WALKIN THRU THE PARK by MR. MELODY™ MUSIC-VIDEO Campaign
Years ago I wrote an original song about the joys of Central Park entitled 'An Early Spring.' The recently Proposed Ban of the Carriage-Horses by NYC Mayor de Blasio, has compelled me to adapt my song to stop this travesty. Newly titled and with fresh purpose, 'WALKIN THRU THE PARK' Pop Anthem reflects the upbeat
feeling of our adored Central Park, with lyrics now focused on saving the Horse and Buggies. "DON'T TAKE THE HORSIES AWAY!"
OUR GOAL is to make the WALKIN THRU THE PARK - MUSIC VIDEO to save the Carriage-Horses and Industry. It's based on the multi-instrument music track. Top recording engineers were employed to Re-Mix and Master the original Recording. Director/Designer Jane Gussin and I have teamed up to produce an influential Music-Video for this cause, photographing and filming Iconic New York City Horses. We want this Music Video to be a stunning visual experience featuring historic sites and attractions of Central Park: Bethesda Fountain, Olmsted & Vaux Way, The Carousel, CP Zoo, Cherry Hill and more! Dance will be a strong element as well.
Our Long Term Plan is to create an reality based TV Show with episodes of the horse and buggy's daily life with Central Park as the backdrop, including the politics, and featuring WALKIN' Thru The Park as the theme song.
KEEPING YOU INFORMED - This is Our Pledge to You! We'll post Photos and Hi-Def Video to keep you abreast of the Music Video progress. We'll use every means to inform and promote the Song and Video by creating CD, DVD, Vinyl, and utilizing Radio, TV, Press and Social Media.
We are simultaneously shooting Documentary footage featuring the horses and the cause, which we plan to eventually make into a documentary; interviews of Drivers, Equine Experts, and others regarding the serious
issues bringing forth the Facts to STOP the Animal Cruelty Propaganda madness.
During this Video process, we've gotten to know the Horse Carriage Drivers, Horse Retirement Farm Owners, the Citizenry. Documenting Rallies, Public Debate and actual Conditions of Horses in the Stable, we've learned the Truth, namely that NYC Carriage-Horses are Loved, cared for, and monitored to the highest standard with over a hundred pages of regulations!
WITH YOUR HELP we will make this Americana Pop-Anthem into a winning Music Video production that will Galvanize Public Opinion bringing a little Common, err, HORSE SENSE, to this Debate! Major News coverage is possible with a good Music Video. In today's world, music without visuals cannot obtain media traction. Adding our documentary footage to the social media-mix is helping to give credible information to the cause of saving the Carriage Horse Industry.
The best way for we Artists to contribute is by using our Talents to shine a light on the Beauty and the Facts!
Join us with a Walk Thru The Park, A Carriage Ride, a Song in your Heart, a Spring in your Step!
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We've got Great Perks for you!
Magnificent Photographs of beloved New York City Horses, clip-clopping through the seasons, revealing their beauty set against the Park, glints of the City shining through.
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What We Need: $19,000 Nineteen Thousand Dollars +Plus to finance the Production & Media Distribution-Promotion for the Music Video Campaign.
I believe we can WIN!!!
(Approximate Values)
1) Videography & Cameras $3,400
2) Video Editing & Special Effects $4,300
3) Director $2,500
4) Administration - E-Mailing Lists Campaign- $1,000
5) Internet Promotion $800
6) Low-cost Cable Television & Radio Spot Ads- $2,500
7) Post Production Recording & Sound Mixing $1,200
8) Meals for Crew- $500
9) Stipend for Volunteers & Actors- $1,000
10) US Postal- $500
11) Printing of Promo Posters, Postcards & Handbills- $500
12) CD DVD & VINYL Reproduction- $3,500
13) Transportation- $300
14) PR Consulting- $500
15) Computer Hardware- $1,000
- If we don't reach our Funding Goal we'll have to cut back on Production and Advertising. Please don't let that happen as TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!
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HORSE FACTS
We
can honor our Animal Friends as the Native Americans and
Indigenous Peoples do! Horses have worked in concert with people for THOUSANDS of years building civilization.
Legally speaking Horses still do have the Right-Of-Way on our roads! Asphalt was developed for streets to give horses better traction and resulted in
fewer leg injuries
from hoof slippage on COBBLE STONES.
Fortunately, Horses can be geared to activities they actually ENJOY. Contrary to what uninformed people think, Working Horses can be Happy!
The Carriage-Horse Industry is saddled with umpteen regulations, to benefit the Horses, as never before, which is wholly regulated by Law and operated by caring and diligent persons. In addition to the New York City Code and Rules, NY State Law makes cruelty to horses a CRIME. Cruelty means knowingly causing or allowing injury or death to a horse. The average Carriage-Horse gets shod a minimum of 5-8 times a year with at least 2-4 Veterinarian visits and 5 weeks off to Pasture. Carriage Horses live longer than wild horses. Carriage Horses can live to 30+ years of age, cared for in retirement.
Put bluntly, if this Industry is destroyed, not only will it throw
hundreds of Middle and low-income Families out of work, it will result in wholesale MURDER of many of the 220 Horses who cannot find homes (with NO Actual Budget for care being mandated), in cash strapped retirement farms. Costs loom in the million$ to protect them.
THOUSANDS of horses domesticated and wild, are sold to kill brokers and slain every year, illegally in the USA and/or shipped to neighboring Nations, Mexico and Canada to be killed and used for food! This GRIEVES us.
Our documentary coverage investigates the claims of self-anointed 'Animal Rights Activists' against the Carriage Trade, finding these to be Exaggerated, Deceptive, Ignorant and False.
144 Pages of Rules for NYC Carriage Horses
Carriage-Horses are Licensed & Governed: Rules of the City of New York, Title 24 Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City and State Laws Protecting Carriage Horses include:
Every year NYC Carriage-Horses get a 5-6 weeks vacation in the country, at least 2 Veterinarian exams, and shod a minimum of 5-8 times.
- Carriage horses cannot be worked when the temperature below 18 degrees.
- In Winter, horses must be blanketed while awaiting passengers.
- Carriage horses cannot be driven faster than a trot.
- Carriage horses can only be worked nine hours during any 24-hour period.
- Horses must be take a rest period at least 15 minutes every two hours of work.
- Fresh water must be made available to horses during rest periods.
- Horses must be provided with enough Food and Water and allowed to eat and drink at reasonable intervals while on the job. Carriage horse drivers may carry water make use of troughs in the park.
- Horses cannot be worked when lame or suffering illness or a condition that makes them unsuitable to work.
- The law prohibits “abuse “of carriage horses which means physical maltreatment or failure to provide the care required regulations.
- Horses are prohibited from working during “adverse weather conditions,” any condition that is hazardous to health or safety of the horse, driver, or public. Including but not limited to extreme conditions of ice, snow, heavy rain or slippery surfaces.
- Carriage horses are not allowed on bridges or in tunnels.
- Drivers must obey traffic laws including traffic lights, signs, no U turns, etc.
In addition to the New York City Code and Rules, NY State Law makes cruelty to horses a CRIME. Cruelty means knowingly causing injury or death to a horse, or allowing someone else to do so.
PEDICABS vs. Carriage-Horses
If
a young man on Pedicab Bicycle Rickshaw can transport three persons up
& down streets & in Central Park, an average healthy Percheron
type Carriage Horse weighing 1,500 lbs. can pull 20! Look it up. Horses
love working with humans when treated correctly. Different breeds have
their own characteristics; some love to gallop at full speed, some love
to pull.
UGLY POLITICS
CONDEMNATION of an Entire Industry... is IGNORANT and HARMFUL and with NO PROOF of deliberate abuse.
New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio & City Council Speaker, Melissa Mark -Viveros, are insanely dead-set on crushing the Carriage-Horse Industry out of existence claiming "Cruelty to Animals." They are pushing for a final vote, to replace Horses with 7500 lb. electric FAKE-Antique Autos (prototype subsidized by NYCLASS!), forcing out Carriage Drivers to become Taxi-Drivers or to be unemployed. These oversize, expensive cars, that the Public is being asked to SUBSIDIZE, would break a 50 year ban on motoring in Central Park during weekends. So much for the GREENING of New York!
WHO BENEFITS? Political Connections, Financial, Real-Estate, and 'Green-Mail' vultures seek to benefit from destruction of this Industry. NYCLASS has never been a BONAFIDE Animal Rights organization, and has clambered aboard to join with Malevolent PETA, to spew Animal Cruelty Propaganda. One Reality of animal cruelty is PETA's shelters, as more than 90% of animals have been killed there. What does this say about their supporters and New York's Political & Celebrity EGOS, Mayor de Blasio- PETA's 2014 Person of the Year!
PETA and NYCLASS hypocritically claiming to be for 'Animal Rights'
are in agreement with an EXTREMIST AGENDA. We are not. They must have their Non-Profit 501 (C) 3 Licenses REVOKED, as money-suckers taking Dollar$ from an unsuspecting and betrayed Public.
This Campaign is for all of
us who are thinking clearly and believe in our better nature and are WILLING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Let's expose the facts and support the Horse Drivers!
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Mr. Melody™ aka Aristedes Philip DuValI've
enjoyed riding horses and ponies. As a Child my Mother
took me to the Pony Ride at the South-East corner of Central Park, by the Zoo! We city kids loved it! Why were the Pony
Rides stopped years ago?
Funny
thing, maybe I was meant to do this, to stand up for the Horsies?
Aristedes was the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby &
'Philippos' in Greek
means "Lover of Horses." King Philip of Macedon was a famed
Horseman.
A Greek-American of musically talented parents, I grew up loving Greek and Middle-Eastern Music,
Broadway Musicals, Classics and Rock & Roll. My Mother was Florist to the Stars, Pamela DuVal of Madison Avenue. Mom too had a beautiful voice, and Dad, Harry DuVal Valenti, was a Continental Tenor Troubador.
Rock-Opera Tenor
Acted and sang in the 1st European Tour of Jesus Christ
Superstar, and in NYC @ the Orpheum Theater in the James Rado Musical RAINBOW- sequel to Hair. Appeared in Feature Films and created TV Shows, and Bands.
Composer of 200 plus compositions and lyrics including
Rock, Classical Adaptations, Experimental, and Electronic Music.
Member ASCAP Author &
Publisher, Actors Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, American Federation of Musicians Union Local 802 AFL-CIO.
Founder
of Public Access Producers & Artists Alliance, LIFE Scout.
Public Access Producers & Artists Alliance- SAVING Naumburg Bandshell
Being a Civic-Minded
New Yorker, I helped tip the balance of two serious controversies
in favor of restoring New York's Cultural Heritage!
Produced & Lensed series of Broadcasts for Public Access
Television, saving NAUMBURG Bandshell in Central Park,
with an organization I founded, Public Access Producers &
Artists Alliance - PAPATV, with world renowned Photographer Mrs. Editta Sherman- aka Duchess of
Carnegie Hall, and Kathleen Vach- aka Ms. Mary Doolittle. In 1992, Central Park Conservancy Dictator Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, together with NYC Parks
Commissioner Betsy F. Gotbaum and cronies, were dead-set on DEMOLISHING the Naumburg. They have not yet allowed for its full restoration
nigh-on twenty five years later, even with the Millions$ poured into the
Park's coffers by the CHRISTO'S Gates Project, Bloomberg and other Millionaires. The Beaux-Arts Bandshell is allowed to deteriorate and stand UNRESTORED- that will be another Campaign.
A.R.T.I.S.T.
Also via Public Access Television, we championed the Cause of Street Artists to Paint, Perform and Vend on New York City streets. We formed, A.R.T.I.S.T. Artist Response To Illegal State Tactics, with Attorney Carol Novack, Artists Robert Bery and Robert Lederman. Through Court Battles we have won our RIGHTS to not be pushed off the
sidewalks having work and tools stolen by the NYPD or Sanitation. The Lawsuits got the work of Street Artists returned from NYPD custody and Policemen's Benevolent Society. We stand for CONSTITUTIONAL FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS of Artists and Musicians, Freedom of Expression aka Democracy, on the Streets of New York City!
Kathleen Vach (RIP) and I created MARY DOOLITTLE WATCHES TV one of the
first Reality Shows. Mrs. Sherman (RIP), was the last tenant
of Carnegie Hall Studios purged by the Corporation in violation of
Andrew Carnegie's Will at the dawn of the BLOOMBERG
Administration.
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BIO - Jane Gussin Film-Maker- NY State Horse Council Member
Director • Videographer • Editor • Designer
Jane was raised in Manhattan, and introduced to NYC’s top museums through art classes her mother sent her to as a young child, and encouraged to be an Artist by her father, an Art Director. Growing up she was in awe roaming the stages of the largest TV commercial production company of that era, MPO Videotronics, where she got her first experience working in film as an Apprentice Editor.
Mixing the Art and Film influences, she feels equally at home shooting photography designing graphics, or being part of a live-action video production team. She's been a Motion Graphics Designer positions at Nickelodeon and Oxygen Networks, and as a freelance Special Effects Artist. Currently, the Story takes precedence, with camera or mouse in hand, creating video biographies and documentaries. Jane's inspiration comes from nature, saturated colors, the infinite nuances of light, unusual juxtapositions with an infusion of humor. "We live in a world of vivid color & vital stories. I make Videos that illuminate them."
B.F.A. SUNY Purchase - Fine Arts & Photography Currently: Studying all aspects of Video and Social Media applications, keeping up with technology!
WALKIN THRU THE PARK Recording Engineers, Studio Credits
Gary Kroll (RIP)-16 Track 2" ANALOG, Andy Hanerfeld CEO, WRC STUDIOS Bklyn
Steve Puntolillo- 24/192 Analog to Digital Conversions, SONICRAFT A2DX Lab, NJ
Kennan Keating- 24/96 conversion, tracking, POWERHOUSE PRODUCTIONS NYC
Anthony Robustelli- additional tracking, editing, SHADY BEAR STUDIOS Brooklyn
Steve Addabbo- tracking, edit, Varispeed, Mixdown, SHELTER ISLAND SOUND NYC
Joe Lambert Mastering- Test masters, Brooklyn
Kevin Blackler- Final Master, BLACKLER MASTERING, Brooklyn
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Shine a Positive Light With Our Song
Creating beautiful imagery of Central Park. We plan on getting people of all ages to join us in clippety-clop dance moves as we walk and ride throughthe park. We'll follow the roads the Carriage-Horses take and give a musical tour featuring the park sites and horses.
Risks & Challenges
There is no going back.
It takes GUTS to fight the Powers That Be, but we can do it with Your Financial Help!
Broadcast to Raise Awareness
Our Plan is twofold: Promote & Popularize the Music Video & follow-up with a Documentary Special about the Horse-Carriage Industry. Our Strategy is to use Social Media to attract, support, and EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, using all types of Media including paid advertising.
The better the video quality the more opportunities open up to show to audiences and spread the word.
Immediately Help SAVE 300 Workers' Jobs and 220 Horses!
We could EXPAND this Industry to other Parks in the Five Boroughs and New York State creating Hundreds more jobs and save many more Horses! We can Improve Horse Care where needed and provide THERAPY HORSES to Veterans, children and others. This will create better health conditions for all those involved and a brighter economy in a number of sectors!
Support for Horse Rescue - Horse Retirement Farms
If we meet our Funding Goals we will donate a percentage of our funds to worthy Horse Caretakers. Our favorite is Blue Star EquiCulture a non profit located on a 129-acre farm in Massachusetts, where many working horses get loving care, enjoying beautiful pastures for retirement! http://www.equiculture.org
Other Ways YOU Can Help
Some people just can't contribute $$$, but that doesn't mean they can't help: BE ACTIVE, spread the word via Word Of mouth and Social Media. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, MySpace, Vimeo, Blogging, Google Plus, Public Meetings, E-Mail, writing to City Council and the Mayor, signing Petitions like the NY Daily News 'Save Our Horses Campaign.' Post comments and questions on Indiegogo for all to see.
Call or email your NYC Council Member and Mayor de Blasio to Oppose the Ban! VOTE OUT BAD REPRESENTATIVES!
OUR WEBSITE LINKS
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LANDMARKS - Keeping Traditions Alive!
Did you know that the Architects of Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted & Calvert Vaux designed the roads & vistas for viewing from a Horse Carriage?
I wish we would have prevented destruction of so many historic landmarks. It needs to be said that our Government Officials have allowed lots of Cultural damage to be done this City, with no reverence for History.
The destruction of New York's Architectural Past for Profit compares with this flagrant attempt by our City Government and Cronies to destroy the Carriage-Horse Industry.
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And that's all there is to it.
