[ti:Musicians Raise Money to Feed Neighbors] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:01.84]When Erin Shields sang "Being Alive," [00:05.24]a popular song from the Broadway show "Company," [00:09.20]the song had extra levels of meaning. [00:13.24]Shields and her husband David Shenton are touring musicians. [00:19.04]They could not perform around the world during the coronavirus pandemic. [00:24.08]So they broadcast virtual concerts from home [00:28.16]to raise money for the Mosaic West Queens Church in New York City. [00:34.60]The concerts brought thousands of dollars to the church [00:37.64]to help feed hungry people living in the neighborhood. [00:42.08]They also gave the two musicians a chance to continue their artistic lives. [00:48.16]It began when they saw the long lines of people waiting [00:52.00]for food outside the church near their home. [00:56.60]Several of their friends had lost jobs after Broadway theaters closed. [01:02.20]And they felt the need to help. [01:05.20]"When your entire industry shuts down, you think, 'well, [01:09.48]how are we going to do this?'" Shields said. [01:13.64]"Seeing the people in line ..., you go, 'I can be that person [01:17.48]and that could be my family member.'" [01:21.24]In September, they volunteered at the church [01:24.12]to give away boxes of food to families two times a week. [01:29.04]As time passed, they felt the need [01:31.28]to do more for others during the pandemic. [01:34.96]"I thought, I'm not a doctor ... I don't really have much to offer. [01:40.08]But then I thought, well, you know, we can perform," said Shields. [01:46.00]She is an opera singer from the American state of Illinois. [01:50.84]Her husband Shenton is a British composer, pianist and violinist. [01:57.16]And their artistic friends were willing to join for a good cause. [02:02.16]"We have all these connections to Broadway singers [02:04.88]outside of their work on Broadway, [02:07.92]so we wanted to capitalize on that," Shenton said. [02:12.16]During a recent virtual concert, smiling families, [02:16.52]watching on their computers at home, clapped and sang along. [02:21.52]Among the performers were Broadway musicians [02:24.84]known for their work in shows such as "Hamilton" [02:28.32]and "The Little Mermaid," as well as "Tootsie" and "Les Miserables." [02:34.64]Shields sang crowd favorites including [02:37.92]"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz." [02:42.24]Shields remembered she had played the part of Dorothy [02:45.44]and sang the same song in high school. [02:49.28]Shenton played a grand piano that he named "Wolfgang Kathryn." [02:55.20]It is named for his late mother and her favorite composer, [02:59.12]Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. [03:02.96]For years, the two have performed at churches in New York. [03:07.28]They have sung to older adults and Alzheimer's patients in Illinois. [03:13.40]They have taught music to children in Arizona. [03:17.04]And they have followed their interest in animal rights [03:20.36]by caring for elephants and other wildlife in Zimbabwe. [03:25.72]Shields said volunteering became especially important last year [03:29.84]when New York turned into the center of the pandemic. [03:34.32]That was the time she could hear the sound of ambulances [03:37.60]rushing patients to hospitals throughout the city. [03:41.84]"It's just something my mom always said: [03:44.72]'If you're feeling low, volunteer, give back to other people, [03:49.68]because it will make you feel better,'" Shields said. [03:54.12]"And it's so true." [03:56.44]I'm Jill Robbins. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM