Madison! Let's Help Get This Project (Kick)Started!

Madison native John-Michael Parker is a great believe in love, equality, human rights and chasing dreams. That's why he and a group of others, many of them also from Madison, are creating a music video designed to fight homophobia through storytelling. 

He and his group are currently shooting video in Madison are and planning their final shoot Monday night around 8:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Madison. He wants to invite anyone who is interested to stop by, see the shoot, and stay to talk about the project. 

Those are are interested in helping out can do so in a variety of ways, including acting as extras while the video is being shot. Shooting will be going on through Wednesday in Madison at a variety of locations, including Daniel Hand High School, and private homes. They are also looking for additional locations to shoot, in-kind donations and financial support. Anyone interested in helping out can contact Parker at johnmichael.parker@gmail.com. 

Those wishing to provide financial support can go to the project's kickstarter page and make a direct donation. 

Here is some additional information written by Parker about the project: 

THE STORY

I am proud to be returning to Madison with a project that takes a bold stand for issues I believe are essential to building a world in which people -- especially young people in high school -- can live safely, honestly, and proudly, regardless of their race, gender, or orientation. Through storytelling, I seek to give a voice to people who are too often silenced in hopes of building that world. We're particularly excited to be shooting in town because there are many opportunities for folks from town to provide critical support to the project. These include:
+ Extras for a variety of scenes across the five days of shooting (registration would be simple and mediated through email)
+ Locations for filming
+ A variety of in-kind donations from food to snacks and treats to vehicles // or // direct financial support

THE VIDEO

The video is to our song Don't Ask Me Why (you can listen to a promo version, originally entitled McGill, here: http://greatcaesar.bandcamp.com/track/mcgill). It begins by telling the story of an interracial couple in the 1960s; we see the two grow up and fall in love, and we get a glimpse into both the oppression they face and the joy they experience. We are then transported to a modern day high school, and follow the stories of two same-sex couples -- two young women and two young men on the football team -- and see the challenges they face in the classroom and on the field. The video explores human rights and equality through stories that are deeply interconnected and resonant across time, race, gender, and orientation, and will ultimately serve as a message of hope and an inspiration for bold action and acceptance. We are already hard at work crafting the national campaign that will enable this video to make a substantial impact in the movement this summer. A few highlights:
+ Super Bowl Champion and leading LGBT advocate Brendon Ayanbadejo is serving as our spokesperson -- his message will be featured prominently in ourKickstarter, to be launched later this week

+ Our production team combines passionate young filmmakers and industry experts, include Emmy Award-winning Casting Director, Kimberly Graham, and is operating on a budget of well over $60,000
+ We are in discussions with Freedom to Marry, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, Athlete Ally, Academy Award- winning Producer Bruce Cohen, and The Ellen DeGeneres show to craft the most impactful launch and campaign
+ Filming runs in Madison from Friday, June 14 - Wednesday, June 19 and will bring us to Daniel Hand, The First Congregational Church, and a variety of homes across town


THE BAND

I graduated in 2010 from Yale, where I met our saxophone player, Stephen Chen. Inspired by my role as an ABC host brother, I moved to NYC and helped launch The Future Project, a national education initiative that works with over 300 students across 8 schools in New York, New Haven (see this article in The Independent), and Washington DC to pursue their passions and dreams. I now serve as a Dream Director working full time at an underserved public school in Manhattan; the ideals of our organization are strongly aligned with the work I strive to do as a songwriter. After graduating from NYU, Adam Glaser, our bass player, started a wildly successful restaurant in Brooklyn called Vanessa's Dumplings, and now serves as the manager. Tom Sikes, our trumpet player, went on from Williams College to work as a Sales Associate at a media company, Smart Brief. Sean Andrew, a UCONN graduate, has worked as a chemical engineer, and Mike Farrell, guitar player, has worked at restaurants and record stores in Brooklyn after graduating from Quinnipiac University. We cut our teeth as young musicians with Mr. Fasano and Mr. Soja and the various Daniel Hand music groups, and have played shows ranging from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows release party at RJ Julia to fundraisers at the Arts Barn to sold-out shows at some of New York's premier rock venues, including The Mercury Lounge and Arlene's Grocery. We all seek to use our gifts and privileges to make the world a better place, and we pursue this work everyday through our jobs and our music.