The weather is heating up, and many of us are concerned that our annual summer trip, big barbecues with family, and other sources of entertainment will have to be halted due to social distancing. It’s hard not to have these worries; we all want to remain socially active and simply have fun. Sadly, some things will just have to wait for now.
Fortunately, though, instead of seeking out the fun, sometimes the fun is still able to come to us. That’s exactly what opera singers Leah Edwards and her husband Dimitri Pitta have been providing for their fellow neighbors. The talented couple has been hosting free, weekly opera concerts from the driveway of their Mount Pleasant, South Carolina home during the virus. What a great way to connect neighbors together while keeping them entertained at the same time!
The duo may be the talk of the neighborhood for all the right reasons; however, performing opera concerts from their driveway wasn’t a plan that they magically came up with one day. It all started when Edwards and Pitta were practicing their opera singing inside their home, thinking the walls were thick enough so that neighbors couldn’t hear. But sure enough, they received comments from their neighbors who did, in fact, hear their singing.
Receiving positive feedback, Pitta and Edwards, who normally perform at the Gaillard Center, then made the decision to put on shows from the outside of their home.
“We’re practicing, they say they can hear us anyways, so we said why not take it to the driveway and make it a concert,” Edwards said in an interview.
Either way, it totally works. With many neighbors getting cabin fever and having extra spare time on their hands, getting to enjoy some wonderful contemporary songs chanted by two gifted individuals is perhaps one of the most exciting things that has happened to them since they’ve been quarantined.
“It gets everyone out, checking on each other and get some breath of fresh air and make music,” the opera singer continued. Those are things that we could all use right now!
From opera concerts being held on driveways to musicians performing drive-by concerts while respecting social distancing guidelines, those within the music industry have sure had to be creative in how they perform. But I think people like these folks have done a lovely job finding an alternative way to entertain their fellow community.
Watch below to hear bits and pieces of Edwards and Pitta’s opera singing. They’ve got skill for sure!
