Yo-Yo Ma.Photo: JOAQUIN SARMIENTO/AFP via Getty Images
Yo-Yo Mais doing what he does best: spreading hope and positivity through his music.
The celebrated cellist, 65, got his second dose of theCOVID-19 vaccineat Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday, and took advantage of his 15-minute required post-shot waiting period to put on a performance for others doing the same.
The college shared severalphotos and video clipson social media that showed a masked-up Ma playing for his gathered fellow vaccine recipients who all cheered and clapped loudly in appreciation as he finished the performance.
“Today at the #MyBCC vaccination clinic, the folks waiting for 15 minutes in observation were graced with the musical talents of the one and only Yo-Yo Ma. 😍,” read the post on the school’s Facebookand Instagram accounts.
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Back in December, Ma — who counts 18Grammy Awardsand a Presidential Medal of Freedom among his accolades — told PEOPLE that his art is more about spreading joy to others than racking up awards.
“I really think that living lightly is very good,” said Ma, whose modesty has received as much praise over the years as his musical prowess. “The best thing is there is no best. It’snot about winning, but about sharing.”
In a time of great division, the musician’s newest genre-spanning albumSongs of Comfort and Hope, with pianist Kathryn Stott, is his way ofoffering solace in a time of fear.
“My grandchildren will be 82 and 83 in the year 2100,” he said. “These two little people that I love dearly make me think a lot about what kind of world I’m leaving for them.”
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As of Sunday,one in 10 Americans is now fully vaccinatedagainst COVID-19,according to data from the Centers for Disease Control, and around 1 in 5 have received at least one dose.
At least 105,703,501 doses have been administered in the U.S. as of Sunday, with 68,884,011 Americans receiving at least one dose of a vaccine.
In the month and a halfsince Biden, 78, took office, the vaccination rate has gone up significantly, in part to meet the president’s goal of administering100 million doses during his first 100 days. On average, more than 2 million vaccine doses are administered a day — well above Biden’s promised target.
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source: people.com
