COVID-19 spreads exponentially by factors of 3. So we’re flipping that math on the virus and spreading an uplifting viral contagion. By artists adding their emotional truths and unique talents, we can weave a tapestry of powerful messaging that can impact millions of people to Stay Inside. Look Inside. But Stay Connected.
To participate in the challenge or learn more, click HERE.
Our latest video release is a Short Documentary featuring legendary rapper Masta Ace giving back to help 4 aspiring artists ages 12-19 pursue their dreams of being artists. Masta Ace coached the artists in a NYC studio as they recorded the next Big Picture Anthem entitled “Design Your Future.” The anthem is part of the #STEAMtheStreets initiative, which inspires and activates youth to pursue STEAM career paths. “Design Your Future” ” is available on all streaming devices.
Support these young artists’ careers and Big Picture Anthems by Watching The Short Documentary, downloading the song on any major streaming outlet and subscribing to our YouTube Channel.
From left to right: Lora Bottinelli, Executive Director – National Council for the Traditional Arts (partner), Nehemiah “Nuisance” Vaughn (artist), Joey “Cangaroo” Lovett (artist), Ben Gilbarg (producer), and Kevin Jauregui (Geoscientist in the Parks Intern)
A few months back, Big Picture Anthems was hired by Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument to bring a couple of our artists down to Florissant, Colorado to experience this amazing National Park, and write songs about the experience. This just in: the songs are finalized, and our partner from Florissant, Jeff Wolin, wrote a great article about the project on the National Park Service’s website.
Listen to the songs and read the article HERE!.
Can you explain what you do in your job in 2-3 sentences?
As an electrical engineer in the power industry, I study how to convert energy from the sun, wind, and water into electricity. I have to determine how to connect these different forms of renewable energy to a local power system, without affecting the safety and reliability of the system. I use computer simulation programs to evaluate the effects of renewable energy and how to mitigate any potential issues.
Why do you give back as a guest speaker in the STEAM the Streets program?
I give back as a guest speaker because I want to inspire the next generation of engineers and musicians.
What is your favorite part about sharing your career and story with the students?
My favorite part about sharing my career and story is that I get to show the students a way to enjoy the best of both worlds. My career as an electrical engineer allows for financial stability. Making music allows me to express myself and connect with people who relate with my message.
Do you remember a student question, comment, or reaction they had that totally made your day?
I remember the smiles on some of the students’ faces when I was rapping. I could tell I caught them by surprise.
What is the importance of having a role model such as yourself providing exposure for our students?
Having a role model with a similar background to the students is important because it shows them that they can come from New Bedford and be whatever they want to be. I’ve wanted to be an engineer since I was in middle school and a rapper since high school. Instead of choosing, I decided to do both at the same time.
What is a side hobby you have or something you do in your spare time?
In my spare time, I like to listen to music or write new music of my own. I love rapping and singing new songs to myself in the car.
This is the story of how a video campaign was created with the intention of engaging artists on the front lines of a complex environmental and public health issue. Call it realness, authenticity, or cultural relevance, but that intention helped produce real results for an organization trying to spark the nation.
The Opportunity
Green For All, a national initiative founded by Van Jones, was looking for an engaging way to launch their #FuelChange campaign; a movement to fight climate change and improve health by bringing zero-emission electric cars, trucks, and buses to underserved neighborhoods. On the strength of having produced multiple viral music video campaigns about social causes, Big Picture Anthems was hired by Green For All to produce a video campaign to launch #FuelChange.
Big Picture Anthems’ directive was to illustrate the health problems that come from tailpipe pollution in overburdened neighborhoods, in particular, asthma. We also wanted to broadcast a movement; people coming together to advocate for a solution — more funding for electric cars, trucks, and buses in affected areas across the country.
A Twist in the Strategy Phase
When Big Picture Anthems sat down with Green For All to plan the campaign, we all agreed that stories from people on the front lines of this crisis would resonate with people. So instead of using our in-house artists to write and produce the lyrics, we decided to open up a social media challenge. Local Artists submitted their verses on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube to share how they’re affected by transit pollution. We worked with Green For All to build a web page for the Challenge, providing the beat, fact sheets, background info and examples of verses, so they could be equipped with all the ammo they need to write powerful verses.
A Conversation Starts…
We had submissions from artists from all over the country, from black to white, and young to old. We even had a grandmother submit a verse! Artists posted their verses with the hashtag #FuelChangeChallenge. They were reaching people in real-time with lyrical talent and storytelling, putting a face to this public health crisis.
This creative process framed the conversation about a complex environmental issue in a very human, visceral, way. Rappers, singers, and poets were approaching the same topic with different styles, flows, and cadences and articulating science and public health concepts to their friends and followers. For example, here’s a line from Warren Dickson from 3rd Rock Hip Hop, a featured artist: “More asthma and cancer, I guess we could say that it’s lethal, just google particulate matter, it’s killing a lot of our people.” After seeing the immense talent that was contributed from all over the country, we were able to select four amazing artists who all came from environmentally overburdened communities: West Oakland, Watts (L.A.) and New Bedford, MA.
From a visibility perspective, the #FuelChangeChallenge was attracting attention. Before we got to the production stage of the anthem, there were already hundreds of thousands of impressions for the hashtags and issue. We had built a community around this project; not just the artists who submitted, but also fans and activists who followed the submissions, commented on the social media videos and were waiting for the main event — the #FuelChange Anthem.
Cross-Continental Production
We had overcome our first challenge: finding artists who could bring transit pollution and electrification to life. Our next challenge was merging the talent into one cohesive anthem while staying true to what has made our video campaigns successful — authenticity. We conducted studio sessions in three (spell it out) cities, communicating through video chat and emails to get the anthem to sound like a seamless, powerful call for change. Video shoots followed from coast to coast, lots of editing ensued, and then more editing, until we got it right. The stories communicated by the artists felt real, as they were noticeably emotional, and they communicated a sense of urgency. And the upbeat and overall optimistic nature of the video with visuals of electric vehicles and regular people chanting “we’re gonna change this” in the chorus, provided a hopeful and powerful way to communicate solutions.
Launch Day
On April 3, 2019, Green For All launched the #FuelChange campaign by holding an event in Oakland and releasing the #FuelChange Anthem online. Within hours of its release, the video caught fire on Twitter. Influencers such as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Alyssa Milano, Ashley Judd, and presidential candidate Jay Inslee were retweeting the video. Organizations across the country who had been pushing for reform around this issue for years were sharing the video. They finally had a rallying cry that spoke specifically to their issue. And young people of color were engaging with the content. Green For All National Director Michelle Romero says that “People who saw this video and maybe never thought of themselves as environmentalists, all of a sudden understood that tailpipe pollution was not only affecting the climate but actually affecting their health.”
Real Results
The impact of the video on the #FuelChange campaign has been undeniable. Overall, the video eclipsed 500,000 views and 1,000 social shares. It led to over 1,000 new sign-ups on FuelChangeNow.com, and 130 new volunteers. If you’ve spent any time in non-profit work, you’ll know that getting that many new volunteers is really difficult! The movement is now going strong; bills are being introduced in congress and many school districts are moving towards electric bus fleets. And the key to passage of such bills and systems change is to make a greater number of people aware, which this effort has helped do.
There was a great amount of strategy and intentionality that led to these results. With this recipe of community engagement and authentic artistic expression, we at Big Picture Anthems have developed a model that can work for many other causes. If your organization has an upcoming campaign, consider an approach that continues to produce awesome energy and impressive results.
Watch the video below to learn more:
Ben Gilbarg is the Founder and Creative Catalyst for Big Picture Anthems.
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