With recording artist and award-winning advocate Lachi and James Ian at the helm, RAMPD (the global network of Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities) has come together to create the piano-driven Adult Contemporary record “Lift Me Up,” featuring Gaelynn Lea. The video concept is a tribute to the late disability rights activist Judy Heumann and a salute to deaf culture, with a fully disabled production team. The visuals are performed by three notable Deaf ASL performers (Amber Galloway, Otis Jones, and Nell) in the New York City video studio “Gymnopedie,” while vocals from Lachi, James, and Gaelynn are performed in Quad Recording studio. RAMPD and Lachi put together a well-established award-winning BIPOC, LGBTQ, and disabled crew featuring Catriona Rubenis-Stevens (Director/Producer), Day Al-Mohamed (Co-Director), Caroline Mariko Stucky (DP), Jake Primmerman (Editor), April Rose (Co-Writer, Mixing & Mastering), and Kulick (Mixing & Mastering).
Judy Heumann was the quintessential champion for disability rights and breaking barriers. She took on the New York Board of Education and the federal government, shut down streets, and organized national sit-ins paving the way for all the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) benefits we see today. A fierce leader, friend, selfless change maker, and a legend in the disability community, she was a good friend to Lachi, Ian, and Gaelynn. Judy passed away in March of 2023. Learn more about her and her work on her website.
“After my good friend and mentor Judy Heumann passed, I began writing this song just to cope,” Lachi said. “And wow, this thing has blown up in such a beautiful way. I couldn’t have asked for a better cast of co-writers, performers, and crew to lift inclusion, community, and belonging in this way. As artists it is our job to tell compelling stories through competitive art in the hope of creating social impact. However, every single human involved in this project worked from a place of love, and it shines brightly through this piece. I believe society is ready – ready for authentic, compelling, quality content celebrating Disability culture.”
“I’m forever indebted to Judy for her activism and all she accomplished,” added Ian. “But also, I just really valued her friendship. I’m grateful to Lachi for pulling everyone together and having me involved.”
“Lift Me Up” is a strong, colorful, and impactful visual. At first glance, the cinematography will guide you into the beautiful shades of purple and red color grading. The visual journey is aided by the three talented ASL Interpreters, who play an equally important role in moving the story forward. Tony-winner, actress, author, and singer Ali Stroker starts the video with an audio description for blind and low-vision audiences. Lachi delivers a sonically bold and creative performance, displaying vocals at the highest level and range. This video is a must watch for all lovers of great music and matching visuals. After debuting on MTV.com, “Lift Me Up” found support from both Google and Coldplay and hit more than 600K views on Instagram in less than 24 hours. There has been massive support and reshares from the community.
During each day of filming, the team incorporated an Accessibility Check-in as part of the Security Check-in. Everyone provided brief self-descriptions and their role and had the opportunity to share any accessibility needs they may have so they could all work together to help each other out. It was a rewarding experience for both the disabled and nondisabled crew members. It allowed for discussions on temporary needs, adjustments to current measures, and to build trust and mutual respect amongst the team. It’s a practice they hope to see spread universally and the team plans to incorporate it in all their future work.
Lachi and the RAMPD team will be hosting a release party in New York City on October 6 to celebrate the release and the success of this music video with friends, family, and community. This will be a great way to connect members of the community, and Lachi will be releasing a remixed version of the song following the party.
You can stream “Lift Me Up” on all digital platforms and watch the official behind the scenes video on YouTube.
