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Arts Council Hires Local Musicians To Play At Forsyth County Vaccine Clinic

Violinists Ewa Dharamraj and Gregorio Midero perform at the Forsyth County Fairgrounds COVID vaccination center on March 11, 2021. BETHANY CHAFIN/WFDD

People getting their COVID-19 vaccine at a Winston-Salem clinic may be serenaded in the process. The performances by local musicians are made possible by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County

As a couple leaves the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds on Thursday after receiving their vaccine, they nod and thank the two violinists playing near the entrance to the building.

Ewa Dharamraj and Gregorio Midero are musicians with the Winston-Salem Symphony. This is the first time they've been able to play live in a year.

“We chose a variety of music. We chose some classical pieces. We played also some lighter music, faster, happier, also slow and moving,” says Dharamraj.

Midero says, "If we can provide more music, even in hard times, it will give comfort for more people."      

The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is using its Artist Relief Fund to pay the musicians for their work. President and CEO Chase Law says it's the beginning of bringing the arts back in person. County Health Director Joshua Swift says he hopes music on site will create a welcoming environment.

The performances will include a variety of genres and instrumentalists. They began this week and run Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. through March 31.

Bethany joined the staff of WFDD in the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Wake Forest University and focused on Anglo-Irish writing. Between undergraduate studies and graduate school, Bethany served as the intern to Talk of the Nation at NPR in D.C., participating in live NPR Election Night Coverage, Presidential debate broadcasts, regular Talk of the Nation shows, and helping to plan the inaugural broadcast of ‘Talk of the World.' She enjoys engaging with her interests in books, politics, and art in the interdisciplinary world of public radio. Before becoming Assistant News Director, Bethany was a reporter and Associate Producer for WFDD's Triad Arts and Triad Arts Weekend. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Bethany enjoys calling the Piedmont home.

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