Do You See What I See: One Song, Two Videos

There comes a point whenever I am working on a project, whether it's something that I am writing or composing, a mix that I am recording or a drawing I'm trying to finish - in this case two separate videos I've been editing for one song - where I just have to stop and say to myself, "eh, that's good enough."

Am I the only one who does that? Is it just me?

So I wrote this song called "Do You See What I See?" back in late March or early April, reflecting on everything that was going on in the news and in the world around us. At the time I felt like it was a way for me to call attention to things going on that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. In the weeks and months since then however, lots of changes have happened, and I think an awareness has struck the general populace of our nation and our world that has opened a lot of eyes to what's really going on.

We seem to be at such a delicate tipping point right now; we're on the brink of disaster, but we're also on the brink of a truly liberating revolution. We got a fifty-fifty chance of things going either way, but things can go the way we need them to if we really stay woke and raise our voices.

I decided to create two different versions of the video for this song. In the first version I wanted to use a collection of news footage and photographs to illustrate each point that I touched upon in the lyrics, combined with some footage of the guys in the band playing the track. The second version of the video is comprised of strictly the performance takes from the band. My concern was that the first version of the video may at some point get flagged or removed by any of the various platforms due to the use of footage derived from outside media sources, so I wanted to make sure that if that did in fact happen that I would at least have something out there to help promote the song. Besides, the guys did such a great job of recording their parts to the song and creating their respective video clips, I thought it would be great to showcase that as well.

Of course the song was recorded by each of us in our own separate spaces, just as so many of us musicians have had to do during this time of self-isolation. It's challenging to be sure, but I feel like with so many of the challenges that we are facing in our world right now, we can truly make the best of it if we can rise to the challenge and adapt to this "new normal" we are living in.

The challenges of our times will do much to show us who we really are and what we are truly made of. One thing I have really discovered about myself is that I am not very good at editing video. As with all things that I choose to take on, I gave it my all and did the best I could with it. I'm actually planning to create one more video for a song that will be featured on the forthcoming album project. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment, but there are some things that are important to get out there no matter how difficult the process may be.

All that being said, I am glad that these two videos are done and I am so looking forward to getting this album project finished. The album is very meaningful to me personally as it is a chance for me to throw-off the shackles of the sort of self-involved slacker-apathy that has seemed to define much of my generation throughout the course of our youths, and actually make a real statement. It was really important for me to make this statement and to do it along with the guys in my band, who I have spent the better part of the last decade working and performing with. Just as important, I need to get this out so I can just be done with it finally and move on to the next project, whatever that may be exactly.

So then, see the two videos posted below, and do stay tuned for more details about this album project and other things. I am so excited to share it with you all. Version 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5xUyM0STm0

Version 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxFaL2W63i8