Stop in any bookstore and, for nearly 100 years, the cherished story of a threadbare stuffed rabbit who longs to be real can be found among newer shinier offerings.
I’ve loved The Velveteen Rabbit my entire life. My heart goes out to the little rabbit, rejected and alone in the garden, wishing with all his heart to be loved. When the Fairy comes to visit him and shows him what it truly means to be
Real, I’m a child again; hopes and dreams intact.
Let me tell you a story about my Kickstarter project: WHAT IS REAL? The Velveteen Rabbit (kck.st/2sxohkY)
I’ve been working in music for a long time, composing for classical concerts, proofreading orchestral scores for Warner Brother animated productions like Batman Beyond, writing musical scores for independent films, art installations, and more. Music tells a story for me and I want it to tell this story.
And I’m not the only one! I’m working with some amazing artists and we’re going to tell it in a way that’s never been done before. We want to take that book from the bottom shelf and blow the dust off, so your child and every child of all ages can feel that magic we felt when the Fairy said, “you were real to the boy because he loved you. Now you shall be real to every one.”
I called up the dynamic Raylin Joy, a singer & performance artist and an all-around charming woman who exemplifies the magic and grace of the fairy along with the love and desire of the rabbit, to read the entire text from Margery Williams’ The Velveteen Rabbit. Directed by the talented Wendee Lee, whose work includes Cowboy Bebop, NieR:Automata and many, many more, Raylin sounds amazing. Just listen to the samples on the Kickstarter page (kck.st/2sxohkY).
And she looks breathtaking, too! Raylin’s friend and colleague, acclaimed celebrity photographer Allan Amato has captured gossamer, dreamlike images of her in flight, hopping, and playing as all the wonderful characters from the book.
Allan then put me in touch with his frequent collaborator, artist David Mack. I’m amazed that each new person I meet is so enthusiastic about this project! David has created the most fanciful, colorful, and perfectly appropriate storybook Cover Art for our album. Wait until you see what he has in store for the rest of the art book.
Finally, I’ve been composing track after track of music for each scene in the story to pair with Raylin’s narration. There are samples on the Kickstarter page and in the video and I hope you’ll agree that they do the story justice.
My friend Mark Robertson from the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra can’t wait to get his group to the recording studio for this project! A full orchestra with real instruments may cost more than a synthesized score, but this story is about making something Real. Real is important. Real is made with love.
And this is where you come in! I’ve put one foot in front of the other for two years getting our team here, we’ve made amazing strides, but there’s a long way to go. I feel like Frodo, right at the edge of Mount Doom and I need my Sam; you are my Sam. Art isn’t cheap and my colleagues in this are the best of the best. We’re creating something here that isn’t just unique; it’s going to last a lifetime and bring the timeless tale to a new generation of hungry young readers.
Help us make this real! Hop over to the Kickstarter (kck.st/2sxohkY) and see what we’re all about! We have digital and physical releases, CD & Vinyl, David Mack and Allan Amato fine art prints, music score sheets, even live concert performances, and more!
WHAT IS REAL? The Velveteen Rabbit (kck.st/2sxohkY)
