Virtual 'Love Sweet Love' From Quarantined Berklee College of Music Students

[Amaryllis]

If there's a sliver of a silver lining in these uncertain times, it's music — from free virtual concerts to suggested playlists. One of the most inspiring efforts we've seen this week comes from a virtual performance of Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by students from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music.

The student-made performance and video were the brainchild of Shelbie Rassler, a senior composition major at Boston Conservatory. Just a few days after Berklee reverted to online classes only, Rassler found herself at home in South Florida, eager to bring her community together.

She'd heard "What the World Needs Now Is Love" when she was a child but says she felt its power to inspire in 2016 when she watched Broadway for Orlando, a filmed recording of the song by such major artists as Sara Bareilles, Idina Menzel and Audra McDonald, honoring the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting massacre.

Rassler had also written a vocal arrangement of the song for a cabaret event at Berklee. Now seemed like a good time to see if she could rally an entire orchestra to record the song. She shared the idea on her Facebook page, explaining to her friends how it would work:

MOre at link:
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/24/821041006/virtual-love-sweet-love-from-quarantined-berklee-college-of-music-students

[cilla4progress]

1. I agree, Amaryllis!

MUSIC = LOVE! Thank you!!

[gristy]

2. This is a wonderful creative and technical achievement

Really good.

[crickets]

3. Oh, I love this!

So great how dancers were included at the end. What a wonderful idea; kudos to all the talent that was able to pull that together and make it work so well.

[flying rabbit]

4. Brilliant!