Today (6/3) a new organization, ChicagoStreetMusicians.org–co-founded by Gabe Chapman and Sarah Barnes–debuts on its website, on YouTube and via links sent to key contacts an ambitious video designed to bring the music of the street to the ears of the general public. For the video Barnes secured the rights to “Sweet Home Chicago,” had noted composer Gary Fry draft a composition and lined up street musicians to sing the song–eight groups, eight locations, one day on the streets of Chicago.
Barnes gravitated to director Mark Schimmel (of production company Once Upon a Time, Inc.) whom she worked with a few years ago back when she was a marketing manager with Discover Card. According to Schimmel, she initially wanted a small student crew to shoot the video. Schimmel related, “I loved the concept and felt that the cause was worthy of my time and I offered to produce, direct and edit the project.”
The fledging organization paid for parking, sandwiches for the crew, and later dinner. Schimmel had several self-described ground rules for the one-day shoot, including the crew and gear had to fit in one large SUV–provided by ChicagoStreetMusicians.org–and all the musicians had to be secured every hour on the hour at the determined location. Schimmel also secured the promise of full movie credits and “the opportunity to create the movie I envisioned.”
He brought cameraman Randy Riesen and sound man John Mathie into the fold. “We hit the streets with a Panasonic 3000, handful of P2 cards, small monitor, reflectors and all of John’s gear in one neat package.” (Mathie provided all of the mics, stands, and critical gear to capture the incredible sounds of the street musicians.)
Schimmel characterized the situation as being “a step up from student film making and a step down from a documentary crew. No electricity–all battery power, God was my gaffer. Something really incredible happens when you are not getting paid to work. You fall in love with your craft all over again. You are not doing this because you have to, you are doing this because you want to, you need to and most of all, you love to. We, all eight of us, were there to create something special and if you believe, magical (me, Randy, John, two helpers, one PA, and the two organization founders).
The weather was cooperative during the weekday shoot as was the City of Chicago, police and the musicians, who were all on time and ready to play.
“Just after lunch,” recalled Schimmel, “I set a shot on the East side of the Art Institute for a young unknown artist named Crystal Bowersox. She arrived in a beat up vehicle with baby in one arm and a guitar in the other…As Crystal pulled up, her rear bumper basically fell off her car and landed on the pavement. I am not making this up. Gaffer tape was used to secure her bumper after her performance. Crystal and all the musicians were the real deal. People who have talent and the gift for creating music. They love to play and share their love with anyone who will stop and listen.
“We shot Crystal on the street corner as my 15-year-old daughter baby sat her son,” continued Schimmel. “Crystal sang ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ as passers-by never gave her a second look. Had they only known that months later she would be one of the most popular new musical talents in America (runner-up last month on American Idol). When Crystal was finished, everyone agreed there was something incredible about her voice and her performance.”
At the end of a long day, Schimmel had a couple hours of footage and 48 music tracks. Schimmel said, “It took Gary Fry over four months to edit the tracks and it took me slightly longer to edit picture to Gary’s brilliance. All of the music is performed by the street musicians. The project had a controlled release in April, only to be pulled (in anticipation of Crystal’s high finish on American Idol).”
Bowersox has proven she’s a primetime talent, and so too are other yet-to-be-discovered street musicians and vocalists. ChicagoStreetMusicians.org hopes its video will spur on that discovery process.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More