At Home with Katie Betts

You may not be able to see them performing on stage, but while our musicians are at home they’re sharing an insight into their daily lives in isolation. Meet violinist Katie Betts.

#Hello!

Hi! I’m Katie Betts and I’m in the Second Violin section of Queensland Symphony Orchestra. I’ve been thinking of all of you in our wider QSO community during our COVID-19 isolation. I hope you enjoy this little peek into some of the things I’ve been getting up to lately!

#Cooking

One thing that I never seem to have enough time or energy for in my everyday life with young kids is preparing really delicious meals that I love to eat. So I’ve enjoyed slowing down and taking some time in the kitchen and getting back to cooking some great ‘from scratch’ recipes.

#Yoga

Even though I’m stuck at home (or maybe because I’m stuck at home), I’ve been making an effort to maintain and improve my strength and fitness. Yoga is an important part of my day and while I’m far from the fittest person, I’ve been feeling pretty good about staying a bit active during this time.

#Relaxation

Can you imagine isolation in a small two bedroom apartment with two small children? Moments of relaxation have been few and far between! I’m very fortunate to have a fantastic city view from my balcony and occasionally a chance to sit and enjoy a quiet cuppa, before facing the ever-present chaos of family life.

#A New Normal

In ‘normal’ times, I do a fair bit of teaching. This has certainly changed for all of us during isolation. All my violin lessons are currently via video conferencing software, which has been challenging. I’ve had to get creative with my ‘studio’ set-up as I simply don’t have a dedicated music space at home. Propping phones and laptops on shoeboxes and Lego constructions is my patented method of getting camera angles just right!

We QSO musicians have also been creating lots of online content from home, to keep in touch with you all out there whilst we can’t see you in our concert halls just now. That’s been fun, even with the challenges of finding a quiet time when one of my kids isn’t going to run through the door!

It’s been a fantastic opportunity, though, to embrace my inner tech nerd, and learn some skills in software and video editing.

#Life at home with the kids

In an effort to keep the kids occupied at home, we have really stepped up the repurposing’ style of art and craft! Most days involve painting, cutting and taping various bits of recycling that we’ve collected. I’m not sure what I will do with all of their creations but for now I’m enjoying the few moments’ peace their work gives me!