Hundreds of Rochester NY children perform online for the world

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - March 2, 2021 - PRLog -- Near the end of April, a selection of Rochester music students will show off their passion and perseverance with six live-streamed online concerts. The performers are attendees of the Rochester Academy of Music & Arts-- Western New York's largest privately-owned music school. For this event, students have prepared songs from every genre, including rock, pop, & other favorites. Susan Egan, the voice of Meg from Hercules and Broadway's original Belle, has recorded a special inspirational message to start the show. The shows will also feature a socially distanced performance from nine teachers, who will be performing separate parts of the song "Shallow" from each of their homes.

This will be Rochester Academy of Music & Art's third online concert series. The past shows were viewed by attendees worldwide. The concerts will run 12 pm until 6 pm on Sunday April 18. For more information, interested parties may contact 585-506-9437.

Supporting the Arts in a Pandemic

Since opening in 2007, the Rochester Academy of Music & Arts has grown into a major community institution, taking students to perform at world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. When COVID-19 made face-to-face performance impossible, the Academy knew it had to evolve for its students. "We transferred our entire student body of over 500 to Zoom within 24 hours," says Brigid Harrigan, director of the Academy. "It was intense, but we were happy to provide a sense of stability in some small way. Students got to keep their timeslots and still spend time with their teachers each week."

The next hurdle was navigating performances without being in the same room. "Recitals are such an important part of what we do at the Academy," Harrigan continues. "We sat down and tried to map out ways to make an online performance special for the students. Teacher Bradley Schuhmacher composed special music for the shows. We have included animations, interludes, guest stars, teacher performances and more to help make students feel special and these shows feel like the big events they are." The benefit of online concerts is that it allows for viewers from across the world. Harrigan says, "It's great to be able to say we have given our students an international platform. They should be very proud of all they have accomplished during this unprecedented time!"

About the Rochester Academy of Music & Arts

The Rochester Academy of Music and Arts, 161 Norris Drive, is an award-winning music school located in Brighton. It is the recipient of three "Best of Rochester Awards" for music education. For more information, please visit http://www.RochesterMusicLessons.com/.

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