People
Recording Project An Act of Kindness
One of the unique ways that Communitas is celebrating its annual theme of Kindness Connects is through song.
A playlist was created earlier this year on Youtube and now, an original song written by one of Communitas’ staff, Ray Klassen, heads that playlist.
“We were looking for creative ways that we could celebrate this theme,” says Angelika Dawson, communications manager. “As we brainstormed, we came up with the idea of commissioning an original song and I knew exactly who I would ask to do this.”
Angelika knew that Ray was a songwriter, writing under the name Ornery Pilgrim. She also happens to know musician and recording artist, Scott Currie, and hoped that he would be open to recording the song.
There was one slight problem: she had no budget for the project.
“But that’s when the theme of ‘kindness connects’ really started to take on a life of its own,” Angelika says with a smile.
She spoke with Ray who immediately agreed. Over the course of a weekend, he wrote the song Kindness.
“I love creating music, and writing a song on behalf of someone else is a great exercise in sharing,” Ray says. “Unlike some songs that I’ve written, this one came in a rush.”
The lyrics were inspired by his intimate knowledge of the organization. Having worked for Communitas for more than 20 years, Ray has witnessed the kindness of staff interacting with the people they serve. He’s also been on the receiving end of that kindness and feels a definite sense of satisfaction in being able to tell that story musically.
“When I wrote the phrase ‘…support you to the very end,’ that was not mere poetry,” he says. “I have observed this numerous times seeing staff responding with kindness to a person they serve.”
The next challenge was to get the song recorded. Angelika contacted Scott. Knowing that there was no budget for the recording, she wasn’t sure if Scott would be able to take it on. But Scott caught onto the spirit of the project and agreed to do the recording for free.
“One might say that he did it out of the kindness of his heart,” Angelika says.
Scott says it’s nice to have opportunities to work on projects other than his own. Being able to do something helpful was a bonus.
“Being in a studio can be lonely work, so it was nice to have a group people there,” Scott says. “It’s also nice to not have to be an artist but just be an engineer for a project.”
In order to streamline the recording session, Angelika put together a small group of musicians, Ray created rehearsal tracks and music sheets, and on a Saturday in May, the recording was done.
Ray provided the lead vocals, guitar, and bass. Angelika played piano, while Scott added percussion. The background vocals were sung by James Dueckman, Arny Froese, Sharon Mkisi, Dee Van Meer, and Angelika. All of the musicians agreed to do this at no cost.
Kindness now heads the Kindness Connects playlist created earlier this year and can be found on Communitas YouTube channel. A music video is in the works and will be released later this year.
Angelika hopes that the song will inspire listeners to practice kindness in their own lives.
“The song really is a reflection of the power of kindness,” Angelika says. “Hopefully as you listen and sing along, you’ll think of new ways of sharing kindness with others.”
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