People often ask me why I don’t make music videos to promote my songs, like most other artists do these days. Those who know me well know that, the idea of producing expensive music videos is very uncomfortable for me. I made one video several years ago for a song called Midnight, with a donation from a gracious benefactor and a thrifty production team. Though the video’s subject matter of conflict resolution was very important to me, I still vowed I would be cautious about making videos regularly for just PR purposes. Multiple tens of thousands of dollars spent on recording studios, marketing contracts and short video clips seems imbalanced to me when factored against the extreme poverty that exists in this world all around us.

However, it excites me tremendously when I see young, independent film-makers using technology and their creativity to bang out incredible videos on their home-computers…the way I try to create and share my music. Platforms like Youtube make it possible for passionate artists to develop their talents and reach global audiences, without lining the pockets of executives or middle-men. 12 year old Yusuf Ahmed is one such artist.

Yusuf has created an independent film to go with the new song “Pages of Hope” I had the privilege of producing for and with the Hip-Hop duo Lines of Faith.

Yusuf Ahmed’s video/image-montage for “Pages of Hope” sends chills down my spine when I view it. Nobody on our production team asked him to make the video… in fact I just found out about it by accident through a friend. I couldn’t imagine a better and more grass-roots visual tribute to Anne Frank than what was created by Yusuf Ahmed for “Pages of Hope”. I am honoured that Yusuf decided to collaborate with Lines of Faith and I on this song.

Power to all the young independent artists like Anne Frank and Yusuf Ahmed. We CAN change the world – bridging nations and tribes through education and the arts, one song at a time!”

Check out the video here.