BEAVERTON, Ore. — Music, dance, and visual arts have the power to bring us life and light through the darkness. Right now, we need that inspiration more than ever.
However, with concerts and dance recitals on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, young artists are missing out on their chance to share their gifts. So a group of high school students in Beaverton have come up with their own performance platform.
“Performing is a very personal thing. Even if you're in a group on stage you feel very connected to yourself; whether that's singing or dancing or playing an instrument,” Sanya Surya said. “And that is one of the reasons right now, as artists, we like to be connected to ourselves and feel our art within us. And so, when that's missing, that can feel really terrible.”
Surya and fellow 17-year-old Westview High School student Reetesh Sudhakar, along with 16-year-old Sunset High student Arshia Rajeshnarayanan, found a way for the show to go on.
All three are artists in their own right. Surya is a singer and dancer. Sudhakar is a pianist, singer, and Indian percussionist. Rajeshnarayanan is a dancer and pianist.
Together, they created Youth Artists Unite. It is a platform for young singers, musicians, dancers, and visual artists to showcase their work in front of a live online audience.
“I think the most important part of Youth Artist Unite is to encourage the kids,” Rajeshnarayanan said. “And it's really hard to maintain that motivation to continue with an art form, especially when there's nobody by your side supporting you every step of the way. You have to do it on your own.”
Through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitch, Youth Artists Unite showcases area kids’ talent; everything from original music, at-home cover songs, piano, ukulele, and even a live painting.
“By giving these kids something to look forward to – or something that they know that they have upcoming – it'll give them a reason to practice,” Sudhakar said. “And it'll give them a reason to have a more productive schedule overall."
These three teens now that the arts are more critical now than ever and giving young talent a place to perform isn’t just good for the artists themselves, it’s good for all of us.
“It makes us hopeful that even maybe without Youth Artists Unite kids will still realize the importance of having that sort of outlet and using that to build upon themselves,” Rajeshnarayanan said.
They recently started a series with adult artists, featuring interviews to inspire the next generation.
Starting on the Fourth of July, Youth Artists Unite will roll out live themed performances every Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. They are all streamed on Instagram and Twitch.
They are always looking for more young artists to perform. Connect with them on social media to sign up!