Marie Krüttli – Post Lockdown Interview

What did jazz musicians from Switzerland do during the lockdown? And what is on the horizon for them next? Marie Krüttli explains what her daily life was like during the lockdown and shares her concerns regarding the future of concerts. Pro Helvetia supports the band as part of the high priority jazz promotion.

«The jazz industry was already in a poor state before, and the crisis has made it even more fragile.»

Cosa hai fatto durante il lockdown? 
How did you experience the lockdown phase?   

I continued to teach my courses, by means of videos, articles, online music and texts. I have 12 adult students here in Berlin who were prepared to continue with lessons online. I also composed a piece for a video that we produced for the Schaffhausen Jazz Festival, together with drummer Ludwig Wandinger from Berlin. And I also started writing music that takes a slightly different direction. But it’s still too early to talk about this.   

What questions were foremost in your mind during the lockdown?   

Mostly questions about the future of jazz musicians and live concerts. The jazz industry was already in a poor state before, and the crisis has made it even more fragile. With this in mind, I started to consider taking up some studies again. Which I may well do. Because I believe that even when the lockdown is completely eased, certain distancing measures between people will remain in force. And even in an ideal scenario, where everything goes back to the way it was “before”, people will be far more wary of mixing in a crowd, like at a festival for example.    

What were your experiences with the new online formats (internet, social media, etc.)?  

In connection with my courses, I found myself exploring quite a lot of options and possibilities. I remained fairly active in the social media sphere, but then that was something I had already been doing before.   

How are you coping with the uncertainty resulting from the ongoing restrictions in the music world?   

I was never really afraid of catching the virus myself. I was more concerned about what this would do to humanity. The other day, I realised that, with masks, there’s no longer any point in smiling. Nobody will notice if you do. So I thought to myself, drat, we’re going to lose the habit of smiling at one another. And thoughts like that … they make me freak out.   

What remains? Is there anything that you wish to retain from the lockdown experience?   

Taking time for myself. And taking time in general.