Stand Up And Sing For America

IN 2017, SUSA MADE ENORMOUS EFFORTS TO HAVE A LAPEL PIN MADE, REPRESENTING ITS COLORFUL LOGO. WE WORKED WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT TOP-NOTCH COMPANIES ACROSS AMERICA - UNION MADE LAPEL PINS, THE WRIGHT GROUP, PINMART, PINS BY FRANK - WANTING THE PIN TO BE MADE IN AMERICA - WHO ULTIMATELY WERE UNABLE TO PRODUCE A PIN THAT CAPTURED THE FINE DETAILS OF THE LOGO WITHOUT COMPROMISING QUALITY. WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE THE WORK OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY TO CHINA OR SIMPLIFY THE PIN DESIGN, WHICH WOULD PREVENT THE FULLNESS OF ITS MESSAGE. AFTER MANY, MANY HOURS OF EFFORT AND NUMEROUS DESIGN REVIEWS, WE STOOD THE PROJECT A-SIDE FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF WHAT TO DO. WE WERE INTRODUCED TO A VERY HONORABLE RETIRED POLICE OFFICE AND VETERAN FROM PHILADELPHIA WHO HAD SINCE BEEN INSPIRED TO WRITE SONGS ABOUT AMERICA. SUSA THEN WORKED WITH FRED RIVIEZZO TO MODIFY THE LYRICS FOR USE IN THEIR PROGRAMS - 1% ON THE WALL - A SONG ABOUT THE DEDICATION, BRAVERY AND HONOR OF OUR NATIONAL AND CIVIL DEFENSE, AND COLOR ME PURPLE - A SONG ABOUT THE NEED TO STEP AWAY FROM BEING BRANDED BY AND SWALLOWED UP BY THE POLITICAL GOINGS-ON OF OUR COUNTRY. SUSA WORKED TO IDENTIFY OUTLETS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY APPROPRIATE FOR RECORDING AND LAUNCHING THE SONGS. AS WE WORKED ON THE SONGS POTENTIAL, SUSA CONCEIVED OF HAVING AN ANNUAL NATIONAL THANKSGIVING - GRATITUDE FOR AMERICA - SING-A-LONG TO TAKE PLACE THE WEEKEND BEFORE THANKSGIVING. THE IDEA WAS TO HAVE A CENTRALIZED CONCERT IN ONE LOCATION THAT WOULD BROADCAST OUT THROUGH THE NETWORKS, TO REACH AMERICANS, WHO COULD DOWNLOAD THE LYRICS FROM THE WEBSITE WHERE THEY WOULD ALSO LEARN THE MUSIC - IF THEY SO DESIRED - AND SING-A-LONG FROM ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LOCATION. SUSA CONTACTED ONE VOICE CHILDRENS CHOIR, AN INTERNATIONAL CHILDRENS CHOIR CONDUCTED BY MASA FUKUDA IN UTAH. AN AVID AWARD-WINNING COMPOSER AND ARRANGER, MASA RESPONDED QUICKLY TO THE IDEA AND INTRODUCED SUSA TO ONE VOICE DIRECTOR SUSAN CAMPBELL, WHO TOOK THE IDEA TO THE ONE VOICE BOARD. 100% APPROVAL WAS GIVEN FOR ONE VOICE PARTICIPATION IN ANY FUTURE CONCERTS TO THIS END. ADDITIONALLY, THE BOARD APPROVED THE ONE VOICE CHOIR TO RECORD AND DO A VIDEO OF THE RIVIEZZO SONG COLOR ME PURPLE. SUSA WORKED AT LENGTH WITH BOTH PARTIES TO WORK OUT A COSTING OF THE PROJECT. RIVIEZZO WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO FUND-RAISE THE MONIES FOR THE PROJECT, BUT MOST OF THE INVESTORS EXPECTED AMPLE RETURN ON THE PROJECT AND THERE WERE NO FINANCIAL GUARANTEES OF WHAT MIGHT TAKE PLACE WITH A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS EFFORTS TO BRING AMERICANS TOGETHER, IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL GAIN. ONE INVESTOR COMMITTED AND THE FOLLOWING DAY, HIS WIFE HAD A HEART ATTACK AND WENT INTO SURGERY. HE BACKED OUT. RIVIEZZOS WIFE THEN HAD SERIOUS HEALTH COMPLICATIONS THAT DEMANDED HIS CARE-GIVING ATTENTION FOR THE LONGER-TERM. THE SONG STANDS READY FOR OUR USE. SUSA ALSO COPYRIGHTED ITS OWN SONG LYRICS ABOUT THE YOUNGER GENERATION - WE ARE THE FUTURE OF AMERICA. IN ADDITION TO ESTABLISHING AN ON-GOING CONTACT WITH ONE VOICE, SUSA ALSO CONTACTED REPRESENTATIVES FOR ENTERTAINERS DAVID ARCHULETA, PIANO GUYS, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, JOSH GROBAN AND TAMELA AND DAVID MANN CONCERNING THE THANKSGIVING EVENT. THERE WAS INTEREST EXPRESSED FROM ALL, BUT SEVERAL HAD CONFLICTS WITH THE PROPOSED DATES. WE SENT A PROPOSAL FOR THE USE OF VERIZON HALL IN PHILADELPHIA TO THE KIMMEL FOUNDATION, WHO EXPRESSED INTEREST, BUT ALSO HAD SCHEDULE CONFLICTS WITH THE DATES. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT A 2017 CONCERT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. OUR FOCUS IS ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF HARMONIOUS ENERGY A NATIONAL EVENT CAN ACHIEVE AND THE ABILITY OF MUSIC- MASS SINGING OUR COMBINED LOVE AND GRATITUDE FOR AMERICA CAN BRING. IN AN EFFORT TO BRING THE 2019 THANKSGIVING GRATITUDE TO FRUITION, SUSA IS PLANNING TO ESTABLISH A WORKING BOARD COMPRISING INTERESTED CIVIC AND CHORAL LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION.