FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
From Mahalia to King, A Song with Historical Ties that Embodies the Obama Presidency: “Tell Them About the Dream”
Laura Vecchione is a Boston and New York based singer and songwriter who has written a song Tell Them About the Dream, that embodies the unifying spirit of the Obama presidency and articulates the historic thread that led to this moment. Thousands of people have already watched it on YouTube and have urged her to get this song and video out for consideration in the inaugural celebration and to wider media outlets.
Here’s the video
Or you can see it on [Facebook]
“I was amazed to hear President Elect Obama mention every moment in history that we had put in the video at his acceptance speech in Chicago, from the bridge in Selma, to the Berlin Wall coming down!” said Laura about the video she and Ralph Modica of Phase 1 Digital in New York had made prior to the Obama victory to inspire with its message of hope and unity.
Vecchione was inspired to write the song by the story of Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson calling out to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Tell them about the dream, Martin!” forty-five years to the day that Obama gave his DNC acceptance speech.
The song and video were made in a weeks time in three different cities to inspire people to inspire people before elections. Featured with Vecchione is New Orleans native and Julliard graduate, pianist Jonathan Batiste (Cassandra Wilson). The Gospel background singers were recorded in Boston, and the song was mixed by multi-Grammy winner, Jim Scott (Dixie Chicks, Tom Petty, John Fogerty) in LA. Most everyone involved volunteered their time because of their belief in President Elect (then Senator) Obama and his message of hope and unity.
The song will be included in an upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. tribute album and charitable website, the Dream On project. An early review of the compilation with mention of Tell Them About the Dream as a stand out track is [here]
Plans are already in the works to have the “Dream On” compilation distributed at the BMI and Wacbuz sponsored Inaugural Ball at the Reagan Center on January 18th.