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good morning moon final
Today we’re checking out music videos. Alaskan songwriter Marian Call recently released the first music video for her 2011 album Something Fierce. She says the video began last year as part of her Kickstarter campaign, when she took a poll from her fans.
“I asked them which song they wanted me to do a music video of. So they all got to vote, and they were the ones that decided Good Morning Moon was going to be one of my first few official music videos,” Call says.
“I wrote it about the last few launches of the space shuttle, which are now concluded of course. I was a little bit sad, but I didn’t want to write something sad; just something about the beauty of being in space and maybe some hopefulness that we’ll keep going there,” Call says.
The video shows Call dressed in an astronaut uniform, singing inside of a space station. Also mixed in are time-lapse images taken from outer space by NASA. Pat Race produced the video, and says getting a hold of the space footage was surprisingly simple.
“The wonderful thing about NASA is that it’s publicly funded and a lot of their video and photography is in the public domain. So this footage I used is available to anyone,” Race says.
Race was also able to find rare footage from several of NASA’s moon landings. And the content is nowhere near the stoic “One small step for man” nature.
“That is actual archive footage. I don’t remember what landing it’s from, but I’m surprised I hadn’t seen it before. I found it as I was digging through material for this, and it was a gem I needed to use,” Race says.
“I felt like it fit with the song because I think if you actually got to go to the moon… I mean these are very tough, hardened, disciplined military men and they’re bouncing around like kids, and it’s wonderful. I feel like that’s exactly the reaction anyone would have,” Call says.
And speaking of reactions, Call says the response to the music video so far has been amazing. She’s even received compliments from actual astronauts.
“Some folks at NASA saw it and tweeted it and Facebook posted it, and it was really fun to see that actual folks that work on space programs in the US and around the world were getting a look at it. That made me happy,” Call says.
Call is no stranger to the spotlight. She spends long months touring, sometimes around the world. But she says singing on stage, and performing in a music video are nothing alike.
“I’m used to trying to be invisible while performing as much as possible. I try and let it be about the music and step out of the way and let the music do its thing. But a music video is very much about appearance and that is really weird. It’s strange to look at yourself while you edit it,” Call says, with a laugh.
But Call and Race couldn’t be happier with their finished product. In fact, they both seem to be hooked on music videos now.
“I definitely want to make more videos, I don’t know if she’ll let me,” Race says.
“Yes, yes, there will be more I’m sure,” replies Call.
Dave Waldron began his radio career in 2000 as a volunteer DJ at UAA’s radio station KRUA 88.1, where he hosted a weekend music show. In 2004 he was hired as the station’s music director, and held the position until his graduation in 2007. He was hired by Alaska Public Media in 2008 and since then has worked as an audio engineer, editor, and producer. He currently runs his own small business AK Audio Pro, and is a host of Alaska Public Media’s Hometown, Alaska.
