Bubble Rap—Inbal Megiddo and Paul Altomari
Inbal Megiddo, senior lecturer in Classical Performance, and Paul Altomari, School Manager at the New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī, have taken their art to their Karori street with a series of porch concerts to entertain their neighbours during COVID-19 Alert Level 4.
The couple put a message out on their street’s WhatsApp group inviting them to come out and listen, or close their windows depending on their liking for classical music. Three Sunday concerts later, they have an eager crowd.
Neighbours come out with chairs and beanbags and sit on their lawns or in their driveways. “In the first concert I played the first suite in G major for cello solo by Bach, and Paul and I played a duo for cello and bass by Rossini, as well as Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and other favourites for the younger audience members,” says Inbal. “Surprisingly, our little porch has pretty good acoustics!”
The parents of a 20-month-year-old and a 6-year-old admit that performing was as much for them as for the neighbours. “It is hectic to say the least—so the time out to play was serenity for us, and literally a breath of fresh air.”
“It is just as helpful and healing for us to perform and share it as it is for the listeners. Creating something beautiful, being able to express and communicate emotions, and transport the audience to another world is what sharing live music is about.”