Coping With Quarantine: Bookstore manager and musician Christopher Baratono

Coping With Quarantine is a recurring feature that examines how people across Greater Lansing are being affected by the coronavirus. City Pulse aims to interview a diverse cast of residents as they adjust to a new lifestyle under the measures taken in Michigan to curb the pandemic. If you are interested in being featured, please contact ashleycitypulse@gmail.com

TUESDAY, March 31 — Christopher Baratono, 50, is a manager at Schuler Books & Music and a guitarist and songwriter with several bands, his current fulltime project being Narc Out the Reds. Since Schuler closed, Baratono is at home and is finding relief by finally having the time to play guitar and write new songs.

“It’s sad that all of this happening, but the last week of my life — I’ve never been happier,” Baratono said. “I can sit around playing guitar and completing all of the things I half-ass normally because of work. I’m playing eight hours a day, which I haven’t done in years.”

Baratono said he feels better about himself, due to a lack of guilt from ignoring his creative projects to procrastinate and watch television. “All of the stuff I normally can’t do because I have a nine hour work day, I am doing and completing. So I feel good about myself,” Baratono explained. “But I am sure that will change as this thing goes on.”

Baratono’s band Narc Out the Reds was recording in the studio before the coronavirus stranglehold went into full effect. The band’s drummer alerted the band that his wife had tested positive for the coronavirus, as they had just visited New York City. Though the symptoms were mild, the pair went into isolation, effectively ending Narc Out the Red’s studio and jam sessions for the time being.

“The other guitarist has a kid; my parents are old, so we’re not getting together at all. We have seen each other since,” Baratono said.

He’s trying to keep his sense of musical collaboration alive with Zoom and FaceTime sessions, but he finds it difficult to jam with the inherent lag of internet video calls.

“Missing shows is difficult. But I’m only eight days in, and I’m kind of an introvert anyway,” Baratono said. “Going out gives me anxiety. I’m not having anxiety attacks from having to be out in public. But the whole point of music is to go out and play, so the irony is I’m finally prepared, but I can’t go out and play anywhere.”

Other than drowning himself with new musical endeavors, Baratono, who said he isn’t a fan of video games, is using his new bounty of time to enjoy films and shows such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

“I’m a big Picard guy,” Baratono said. “I also have a DVD collection of movies by the Coen Brothers and Paul Thomas Anderson. I’m enjoying things I’ve seen before that are comforting.”

The biggest difficulty Baratono faces is dealing with his elderly parents, who he says have weakened immune systems. “Knowing that if I went and visited them I could kill them is really scary,” Baratono said.

Baratono finds it “heartwarming” to witness the younger generation in Lansing take the coronavirus seriously, but is equally frustrated with people that ignored the initial warnings, or dismissed the coronavirus altogether as a “hoax.”

“Both of my parents are huge Fox News watchers, so it’s hard — especially when it’s your family — to communicate and protect people when they are scared and get answers from Fox,” Baratono said. “Trump taps into fear and propaganda-ish news makes people feel better.”

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