A scene from the video for David Haas’ song, “Vote.” Photo by Karyn Kipley
It started with a song — in this case, a song titled “Vote.”
David Haas, MD, professor of Medicine, wrote a song which he says he hopes will motivate and inspire increased participation in the upcoming election.
A few years ago Haas began writing choral hymns and anthems, in collaboration with Jaie Tiefenbrunn, the choir director at his church. Thinking that high-quality recordings might increase interest in these songs, Haas connected with some Nashville artists to record the songs.
One of those songs was “Vote,” and, as Haas says with notable understatement, “It’s gotten much bigger than we expected.”
With input from his friend, the Grammy-nominated songwriter Ruby Amanfu, “Vote” became much more soulful, and the song is the basis for a music video that highlights the rich tapestry of Black lives in Nashville.
“The energy, enthusiasm and excitement of the people who made this all possible was palpable. I am so grateful,” Haas said, sounding a little in awe of the life his song has taken on.
The video is directed by Haas’ daughter Anna, who runs Nashville-based Anna Haas Creative. She assembled a crew of talented local creatives and film makers. Knowing that this story was not hers to tell, Anna partnered with creative director Amber Curry.
The entire project involved about 80 people from Nashville and local communities, most of whom are Black. The video was filmed in just two days in local studios, and was edited in about a week. Music videos much simpler than this typically take months to complete. This was an “all hands on deck” approach.
“It’s been a very, very collaborative experience,” Haas said. “What began with a song by an old white doctor at Vanderbilt grew into a major community undertaking involving many Black people in Nashville.”
Among the 66 people appearing in the video are the Rev. Judy Cummings, pastor of the New Covenant Christian Church; James Hildreth, MD, president and CEO of Meharry Medical College; Retired General Session Judge Andrei Ellen Lee; and the Rev. Omaràn Lee Sr., director of Nashville’s Congregational Health and Education Network. All 66 people are credited at the end of the video.
“The energy, enthusiasm and excitement of the people who made this all possible was palpable. I am so grateful,” Haas said, sounding a little in awe of the life his song has taken on.
“I truly believe this music video has the power to motivate folks to vote in November,” he said. “We need everyone’s help to share this video as far and as quickly as possible.”
