VIDEOS BY MIKE ALLEN
UNITED THROUGH IT ALL
Mike Allen and Randy Bayne wrote the acclaimed anthem “United Through It All” on the day of the jihadist attack on America, September 11, 2001. Mike and Grammy/Dove Award Winning producer/arranger Steve Mauldin produced a demo recording of the song featuring top studio musicians, and vocal quartet New Millennium.
Mike and Randy traveled across Kentucky and Tennessee stopping in radio stations and playing the song and giving interviews.
Randy contacted the Commander of the United States Army Band and Soldiers Chorus in Washington and sent him a copy of the demo. Colonel Hamilton asked if his organization could have permission toarrange the song for band and mixed choir, and include it in their upcoming national tour. The band toured with the song as the feature piece for 3 seasons, including a very fancy soiree at Constitution Hall in DC. They also submitted the original recording of the song to International Armed Services Radio who began playing it in rotation around the world.
The “Pershing Band”, ceremonial DC band of the US Army, performed a “United Through It All” concert at their 80th birthday celebration at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, NYNY and featured the song.
President Bush selected the song to be performed prior to his keynote speech at the Pentagon on the 1-year anniversary of the terrorist attack, and the US Naval Band and Chorus did the performance. Military base bands across the country included the song in their repertoire.
J Aaron Brown and Lifeway Publishing published the song, with Lifeway securing the rights to sell sheet music. “United Through It All” was their #1 selling product for the next year.
Several video products have been made featuring United Through It All. The first video features the original demo recording of “United Through It All”.
The second is a performance by the Army Band and Soldiers Chorus at the Wild Horse Saloon in Nashville, Tennessee which was filmed and televised on TNN numerous times over the 4th of July weekend in 2002.
The third video is the live performance by the US Navy Band at the Pentagon as a lead-in to President Bush’s speech from CSPAN in 2002.
THEY DARED TO DREAM
While the writing team of Mike and friend Randy Bayne were enjoying the thrill of composing a popular song “United Through It All”, Mike wrote “They Dared To Dream” while thinking about The Greatest Generation and MLK. Both brought about seismic change in the course of human history. “They Dared To Dream” became a popular anthem for local church and school choirs distributed by Hal Leonard Publishing Company.
God bless our heroes, and God bless America. They Dared to Dream.
They Dared to Dream VETERANS TRIBUTE
America was built by inspired people who disagreed with the existing Government and culture and “Dared to Dream” of something better. From the Revolutionary War to Desert Storm, brave people have risked everything to establish and guarantee freedom. This video honors heroes from decades and centuries past who “Dared to Dream” and laid It all on the line to pursue a land of the free and home of the brave.
They Dared to Dream MLK TRIBUTE
Regardless of race, religion, or political views, we all know that Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man sent by God for a specific purpose; to effect peaceful change in the course of a nation. What could have so-easily been another violent, hateful, bloody civil war among Americans over racial inequality was guided along a much more peaceful, cooperative, and patient path by Dr. King’s strong, convicted leadership. He was prepared to sacrifice his life for this important cause, but not before he planted seeds of awareness and moral change by shedding light on the dark truth of our immoral attitude towards racial minorities, an evil that was bringing us down as a nation. Dr. King and his followers accomplished the unimaginable task of changing a culture, steering a nation towards the right path of racial integration and assimilation. Thank God Martin Luther King, Jr. dared to dream.
The Story Behind THE CHARLESTON 9
I was chillin at Salty Mikes at the Charleston City
Marina downtown on the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina the evening of June 18, 2007 hanging out waiting to pick up my son Coleman from basketball practice. It was a beautiful evening to be alive, and in such a beautiful place. The tide had just turned so the anchored boats were slowly turning on their moorings. Then, I noticed a plume of smoke on the horizon across the river, apparently down Highway 17 towards Savannah. Sirens became audible in the distance, and we knew the good guys were on the way to help.
When we got home we checked the television on to see if there were any reports. The horrific fire at Charleston Sofa Super-store and the beehive of activity at that blazing building was being reported on local news. By 8 o’clock the fire had consumed every bit of fuel and twisted the steel frame of the building, and it crashed in with men still inside.
Each team took roll and began to collect a list of men who were nowhere to be found, and were last seen entering the building. Before long, they had identified 9 men who didn’t get out.
A newspaper piece was published in the Post and Courier two months later with a play-by-play. It revealed the names and home bases of all who perished, and I realized then that five men who I saw frequently at the station down from my house without knowing their names had perished in the battle. I looked at their photos and could vividly remember seeing them around the station house.
I started writing a song lyric as I wept and read and re-read the newspaper piece, and the story of the events of that night became the ballad “Charleston 9”.
LET ME SHINE
There is a historic marine relic that towers above the surf off Folly Beach/Morris Island on the South Carolina coast marking the inlet to Charleston Harbor, the Morris Island Lighthouse. It was abandoned in the 60’s when the modern light was constructed on the south tip of Sullivans Island. The classic brick cylindrical tower became an iconic symbol of resilience, tenacity, endurance, and a will to live on. A citizen group formed an organization called “Save The Light” to raise money for a badly needed foundation replacement to prevent collapse into the moving shoreline, and ultimately full restoration of the historic icon. After hearing my song “United Through It All” several members asked if I could write a song/ballad about the lighthouse for use in their fundraising efforts, to be included in a documentary film. The caretaker, Johnny Ohlandt, took me to the light in a small boat and escorted me up to the top where the former light was positioned, and I was inspired to write “Let Me Shine”.
WE CAN DO IT AMERICA
I am a hopeless patriotic American who values our history, culture, and freedom. Many of my songs have a patriotic spin, and this one takes up President John F Kennedy’s famous speech about unity and national pride in a tumultuous point in our history, encouraging citizens to “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. The song considers where we came from as a new nation, the heroic efforts of many Americans over our history to ensure its future, and encouragement to keep rebuilding and getting better.
STRENGTH AND HONOR
Taking a general theme from the iconic movie “Gladiator”, I applied this concept to the American life and the heroes who advance our cause every day including first-responders, firemen, policemen, emergency medical professionals, and of course our amazing military. In a time when many have come to disrespect the jobs that these amazing citizens do every day so that you and I can live in security, safety, and freedom, I highlight the work that they do tirelessly to preserve the American Way.