NJ Harpist Invited To Play Rock Hits At Coronavirus Vaccine Site

WEST CALDWELL, NJ — Diane Michaels sat down at her harp, putting her fingers to the strings and settling into a soft, zen-filled arrangement of the “Barcarolle” from by Jacques Offenbach’s opera, “The Tales of Hoffmann.” But for Michaels, a Bloomfield resident and professional harpist, the performance was unlike any other she’d given.

After all, it’s not every day that you get a gig at a COVID-19 vaccination center.

Earlier this month, Michaels turned in one of the most unusual performances of her career, playing an hour of music at a vaccination site in West Caldwell. The site is one of five Essex County-run centers, which have seen praise as a “national model” for getting shots into peoples’ arms.

• See related article: How To Get COVID Vaccines In Essex County (See Latest Updates)

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said the mini-concert was a “unique and wonderful way to say thank you” to the people who staff the vaccination site.

“Many people have shown their appreciation by donating breakfast or lunch for our volunteers and workers,” DiVincenzo said. “The live music was a change of pace for our volunteers and staff and those receiving their vaccine enjoyed her performance.”

“We hope this will be the first of many musical performances by artists from our area,” DiVincenzo added.

Michaels, who is also an author, has played at Carnegie Hall and at other ritzy venues such as the Plaza Hotel, the Rainbow Room and the Waldorf-Astoria. She’s performed with Tony Bennett at Caesar’s Palace in Atlantic City, toured in Italy and Ireland, and sat behind a harp on Broadway for the show “Thoroughly Modern Millie.”

But her April 9 gig in West Caldwell will surely stand out among them, Michaels told Patch.

It wasn’t entirely unprecedented, she pointed out. After all, she’s played at hospitals and domestic violence shelters through her involvement with nonprofit Music for all Seasons, where she’s on the roster of musicians.

But there was a personal angle to her gig in West Caldwell: her own dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

“After seeing a piece on the news in late December or early January about musicians playing at the Javits Center, I filed away the idea of offering a similar performance to Essex County until I qualified for the vaccine and had scheduled my appointment,” Michaels recalled.

“Once I had the appointment, I reached out to the office of [the county executive] with my offer to play on the day of my vaccine,” she said. “They contacted me within an hour of receiving my email, and we began planning the concert.”

The next step? Figuring out what tunes to play.

“I tapped into a few sources of inspiration in selecting repertoire to appeal to a diverse audience,” Michaels said. “I imagined one part of the group would be the medical staff and volunteers who have worked tirelessly since the opening of the vaccine site. For them, straight-up comfort music would be appropriate.”

But for those receiving vaccines – who may have been experiencing anxiety or eager anticipation – there was a different plan, she added.

“My goal for reaching them was to use music as a distraction, which called for more upbeat selections,” Michaels explained. “Finally, the music needed to appeal to a wide age-range of people who may or may not respond to hearing classical music played on a harp.”

In the end, she leaned heavily towards the pop and rock genres, but also included some of her favorite classical tunes. The setlist included “All of Me” by John Legend, “Is This Love” by Bob Marley, “Imagine” by John Lennon, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, the theme from “Beauty and the Beast,” “Happy Together” by the Turtles, “Creep” by Radiohead, “Lullaby of Birdland” by George Shearling, “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin and “Clocks” by Coldplay.

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Did it work? According to Michaels, who spoke with staff members after her performance, the applause and “thank yous” from the audience were a good indication of success.

“[Staff members] noticed a marked change in the people waiting the 15 minutes post-shot before leaving,” Michaels said. “Whereas many people often want to leave earlier, the group this day stayed in their seats without prompting, often for longer than 15 minutes. I can only guess that the music soothed whatever nerves they might have had.”

“And the staff members were grateful to have a break from the ordinary,” she added.

Normally, Michaels routinely finds herself playing at least four gigs per week. But since January, the April 9 performance has been just her fourth overall.

And it’s been the same for other professional musicians, she says.

“Musicians have been especially hard hit during the pandemic,” Michaels told Patch. “We have some of the highest unemployment numbers out of all professions. Since we have made lifelong commitments to our field, unemployment doesn’t just mean we are out of work – it means we cannot do something that is integral to our identities.”

“Needless to say, connecting to the people at the site through my music immediately filled me with joy,” Michaels said. “There is no substitute for the symbiotic relationship between live audiences and musicians.”

“My harp and I will return for a second date, and I can’t wait,” she concluded.

Watch some videos of prior performances by Michaels below.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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