Help us make it happen! Music Film Project "Rooted Together"
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Sing Freedom Project: “Rooted Together”
Phase II - "The Shoot"
Volume up the video to check out the song!
The song, “Rooted Together” has transformed and so has the band.
The journey starting from reaching out to the music community, interviewing, trials, and actually getting together for the first rehearsal was not an easy one. Some dropped and some joined, and now we have new band members with unique and diverse talents to bring their musical styles into this project.
The band dynamic changed literally a few days before the rehearsal day, June 28, 2026, but we still proceeded with it and was a success! Thank you all the supporters and contributors for your generous donation of $1000! That was well spent for crew/musicians’ compensation, gas, and crafty.
On a side note, we stick with this common martial arts philosophy of being like a dragonfly: “We only move forward!” With that in mind, our perseverance is paying off.
We are now joined by Rosario’s third sister, Jayline (mariachi vihuela player), and a Portland native Kendell (vocalist).
We are keeping this momentum and will be shooting and recording on August 27, 2026 as scheduled at My Voice Music (MVM) studios in Portland. MVM and their Program Director and professional musician is on our side and will help us shoot the play and record the music.
MVM is a local non-profit musical organization for youth and young adults. Although our team consists of people at different ages, we all come from different ethnic, professional, and artistic backgrounds. MVM and our team share the concept of “expressing our voices through making and playing music.”
Our vision remains the same:
While we still keep witnessing so much injustice, brutal killing of immigrants, violence, wars, lack of healthcare and jobs, pubic funding being cut, and more, we must keep our communities strong.
"Rooted Together" is an original song written by G Wallis and being crafted and performed by Pacific Northwest musicians and singers. Together, we will share our commitment to keeping our roots in the land we call home through music and arts and to stand solid against the violent power who tries to separate or even destroy us.
The project needs additional funding to complete the shooting!
Funds go to:
Compensate the five musicians and three crew members.
Four of the musicians will be driving from the Seattle area to Portland in the middle of the week to complete this project that will be a long hard-working day.
Please join us in supporting the local and emerging musicians and artists!
Bios: performers and crew
G Wallis, Songwriter, Piano
They are a composer for award-winning Pacific Northwest independent films, including Paranormal Investigators, Once Upon a Time in the Wasteland, Big Trouble in Seattle, Blade of Vengeance and Spirit Moves: Me and Gee Gee Willie (That’s my short film!). Having the privilege to win awards for Best Score on multiple occasions, it is her pleasure to continue to work in the vivid, imaginative space that is the Pacific Northwest filmmaking scene.
Ruby Rosario-Méndez & Lizbeth Rosario-Méndez, Vocal
Jayline Rosario, Vihuela
Ruby and Lizbeth are a vocal duo with Jayline, the vihuela player from Mariachi Hermanas Rosario, based in Washington. Having sung together for several years, they blend their voices through strong harmonies and emotional delivery, creating a sound rooted in both tradition and connection. As part of Mariachi Hermanas Rosario, they bring passion, authenticity, and experience to every performance.
Kendell McCrary, Vocal
Kendell was born and raised in Portland, Oregon where she has performed with local Pop, R&B, Folk, and Americana artists. She currently works at the nonprofit, Youth Music Project, where she teaches private piano and voice lessons. Kendell recently graduated with her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Portland State University, where she served as co-president of the PSU Chamber Choir for the 2025-26 academic year. Currently, Kendell is pursuing graduate studies with the goal of continuing her career in music education, where she hopes to foster learning environments that are guided by the pedagogical philosophy of author, educator and activist, bell hooks, that embraces education as a practice of freedom.
Cye M Semrau, Director of Photography, Colorist
Cye is an emerging cinematographer based in Portland and Seattle, whose work captures individuals and communities finding common ground through art, music, conversations, and shared spaces. Their camera focuses on light shaped portraits, layered landscapes, and intersecting stories. In this film featuring a song about human connections Cye collaborates with the director Yuriko to bring their vision to the screen.
Samabaran Chatterjee, Assistant Camera, Editor
Sambaran was born in India and moved all around the world during his childhood, living in such places as London, Switzerland, and Japan before settling in the United States. He followed his passion for filmmaking by going to film school at USC, and has since been making films in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. He enjoys movies, books, comic books and art.
Nicholas Decker, Sound Mixer
Sound mixer, drummer, amateur photographer, and friend of cats, Nicholas was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. A lifetime spent in the Pacific Northwest has led him to a deep appreciation for all the region has to offer. When he isn’t on set recording dialogue you will be most likely to find him outdoors taking pictures and capturing field recordings in one of the PNW’s wealth of incredible natural areas.
Yuriko Lee, Director, Producer
Yuriko was born and grew up in Osaka, Japan, where great cuisine and comedic conversations are in people’s everyday lives. Toward the end of her twenties, she transplanted herself to the Arizona desert, then lived in Atlanta, GA for a few years. She calls Oregon home since 2010. She is a nurse practitioner, grant writer, martial artist, cat mom, and the owner of Everything Birds Productions, LLC.
Organizer
