The pandemic has left a deep impact on our lives, on the way we live, how we dress, how we travel around, and even how we experience movies and concerts. All due to the twin requirements of social distancing and wearing protective gear that ranges from masks to full PPE kits which can be a bit of a nuisance.
There's someone who's embracing masks and transforming them into a tool to enhance the sound of music.
When Budapest was flooded with masks, Orchestra conductor and the head of the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Ivan Fischer, had an idea of turning an unpopular pandemic necessity into a tool of music appreciation.
He fitted two plastic cups shaped liked life-size palms attached to the mask&rsquos strings and designed to fit around the wearer&rsquos ears to allow music enhancement and give a better acoustic feeling.
This special mask enhances the clarity of notes and produces warmer undertones and clearer, sharper contours.
Priced at 8,000 forints ($27), Fischer&rsquos invention is quite popular with concert-goers. Dozens of people were seen been wearing the mask as they took their seats at last Friday&rsquos performance.