What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1256261
4 WHAT'S UP! JUNE 7-13, 2020 Hearing, Healing Music helps lift up the isolated during covid times "And I'll rise up, I'll rise like the day "I'll rise up, I'll rise unafraid "I'll rise up, And I'll do it a thousand times again." JOCELYN MURPHY NWA Democrat-Gazette W ho knew Andra Day's "Rise Up" would blend so perfectly with the spiritual "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and The Beatles' "Let It Be" to become a moving and inspirational anthem for a pandemic-stricken world? Possibly Fayetteville musician — and violinist for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra — Asha Mevlana and her fellow performer friends when they recorded an original arrangement of the tunes back in April. "We were talking about what's happening now and how do we continue creating music and also give back during this time," Mevlana recalls of a Zoom call with her friends. Chloe Lowery, Ashley Hollister, April Berry- Wooten, Rosa Laricchiuta and Jodi Katz have performed in the house bands on programs like "The Voice" and "American Idol" and with artists like Melissa Ethridge, Yanni and Cher. Like Mevlana and certainly the majority of musicians, the women have seen all their planned tours and gigs canceled. "I think music is so healing, even if you're not a musician, playing music for me or just listening to it, it can just take you to these different places," Mevlana muses. "Sad places or happy places or whatever you really want to be feeling. I think it just can be healing in whatever way you want it to be." The women decided to record the mashup to hopefully provide a little joy to people during social-distancing. But then the idea to create a video accompanying the song provided a way to honor local heroes and frontline workers with the music as well. They put out a call through social media for photos and videos of how people were spending their time in quarantine or maintaining connections with others. Lowery wrote the arrangement; Travis Law with The Pocket Loft laid down the piano; and Mevlana, who has a background in film, was put in charge of editing the submissions together over each woman's recorded piece (as well as playing her violin part for the video). She says the musicians were overwhelmed by the amount of content sent to them — some from friends and some from complete strangers. "It can kind of feel lonely at times, when you're doing quarantine and not really seeing people in person," Mevlana shares. "So it was almost therapeutic for me to do this video because I felt connected to all these people. Hearing their personal stories, I was like, 'Wow, there really are so many people going through so many of the same emotions that I am.' And it made me feel not so alone." Birthday parties and orchestra rehearsals over Zoom, a special distanced Easter delivery, signs of thanks for healthcare, delivery and other frontline workers, Mevlana describes the video as a slice of life. "It's really just showing, like, you might be alone in your house doing this, or walking around by yourself, but actually everyone's doing the exact same thing. So it's like you really are not alone, even though it can feel so lonely sometimes," she says warmly of the video's effect. Between Facebook and YouTube, "RISE 2020" has just over 30,000 views and was even written about on broadwayworld.com. Though Mevlana says she hasn't used very much of the past two months to work on her musical endeavors, there are musicians all over the world who "For me, I've had to be a lot kinder to myself and say, 'It's OK that you're not getting all this stuff done. It's OK that you're not learning another language," musician Asha Mevlana reflects on her time during the coronavirus pandemic. "I've really tried to be a lot more simple during this time. I've had to try to take a step back and just try to appreciate the moments that I'm getting. So for me, it hasn't been about being creative through music, it's more just been about being more present and appreciative of what this time can bring rather than what it's not bringing." (Courtesy Image) FAYETTEVILLE