'Music is best medicine': Italian musicians join flash mob to cheer up nation amid coronavirus scare (VIDEOS)

Italian musicians have banded together in a flash mob to banish fear and despair with some cheerful musical tones as the nation struggles to beat the deadly coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 1,200 lives nationwide.

With a nationwide quarantine in place since March 10 in the wake of a severe Covid-19 outbreak, Italy is still seemingly trying to do its best to beat the disease in every possible way – healing not just bodies, but souls as well. At least that is what a music band from Rome said as they encouraged fellow citizens to join their "resonant" musical flash mob and "break the silence" in a powerful display of unity and solidarity.

"Music is the best medicine to cure the soul and that is what we need at the moment," an 18-strong band wrote on the event's Facebook page as it called on people to open their windows and play an instrument, sing a song, or just make noise in any way they feel appropriate.

Although the flash mob was not directed solely at professional musicians and in fact stated quite the opposite, it did strike a chord with instrumentalists and singers performing in various genres not just in Rome but throughout Italy. Many of them then uploaded videos of their musical exploits to social media.

Opera singer Laura Baldassari, Turin harp player Federica Magliano, and singer Federico Sirianni were among the participants who took to their balconies and windows to add some music to Friday evening. There was also no shortage of pianists, saxophonists, flutists and guitar players, who followed suit.

Some people formed improvised bands as they performed together on the rooftops of their houses, while others used the occasion to demonstrate their mastery of some unusual instruments.

Ordinary citizens also took part, joining the improvised nationwide chorus and singing songs to each other in heartwarming scenes. 

Italy remains the country hardest hit by the novel coronavirus outside of China, where the deadly disease originated. The national death toll linked to the virus officially known as Covid-19 had reached 1,266 by Friday evening as 250 people died in just one day, according to the latest reports.

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