Remote partners help Brazilian musician to reduce stress during the pandemic

In two days, three friends composed and recorded a music – two of them in one city, another 300 kilometers away. This is how Vinicius Leal, musician and composer, deals with the stress of being trapped in a city for almost a month due to the new coronavirus crises.

The Brazilian lives in Nice, France, where he is part of The Troubadours band, which plays in parties and events around the world – last year they had 198 performances in more than 30 countries. He came to Brazil on holidays and was in Bagé, border with Uruguay, when the local authorities decided to completely close down the city – only urgencies are allowed to enter and leave town.

With two stepdaughters in France, wife and two kids with him at home and suffering water shortcuts, due to lack of rain, Vinicius found on the music a way of leading with the stress. “It let me busy, besides I concentrate on good things and don’t have time to think of pandemic or fake news”, he tells in an interview to the United Nations Information Centre in Brazil (UNIC Rio). This week he’ll perform a show online at a birthday for a client in England but his band had 27 shows cancelled only in March and April.

“Chovendo na fronteira” (Raining on the border) was composed in two days. Vinicius recorded the initial idea and his father-in-law, Júlio Pimentel, musician and composer, adjusted the rhythm. The material was sent to Sandro Cartier, a percussion teacher at Federal University of Santa Maria, 300 km away, who added instruments and vocals, recorded and sent back. The composition includes drums, percussion, bass, guitar, electric guitar, piano and vocals.

Now, musicians in Portugal and France want to join the project. “Now is the perfect time to finally end pending projects”, advises Leal. “We have time and it reduces the frustration of unfinished ideas”.

According to the World Health Organizations, it’s important to minimize watching, reading or listening to news about COVID-19, because this causes anxiety and distress. Health specialists also advises to invest time on a personnel project that gives your pleasure but challenging enough to motivate you. Playing an instrument, for example, as Leal is doing, helps to provide well-being and reduces stress levels. The UN Country Team stress counsellor in Brazil also advises staff to find healthy ways to help them relax, as they continue to carry out their duties during the pandemic.