“In a time full of doubt just believe,” Country music fans might recognize these wise words as lyrics to a newly released song titled “Be A Light” by Thomas Rhett. He collaborated with Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban to craft a song that encourages people to “Be A Light” in dark times such as the period of uncertainty the world is in right now surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. 

          Many people lean on the power of music to get through hard times. With this in mind, some of the biggest names in country music signed up to record at-home performances for the world to see. The two-hour show aired on April 5 on CBS. “AMC Presents: Our Country” replaced the Academy of Country Music Awards which was set to play that night before the pandemic hit. The Academy of Country Music Awards has been moved to September with Urban as the host. 

          The special included artists like Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Rhett, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Urban and a dozen more talented stars performing their hits. 

          Additionally, Bryan, Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker performed tributes to Kenny Rogers who had passed away in March. 

          For many of the artists, the approach was to pick a song that addresses the fact that the pandemic is a collective experience across the globe and everyone has felt some type of unsettling emotion whether they want to accept it or not. A lot of them disclosed that they were using their free time to make music, so why not share it with the world? 

          Naturally, country music stars aren’t the only ones sharing their voices with the world. ABC aired a Disney Family Singalong on April 16 that scored high ratings. The special was hosted by Ryan Seacrest and included performances from a variety of superstar singers such as Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera, Tori Kelly and Rhett. The artists each picked a favorite Disney classic to sing and performed it in different places in their houses such as the living room or kitchen. 

          A favorite act for many teens was when the members of the cast of “High School Musical” reunited for a performance of “We’re All in This Together,” which was a perfect fit for the uncertain times we have all been placed in. The performance included members of the original movie like Corbin Bleu, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale, but it also integrated the newer cast from the Disney+ series, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and admirable actors from current Disney Channel Original Movies. 

          The special also featured clips raising awareness for the charity “Feeding America” which has been providing food banks to feed people who are at risk of hunger during the crisis. 

          There was a certain satisfaction watching the underproduced shows because it reassured many people that celebrities are human too. Sometimes we get lost in seeing only the glam of celebrities, however, many of us could relate to them as they sang with their kids in their lap or in front of a backyard bonfire. They are people just as we are, and we are all experiencing this together, but music helps!