While high school plays and musicals across the country are being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, a Tampa Bay area theater group proves you don’t have to be on the same stage or even in the same room to create beautiful music together.
Bryce Nagel is among 39 students, from three different counties, to lend their vocal cords for a new music video called “You Are Not Alone.”
“Seeing everyone in the video, it just kind of felt like what the song was talking about, even though we are all isolated we are still all together in a way, still connected,” said Nagel.
All these students are part of Bay Area Performing Arts and Casting. The song was initially written by the center director, Katie Combs, for a musical, but when they had to stop rehearsing, she decided to think outside the box.
→ COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS
“What a perfect, perfect song for what the country is going through, what the world is going through,” said Combs.
Combs asked every student to sing by themselves, at home, into their phone, and email it in.
“This was a great way to get them singing, to get them using their talents, to get them participating in something that meant something to them, where they could make some good out of a rough situation,” said Combs.
The individual clips were then all edited together. Gabby Alves and her brother Caleb said they were blown away seeing themselves among all their friends, singing in perfect harmony.
“I was like, 'when am I going to come up?' And then I was like, ‘there is everyone’ and then I was like, ‘oh my gosh, it’s me,” said Alves.
Another brother and sister combo, Jeffrey and Savannah Walker, said they hope the video is inspiring to others.
→ CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: CASES, LOCATIONS & LIVE UPDATES
“I feel like it will help people know that we are not all alone, we are all going through this together,” said Savannah.
“It’s great to know that we are all trying, and it’s not going to stop us,” said Jeffery.
To find out more about Bay Area Arts and Casting and to see “You Are Not Alone” in its entirety, go to www.bapacasting.com.
