Orphan Train, the Musical - Q&A with bookwriter L.E. McCullough

L.E. McCullough is an author, composer, performer and producer. He has worked as a journalist, publicist and fundraiser. He helps other artists get their art out to the world, and organizes festivals and events (as he puts it, he has spent his adult life being a resource). He plays the Irish tinwhistle and flute (composes and produces, too). Gosh, is there anything this man hasn't done? See for yourself at http://www.lemccullough.com.

The latest entry on his dazzling CV is bookwriter for Orphan Train, the Musical, which will have performances at New York's Grand Central Station this coming Friday and Saturday (Oct. 11-12) as part of the Centennial Celebration for the terminal. 

But hey, he's much more interesting than me - so let's get on with his Q&A! 

1)  How did you become involved with ORPHAN TRAIN?

I had just moved to New York City and my actress fiancee (now wife, Lisa Bansavage) took me to a party. Michael Greer was there, and we began talking about our common love of Irish music and Irish literature. Next day, he told me his longtime musical collaborator, Doug Katsaros, was interested in writing about a little-known episode in American history — the Orphan Train movement. I actually knew a bit about the Orphan Trains, and I had already written about 50 historical plays, so Michael, Doug and I met and decided to create a musical.

2) How has the collaboration worked?

I did more intensive research on the Orphan Trains and created a group of characters that mixed reality and fiction. Then I roughed out a plot that told the Orphan Train story through these characters and started writing dialogue for the scenes. When I had the first draft of the book done, Michael and Doug and I decided where the songs would appear. Michael wrote lyrics, and often I would feed him lines of dialogue, historical facts, 19th-century slang, actual quotes from Orphan Train founders and so forth to keep grounded in history. Michael took it all and transformed it into lyrics that Doug made music for. Michael and Doug had such a simpatico musical relationship that within 2 months we had a complete musical. And having Pat Birch come in as director really kicked us up a notch. She's amazingly gifted in keeping the narrative personal and focused on the children's viewpoint. Over the years, we've honed the play to be ever more powerful and succinct in telling the Orphan Train story so that it feels compelling to  today's audiences.

3)  How much input did you have in ORPHAN TRAIN's songs?

Doug created all the music, and his stylistic versatility has made this score truly phenomenal. He's created music that sounds "historical" and "American" but is very sophisticated, subtle and totally original. My input into the songs was feeding Michael history facts, slang snippets, bits of conversation, etc. that he fused into his lyrics.

4) What lines really capture the heart of the show?

ORPHAN TRAIN shows a serious social problem and says to the audience:  "These people made a difference in solving this problem a hundred years ago; what can we do about the same problem today?"

So, the narrative, the songs, the whole thrust of the play is to get the audience to identify not just with the orphans but also the adults who got off the sidelines and pitched in to make a difference.

The song that best expresses that is "Some Letters" sung by Miss Pemberton, the naive young placement director whose faith in the Orphan Train movement is battered by the harsh realities of the "orphan saving business". This is the core moment of the play, where Miss Pemberton (who is us, the audience) has to decide whether she's going to stay committed to these children or pass them off as somebody else's problem. I mean, she's not really responsible for this mess, right? The lyrics by Michael and the music by Doug convey this pivotal moment in an incredibly compelling way.

5)  What's next for you?

Well, I want to keep doing everything I do — write more plays, sell some filmscripts to movie makers, keep on playing Irish music, blues, etc. I'm also now managing Hamilton Stage for the Performing Arts in the heart of the Rahway, New Jersey, Arts District. I  want to foster a community of playwrights and producers who create Theatre That Matters. Which is Theatre that talks about the realities of human life on this planet right now ... social and economic realities that shape all our lives. And the fact is, audiences DO want to experience live theatre that asks questions, challenges their assumptions, inspires them to action and positive problem-solving. Contemporary theatre can be more than spectacle or sit-com ... it can change our world. And we'd love to start building that out of Hamilton Stage.

Orphan Train, the Musical - Q&A with director Pat Birch

If you walk through New York's Grand Central Station Friday or Saturday (Oct 11-12), you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of something you don't normally see in a train station: a musical. 

(The presentation is part of GCT's Centennial Celebration - so there will be other cool events coming, no doubt.) 

Orphan Train is about six children who were part of a movement in 1872 to send orphans - "surplus children" - out of the horror that was New York City and place them with families in the West - both for their own good, and as cheap labor for the booming frontier.

Orphan Train has a book by L.E. McCullough, lyrics by Michael Barry Greer, score by Emmy-winning composer Doug Katsaros,  and direction by Emmy-winning choreographer Patricia Birch.  The 75-minute musical has a fabulous Broadway cast, and includes some of Rosie's O'Donnell's Theatre Kids. 

We were so excited to hear about this project - talk about inspirational subject matter! - that we reached out to the creators and will be offering a series of Q&A's with them. We're going to lead off with Pat. Birch  Pat has earned two Emmy Awards, five Tony nominations, and scads of other honors, including her recent induction into the Theater Hall of Fame. Pat has directed music-driven projects ranging from Sondheim to the Rolling Stones, and to theatre folk, she is a Legend with a capital L.

Pat has worked with Orphan Train for years, and Hope Sings is so happy to have an opportunity to learn and share more about the project through this informal Q&A. It's so welcome to hear her goals for the show are  not just artistic, but social as well.  As she says in her interview, "In the 1870s the kids on the streets were called "surplus children." I want to help our own 2013 surplus kids now!

And now...here's Pat! 

1) How did Orphan Train begin its life as a musical, and how did you become involved?

They invited me to a very early reading. I fell in love with the stories and the message, and wanted to, and did, help the writers develop it.

2) What has been the journey of the show so far?

There were a few early developmental performances at NYMF (the New York Musical Festival). Patricia Snyder optioned it for NYST. We had huge success in the tri-state area - and thoughts about coming in to NYC, but I felt we might do some good and try to do a few gala performances at Grand Central - the very station from which the trains departed - then go across the country on the route of the trains, playing for family audiences and raising awareness- helping our own needy children!

3) How has it been to stage the show at Grand Central Station, of all places? The challenges/bonuses?

We're on the way now - it will be enormously exciting to play Vanderbilt Hall - we're ready for sound challenges and a very short rehearsal there before we have an audience - but guess what? We'll be fine. The cast - including Rosie's Theater Kids, wonderful Steve Blanchard, DeWitt Fleming and very talented up and comers, some from Marymount's Musical theater program - are great!

4) What impact do you hope the show has on the audience - on the world?

I hope  to bring Orphan Train to a wider audience across the country … a family-focused drama that will inspire thousands of Americans  to get involved in supporting foster care, early education, wellness/nutrition, juvenile justice and other critical youth development needs in their communities. In the 1870s the kids on the streets were called "surplus children." I want to help our own 2013 surplus kids now!

THANKS PAT! 

For more information on Orphan Train go to  http://orphantrainmusical.com.

Though there are no tickets left for these performances, there has been such strong demand that they hope to do more in the future. To get on their mailing list, write to orphantrainmusical@gmail.com

Tamar of the River - Opening!!

I was so happy to be at the opening of the very cool new musical, Tamar of the River.  Marisa Michelson (music/book) and Joshua H. Cohen (lyrics/book) should be proud - as should director Daniel Goldstein and choreographer Chase Brock - for the unusual and affecting show they have delivered.

The actors are incredible - notably Margo Seibert (Tamar) and Erik Lochtefeld (Judah), and the actors who personify the River are vocally astounding and physically mesmerizing (and often play other roles beyond water):  Ako, Jen Anaya, Adam Bashian, Margot Bassett, Troy Burton, Jeremy Greenbaum, Tamrin Goldberg, Aaron Komo, Mike Longo, Mary Kate Morrissey, Vince B. Vincent.

Marisa's music is unlike any other you've heard - though it has echoes of Meredith Monk, one of her idols - and the lyrics and book are poetic and pointed, simple and eloquent.  

Though Tamar is set in a mythical time and land, it has such resonance in these days of upset, violence and misunderstanding in the Middle East and elsewhere. In asking the question whether peace is truly possible, it makes us hope - and believe - that the answer is yes. One day, some way.

At the opening reception afterwards, everyone was glowing - and deservedly so!  

Composer Marisa Michelson (ctr) with supporters Mary Jo and Ted Shen (Shen Family Foundation) 

Tamar of the River's "Tamar" Margo Seibert (rt) w/writer Laura Eason

Cara Reichel (L) -  Prospect Theater Company, producer  of Tamar w/producer Melissa Huber (rt)

Tamar actor Erik Lochtefeld w/ writer (and wife) Laura Eason

Q&A with Joshua H. Cohen - words for Tamar of the River

Joshua H. Cohen is a New York based playwright, lyricist and composer. He won the Jonathan Larson award for Tamar of the River (with Marisa Michelson).  He has scads of accomplishments, which you can find at http://www.joshuahcohen.com. 

See what he has to say about Tamar below...I love getting a peak into other writers' processes!

1) How did you get involved working on Tamar?

When Marisa received the American Musical Voices grant, she approached me with the idea of adapting this story from Genesis into a music-theater piece about a young woman trying to stop a war. I was immediately attracted to the moral complexity of it -- can an action that seems revolting actually be the best course? What is too far in pursuit of a noble goal? -- and to the musical possibilities of a young woman's developing relationship with God.

2) How do you and Marisa, the composer, collaborate?

Our collaboration, like our work, is fluid. First drafts of songs and scenes often happen over email, with Marisa sending me wordless recordings, or me sending her a completed lyric. Then we get together to pound out the details, in one session ranging over the entire show, and in another spending hours on a single moment. Also, I pace a lot.

3) If there were one sentence from the show that captured its essence, what would it be?

One of the things I love about Tamar is that it defies easy solutions to complex problems. If I had to summarize the point of the show, it might be the lyric the River sings at the end: "It will come. Peace will come. Days will come. Days will go. It will come. Peace will come. Time will ebb. Time will flow."

4) What are your dreams for Tamar?

The maddening complexities of war and peace are always readily apparent somewhere in the world. Syria today, who knows where tomorrow. If Tamar can spur and contribute to some part of that conversation, that would make me very happy. Of course, for that to happen, as may people as possible need to see it first...

Q&A with Marisa Michelson - Composer of Tamar of the River

Marisa Michelson is an enormously talented young composer who is winning legions of fans in the Broadway/music theatre world. She received a 2011 Jonathan Larson Award and was the only woman to receive a 2009 "American Musical Voices: The Next Generation" Award from the Shen Family Foundation. She also garnered a Global Arts Village grant to study Indian Hindustani Singing in India (how cool is that?). Marisa sang with Meredith Monk (see her "Influences" below) in Songs of Ascension at BAM , and theatre titan Maury Yeston is a HUGE fan.

Marisa's new musical, Tamar of the River (co-created with lyricist/bookwriter Josh Cohen and directed by Daniel Goldstein) starts previews Saturday, September 21. If you're in NYC and a fan of ground-breaking musical theatre, you should check it out. More info and tickets at tamaroftheriver.com.

And now - a peak behind the curtain with Marisa... 

1) What was your spark of inspiration for Tamar?

I wanted to write a story with a strong and powerful woman at the center, a woman who goes on a real inner journey as well as an outer one. For source material, I went to the biblical women, and found the story of Tamar. Our piece now has very little to do with the biblical Tamar, but originally, she provided inspiration. When I went to Israel five years ago, I traveled to Neve Shalom (oasis of peace), a village co-founded by Israeli Jews and Israeli Palestinian Arabs to demonstrate that the two peoples could live and work together peacefully.  Neve Shalom was physically beautiful, emotionally moving, and spiritually inspiring.

2) What was your process in creating the musical world for Tamar?

There is nothing more alive and exciting to me than the human ability to communicate through the voice and body.  I began by using my own voice to explore the intense beauty and pain that is awakened within me in response to the natural world.  I spent time outdoors listening to the wind and trees and, yes, to rivers! When I really listen, the natural

elements speak to me, and I try to transform what I experience into music.  It has been my intention to create for the River a musical Being-ness that is primal, earthy, passionate, but also spacious, light, airy, elusive.

3) How did you start writing music?

I started writing classical piano pieces when I was eight years old, then tried my hand at some Tori Amos-like singer songwriter stuff, and then had the opportunity to attend NYU’s summer musical theatre writing program for high school students. I just loved being able to express the emotions of characters beyond myself.

4) Who are your major influences?

Meredith Monk composes and creates from her body.  Her work is primal and touches me deeply.  Adam Guettel’s rhythms, his melodies.  Novels bring me to tears:  currently Nicole Krauss’ “The History of Love” and David Grossman’s “To the End of the Land.”  The psychologist and great humanist Erich Fromm.

5) What impact do you hope Tamar will have?

I guess, most of all, I want people to come out of the theatre asking themselves questions. 

From the smallest actions to the largest ones, can we be conscious, aware, connected in every moment to what it is within us that chooses to act? What compels us forward, onward ever onward, despite life's uncertainties? Is it ever really possible to "know" something? Must we necessarily relegate feelings and senses to a lesser realm than rational thinking?  Or is there a third kind of "knowing," grown out of recognizing and cultivating our uniquely human capacity for both intuitive listening and also rational thinking?

This may seem a bit abstract, but I keep coming back to this quote from the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna tells Arjuna:  “Know when to act and when to refrain from action, what is right and what is wrong, what brings freedom and what bondage.  One who is free from attachments, and who has mastered himself and his passions attains the supreme perfection of freedom from action.”

Inspiring new musical - special discount tix through Hope Sings

When Danny Goldstein, a musical theatre director I know, Facebooked me about his latest directing project, the new musical "Tamar of the River," I thought: this isn't your run-of-the-mill musical comedy. This show is up to something in the world. 

"Tamar of the River" asks the question: would you betray the one you love to bring peace to all?

Musical Theatre legend Maury Yeston calls it "genuinely new, crossing musical boundaries." Marisa Michelson is the composer, Joshua H. Cohen the lyricist, and they share book duties.

AND producer Cara Reichel of the Prospect Theater Company is offering Hope Sings fans a special discount offer!

Purchase tix by Sept. 21 with code HOPE30 for $30 regular tickets - a 40% savings!  

After Sept. 21, use code HOPE25 to save 25% on regular tickets ($37.50 price).

Purchase tickets at www.ProspectTheater.org, or call 212-352-3101.

For more info including video to to www.TamarOfTheRiver.com.

Hip-Hop Healing: Aaron Jafferis

Aaron Jafferis isn't good at shaving or saying "I love you." (I'm not being critical, those are his own words, paraphrased).

But he's really good at writing/performing hip-hop theatre pieces that aim to heal, ourselves and our world.

Aaron's latest show is How to Break. It tells the story of a dance-loving teenager fighting with her caregivers and a fellow patient about what it means to be “ill.” How to Break received the 2012 Thomas Barbour Playwright’s Award and was headlined the 2012 Hip-Hop Theatre Festival in NYC at HERE.

Catch a 1- minute clip of Aaron rapping from the show here. 

 http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/how-to-break-at-arts

Aaron is writer-in-residence at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital's Arts for Healing program, which is teaming up with Collective Consciousness Theatre (CCT) to create ARTS Rx: An Exploration of Art, Health and Resilience. How to Break will be part of that festival in New Haven, Oct 3-6

With your help. That's why the Indiegogo pitch. Bet you're surprised.

Hope Sings loves music and songs and theatre for Change in the World and in ourselves. If you do, too, please support Aaron and his co-creators, Chris Edwards, Rebecca Hart, Kwikstep, Adam Matta, Rokafella and Yako 440. 

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/how-to-break-at-arts 

Are you living what you love?

As the founder of Hope Sings, I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to dream up crazy ideas, then work to make them happen. But I still find there are days when fear  stops me and it all seems one long slog.

That's why I was thrilled today to discover a website/philosophy/movement (?) that reminded me of the Power of Play. It's called Live in the Grey. More and more, there is less and less of a line between work and play, our business and personal personae. 

www.liveinthegrey.com

When what used to give you joy now causes dread, overwhelm and inertia - it's time to look at that. Which is what I'm going to be doing today. Getting my groove back. Letting myself get excited again. 

How about you? Are you psyched about what you're doing? Yes, no - I'm so curious!

Theatre for Change - a cool video

 Compathos Foundation has a great TV website with lots of material, video and otherwise, on what I'll call "Art for Change," including this video about how theatre helps change the world.

http://compathos.com/videoindex.php?vid=952&cid=81&page=1 As

 Hope Sings starts to integrate music theatre for change into our mission, we'll be sharing more of these kinds of outlets and stories  - what we can do with our hearts and arts is unlimited!

Girl Groups: A Social Phenomenon in Japan

We'd like to welcome Alex McNulty as our newest International Correspondent. Alex is currently living and studying in Tokyo, Japan as a student at Sophia University. In this post she turns her attention to the crazy girl group AKB48.  

Advertisements line every crowded street and organized subway station with posters of AKB48’s 86 members fetishized in schoolgirl uniforms. This group of girls spanning their teens and twenties is widely known throughout Japan for their daily performances and franchises dedicated to them in the electric district of Akihabara, where there were founded. What began as a small theater group in Tokyo has now spread throughout the country, earning them a spot as one of the highest-selling musical acts in the world with growing international acclaim. Their first single was released in 2006 and an instant chart topper, and their influence and group size continues to increase year after year. Currently the female group has released five albums and shows no signs of slowing down.

Interestingly, a member of AKB48 is considered old by 25, thus signaling an end in their career with the group and creating new openings for younger talent to make their mark as an idol. This cycle creates hype and excitement around the group contributing to their mass success and long-lasting popularity while also indicative of one’s worth in Japanese society, focused on value of the youth. AKB48 proudly holds the title of the highest-selling female group in Japanese music history and markets themselves in highly integrated ways. AKB48 has positioned themselves in a way that has attracted international attention from top brands seeking partnerships such as Google, Shiseido, and Asahi for example. You can spot the girls in films, television shows, and even anime series furthering their domination of the entertainment industry. The culture of AKB48 is one that creates a collectivistic network of individuals dedicated to their fans.

The dynamic of this significant group and the girl group phenomenon in Japan is a point of contrast compared to the Western music world in which group members typically break apart from one another to embark on their own solo career. A big contributor to the sensation of girl groups popular in Japan is that the girls’ bubbly personas create an escape from reality for fans.

Also unique to Japan’s culture, and noteworthy of the society’s values, is the terrible injustice that the group members are not permitted to be romantically involved and thus must sacrifice a love life. AKB48’s contract clause all members must abide by states, “unrequited love is permissible, but you cannot return the affection”. This is because according to management, a girl’s value as an idol is at stake if it becomes public knowledge that she has a boyfriend, since a collective focal point of the group’s mission is to sell fantasies to male fans. The Japanese term to describe this clause is “Renai Kinshi”, meaning "love forbidden". This year, one of the founding members, Minami Minegishi, was accused of having a boyfriend and the story made headlines in all of Japan’s major media outlets. While she publicly apologized for her actions by shaving her head, AKB48’s management demoted her to the trainee level of the girl group as her punishement.

Despite these teenage girls being marketed as sex symbols, any form of a  relationship is extremely unacceptable and may result in one’s dismissal from the group. Can you imagine being prohibited from expressing your true feelings for the one you love, particularly by your boss? How unfair as well that boy band members are not held to a similar standard to preserve the fantasies of female fans?

AKB48’s success can be seen in the production of sister groups in additional areas of Japan such as Osaka and Nagoya and worldwide in countries such as China, Singapore, and Taiwan. AKB48, know for their schoolgirl rock attire is backed by Asia’s largest advertising agency, Dentsu Inc. Success rates coupled with fan loyalty indicate that with Dentsu behind them, they will continue to be a dominant force in Japan’s pop culture as idols of fashion and music. Dentsu controls about a third of all traditional advertising in Japan, resulting in enormous impact over the Japanese media.

An AKB48 song most shocking to me from two years ago is called, “Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru” (“My School Uniform’s Getting In The Way”), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnICYc8G6ek, in which the lyrics read, “My school uniform’s getting in the way, I want to be loved more freely, don’t look at me like that, I’m just a high school girl…”. This song alone is indicative of the hypersexualization occurring towards these group members. The members of AKB48 are continuously marketed as sex symbols for their niche market: the otaku; a word indicative of Japan's obsessive subculture of nerds typically interested in anime and manga.

Japan’s ultimate girl group represents brilliant marketing techniques that the U.S. should pay close attention to in terms of creating stars that are not only relatable, but ones easily accessible as well. For example, the group’s singles are oftentimes released with lottery tickets to meet members of the group. Fans also have the ability to interact on a more intimate level with the group members by voting in the annual AKB48 "election," which is a giant contest crowning the leader of the group. With such a specific target demographic, the question remains of whether or not AKB48 will transcend influence to the U.S. They have made headway with their song “Sugar Rush”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI56PcSWiUU, which is featured on the animated movie “Wreck-It Ralph” soundtrack. This animated film entered Japanese theaters in March 2013 and is a prime example of how Japanese culture has been influencing the Western world. If a spin-off group were to enter the U.S. market, I believe that the women would not be treated in the same stifling way, but rather would experience more freedom from oppression to express their individuality within the group.  

More about Alex... she is a senior at Miami University, majoring in Mass Communication and minoring in Sociology. She has a passion for human relations, and her worldview has been significantly expanded during her four months abroad having been exposed to the unique culture and society of Japan. It has been intriguing to her to observe what life is like for women in Japan, particularly the ongoing inequality in the workforce. She is not sure what her future plans after graduation are, but hopes there is another opportunity to venture back to Japan and truly believes in the mantra, “when nothing is sure, everything is possible”!

New Idea: MUSICALS for Change!

Hi - Beth here, founder of Hope Sings.

As some of you know, I lead sort of a double life. In one half, I run Hope Sings. In the other, I write musicals. 

Sometimes, I've felt a bit schizophrenic, like there's a Berlin Wall between my two existences. 

Until recently, when I had an epiphany. That my musicals - and all the musicals I love - are up to the same thing as Hope Sings: harnessing the power of song and story to inspire change.

So coming soon to Hope Sings: a broadened focus to include musicals. 

Coming really soon (a/k/a NOW), a shameless focus on my latest musical, Oneida (I am doing book/lyrics, music is by Lizzie Hagstedt).

I just returned from 10 days in Hanover, NH at the first ever VoxFest at Dartmouth College. Vox Theatre aims to bring Dartmouth alums back to the college to create new theatre works. This festival presented seven new works in various stages of development - including Oneida.

Oneida is about our desire (struggle?) to be happier, better, more loving people - and about the revolutionary community in upstate New York that created amazing ways of living and loving in pursuit of that desire (struggle?). They were front page news for 30 years in the mid-1800's (in fact, the founder coined the term "free love" - way back then!) - but now the only thing most people know is the silverware they made (Oneida - obviously). 

We had an incredible cast that was a combo-pack of professionals and students - here are some of us - and I'm happy to report the audience loved our informal presentation - more news to come!

Oneida (left to right): Paul Frazel, Chris Gallerani, Beth Blatt, Katie Bruestle, Emma Orme, Katelyn Onufrey

Eve Ensler - Inspiring, Terrifying

She is such an incredible story-teller, so passionate and committed.​ The language, structure, even tempo of this TED Talk on Her Body - a humbling inspiration.

http://www.ted.com/talks/eve_ensler.html

Watch this and ask yourself: Do I have what it takes to really do something? To go meet these women, hear their stories first-hand, take on their pain and the responsibility that goes along with bearing witness? Must we be damaged to care deeply about others' wounds? Must we be "obsessed" to achieve something meaningful?

Ask yourself, as I ask myself now...​

UN Women artist Concha Buika comes to NYC - yay!

Concha Buika is one of those singers that grab you in the heart - even though she sings mostly in Spanish, you get it.​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8SVDn34vVQ

​Concha was named one of "50 Great Voices by NPR, and if you live in NYC, you can judge for yourself on June 13th when she appears at Town Hall as part of the Blue Note Jazz Festival.

​​http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=11239

Concha mixes flamenco and jazz - she was raised in Majorca by African parents - and her last album won her a Grammy. Her next release is due out June 4th.​

Update - "One Woman"

Millions of people have read about the song through Facebook and Twitter.

280,000 hits on youtube. ​

Featured on CNN International, radio in Beirut, Katie Couric, youtube China.​

​More colorful details in my Huffington Post post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/beth-blatt/beyond-international-wome_b_2901065.html

Haven't heard the song yet? Haven't ​BOUGHT the song yet? http://song.unwomen.org/

Cheers!​

Launch Day! One woman song for International Women’s Day

It doesn't get any better than today.​

March 8, 2013. A very snowy Friday. Despite the traffic snafus, the room at the UN is overflowing - hundreds of men and women in colorful outfits, excitement bubbling. It's International Women' Day.​

​It's not yet 10am, but they almost won't let me in - it's the overflow room for me. No! But someone snags me and pulls me into the room, to a seat in the front row. It's reserved in my name. Wow.

Isha Sesay, CNN anchor, makes introductory remarks. She says, Today we have a special treat for you - the first theme song ever written for a UN Agency. 

​That would be our song.

Then Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon makes his remarks. He closes his speech by saying, " If we work together - as our new song says - We Shall Shine." 

That would be my lyric.​

Then they played the video for "One Woman." Ms. Bachelet, Exec Dir of UN Women and former president of Chile, sang along; if she could have stood up and danced, I think she might have (that's what she did at the pre-launch sneak performance on Tuesday). ​

​And when it was over, people cheered.  Ms. Bachelet and Ban-Ki Moon gestured for me to stand up, so I did. People cheered. I cried. 

Here's a terrible picture of Mr. Moon shaking my hand.​

And then - how cool is this? - UN Women rented a karaoke booth so people could sing the song. They audio and videotaped the performances for the next fun and fabulous music video for "One Woman."​ ​

May everyone sing this song, in their own language, in their own voice. May we all shine.​

Q&A with Songs for Sandy Artist Christina Li

Christina was the first artist to step up for the S4S project - and boy, we were happy to have her! Check out her new video, Disappear, and you'll agree.

http://youtu.be/_g2XiPShy-Q

And now - the Q&A!

Who/what are your musical inspirations?

I get inspired by other people with true passions – even or especially non-musical ones. My friends
and family inspire me daily with their own talents.

What gives you hope about the world?

Small, unselfish acts of kindness.

Do you write and sing from joy and hope - or from fear/ anxiety/ need?

Probably from fear/anxiety/need. My music comes from an emotional place that I don't often show to people, so performing and singing is a much needed catharsis.

What’s your favorite chord?

Bb minor

Q&A with Songs 4 Sandy Artist Mario Moita

We connected with Fado-artist Mario through WOMEX, the World Music Expo. Though Mario is from Portugal, and was on tour in Brazil, he wanted to do his part to help Sandy victims - going so far as to include the sounds of Brazilian waves on his song!

It's clear Mario has a huge heart - and from the insights we get below, tremendous faith as well. What a gem!

Who/what are your musical inspirations? Love, peace

What gives you hope about the world? Hope in god

What causes do you support – in your heart and/or with your actions? All I can, in my town and in the world, always, when I can.

What fills you with great joy? A smile.

What breaks your heart? Bad persons who complicate my life...

Do you write and sing from joy and hope - or from fear/ anxiety/ need? Always for joy and hope.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? Travel with a flight very early

What was your biggest setback, and how did you overcome it? In 2001 I lost 20.000 euros with a producer. I overcame that with hope in life. In 2012,  a Brazilian producer took me to court just to get my money. Again, faith in God always guided me thru the road of life.

Do you meditate? Yes. And pray.

What’s your favorite chord? C.  Because in life the most simple sings are the most beautiful.

What word or phrase do you overuse in your lyrics? “My love”

What are you most proud of about yourself? Respect for everyone, and have many friends that love me around the world. not having debts and sleep soundly!

What’s your favorite food? Portuguese alentejo coriander soap

Q&Q with Songs for Sandy Artist Maddy Rodriguez

It's hard to believe that Maddy Rodriguez is only 18. Her vocal and songwriting maturity are such that she was named the youngest winner ever in the US-based International Acoustic Music Awards Competition. Learn more about the Ontario, Canada-based singer-songwriter, what gets her out of bed in the morning and what breaks her heart (hint: one of these items starts with "b").

 

Why do you write?

Because I have to. Everybody has their own way of expressing what's inside of them. For me, it's writing. 

Who/what are your musical inspirations?

Life, love, pain, people. And great artists like James Taylor, Elton John, Zac Brown, Taylor Swift and Shania Twain.

What gives you hope about the world?

Good people.

What causes do you support – in your heart and/or with your actions?

The Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto (since I was a kid - I used to make crafts and sell them to raise funds for them) Ability Online - it's a wonderful organization. They created something like a Facebook social network for kids and young people with disabilities and some health conditions.

Free The Children - I went to a presentation by the Kielburger brothers and they do awesome work. I recently performed at an event for my university's Free The Children chapter.

What fills you with great joy?

Christmas. When I finish a song. Even more when I record it. And family & friends.

What breaks your heart?

Boys. Hahah! And sometimes the music business. It can be a brutal pursuit. But mostly, seeing children suffer.

Do you write and sing from joy and hope - or from fear/ anxiety/ need?

Both.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

The idea that "today" is full of possibilities.

What was your biggest setback, and how did you overcome it?

In my eyes, I didn't do very well at my very first important performance. I was 15 and I wasn't ready. I felt I let myself and everyone who believed in me down. But I realized I had 2 choices: work harder or give up. I chose to keep going and work hard, and here I am. I still struggle with nerves but I am much more confident than I used to be... It gets better everyday.

Do you meditate?

Not really. But I pray sometimes at night. I hope that one day I'll be more in touch with my spiritual side. For now, I'm to restless to sit and be still. Lol.

What word or phrase do you overuse in your lyrics?

Nothing comes to mind, really. I always obsess about my lyrics and make sure that I use a wide variety of words & phrases - sometimes it takes me days to get a verse right.

What are you most proud of about yourself?

Besides my songwriting talent, which I'm very proud of, I'd have to say I'm most proud of my strength and my ability to laugh at the disappointments in life.

What’s your favorite food?

This is the toughest question. Cheese. or mushrooms. or mashed potatos. or chocolate. KETTLE CORN.... I can't decide, haha.

Q&A with Songs for Sandy Artists - Gene and Kim

This is the first in a series of Fast and Fun Interviews we're doing with our first artists in the Songs for Sandy initiative - so you all can get a little insight into what makes them creatively "tick." Caution: this interview might make you hungry!

Gene Ellsworth has been fine-tuning his songwriting craft in Pittsburgh, Nashville, and California since 1985. He’s had several number one hits, including "The Fool" (Lee Ann Womack) and "All Aboard" (the Del McCurry Band). He met Kimberly Manns in Pittsburgh through yoga, and together they plan to produce and release an Indy Folk CD in 2013.

Why do you write?

Kim: Well, I don’t think Gene has much a choice… it just comes out. Of course, then he spends chunks of time fine-tuning and tweaking. Gene encouraged me to work with him and found out how fun the process can be...even when he disagrees with me.  I love the journey and sharing something we’ve completed.

Gene: I don't have the words for why, but I love the feeling of not knowing where a lyric or melody came from...like magic it's just there.

What fills you with great joy?

​Kim: The sunset, the sunrise, watching the sky.

Gene: Being on a bike ride with Kim.

​What gets you out of bed in the morning?

​Kim: I get out of bed because I’m tired of being there. I am a doer.

Gene: I like to stay in bed and vegetate...you know, I'm a vegetarian. (editor's comment: ha ha)

Do you meditate?

Kim: Meditation Is the best part of my yoga practice.

Gene: Yes, meditation reminds me again and again of who I really am.

What’s your favorite food?

​Kim:  Popcorn made with coconut oil and a little garlic salt.    

Gene: I shouldn't but I love sweets...cake, pie, candy, cookies...yeah.

How much money will really go the Red Cross?

Just read an article in the NY Times from 12/2/12 that addressed the issue of how much of that money raised for charity really goes to the charity.

I certainly wonder that myself when I give - so thought I should address it for our Songs for Sandy initiative.

First of all, I chose the Red Cross to partner with because its spends 92% of its money on programs, not administrative expenses, fundraising etc (according to Charity Navigator). It is also doing an amazing job for Sandy victims. 

Second of all, our numbers.

We are selling five songs for $5 - so $1/each. From that, we pay the artists who choose to receive royalties 18 cents - 9 cents for the use of the recording, 9 cents for the use of the intellectual property of the song itself. 2 of the 5 songwriting teams elected to donate their royalties.

Paypal takes 6 cents per unit. 

Hope Sings is taking zero for admin, overhead - nothing.

So here's the math:

$1.00 - paypal = $.94

$.94 - royalties = $.76 net per song 

2 songs w/no royalties - $.94 x 2 = $1.88

3 songs w/royalties - $.76 x 3 = $2.28

total net proceeds of a five song package (with minimum $5.00 payment) = $4.16

Hope Sings MATCHES that - so your $5.00 purchase results in a donation of $8.32 to the Red Cross.

PLUS you help emerging singer-songwriters AND get five fun songs to boot.

Not bad (we think).

What do YOU think?