All NC VFP members are invited to be part of an exciting opportunity to appear in a VFP music video to be distributed nationally (and beyond) to spread our anti-war message. You don't need to sing well -- or even at all!
Here's how it works:
We will assemble at 8:45 a.m. (sharp!) Saturday, June 25, in Raleigh.
We’ll gather in front of the Subway sandwich shop at 2020 Hillsborough St. (That's directly across from the Bell Tower on the NC State campus.)
Please park in the parking lot behind Subway.
If you're coming from a distance, we can provide homestays for you so that you can come in on Friday night (6/24) and be ready for the filming on Saturday morning. (Please contact me directly at 585-314-1413 if you’ll be needing Friday night accommodations.)
Once we're all assembled, we'll sing along to the chorus of an original song written for VFP by Pat Scanlon of Boston. The music will be played on a boom box, and we'll just sing lustily along. Our voices will never be heard on the final video. The actual sound track will be provided by a 40-voice chorus that recorded the song this past weekend in Massachusetts. But here's the tricky part: in order for it to look like we're really singing, we need to have about 40 folks in the video, so we need ALL HANDS ON DECK!
You'll need to be wearing a VFP shirt (any and all colors welcome.) We'd also like you to wear a VFP hat, or the hat of your service outfit, if you have one of those. We'll have some extra shirts on hand for those of you who might not have one, or you can order one from the VFP web site, if you've always wanted one of your own. Pat writes: "Only VFP banners, signs, flags, clothing and hats are to be in the film. The one exception will be for IVAW shirts and hats. Also, generic peace flags are acceptable." (If you have more than one VFP shirt, please bring any extras you might have to lend to a member who might not have one. Any and all shirt colors welcome!)
Our videographer, Ahmed Selim, tells me that the taping will take about two hours, since he'll be shooting us from many different angles and in several different locations. (We all can go out for lunch together when we're done.)
In the meantime, please listen to the chorus part of the song at:
https://soundcloud.com/user-452780254 (It’s the first track on the site.)
We’ll be singing just the chorus, not the verses!
I suggest that you play this over and over until it sticks in your ear. Play it when you get up in the morning and before you go to bed at night and whenever you think of it during the day. That way, it will come naturally to you when we get together for the final filming.
And please familiarize yourself with the lyrics (below). You don't need to memorize them. I'll bring a "teleprompter.”
Please let me know if you have any questions, and let me know if we can count on you to be there (and if you'll be needing a homestay).
Peace forward!
Vicki Ryder
For Eisenhower Chapter 157 VFP
"They call us all Extremists 'cause we're out here in the street.
How Un-patriotic! Veterans For Peace!
They say we gotta watch them like never before,
'Cause there's nothing more dangerous than veterans against war."