聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 In 2014 Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness estimated that a total of 235,000 people experience homelessness each year. Nearly a quarter of a million people are therefore in need in this country.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tammy Palmer of Arcola, has recently been a part of a small movement originating in Victoria, BC, with hopes of spreading information and love across the country about homelessness. Palmer participated in a remake of the 1985 song, 鈥淭ears Are Not Enough,鈥� which was originally done by big-name artists to fund famine relief in Ethiopia.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The remake of the song, however, was envisioned by Jon Ede, an Executive Producer with E&L Records. After experiencing the world of shelters in Victoria through a friend he was helping to find a place for the night, Ede realized that something needed to be done. He found the staff was often very rude and ignorant as they turned away many people, not just his friend.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The idea for 鈥淭ears Are Not Enough,鈥� developed as another friend told him to read an article about the hardships of living on the streets, 鈥淪ocks are not enough.鈥� Involved in the music industry he automatically thought of the song released by Northern Lights in the 80s and approached the mayor of Victoria, Lisa Helps, about what he could do to help.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Palmer soon became part of the project. Having grown up in 32 different foster homes and living through two failed adoptions, she decided to make a change in her life, leaving for the streets of Victoria at 17-years-old. For about six or seven years, music became an integral part in her life, she had always sang, but now it was a way for her to earn money on the streets busking.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 She faced difficulties on the streets, becoming an addict, but having people reaching out helped her to find the strength in herself to break the cycle and find help. It鈥檚 because of her own experiences that Palmer felt compelled to help with the project and sing as part of the choir in the new version of the song.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen someone sees a street person they always think the worst, instead you have to see yourself in their shoes,鈥� Palmer said. 鈥淲ith our economy right now anyone is susceptible and the problem is going to get worse and worse, because people tend to ignore the situation.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Palmer raised money to fly out to Victoria and help with the project on March 1, but she also raised money and donations to take 50 hygiene bags, 50 brown bag lunches, and 50 blankets out to people in need two days prior to recording.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 wish I could have done more, while I was out there I met a 15-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy who reminded me of myself,鈥� Palmer explained. 鈥淪ome didn鈥檛 like the rules at home and now don鈥檛 feel like they can make that call because of pride and others are there for many other reasons.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hile I was there I went to different places that I used to go when I was on the street to say 鈥楬i,鈥� and let people know that all their yelling at me to do something paid off because I鈥檝e changed, I鈥檝e grown up.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 realized while I was there that I don鈥檛 regret my experience on the street at all,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 regret any of my struggles because they made me who I am today. At the time I did, and yes I wished I had reached out quicker, but I don鈥檛 regret it. In fact it helped me appreciate, understand, and relate to people there, not on a judgemental level which they often get, but on a human level. I sat down with them and visited with them, which is something they enjoy, being treated like a person.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That Sunday, March 1, she came together with 20 other singers to remake 鈥淭ears Are Not Enough,鈥� which is now available through.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t went better than I ever thought,鈥� Ede stated. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to record a cheesy knock-off of the original 鈥楾ears Are Not Enough鈥� song. When people hear the first few notes of an original rerecorded, they usually brush it off.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 wanted to keep to the master David Foster鈥檚 original version but at the same time give our own deliverance and originality to it, so when you hear it you actually want to listen and hear the difference. I thought inserting the rap section for currency reasons. It鈥檚 2015 (30 years later) and so long as the rap was relevant to the situation and purpose, I felt not only would it fit but it would also stand up and hold as part of the new version of the song.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e also didn鈥檛 use big name singers, my idea was to use a group of average people pulling together for something.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It was this exact atmosphere that Palmer says was amazing to be a part of.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was phenomenal,鈥� Palmer stated. 鈥淲hat I went through and then being a part of this was a humbling experience. My passion, I鈥檝e found it again for life and for singing.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e never sang together before, but it was honestly like we had been singing together for years. It was humbling and encouraging to see everyone come together and to see people who all cared about the same issues.鈥�
