Country Singer Reminds Us We are One

Jim Payetta, a musician, songwriter, marketer, and co-owner of the Barrie Colts, an Ontario Hockey League team, found himself at home, facing a different pace of life because of the public health directives. When Jim was enjoying his morning coffee during his second week of isolation, he decided to poke around online. Look at all these various artists, from Keith Urban to John Legend, doing concerts from their homes for their fans, he mused.

It struck Jim that this was a great concept—artists doing their best to entertain and stay connected with people. It was about music, their craft of creating it, and maintaining a connection with those who wanted to hear it. And if ever there was a world event that demonstrated the simple truth that we are all connected . . . this pandemic surely was it!

He began to ponder some more. It really was amazing that a virus that spread across the globe started with just one person. Talk about the Power of One! Jim was struck with an idea.

He picked up the phone and called his friend and occasional songwriting partner, notable Canadian country singer Jason McCoy. Jason is a very talented songwriter, singer, and artist—not to mention accomplished. His list of awards include two-time Male Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Awards, three SOCAN Song of the Year awards, nineteen CCMA nominations, five Juno nominations for Best Country Male Vocalist, a Global Artist Award at the CMA Awards in Nashville, and three-time CCMA Group of the Year with the Road Hammers—plus a Juno for best country recording. Jim and Jason had recently successfully collaborated on a song called “Zamboni,” which had been recorded by Jason’s band, the Road Hammers.

“Hey, Jason,” Jim began. “What if we could get one song, a song that was about hope, about the human spirit, about the Power of One, about the fact that we are all connected . . . what if we could get not only well-known artists and singers, but every person who wanted to participate, to record their own versions and share them? How fast could we make that one song spread all over the world? Using technology and the Power of One, it’s possible.”

Jason, well connected and motivated, was the conduit to make this project a reality. A mere four days later, they had their first demo of the song “We Are One,” and within a week, Jason was reaching out to musicians he knew to join the project. Initially Jason asked his band to contribute, but he also felt it was really important to include people from not only across Canada but from across the world as well, demonstrating the message of the song: we are all connected.

Accomplished and well-known musicians from Greece to India to Sweden to Austria all participated. Here at home, the roster included many Canadian musicians such as vocalist Aaron Pritchett, guitarist Darren Savard, and Barenaked Ladies front man Ed Robertson, just to name a few.

But Jason felt this song needed a choir. He really wanted the Harlem Gospel Choir; New York, after all, was currently the epicentre of the pandemic. Jason had no idea how to make that happen. His daughter, however, did. She managed to find some contact information online and Jason reached out. He was both shocked and pleased when Anna Bailey, the manager of the choir, got back to him, excited about the project. The choir recorded their parts in isolation and sent them in. The song was written and produced, the website WeAre1World.net was created, and a video was masterfully put together in a two-and-a-half-week whirlwind.

And it is spectacular! As you can see, in the video, Jason encourages people to record their own rendition of the song and post it online using the hashtag #weare1worldsong. Anyone can go to the site and download the tracks for free. There are choices of tracks as well, depending on whether or not you want just the backing tracks, or even if you want all the stem tracks separately. Besides spreading hope and affording an opportunity for fun and creativity during lockdown, this song is also a fundraiser for COVID-19 relief initiatives.

The more the song is recorded and played, the more royalties are produced and donated to the cause. There are also donate buttons on the website for anyone who wants to contribute directly. One small idea, one single phone call, one fleeting thought acted upon can make such a huge difference worldwide, proving that, in fact, “We Are One.” Jason McCoy is a country singer who is extremely proud to be involved with this project and is excited to see something created in his hometown of Barrie go around the world to make such an impact. He always knew music had the power to touch people’s lives, but it was another thing to see it on a global scale. For more information or to download “We Are One,” please visit www.WeAre1World.net.

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