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You and Me and We: a story for big and little ones

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Have you ever imagined losing your imagination?
I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me introduce myself first. 

Hello! My name is Sam Gelband. Maybe we've met! That would be neat-o! If we haven't, let me tell you a little bit about myself. 

I am a musician, theater artist, an elementary school staff member, a lucky friend, and currently, I am asking for your help to make something that I think could be very special. It's called You And Me And We, a recorded story with music for children of all ages. 

The project started about two years ago when I was at work, standing on the playground, watching my students play kickball, tag, hide-and-seek, and my personal favorite, make believe.

I was playing in a few bands at the time, I had just received my bachelors degree in theater arts, and most days as I watched the kiddos run around I would sing to myself or imagine performances or stories I would want to create. Then I asked myself an important question that has since become a guiding principal in my creative life: How can I bring all these things that I love together? I love spending time with my students, I love spending time making music, I love story-telling, how can it all fit together?

That night, after work, rehearsals, band practices and a bushel of laughs, I sat down in my chair and wrote my first children's poem. It's called, My Feet, and it goes like this:

My feet smell like bird-breath 
after eating a worm 
Like the used dental floss 
of an old pachyderm


Like onions and garlic and fresh gasoline 
And that's just the smell of my feet when they're clean! 
At the end of the day when I take off my shoes 
The stink is so bad, it makes national news! 


I've tried lotions and creams and powders and ointments 
But my foot doctor faints at all my appointments!

But at the end of the day, I'm just me I suppose 
And I wouldn't change that. Not even my toes.

*Illustration by Theo Henderson 

It's a silly set of rhymes, but it started me on a path that lead me to hundreds of children's poems, and eventually a musical story about a girl named Jessica, who loses her imagination and finds her community. 

Inspired by the brilliance of Harry Nilsson's 'The Point,' it is a story with music that's all about asking the right questions and finding the right people on the way to finding the answers. 

*from The Point! by Harry Nilsson 

In my story, there are songs in a blend of many styles all circling the theme of growing up and developing a sense of appreciation for those around you. 

Growing up is very strange and very complicated. I don't know if I'll ever be done with the process, quite frankly. But if I've learned one thing, it's that people I love make me who I am. You And Me and We is a story that tries to highlight the joys of growing up and finding your people, even if it's a little boring or scary at first.

Working in elementary schools for the past four years, I've learned a lot more than I've taught. Helping children resolve conflict, sharing in celebration with them over imaginary victories, and just having plain, silly, loud fun, has reminded me how exciting and strange it is to be a human.

More often than not, the stories we tell children are an attempt to cover up that strangeness, an attempt to make things simple. There is nothing wrong, here. Sometimes the world is  very simple, and those times are very very nice. While writing You And Me And We, I tried to make a story that included the not so simple elements of life. Sometimes a person can feel lonely, even if they have great friends. Sometimes a person can be selfish and skeptical, but it doesn't mean that they're not a good person. Lots of people are different from lots of other people, etc. I try to make these things manageable in my story, but not oversimplified. 

I also tried to write music for the story that inspires curiosity as well. In arranging and recording the album, I'd like to make it dynamic, interesting, and at times even a bit unusual. I hope that this will help children develop their own taste in music. This will not be "kids music," it's music that children can listen to.

The story, the songs, and the underscoring music are all written. Now's the time to make it all come to life. This is where YOU come in. Because this story is all about community, I am asking you, my community, to help me raise money for me and my community of musicians so we can make this record a reality. 

The money you give will help pay musicians, artists and audio engineers what they deserve for their contributions so that recording You And Me And We can be a prosperous, exciting community event.

Here's what I need to make that possible:

1000 for the Musicians playing on the record 
1000 for the Recording Engineer
3000 for Mixing, Mastering

Any amount would help You And Me And We reach its full potential and it will help us tell a story that I think kids will enjoy and benefit from. 

If you'd like to get involved in the project, or if you'd like to hear more about it, please email me at [email redacted] 

I'm looking forward to telling this story with you.

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    Organizer

    Sam Gelband
    Organizer
    New Orleans, LA

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