Toledo Pride

The Toledo Pride CD Project was recently formed because Michael Miller, Editor in Chief of the Toledo Free Press, wrote a column about an audiocassette that was lost at the Toledo/Lucas County Library. The cassette had historical, Toledo themed songs, dating back to last century and in his column he put out a call to local musicians, studios, historians and.....well you name it, for help to replace this important piece of Toledo’s history. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- The response was overwhelming. Emails came flooding in from all over the city with information and offers to help. It became more than he could handle so he asked me, Robert "zoocheetah" Russ, to produce it because I've been working out of Hollywood in the entertainment industry for a decade or so. He also felt comfortable asking me to handle it because he knows that I love Toledo like it was family. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- A few of my years in LA were spent working for MTV and I still work there and/or in those musical orbits when the timing is right, but most of my experience is in television and film. I do have experience producing though I've tried to focus on my own art of writing which has been fruitful at times. I took over this task and quickly realized that recreating the past was a great and ambitious thing to do, but to not recognize the present with all this new talent I was coming across would be a crime. So the project went from ambitious to grandiose in about a nano-second and it is still growing by the minute. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Since that moment of beautiful inspiration, I have been reaching out to every artist, studio, business or interested individual and now I am overwhelmed. I have asked for help because I am fresh back in Toledo and I am ignorant of the scene here today. In an extremely short period of time I’ve been blessed with the input of hundreds of great and talented Toledo artists and business people who are embracing this vision and are wholeheartedly joining me under this big tent of Toledo Pride. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- If you are reading this I urge you to join us. We don’t have a big budget (yet – Toledo Free Press and Columbia Gas are the only official sponsors - - - so far) and the vision is still forming, but the momentum is huge. It recently occurred to me that this just might be the thing that could put Toledo on the map, where it so clearly belongs, and our vast, diverse and talented musical pool might just be the vehicle that will get us there. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- The promises are simple and realistic. I can promise you that if you get involved you will get a lot of media exposure. The Toledo Free Press has promised to turn this into an ongoing news story that the other local media is sure to pick up on. If you have a song about Toledo, or are willing to write one (please start now?), it will most likely be included on the CD. If you help, in any capacity, it will be documented on the CD, which will be distributed to all the libraries both public and the ones at all the Toledo schools. I am working to find a local filmmaker to shoot a documentary to accompany the CD. I understand the WGTE is seriously considering taking up the call. There is now a movement to open next years Rally by the River with a three staged show that will spotlight all the groups and individuals who perform on the CD. It will end with all the acts joined as one to sing the one song we choose as a group as our ultimate song about Toledo and since my specialty out in LA is special effects, you can be sure that there will be more going on than music. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- So please consider joining in this journey. You can be the most talented person on the planet or you can be more like me who doesn’t have much talent but cares about Toledo like it was family. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Toledo is as diverse as it’s music and I truly don’t believe that we, the citizens of Toledo, completely understand and embrace the strength that we could enjoy if we unite under one tent and embrace this beautiful situation. Through music we can bridge the gaps and you, we, can be the force that aims this beacon of hope and celebration in the right direction. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------- Now let’s get this party started!.. ..
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