week, I wrote my COVID-19 Letter. I figure, why not just make this a series?! Even as we are limited to things we can do, we are still being inundated with change. So, let’s talk about change today.
I want to start this by saying that change, like most things are, is neither good nor bad. Whether or not it is good or bad depends on the context of the individuals experiencing it.
With that being said, this change has been overwhelmingly bad. How fast the virus spreads, how debilitating it is, the lack of treatment protocol, no way to currently vaccinate it: and these are only disease-specific. However, you can find numerous articles written about the virus, so I won’t talk about that. I’d prefer to discuss my experience and the reactions to it.
The Change That Is COVID-19
Since weddings and private events are canceled for at least two months and nightclubs are shut down for about a month, most DJs are left with live streaming as an outlet. DJ D-Nice nearly broke the internet with his Isolation Dance Parties at Club Quarantine. It’s been a great outlet, but I can attest that it has required A LOT of learning on the fly. It’s something that I’m not completely comfortable with yet, but I’m sure as I continue to use it, it will become less of a stressor. After all, change is what you make it.
This virus has created a major dilemma for companies that rely on customers coming to their physical locations. Movies are being released online as opposed to in theaters now. In Florida, restaurants transitioned from 50% occupancy, to 50% occupancy with no one seated at the bar, to to-go orders only. This change is an even bigger challenge for businesses deemed non-essential, such as gyms.
One Gym’s Reaction to COVID-19: Online Bootcamps
Uplifters is a Bootcamp gym based in Niceville whose core audience participates in Bootcamp-style workouts. It’s usually a group of anywhere from 15-50 people led by a trainer with high energy music as the soundtrack for the event. Not only do you have the trainer directing and motivating the group, but you also have the rest of the group as motivation. These workouts aren’t ever easy, but there’s the comfort of the solidarity that comes from everyone enduring and pushing themselves to the workout’s completion. With gyms being shut down on March 20, that brought to an end what had been working for Uplifters up until the pandemic began. Fortunately, the co-owners of Uplifters, Jersey Giambrone and Derek McGinnis, decided to launch live-streamed workouts every week day. For the first week, they broadcasted live at 9 a.m. every day. They currently offer a monthly online-only membership for $49. To get more information, go to UpLiftersfitness.com.
Since I have been a part of their Friday Night BEATS, a once-a-month Friday night 55-minute HIIT workout complete with a live DJ spinning the soundtrack, they brought me on to provide the live mix and audio for each live stream (side note/bonus: you may see my wife Rhoda in some of those videos as well — she’s a beast in the gym!). I welcomed this as an opportunity to continue discovering new music, making playlists, and keeping my skills sharp. Plus, I really enjoy DJing for Uplifters workouts because it is literally non-stop high energy the entire time!
Mind Over Matter
This week’s mantra at Uplifters has been “Mind Over Matter”. The way current events (or matters) have been unfolding, it’s easy to feel defeated and wallow in the negativity provided by the constant Corona updates that are front and center. I know I was dealing with those emotions at the beginning of last week. But as I said earlier, change is what we make it! We can choose to focus on what we can’t control and how there appears to be no hope in our current situation. OR, while acknowledging what is happening, we can also look for the positive in this world.
In addition to providing the motivation to encourage people to be active, there has been a deliberate focus on practicing gratitude and sharing stories of good things members of the group have witnessed.
What are the things you are grateful for? Where are you finding positivity in your world? Please share it in the comments below.
Also, I will be LiveStreaming Friday, April 3. You can more updates about it by following my personal accounts on Facebook at Joshua Weck, on Instagram at @DJ_Josh_Weck, and on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/dj_josh_weck. I don’t want you to miss out on any of the latest info!
Thanks for stopping by. Please share this article with businesses you know that have had to adapt to this new normal. I’d love the opportunity to highlight them in future blog posts.