Bassoonists' Virtual Busking Helps to Feed People During Pandemic

For the next few weeks, fans of the bassoon will be able to listen to a group of Ball State University musicians perform as part of an effort to feed people amid the economic issues caused by the pandemic.

Through July 31, a group of Ball State students and recent graduates from the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts are posting weekly bassoon ensemble performances as part of Bassoons Filling Bellies. People who would like to contribute to their noteworthy effort may visit http://help.feedingamerica.org/goto/BassoonsFillBellies.

So far, the bassoonists have been able to raise funds to provide more than 12,000 meals.

This effort should alleviate some of the suffering caused by the pandemic, said Harriet Legan, who graduated from Ball State in May with bachelor's degrees in speech pathology and French while minoring in music performance. And she'll return to campus this Fall for her master's in speech pathology.

"We are all current students or recent Class of 2020 graduates of Ball State University's Bassoon Studio. We came up with the idea this Spring when our in-person classes ended and we went virtual," said Legan, who is living with her parents in Libertyville, Illinois, as she awaits her return to campus. "Though it was crushing for our time together on campus to end so abruptly and for a few of us to miss a once-in-a-lifetime chance to celebrate commencement, we understand that these sacrifices pale in comparison to what others are facing in the wake of this pandemic.

"So, in an effort to bring you a smile during these difficult times and to provide meals to families in need, we will be sharing weekly bassoon ensemble performances until July 31 - as a sort of virtual busking."

Legan said her colleagues record their parts of a song and then send the files to the bassoon lab back on campus where the songs are produced.

"It is great to combine our love for music with this project," she said. "We have students and recent graduates all over this country - in Oklahoma, California, Indiana, and Wisconsin. It's fun to listen to the work because it feels as though we are all back together at Ball State."https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIpRuKAykkEHH7RsNkYKX8A

The group is posting its productions on a YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIpRuKAykkEHH7RsNkYKX8A

And songs may be found at the group's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BassoonsFillingBellies/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

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