March 18, 2021

We Got This

Hello KW Glee Family,

It’s been a year since our last rehearsal. Can you believe that? So much has changed over the last twelve months. We know that many of you are missing live music and the connection that we all feel when we sing together. It’s hard not to get bogged down by all the loss we’ve experienced. Please know that when we sing together, even virtually, it lifts spirits and ignites hope – both within us and in the community. That sounds cheesy, but it’s the honest truth. We need each other and we need music.

SPECIAL PROJECT
The Mayor of Kitchener is a huge KW Glee fan. He has called and asked us to write and record a song about the feelings many people are experiencing: – the strangeness of hitting the one year anniversary of this pandemic – the fatigue of waiting for it to be over – the need to check in with each other and pay attention to mental health – the importance of staying focused long-term goals and being hopeful about the futureWe have written a song called “We Got This” with songwriters Kim Williams and Joseph Smuczek. We want as many of the the Glee kids involved as possible. Please share your voices and help us bring this song and message to life.

The song will be featured on TV during the upcoming Mayor’s address on March 25 and then shared throughout the region. We will also share it on all the Glee social media channels and release it on music streaming services.It’s amazing how much music contributes to feelings of hope and happiness during these strange COVID-19 times. Listen to the song and please consider being involved to help us inspire the community. Every voice matters. We know it is a pain to record in the moment, but it’s so wonderful to see the final product come together. Think about what music means to you.

Listen to the demo version of the song and then review the complete singing and recording instructions below.We would really appreciate it if everyone would please participate.

To say we miss you feels almost redundant. It chokes me up to even type it. We know some kids are really struggling mental health-wise, and we just want you to know that we are thinking of you. You matter. Please stay strong.

There are lyrics in this song that say: “You can talk to me anytime, day or night, you’ve got my number. We can make it through anything. We got this.”

Those words ring true. We care and we are here.
– From Amanda, Steve & the entire Glee Instructor Team

INSTRUCTIONS
For “We Got This,” we would love for everyone to record themselves singing the CHORUS and the BRIDGE WHOA SECTION on the harmony part that you would sing most often when we are working together in person. This is in three-part harmony. It’s simple and should be very fast to record. All the parts have been recorded so that you have guide vocals to help you learn it.

We need to receive the videos by this Sunday, March 21, but please submit them as soon as you can so we can work through them as they come in, rather than all at once.

Everything you need to record is in this folder: sheet music, sample harmony recordings, and the backtrack:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/29dinj6nr5v0488/AADWGj88knBhf3Me7wS6GobGa?dl=0

1) Open the sheet music and review your part while listening to the guide vocal: choose the harmony part you would most commonly sing in our group rehearsals. The files are labelled Top Part, Middle Part, Bottom Part. Tracks are available for you to learn by ear.

Generally we would recommend:
Top Part: Sopranos
Middle Part: Mezzos & High Altos
Bottom Part: Low Altos, Tenors and Baritones

2) Call up the track (you can use the one with the guide vocal if you want because we won’t hear it) and play it on your phone and use headphones so only you can hear the track. Your headphones can be visible in the video. The first part for you to sing is the chorus starting at 0:35 seconds.

3) Use another device and record a video of you singing. Please make sure the video is recorded VERTICALLY or in portrait mode. Take care that there is enough light on you so that your face is well lit and there are no shadows. Please stand in front of a plain background and wear a solid coloured shirt in a darker colour; don’t stand with your back to a window as you will be in silhouette.

Tip: Use whichever device has the better camera to record. For example if your two devices are an iPhone and a Chromebook, use your iPhone to record and your Chromebook to play the track (with earphones).

4) When you are done singing, please record 10 seconds at the end of the video of you looking at the camera holding a piece of paper with the words “I MISS ________” in large letters. Fill in the blank with whatever you miss most; it could be “I MISS FRIENDS” or “I MISS LIVE MUSIC” or “I MISS SINGING” – whatever comes to your mind. OR, you can put a hopeful phrase on the paper like “STAY STRONG” or “WE GOT THIS.” We will use these clips throughout the video.

5) Upload your video as a unlisted video to YouTube and send the link to Steve Lehmann at stevelehmann@gmail.com by 5:00 pm on Sunday, March 21. If you have questions about recording, please email Steve at stevelehmann@gmail.com. Please encourage each other to participate. We need you.