Athenian philosopher Plato once said, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”
Joseph Scarbrough, Sherry Fagan Martin and Laura Ferrario would all agree with Plato. These three are members of Resonate Tampa Bay, which is a local musical nonprofit.
“Resonate was born out of Not Your Normal Entertainment, a community theater that spent two years staging musicals in and around Brandon,” said Scarbrough, Resonate’s artist director. “When I got a promotion at my church job, I could not keep a full-time theater running, so we had to close. However, the singers and instrumentalists wanted to continue to play and sing under my direction, so we started the community chorus and orchestra that is now called Resonate.”
Resonate’s mission is to bring diverse people together for a common goal: music.
“We welcome all performers, regardless of race, religion, orientation, movie genre preferences or any other factor that contributes to the beauty of our human family,” Scarbrough said. “Our concerts focus on themes of unity, equality and peace.”
The group’s music is selected from traditional composers like Bach and Mozart as well as modern composers like Ola Gjeilo and Rene Clausen. While some of their music may be religious, the organization is not affiliated with any religion.
“As the director, my goal is to provide a creative outlet for anyone and everyone regardless of age, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender or economic status,” Scarbrough said. “Music has the ability to unite, and in our world today, unification is what we need.”
Laura Ferrario is a Valrico resident and recently joined Resonate because she wanted to get back to her musical roots.
“The opportunity came at a great time for me, as I had decided 2020 is the year in which I reconnect with passions that have defined me,” Ferrario said. “As a child and through my early adulthood, I was always involved in singing/musical theater. The sound of voices blending to create this beautiful sound felt like home again.”
Visit www.resonatethebay.com or call 812-2466. Chorus rehearsals are held on Sunday nights from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and orchestra rehearsals are held on Sunday nights from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Both rehearsals are held at the First United Methodist Church of Seffner, which is located at 1310 S. Kingsway Rd.
