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Our Yessian Music teams produced, recorded, and mixed the Detroit Youth Choir arrangement of the song "Glory" from the motion picture "Selma" originally performed by John Legend and Common. This was an initiative for BLM and shared around the globe. The works were mixed by Yessian Music based and Grammy Award winning producer, Gerard Smerek with additional recording by Scott Gatteno and music arrangements by Mark Chu.

The Detroit Youth Choir (DYC) has recorded a new version of the Academy Award-winning song ‘Glory’ from the film Selma. The recording represents an effort to support the Black Lives Matter Movement and capture the emotions felt by so many young people in Detroit and across the country who call for unity and demand the end of racial injustice.

Like so many across America, the DYC singers and their families have been deeply affected by the collective pain experienced by the black community following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and many others, as well as the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on black health. They felt compelled to join the many voices calling for positive social change.

In 2019 the Detroit Youth Choir captured the hearts of America, taking 2nd place in America’s Got Talent. Their televised appearance showcased its talented members, all from Metro Detroit and ranging in age from 8 to 18.

The idea to record a DYC version of ‘Glory’ was first conceived and made possible by the global experience agency Imagination who have had a partnership with DYC since 2019. Imagination brought together an all-star Detroit-based creative team, including Grammy award-winning mixer and producer Gerard Smerek and Scotty Gatteno from YESSIAN to develop the arrangement with DYC’s Artistic Director, Anthony T. White and Music Director, Donnell Mosley.

The new version of the song was recorded on June 26, 2020 in The New Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Ferndale and YESSIAN’s recording studios in Farmington Hills. The recording features over 40 DYC members, who undertook daily health screenings, practiced social distancing during rehearsals and recording, and wore masks when not filming/performing.