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Buffalo String Works getting ready for 7th annual benefit concert

On March 20, Buffalo String Works Students will play alongside 13 artists, with names you may recognize such as The National and Arcade Fire.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo String Works' seventh annual benefit concert is coming up in March.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it will be completely virtual. It's an opportunity to see up-and-coming local music students play alongside some big names in music.

The show called "They Could Only Walk" will feature more than 10 performers from around the world, some of which you might recognize.

Some of them include artists from The National, Arcade Fire, Big Red Machine and Gail Ann Dorsey, who's best known as David Bowie's bass guitarist.  

She's also been a co-writer and producer for Taylor Swift.

There will also be performances by the Buffalo String Works students.

You can stream the concert anytime from 7 p.m. on March 20 through March 27.

"But it's definitely not the kind of Zoom concert that you might be imagining. Our artists brought in, most of them brought in professional videographers and recording engineers so these are super high quality performances that you won't be able to find anywhere else because they're only for Buffalo String Works," according to BSW executive director Yuki Numata Resnick.

Buffalo String Works is a rigorous music program which tries to make music classes more accessible for students in lower income areas.

The nonprofit's executive director says 99 percent of students are students of color and come from refugee or immigrant communities. 

Buffalo String Works began with under 20 students but has grown to 90 and the hope is to expand to more than 200 by 2024, with help from the concert proceeds.

"We're going to be making sure that our program is strong enough, that we can be sustainable beyond a pandemic and we can continue serving our community because we know there are youth across Buffalo who really deserve access to a really awesome, high quality music program like Buffalo String Works," Numata Resnick said. 

Tickets range from $20 to $150, depending on which package you buy.

Packages include the tickets and different, specialized items from other local art organizations and businesses such as Tipico Coffee, Western New York Book Arts and Community Beer Works.

Tickets became available Thursday on the Buffalo String Works website.

Click here to get to the page for tickets.

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