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'You are not alone' | Theater kids' voices create unifying song from their own homes

The students from Bay Area Performing Art and Casting each sang the same song and their voices were spliced together to complete a song titled "You Are Not Alone."

SEMINOLE, Fla. — Social distancing has impacted pretty much everyone around the world. Hugs between friends have been replaced by video chats or text messages.

The days of gathering to practice musical numbers are long gone. That hasn’t stopped a group of kids from finding a creative way to still perform together.

“There’s a difference between being by yourself and being alone and we just want people to know they’re in alone,” Katie Combs, the director of Bay Area Performing Arts and Casting, said.

BAPAC is a group of kids involved in musical theater all over Tampa Bay. Typically, when coronavirus concerns aren’t sweeping the globe, the students gather to practice and perform musicals and plays. Combs writes original scripts and music for the performances. Shows are presented in places like St. Petersburg’s Palladium Theater and Largo’s Central Park.

A few dozen from the group even traveled to Atlanta in January to compete in a Junior Theater Festival.

During spring break, Combs asked her performers to record themselves singing a song titled “You Are Not Alone." Each student sent in a copy of his or her part of the song and those videos were spliced together to create a harmonious noise.

The idea? Encourage others and remind them that, even in an age of social distancing, you are not alone.

“It was very sweet to see our kids participate and we always talk about when you have a gift giving back and so it’s our hope that we can just bring some joy and some comfort to those who are feeling alone right now,” Combs said.

Her kids agree.

“When I was sent the finished product I said that with my whole family and we were just filled with joy because we knew that this was our light in the dark and hopefully for a lot of other people this would be their light in the dark too,” Michelle Chrien said.

BAPAC is made up of kids from Gibbs High School, Northside Christian, homeschoolers and more. To hear the entire song, visit the BAPAC YouTube channel.

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