Family forms ‘Quarantined Quartet’ to play music together while social distancing
A New York family is making the most of extra time at home by using their musical talents to bring them together.
The Hochman clan has strummed away on guitars for the past 108 days straight, uploading a one minute video clip from their practice sessions to social media every night.
"This has really helped us bond," dad Jason Hochman said. "It's a time of the day where all four of us can come together, just sit down and work as a family."
The self-proclaimed "Quarantined Quartet" is made up of husband and wife Jason and Elysa, both professional musicians who own New York Guitar Academy in Manhattan, and the couple's two sons, Joseph, 10, and Noah, 8.
The family of four spends up to two hours jamming out as they play between three to ten songs depending on familiarity. Often it's a melody they write on their own, besides more well-known arrangements like "Vals Pica Pica" and the musical score from "The Godfather."
"We have 20 songs now that the kids have memorized and can play," Elysa Hochman said. "It's a fun activity that gives them something to do and learn as we continue to stay home. They like messing with the camera."
The family likes messing with the backdrop too. From the bedroom to the backyard-- each video features a new location around their Brooklyn home.
"We try to get creative and fun in the house, but we're running out of locations," Jason laughed.
Every 10 days the group also hosts a concert through Instagram Live where they feature other musicians virtually for a "halftime show" between songs.
With each daily upload, it seems the internet can't get enough of the "Quarantined Quartet." In mid-March their account had 20 followers, Jason said. 100 days later the Instagram page reached 14,000 and is climbing. The family regularly posts questionnaires asking people for song recommendations or what part of the house to shoot next and receive hundreds of responses from around the world.
"Someone from the Congo sent us a video of one of our original songs that we wrote together, which blew me away," Jason said. "Another person in Kosovo did the same. It's given us a huge sense of satisfaction that we're able to provide inspiration and motivation during a pandemic like this. I never imagined we would've been able to share with so many people."
Jason added his family plans to continue daily uploads until a citywide stay-at-home order is no longer in effect.
