Squad Harmonix are standing in solidarity with the Black community during these unsettling times by spreading the message the best way they know — through song.
The LA-based all kids a capella group put together a powerful cover of “Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo and Celeb Secrets has your first look at the beautiful rendition and its visual.
Sharing during a time of intense divisiveness and civil unrest, group member Simone says the cover is to show the group’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement and to be allies.
“Too many people of color are dying at the hands of law enforcement. It is senseless and heartbreaking, and it needs to stop. We, as a nation, need to do better. Racism and police brutality have been embedded in our society for hundreds of years, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t change this together. As a young person, it is frustrating to feel like you don’t have the power to make a change, but we can make a change. For me, the best way to spread this message is through song,” group member Simone shares, with lead singer Lauren adding, “I hope listeners take from this song the message that unity, and change are necessary if as a society we can improve and make sure that every life is worth the same as the next person’s, and that no person is marginalized because of their race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion. This song is about equality, speaking up when something you see in the world isn’t right, and doing everything in your power to change it, because that really is the only way to enact change.”
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Custom arranged by Matt Gagnon and mixed and edited by Parker Wright, teachers at Squad Harmonix’s training academy, “Stand Up” is a collaboration between Squad Harmonix and InToneNation, a Georgia based a cappella group led by Trey Giddens from New Manchester High School composed of current students and alumni. The music video is an emotional testament and tribute to Black lives lost to police brutality and racism, whose names are also honored in the video.
Filmed in the safety of their own homes, the group’s visual executes simplicity as the message of justice and equality is the main subject. It encourages people to go beyond sharing the trending hashtags on social media platforms by taking real action and voting in the 2020 Presidential Election on November 3.
“Since we are all online, it was a little tough to record and film in the beginning. But as we realized we were going to need to pump out more content, we all got microphones and ring lights,” Mischa says of the filming process. “It still hasn’t been easy, per se (finding a blank wall, getting everyone to be quiet – I have 2 brothers and a dog), but it’s been fun. I’ve learned how to get proper lighting, proper microphone usage, proper camera angle, etc. It has been a little tougher than it would be otherwise, but I can’t wait to do more!”
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Squad Harmonix is an LA-based all kids a cappella performance group as well as a training academy for young, up and coming artists. Squad Harmonix consists of 10 principal members and led by singer-songwriter Laura Saggers, who also acts as the director, manager, and vocal coach. Squad Harmonix has accumulated nearly 200,000 views on YouTube and their original song was featured as the opening jingle in John Krasinski’s Some Good News YouTube show. They have also acclaimed recognition from Eugene Levy for their cover of the Emmy-winning show Schitt’s Creek’s remix of “The Best” by Tina Turner and Noah Reid.
The pandemic hasn’t stopped the group from working on new music, as Elise mentions to Celeb Secrets that a holiday-themed EP is set to be released on November 29th.
“We are going to have 5 songs and 2 music videos including everyones favorite holiday songs! Make sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for updates about that EP coming soon,” she says.
Listen and watch the video for “Stand Up” below and let us know what you think of it by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can connect with Squad Harmonix by following them on Instagram at @squadharmonix.
Want to know more on how you can participate in the fight against racism? We’ve rounded up 6 ways here.
