In 2025, it will be the 40th anniversary of the classic song "We Are the World," originally written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and performed by dozens of famous musicians of the time. The song has been used over the years as a beacon of hope and community, bringing people together over common causes and uniting us against adversity.
We are students at Missouri State University in the Electronic Arts department in Spingfield, Missouri, and for our culminating senior project, we are doing a recreation of the We Are the World music video, with a spotlight on local marginalized voices. Every person involved will be a representative of a minority group, be it gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other marginalized identity.
Musicians will be recorded in late October, and filming of the music video will take place in February 2025. We plan on having 50 to 100 singers featured in the chorus section, and over 20 soloists. The final music video will be released in May at the MSU Electronic Arts Senior Showcase, and released on YouTube shortly after.
In order to do justice to this monumental project, we need your help! As a school project, everything must be done on a limited budget, but there are expenses we are already running into such as website hosting fees, printing fees for flyers and business cards, facility rental fees, equipment rental fees, and more. Our goal is to make this project as professional and meaningful as possible, and every cent we are able to fundraise will go directly back towards the project.
We Are the World 417 is a passion project for our team, and we are so excited to highlight the diversity and individuality that exists here in Springfield, Missouri, and we are so excited to share this journey with our supporters!
Thank you so much!
Riley Loredo - Director/Producer
Marisa Keller - Asst. Director
Landon Barlow - Director of Photography
Shelby Fields - Sound Designer