Countless musicians worldwide, whose livelihoods often rely heavily on live gigs, have been devastated by social distancing and the economic crisis set in motion by the coronavirus pandemic. That's why Shelbie Rassler, a musician from Berklee College of Music, took to the recording studio to help them.
SHELBIE RASSLER
Musician
“It's a brand new song called 'Rebuild.' I wrote the music for it, and my sister, Brielle, wrote the lyrics. There are almost 300 people across the world who are part of this project.”
While “Rebuild” was originally inspired by the difficulties resulting from the coronavirus, Shelbie explains it is also a way to show support to the black community.
SHELBIE RASSLER
Musician
“Unfortunately, as we all can see right now, a lot of people aren't given the same privileges and the same opportunities as others.”
Shelbie says 100 percent of the YouTube ad revenue generated will be donated to help these affected populations.
SHELBIE RASSLER
Musician
“So half of that ad revenue will be donated directly to the NAACP [National Association for the Advancement of Colored People] to help fight against racial injustice, and the other half of the ad revenue from this video will be donated to Americans for the Arts, which is an organization that is helping artists who have been out of work for months and are really really struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
Shelbie Rassler's initiative has offered hundreds of artists a way to use their talents to help others. It's also an easy way for people anywhere to support the cause, as all it takes to make a contribution is to watch and share the music video.
Claudia Torres
