Shelbie Rassler, a Boston Conservatory at Berklee student and Fort Lauderdale resident majoring in composition, worked with over 70 fellow musicians from Berklee and the Conservatory to produce a “virtual orchestra” performance of Burt Bacharach’s “What The World Needs Now is Love.” Rassler said the idea originally came to her on her flight home from the Conservatory as the school shut its doors and transitioned to online classes in the wake of COVID-19. With a group of singers, instrumentalists, and dancers (watch through the credits!), Rassler produced a joyful, compelling and uplifting rendition of the timeless classic.
The video is up to 1.3 million views on YouTube and an additional 1-2 million views on combined Instagram/Facebook/Twitter posts.
It has been reposted by Jessica Chastain (commented by Octavia Spencer and Shailene Woodley on her post), Barbra Streisand, Yo-Yo Ma, Laura Benanti, and several others. These students have also been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, National Public Radio (NPR) and many other television/radio broadcasts. Watch the video until the end to see student dancers performing during the end credits.
Click on the video for a full interview with Shelbie Rassler.
