Blaine composer and flute player Shere Lowe is one of over a hundred classically-trained musicians worldwide who are using their talent to raise funds for Ukraine through a five-volume album series.
Lowe, who goes by the artist name Shere Fraser, donated a song to albums raising money for the National Bank of Ukraine through the online platform Bandcamp. The four volumes released to date are named after the Ukrainian word for home, and at least one more volume is on its way.
London-based musician Doug Thomas said he started compiling music through his record label, NOOX, in response to watching the war in Ukraine unfold on the news.
Over $2,600 have been raised for the National Bank of Ukraine since the first volume was released March 11, Thomas said. A fifth volume is set to be released Friday, April 8. Each volume has 28 tracks with titles such as “Under the same blue sky,” “resilience,” and “love in war.” There are no fixed prices for the music; people can purchase a single track or buy all four albums.
“It’s a small amount of money,” Thomas said of the fundraiser. “But the more we can make this bigger, the more useful it can be as an artist project and support for Ukraine.”
Thomas, who met Lowe through sharing music online, put out a request for artists for the project. Lowe contributed a song she released last October with Iranian pianist Mohsen Sokard titled, “What am I supposed to do” that was featured on the third volume. Lowe and Sokard found inspiration for the song from the pandemic, but the song’s theme of personal struggle transferred to the invasion in Ukraine, Lowe said.
“The mindset at the time was dealing with personal struggles and that music is a source of comfort for so many of us,” she said. “You’re in despair but hopefully you can find a way out. What a tough world it is right now.”
Sokard sent Lowe dark chords and she used her flute to bring a ray of hope to the song. Lowe recorded the music in her Blaine home and sent the music through email.
Lowe taught herself to play the flute at 13 years old by listening to records before studying under a teacher in her late 20s. She studied the Royal Conservatory of Music curriculum through private lessons and then played the flute while working as a flight attendant to calm passengers in the years following 9/11.
After retiring, Lowe began streaming her music and taking lessons under the likes of Bevani Flute, a Washingtonian flutist who has garnered millions of videos on her YouTube videos. Lowe now studies under Lisa Friend, who has taught at the Royal Academy of Music in London and is an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, a charity started by Prince Charles of Wales.
“The beautiful thing that came out of all of this was I was able to connect with other musicians and we have become united,” Lowe said. “Music is a language of love and it has no borders and no divide. I can speak to you with my heart in any language worldwide.”
Lowe recently finished composing a neoclassical piano and flute piece titled “Hope and Peace” at Woodhaven Mastering Studios in Bellingham, which was put together remotely with a Dutch pianist. The song, slated to be released in May, was inspired by the invasion in Ukraine, Lowe said.
“We decided to compose the piece because one way or another, we’ll still find ways to help Ukraine,” she said.
To listen to Lowe’s song and donate, visit dodomu.bandcamp.com/album/iii.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here