Art House Creates Crowdsourced Song “Stronger” in Jersey City

After nearly 6 months, Art House Productions is proud to announce the completion of the Jersey City Community Song. In April 2021, Art House Productions embarked on the Jersey City Community Song, seeking submissions from New Jersey-based poets and writers of lines about the theme, "Life in the Pandemic and Beyond: Reflections of Yesterday, Dreaming of Tomorrow." After receiving submissions from 18 talented writers, local songwriter and music teacher Carol Lester, curated and produced the original, crowdsourced song titled “Stronger” using lines from each submission. This project was sponsored by the City of Jersey City and Office of Cultural Affairs.

Upon completion of the song, Art House asked community singers and musicians to perform the original work. The lyric music video premiered at Art House’s Virtual JC Fridays Kickoff on September 9. To view the video presentation of “Stronger” please visit: https://youtu.be/GawNpKfjoBU. 

“I’m really proud of how the song turned out and I’m thrilled that so many Jersey City-based artists contributed. I love producing work that tells the story of a specific time and I think this song does a great job of reflecting the past 18 months. Much credit is owed to Carol Lester for bringing all the pieces together,” say executive director Meredith Burns.

“It was exciting to creatively express my experiences at this stage of the pandemic. Then I was thrilled to hear what others have been going through. I feel this song is an anthem, not just for Jersey City, but for the world to keep moving forward each uncertain day - together,” says song contributor Alicia Wright.

Contributing writers include Stephen Cole, Danielle Dadamo, Stephanie Daniels, Chris Garrahan, Deirdre Garrahan, Jack Halpin, ShrujanaIyer, Steve Kulberg, Carol Lester, Linda Nassaney, Leonora Obed, Genesis Pierre Louis, Hara Rola, Thais Sherell, Megha Sood, Sara Welch, David Williams, and Alicia Wright. 

Singers include Meredith Burns, Max Di Biaggio, Lola Castellano, Carol Lester, Bertram Okpokwasil, and Alishia Taiping. Musicians include Carol Lester, Peter Moffitt, and Vivian Warfield. 

Carol Lester (Curator) is a self-published, performing songwriter, producer and artist rep, who hosts “Sunday Songwriters in The Round '' to showcase local and international self-published songwriters & sync speakers. Ms. Lester has had music licensed in TV, Film & Ads. Ms. Lester also represents a catalogue of String Ensemble Re-Imagined Pop and is happy to make connections for up and coming talented self published Artists. During quarantine, Ms. Lester got the entire String Ensemble Collection and many of her own tracks accepted to be pitched for upcoming TV, Film & Ads projects by companies including mVibe, Vice Media, Sync Summit, LHM, Indie Sync House and Music Supervisor/We Get Artists. Ms. Lester served as an IMA, Independent Music Awards, Industry Judge in Children’s Music and Cover Music Categories for the Six years she served as VP to MamaPalooza Records. In her role at MamaPublooza Music Publishing, Carol represented music licensing for 80 ‘Moms Who Rock’.

For more information about this project, please visit www.arthouseproductions.org/pages/jersey-city-community-song. 

Art House Productions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to the development and presentation of the performing and visual arts in Jersey City, NJ. Art House Productions presents theater, performing and visual arts festivals, arts events, visual art exhibitions, and adult and youth art classes. For more information about Art House programs, please visit our website at www.arthouseproductions.org. Follow on social media @arthouseproductions @arthouseprods To sign up for Art House's mailing list, please click here: http://eepurl.com/hd1FCj.