WARWICK, N.Y. — Throughout the coronavirus lockdown, people have explored different ways to keep themselves busy.
Methods have ranged from taking on new hobbies, eating healthier, or waking up early.
One former NYPD officer decided to go a different route.
Tom Lovelace and his musical group, the Armonia Band, planned to host virtual concerts. Most of the group’s former gigs had either been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus.
The process is simple. The band picks a date, gathers together in studio, and delivers a one hour performance.
However, Lovelace says he did not want to host a concert without a purpose.
“I’ve asked every member of the band to select a charity,” Lovelace said. “And what we’ll do is create a GoFundMe account to the charity and people could, of course, click on the GoFundMe to donate if they want to.”
The band’s next virtual concert is set for Saturday, Aug. 15. The concert will run from 6-7 p.m. and stream on Facebook Live.
The band’s lead vocalist, Anamaria Angel, chose the National Alliance on Mental Illness as the charity to focus on for this show.
Angel says she chose NAMI because of her own struggles with anxiety.
“Sometimes few understand the impact mental illness can have on one’s life and how challenging it can be to control them,” Angel said. “I still struggle with them but have also found and learned ways to help cope with the symptoms such as seeking help from a therapist and incorporating meditation exercises as part of my daily routine.”
The Armonia Band’s last performance was on Saturday, July 11. The concert reeled in over 1,300 viewers. It was a live benefit show for the Mount Carmel Society of Port Jervis, New York.
Lovelace says he plans on maintaining the same structure for the upcoming show.
“We would perform a few songs and then talk a little bit about the charity that we’re going to keep because that seemed to work out well,” said Lovelace.
Lovelace says the band’s goal for this concert is to raise $500 for NAMI and surpass 1,000 viewers.
