The New York Philharmonic musicians are doing their part literally and figuratively. Nearly all the orchestra members "Together Apart" performed Ravel's Bolero as a thank you to healthcare workers.
“We all got our cell phones out, we recorded ourselves playing our parts in our homes alone, but we did use a metronome or click track. That's why we're all wearing the earbuds in the video so we're all listening to that, but playing out part,” said Leelanee Sterrett, Associate Principal Horn, NY Philharmonic.
Do you know why bolero was selected?
“Yes, because for practical reasons it has the same tempo the whole way through,” said Sterrett.
“We really see our role as musicians in all of this to keep finding ways to bring people together and to keep the connections between us all strong and this is one way to do that,” said Sterret.
The Philharmonic is showing new and existing works online under the banner "The NY Phil Plays On."
For Artist Andrea Arroyo, coping means creating.
“What I try to do other than focus on my own anxiety that happens 24 hours a day, is to create something that both expresses my concern but also expresses optimism and hope,” said Arist, Andrea Arroyo.
This has been a recurring theme for the kind of artwork you directly respond and react to current event.
“What I try to do is images that are strong, that are striking, but are beautiful in some way,” said Arroyo.
When it comes to historic moments, many artists wonder if it's too soon or if the work will seem dated by the time it's seen. Not Arroyo.
“I also think that solidarity is timeless. Love is timeless, beauty is timeless and revolutionary,” said Arroyo.
For countless artists, photographers, musicians and everyday New Yorkers, social media is the place to connect. With its doors shut, The Museum of the City of New York is asking New Yorkers to post images with the hashtag, “#CovidStoriesNYC.”
“We can share that expereince as we're living through it,” said Sean Corcoran, Photography Curator, Museum Of The City Of New York.
At some later point, you'll be the person who will go through and say, some of these images will actually go on display at the museum.
“We really want a diverse range of pictures and experiences that reflect the many millions of lives here in the city,” said Corcoran.
“By going to Instagram or the museum's feed, you're going to see pictures that will show you that this is basically a shared experience. And we're all in this together,” said Corcoran.