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May 2020 Update From The Brush Alumni Association. No Matter How Far Apart We Are, Art And Music Can Help Us Relax And Bring Us Closer Together.
By Deb DiLillo Betz '76
& Jamie Allison Sanders '98

Original Release: 5/25/2020

Brush ARCS:

	Deb DiLillo Betz
	Jamie Allison Sanders

As we approach summer 2020, we all share a unique, unanticipated and unprecedented experience; the world is stressed out by coronavirus. Businesses shut their doors, schools closed, markets fell and to some extent, the world seemed to stop.

Being Brush ARCS, we try not to feel too hopeless, though. There are simple tasks - like maintaining a regular schedule, getting a good night's sleep and eating healthy - that help fight feelings of depression, stress and vulnerability.

You have probably noticed a growing number of people getting even more creative with their coping methods: They're making art. Photography, music, painting and drawing are keeping people busy and distracted from the stresses of COVID-19.

Music, in particular, has always brought people together, especially in difficult times. Social media and YouTube are exploding with musical parodies as well as musicians, both professional and amateur, sharing their talents through song.

No matter how far apart we are, art and music can help us relax and bring us closer together.

Jamie and Evan Sanders were students at Brush in the 1990s - Jamie graduated in 1998, and Evan in 1999. The Sanders siblings were highly involved at Brush. Both were AP students, and, while managing full class loads, also took advantage of the many extracurricular creative opportunities. Both were members of Soundsation Show Choir and Drama Club. Jamie was Vice President of Drama Club her senior year. Evan was first trumpet in band and a member of the jazz band. They frequently collaborated on musical endeavors, among them multiple fillers for Show Choir festivals.

Since graduating from Brush, Jamie and Evan have spread their wings on opposite ends of the country.

Jamie graduated from Indiana University in 2002 with a degree in journalism and moved to New York City after college, originally pursuing a career in magazines with her first job at Harper's Bazaar. She quickly moved into marketing and advertising and is currently a copywriter and blogger specializing in fashion and beauty, with clients including Ralph Lauren, Bloomingdale's, JustFab, Fabletics, Drybar, Sugarfina, Splendid, American Eagle Outfitters, Murad and NYDJ. Jamie also started her own fashion and beauty blog, The Beauty of Life (http://www.thebeautyoflifeblog.com) in January 2007. Through her blog, she's covered New York Fashion Week; interviewed the most notable artists in the hair/makeup/nails field; and been featured as an expert in publications and websites including Buzzfeed, ClearVoice, Babble.com, Glamour, Woman's Day, and Cleveland's own The Plain Dealer. She moved to Los Angeles in 2015, after 12 years in NYC.

Evan graduated from Boston University in 2003 with a degree in psychology and a minor in music. He works for Harvard Medical School, currently serving as Associate Director of Curriculum Services, Teaching and Learning Technologies. In his role, he oversees strategy and implementation for technology in support of the MD curriculum. He is also a member of the a cappella sextet Accent, which includes singer-arrangers from five different countries working collaboratively on close-harmony arrangements and performances. Accent has released four albums, performed at the London A Cappella Festival, played dates across Europe, North America and Asia, and performed in two sold-out Christmas shows at London's Royal Albert Hall. Some notable experiences include: performing at Austin's "South by Southwest" music festival; doing session work for commercial clients such as ESPN and Time Warner Cable; singing backup for Ben Folds and Bobby McFerrin; performing with Take 6 at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City; and appearing with Duwende on NBC's The Winner Is, hosted by Nick Lachey.

Jamie and Evan have been fans of The Carpenters ever since they were children, and even performed the song "Love Is Surrender" during a Show Choir festival at Brush. Jamie also sang "We've Only Just Begun" as her senior solo at the Spring Choral Concert in 1998. A recent project marks their second YouTube collaboration. Several years ago they performed "Wonderful Christmastime" by Wings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oo53YvPgnE.

Recently, realizing the unifying, healing properties of music, they came together virtually as a way to spread peace and comfort during this unsettling time. We are excited that they have agreed to share their message with all ARCS.

Please click here and enjoy the music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XocYOLmMy_E.

As far as conquering this Coronavirus ... science will help us do it ... but in the meantime, art will get us through it.

Deb DiLillo Betz '76
Charles F. Brush Alumni Association