By Dana Williams
³I write about subjects that inspire me ... and I want my music to help people, so that we can become a better country,² Revels said.
Since 2001, Revels has been touring the country with his ³Stand Up America² Goodwill Tour, with hopes that the tour will bring more awareness about uniting America rather than dividing it. Revels became inspired to write his song ³Stand Up America,² during the Presidential Election of 2000.
While following that election race, Revels said, he believed that the use of red states and blue states to describe voters showed the world that there is a division in America. ³I kept on hearing everyone talk about red states and blue states, and I thought this is America, so why are we making this separation in our country,² he explained. ³I began to write my song ŒStand Up America¹ to encourage people in America to work harder to be more unified.²
Revels, who has been a singer, songwriter and music producer for more than 30 years, completed ³Stand Up America² the following year after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The lyrics to the song are also inspired by his emotions when he saw how much people came together to help each other during that time of need. ³During the September 11 attacks, I saw a different America,² he said. ³We forgot about all of our differences in color and in political beliefs, and we came together to help one another.²
With positive lyrics such as ³Stand up America, join hands and show the world,² and ³There are only three colors of America: red, white and blue,² Revels¹ song has made an impact on a national level. The Lakeview resident has currently been performing the song at different events and venues across the country as a part of his ³Stand Up America² Goodwill Tour. In 2003, Revels also performed his song at the MCI Center in Washington D.C., at a commemoration ceremony held for the 50th anniversary of the Korean War.
³This tour has been going on for years, so that I can show that America is really a wonderful place,² Revels said. ³I¹m just really very happy to be a part of it.²
On Sept. 24, Revels performed ³Stand Up America² in a pre-game show held at Shea Stadium before the New York Mets versus Washington Nationals game. The performance was dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that ³aims to raise public awareness and enlist the public¹s aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women,² according to its Web site.
Revels was accompanied by the young faces of the Malverne Bible Church¹s Joyful Noise Choir, as well as other choruses in the New York area in his performance. ³We do a lot of shows ... and this one at Shea Stadium was a great experience for the kids,² said Karen Henry, the choir director at the Malverne Bible Church. ³The kids were so excited to be there, and the performance was for a really great purpose because it was for our soldiers.²
³Stand Up America² has also seen success locally, with many schools implementing the song into their programs each school year. Anna Castley, the principal at Public School 54 in Staten Island, said that ³Stand Up America² is a song that her students sing at the school¹s graduation each year. The students in the school¹s chorus also performed with Revels at Shea Stadium on Sept. 24.
³The parents were so moved by the way the children sang ŒStand Up America¹ at Shea Stadium, and how well prepared they were,² Castley said. ³Dave is such a great guy, and he is a guy that truly believes that children are the future of America.²
Revels is currently working to take the ³Stand Up America² Goodwill Tour to more sports arenas and stadiums around the country. ³In each state that I perform in, my plan is now to include kids from local choruses from that state,² he said. ³I want to help children learn about uniting together and lending their voices for something positive.²
For more information about ³Stand Up America,² visit standupamerica.tv.
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
