On an overcast morning in October, in front
of a brownstone in Cobble Hill, passersby were surprised to see
a dozen young kids, two trumpets, one trombone, an upright bass,
two flutes, percussion instruments, two saxophones, a large cow,
two pigmy goats, a sheep, a llama and some cameras.
Standing in the midst of this odd tableau – holding an acoustic
guitar and sporting a wild orange suit and a huge smile – was
musician Dan Zanes, who was shooting a video for his new song,
"Holiday Time in Brooklyn."
"Dan has always been very involved in charity and in the
community," said Zanes’s publicist Brian Shimkovitz, explaining
the former Del Fuegos frontman’s latest stunt.
For this gig, Zanes teamed up with Heifer International, an organization
that strives to end world hunger by encouraging donors to supply
suffering people in 128 countries with livestock, a sustainable
source of food (as opposed to merely giving short-term relief).
For example, a goat, which provides a family with numerous quarts
of milk, costs $120.
With the holidays approaching, Heifer International wanted a
siren call to reawaken charitable spirits and reached out to
Zanes for help.
So Dan wrote "Holiday Time in Brooklyn," to be used
as an e-card to publicize Heifer International’s mission. The
card was sent to past donors and is now on the Heifer International
Web site for all to see.
Getting the kids to sing, play, record and make a video with
this renowned, Grammy nominated children’s musician – author
of several albums including "House Party" and the recently
released "Catch That Train" – was the easy part.
"They just love him," said Roy Nathanson, member of
the Jazz Passengers and long time friend of Zanes, as he watched
his eight-year-old Gabriel proudly playing his trumpet. "To
them, he’s like the Beatles."
And just in case Zanes alone wasn’t incentive enough to attract
some kid musicians, the Heifer International video producers
had a back-up plan: exotic animals.
"I had never seen a llama before," said Sammy Boyle,
a trumpeter in the sixth grade. "It’s so cool!"
Zanes’s song ended with the question: "It’s holiday time
in Brooklyn, what can you give?"
Perhaps this year, the answer might just be: a chicken, a rabbit,
or even a cow.
To watch the "Holiday Time in Brooklyn" video and for
more information about Heifer International, visit their Web
site, www.heifer.org, or
call (800) 422-0474.
