Imagine Our Impact,
Uplift Our World
It starts with a song. Where it leads is up to us.A diverse group of performers, spanning different races and generations, unites to share a message of unity, compassion, and possibilities.
To imagine is to begin creating a better world together.
Our Mission
When we're able to imagine a better world, we can start taking steps to make it a reality. It's easy if you try.
Everybody Has a Gift. How Will You Share Yours?
Our mission is to show how our individual actions can unite, heal, and uplift our communities. We created this rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine" during the pandemic and at a time of civil unrest in America, when our separateness was amplified. That collective experience also highlighted our shared humanity, desire for peace, and need for community. With Imagine & Uplift, we aim to make that shared humanity and mutual respect more visible. To inspire others to take actions that spread those values.When we're able to imagine a better world, we can start taking steps to make it a reality. It's easy if you try.
You Can Make a Difference
Vote.org is a nonpartisan website for voter registration and voting resources. You can check your registration, request a mail-in ballot, see what’s on your local ballot, set reminders, and more.Visit Vote.org
Learn Media Literacy Skills
Media literacy means knowing how to judge the trustworthiness of information we see in the media. It's important to protect ourselves from misinformation and fake news. Media literacy isn't just for kids—everyone needs these skills to make sure we're consuming and sharing only true information. Here are some resources to help you and your family improve your media literacy skills.
One of our favorite Youtube channels has a series of great short videos teaching hands-on skills to help people evaluate the information they see online. The videos were made in partnership with MediaWise, The Poynter Institute, and The Stanford History Education Group.Visit Crash Course on Youtube
This website offers easy-to-understand materials and videos to help people of all ages improve their digital media literacy skills. It also has more detailed resources for educators who want to teach students how to be good citizens of the internet.Visit LearningForJustice.org
Founded by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics makes learning about civics engaging and accessible. They offer free educational resources and games that teach how government works and the importance of civic participation.Visit iCivics.org
VolunteerMatch makes it easier for people to get involved in causes they care about and get to know the people in their community better. This excellent website lets people search for and find volunteer opportunities based on their location, interests, and skills.Visit VolunteerMatch.org
Read this poem and others at CreateABridge.org
Imagine How Our Individual Actions Add Up to Big Change
Not everyone needs to be an activist, but we can all be active in creating the world we deserve. It can be daunting to consider how you can make a meaningful impact, but your contributions are valuable indeed! When we each do what we can, our collective efforts lead to real change. You're not alone in this. We've handpicked some simple and engaging nonpartisan resources to help you make a positive impact on your community and beyond.Register to Vote or Help Someone Register
The most powerful civic action you can take is to vote. Luckily, it's also one of the easiest ways to make a big difference! If you're eligible, please register to vote or help someone register. Voting in person gives you the rewarding experience of being active in your community. Plus, your vote is counted right away, reducing the chance of problems.Vote.org
Vote.org is a nonpartisan website for voter registration and voting resources. You can check your registration, request a mail-in ballot, see what’s on your local ballot, set reminders, and more.Visit Vote.orgLearn Media Literacy Skills
Media literacy means knowing how to judge the trustworthiness of information we see in the media. It's important to protect ourselves from misinformation and fake news. Media literacy isn't just for kids—everyone needs these skills to make sure we're consuming and sharing only true information. Here are some resources to help you and your family improve your media literacy skills.Crash Course on Digital Literacy
One of our favorite Youtube channels has a series of great short videos teaching hands-on skills to help people evaluate the information they see online. The videos were made in partnership with MediaWise, The Poynter Institute, and The Stanford History Education Group.Visit Crash Course on YoutubeLearning for Justice
This website offers easy-to-understand materials and videos to help people of all ages improve their digital media literacy skills. It also has more detailed resources for educators who want to teach students how to be good citizens of the internet.Visit LearningForJustice.orgCivic Engagement
Civic engagement means taking part in your community and public life. Even small actions can help strengthen your connection to your community, improve local services, and give you a sense of purpose. You can choose how involved you want to be based on the time and effort you have to contribute. Here are some ways to get started.iCivics
Founded by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, iCivics makes learning about civics engaging and accessible. They offer free educational resources and games that teach how government works and the importance of civic participation.Visit iCivics.orgVolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch makes it easier for people to get involved in causes they care about and get to know the people in their community better. This excellent website lets people search for and find volunteer opportunities based on their location, interests, and skills.Visit VolunteerMatch.org“When people lead, leaders must follow.”
Excerpt from "Holding the Light" by Patrisha ThomsonRead this poem and others at CreateABridge.org
Performers
Patrisha Thomson
Patrisha is the creative visionary behind Imagine & Uplift. She has spent her life as an artist, educator, and jazz vocalist whose community service includes public artworks that promote unity, racial harmony, and multi-generational understanding. Her work reflects her belief that art can bridge cultural and generational divides, a philosophy that continues through Imagine & Uplift.
PatrishaMusic.comCreateABridge.org
PTDesigns.org
Larissa is an award-winning recording artist and songwriter with four critically acclaimed solo albums. She started her career with the group Nitro Praise and has written music for films and TV shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show. With her husband Baldwin Chiu, she co-produced the award-winning PBS documentary "Far East Deep South," exploring the history of Chinese families in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era.LarissaLam.com
Chloé is a musical renaissance woman, excelling in vocal styles and genres across the board such as baroque, jazz, gospel, experimental, pop and more. She has performed with a variety of prestigious productions and can also be heard on a variety of major film scores. Chloé seeks to open doors in opera and classical music, ensuring vitality, relevance, and accessibility to audiences of every background.ChloeMaliaVaught.com
Gitanjali is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in music and physical theatre. An alumna of l’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, she spent six years as an aerialist, actor, and dancer in the award-winning production ‘Ulalena on Maui, Hawai’i. Born in Mexico City to her Mexican mother and East Indian father, she has focused much of her creative work on the study of ancestry and lineage. Most recently, she has been a vocalist and mover in the improvisation ensemble Murmuration created by Rhiannon and Margie Gillis.Gitanjali.life
Only Won, aka Baldwin Chiu, is a socially conscious Hip-Hop artist who raps about unique topics like dim sum and thermodynamics. His clever video parodies, such as “I Wanna Be an Engineer,” “Cantonese Boy,” and “12 Days of DIM SUM,” have garnered millions of views. He and his wife, Larissa Lam, co-produced the award-winning PBS documentary "Far East Deep South," exploring the history of Chinese families in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era.
OnlyWon.com
Ray is a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter whose music moves fluidly through funk, soul, jazz, gospel, and pop, without losing connection to its life-affirming, positive spiritual message. His beautiful, soulful voice delivers well-crafted, hook-driven songs that speak to the best in all of us.Ray on Facebook
Music Director, Arranger, Pianist
Steve has arranged music for the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, the Olympics and the Super Bowl as well as artists including Benny Goodman, Bette Midler and Chaka Kahn. He has written music for commercials and is the author of several music books. His sense of humor and musical expertise places him in his element as a music director with singers and instrumentalists.
SteveRawlins.com
Guitar
Grant is a popular Contemporary Jazz recording artist with 16 albums released under his own name. As a studio guitarist he has recorded with such artists as Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello. He has written music for multiple seasons of popular TV series and has authored five books.
GrantGeissman.com
Bass Guitar
Edwin has played and recorded with many notable artists and musical greats. Alongside a full touring and recording career, he is on the faculty at USC Thornton School of Music and CalArts. He has appeared in several feature films and has released recordings with The Edwin Livingston Group and Transitions.
EdwinLivingston.com
Drums
Gordon has played drums and percussion with many well-known artists such as Isaac Hayes, Michael Jackson, DEVO and also The Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has performed in Broadway musicals, TV commercials, and over seventy major movie soundtracks. He is the author of "Bonzo Beats," a book about drumming.
Gordon on Facebook
Video Editor
Will is a director and cinematographer specializing in music videos and narrative film. He has a passion for connecting artistically with musicians, artists, and actors through his work. When not working he is attending local live music shows, playing guitar, or traveling off the beaten path.
willcookmedia.com
Campaign Strategist & Designer
Bao is a lifelong artist and musician with a professional background in design and marketing. He has released seven albums with the pioneering Asian American synth-pop band Ming & Ping and currently releases music under the moniker BAO. He also runs a boutique brand strategy consultancy in Los Angeles.
baovocreative.com"Voices become one,
Excerpt from "Sun" by Helen Langley
Read this poem and others at CreateABridge.org
Collaboration Beyond Boundaries
John Lennon's iconic song imagines a world of unity and compassion. Our rendition, "Imagine a Better World," brings together talented performers of different races, ages, and backgrounds to symbolize that unifying message. We aim to show that we can embrace our differences while working together to uplift our world through song.Patrisha Thomson
Patrisha is the creative visionary behind Imagine & Uplift. She has spent her life as an artist, educator, and jazz vocalist whose community service includes public artworks that promote unity, racial harmony, and multi-generational understanding. Her work reflects her belief that art can bridge cultural and generational divides, a philosophy that continues through Imagine & Uplift.PatrishaMusic.comCreateABridge.org
PTDesigns.org
Larissa Lam
Larissa is an award-winning recording artist and songwriter with four critically acclaimed solo albums. She started her career with the group Nitro Praise and has written music for films and TV shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show. With her husband Baldwin Chiu, she co-produced the award-winning PBS documentary "Far East Deep South," exploring the history of Chinese families in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era.LarissaLam.comChloé Vaught
Chloé is a musical renaissance woman, excelling in vocal styles and genres across the board such as baroque, jazz, gospel, experimental, pop and more. She has performed with a variety of prestigious productions and can also be heard on a variety of major film scores. Chloé seeks to open doors in opera and classical music, ensuring vitality, relevance, and accessibility to audiences of every background.ChloeMaliaVaught.comGitanjali Jain
Gitanjali is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in music and physical theatre. An alumna of l’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, she spent six years as an aerialist, actor, and dancer in the award-winning production ‘Ulalena on Maui, Hawai’i. Born in Mexico City to her Mexican mother and East Indian father, she has focused much of her creative work on the study of ancestry and lineage. Most recently, she has been a vocalist and mover in the improvisation ensemble Murmuration created by Rhiannon and Margie Gillis.Gitanjali.lifeOnly Won
Only Won, aka Baldwin Chiu, is a socially conscious Hip-Hop artist who raps about unique topics like dim sum and thermodynamics. His clever video parodies, such as “I Wanna Be an Engineer,” “Cantonese Boy,” and “12 Days of DIM SUM,” have garnered millions of views. He and his wife, Larissa Lam, co-produced the award-winning PBS documentary "Far East Deep South," exploring the history of Chinese families in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era.OnlyWon.com
Ray Davis
Ray is a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter whose music moves fluidly through funk, soul, jazz, gospel, and pop, without losing connection to its life-affirming, positive spiritual message. His beautiful, soulful voice delivers well-crafted, hook-driven songs that speak to the best in all of us.Ray on FacebookSteve Rawlins
Music Director, Arranger, PianistSteve has arranged music for the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, the Olympics and the Super Bowl as well as artists including Benny Goodman, Bette Midler and Chaka Kahn. He has written music for commercials and is the author of several music books. His sense of humor and musical expertise places him in his element as a music director with singers and instrumentalists.
SteveRawlins.com
Grant Geissman
GuitarGrant is a popular Contemporary Jazz recording artist with 16 albums released under his own name. As a studio guitarist he has recorded with such artists as Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello. He has written music for multiple seasons of popular TV series and has authored five books.
GrantGeissman.com
Edwin Livingston
Bass GuitarEdwin has played and recorded with many notable artists and musical greats. Alongside a full touring and recording career, he is on the faculty at USC Thornton School of Music and CalArts. He has appeared in several feature films and has released recordings with The Edwin Livingston Group and Transitions.
EdwinLivingston.com
Gordon Peeke
DrumsGordon has played drums and percussion with many well-known artists such as Isaac Hayes, Michael Jackson, DEVO and also The Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has performed in Broadway musicals, TV commercials, and over seventy major movie soundtracks. He is the author of "Bonzo Beats," a book about drumming.
Gordon on Facebook
Will Cook
Video EditorWill is a director and cinematographer specializing in music videos and narrative film. He has a passion for connecting artistically with musicians, artists, and actors through his work. When not working he is attending local live music shows, playing guitar, or traveling off the beaten path.
willcookmedia.com
Bao Vo
Campaign Strategist & DesignerBao is a lifelong artist and musician with a professional background in design and marketing. He has released seven albums with the pioneering Asian American synth-pop band Ming & Ping and currently releases music under the moniker BAO. He also runs a boutique brand strategy consultancy in Los Angeles.
baovocreative.com
"Voices become one,
communicating within our differences, embracing beginnings of hope,
knowing that our lives are and yet can be together."
Excerpt from "Sun" by Helen LangleyRead this poem and others at CreateABridge.org
Press
Alex Steininger at In Music We Trust PR
Thanks to Those Who Amplify Our Message
Media Contact
For media and interview requests, please click below to contact:Alex Steininger at In Music We Trust PR
Friends of Imagine & Uplift
Contact Us
We’d Love to Hear From You!
How has "Imagine" inspired you? We'd love to hear your thoughts, inspirational stories, and ideas to help uplift our communities.
Alex Steininger at In Music We Trust PR
Media Contact
For media and interview requests, please click below to contact:Alex Steininger at In Music We Trust PR