Video Premiere: Levi Ware, “Hey Hey”

Updated:

October 21, 2013 10:49 am

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“Hey Hey” is the theme of the Melodic Caring Project (MCP), a Seattle-based non-profit that streams live concert events straight to the beds of hospitalized children.

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Husband-wife duo Levi and Stephanie Ware co-founded the project after Levi, a singer-songwriter, played a benefit concert for a young cancer patient in 2010 and arranged to stream the performance to her hospital room.

Since that show, the MCP has brought performances by close to 100 artists – including Brandi Carlile, Tyrone Wells, Donavon Frankenreither, and Richard On of OAR – to the beds of ill children.

“Hey Hey” was produced by Grammy winner Neal Cappellino and the video was created by Casey McBride, who conceptualized the theme of compassion going viral. The song is the lead track on the new CD Raise A Record, which benefits the Melodic Caring Project.

Levi Ware tells American Songwriter about the song, the video, and the Melodic Caring Project:

“Hey Hey” is a different song than any I’ve recorded in the past in that it has a purpose well beyond the life of the album or the single. I originally wrote the song in 2009 when I was playing around with a ukulele, and it was written about my wife Stephanie. Shortly thereafter, we launched the Melodic Caring Project and we quickly realized that not only did the kids love the song, but that the lyrics were suited to what the kids were going through. When we decided to record the song specifically to raise funds and awareness for the non-profit, I wrote a pre-chorus and a second verse that were inspired by the kids.

When Casey McBride came on to create the video, his reaction to the purpose was so genuine we knew he was the right person for the task. His concept for the video was to create the feeling that compassion is going viral, that because of the mission of the Melodic Caring Project, people anywhere can reach out to support these courageous kids in their hospital rooms. He spent the weekend on a mind-bending road trip shooting footage in Philadelphia, Chicago, Memphis, Nashville and New York. Jason Tang shot footage in Seattle and, with the combination of all the locations, you get a sense that compassion is actually going viral, that people everywhere are reaching out to support these amazing kids.”