KOCHI: The Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has cost everyone something. For the public, it meant living indoors missing out on social life and cultural activities, while for artists, it means no shows and no earnings. Kochi-bred, Delhi-based techie Ben Thomas and his wife Tina Thomas, however, are trying to come up with a solution that benefits all. Employed with Adobe, Ben has created a platform called virtuoso.tv that enables artists to stream live sessions, shows and workshops and monetise the same. An artist can create an invitation link, which viewers can log into by paying an entry fee–almost as easy as a normal gig.
“I am a musician and had a band in college. So I have plenty of friends in the music circle. When I found out their gigs were being cancelled, I wanted to help them continue their work,” says Ben. Unlike Instagram or Facebook, the sessions will be aired with HD audio and video. Last week, virtuoso.tv featured Michael Dias from Bengaluru-based band Mad Orange Fireworks who played a few of his songs. The profit from the event, which was a fundraiser, was donated to a city-based charity.
This week’s session will be hosted by Bengaluru-based Malayali guitarist Ajay George Joseph, part of the acts Trash Talk, Tangents and LIVE Banned. He released an album with Trash Talk recently named ‘Burd’. Ajay believes that efforts to bring entertainment to the digital space are definitely helping musicians.
“Even if it is an unpaid Instagram live, artists are getting much-needed promotion with these gigs. Most bands make money selling merchandise on Bandcamp, so more people getting to know about their music would help,” he says.
Ajay is conducting a one-hour master workshop tomorrow at 9pm, where he will cover basics of guitar and his style of playing and approach to the instrument. There will also be a question and answer session. The session will speak to beginners and artists. Saturday at 9pm on virtuoso.tv.