NEW YORK 鈥� When Erin Shields belted out 鈥淏eing Alive鈥� 鈥� the showstopper from the Broadway classic 鈥淐ompany鈥� 鈥� the title had extra levels of meaning.
This virtual concert, broadcast from Shields鈥� living room, helped fund the food pantry at Mosaic West Queens Church, which is feeding hungry residents of the Sunnyside
The couple, touring musicians, lost gigs worldwide during the coronavirus pandemic. With the concerts, they鈥檝e used their art to raise thousands of dollars.
It began when they saw the lines that stretched for blocks outside the pantry, which is near their apartment. Several friends had lost jobs after Broadway closed, and they felt the need to help.
鈥淲hen your entire industry shuts down, you think, 鈥榳ell, how are we going to do this?鈥欌�� Shields said. 鈥淪eeing the people in line ..., you go, 鈥業 can be that person and that could be my family member.鈥欌��
In September, they joined the volunteers at the church who distribute more than 1,000 boxes of food to families twice a week. As time passed, they felt the need to do more for others during the pandemic.
鈥淚 thought, I鈥檓 not a doctor ... I don鈥檛 really have much to offer. But then I thought, well, you know, we can perform,鈥� said Shields, a soprano from Illinois who sings with her husband, a British composer, pianist and violinist. Other talented friends were willing to join for a good cause.
鈥淲e have all these connections to Broadway singers outside of their work on Broadway, so we wanted to capitalize on that,鈥� Shenton said.
During a recent concert, smiling families on Zoom clapped and sang along (on mute). Among the performers were Broadway musicians known for their work in everything from 鈥淗amilton鈥� and 鈥淭he Little Mermaid鈥� to 鈥淭ootsie鈥� and 鈥淟es Mis茅rables.鈥�
Shields sang crowd
For years, the couple have performed at churches in New York. And they鈥檙e no strangers to good deeds 鈥� they鈥檝e sung to older adults and Alzheimer鈥檚 patients in Illinois, taught music to kids in Arizona and followed their passion for animal rights by
Shields said volunteering became especially important last year when New York turned into the epicenter of the pandemic, with the sirens of ambulances rushing patients to hospitals resounding throughout the city.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just something my mom always said: 鈥業f you鈥檙e feeling low, volunteer, give back to other people, because it will make you feel better,鈥欌�� Shields said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 so true.鈥�
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鈥淥ne Good Thing鈥� is a series that highlights individuals whose actions provide glimmers of joy in hard times 鈥� stories of people who find a way to make a difference, no matter how small. Read the collection of stories at https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Luis Andres Henao And Emily Leshner, The Associated Press
