Volume On: Italy’s Isolation Creates Beautiful Music

Never does the beauty of humanity come out in such full force as it does when we’re facing a crisis as a whole. Italians may be restricted to their homes, but they aren’t restricted in spirit. Swarms of people are breaking the silence by creating beautiful music from their windows and balconies.

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This is why so many people through many centuries fall in love with Italy

A video montage of Italians all over Italia from north to south to central to the islands — all signing together during the Italy Lockdown is a kind of triumph of spirit, a love in the time of coronavirus pic.twitter.com/XqoLsGMoIV

— (self isolating) romepix (@romepix) March 14, 2020

Listen to the Music

Social media is alive with the sound of music from residents all around Italy. The performances vary. The very first was the national anthem. Others have included anthems for specific cities like this one from Siena:

People of Siena, Italy sing a song Viva la nostra Siena (hooray for our Siena) together, from their windows to raise their spirits during the Italian #COVID19 lockdown 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/jBSbkvds4d

— Coronavirus (@SARS_COVID19) March 13, 2020

Impromptu musical performances in Sicily complete with accordions and tambourines:

Sicily has figured out this whole self-isolation thing.#COVID19 #CoronavirusPandemic pic.twitter.com/93whPVtQcR

— John Nichols (@NicholsUprising) March 13, 2020

A city-wide dance to the macarena:

This is Naples pic.twitter.com/dVdB42AFxW

— Leonardo Carella (@leonardocarella) March 13, 2020

And many other performances by both solo performers playing accordion on their balcony or groups living in the same household performing with their instruments together. It’s bringing a much-needed sense of levity, lightness, and community to the country that’s on the strictest lock-down yet.

“It’s not like we’re maestros,” Rome resident Emma Santachiara told The New York Times. “It’s a moment of joy in this moment of anxiety.”

At one point, Italians gathered together to sing the Chinese national anthem as a thank you to all the Chinese medical workers who have helped out with the virus.

“We showed that in this hard time we can stick together,” Milan resident Davide De Luca told The New York Times. “We were a community, not just a bunch of individuals.”

Join the Applause

It’s not just musical performances erupting from the balconies, either. Several times now, people have gathered at their windows or balconies to applaud for the medical workers risking their lives on the front lines of the pandemic.

“We want to thank doctors and nurses,” Verona resident Cristina Del Fabbro told The New York Times. “They can’t stay safe at home as we do, they are tired and worried but they stay there, for those who get sick and need them.”