Meghan Carry
Singer/Songwriter Activist
Meghan Cary didn’t mean to be a musician. But when her fiancé unexpectedly died, she picked up his guitar, figured out how to play it, and wrote her debut record, earning her Billboard Magazine’s esteemed Critic’s Choice Award. “I wrote my grief into music and sang my way out of the abyss. I keep making music to help others connect with their own stories and find their joy.” Cary continues to share the healing power of music with the community that has rallied around her message of hope and being heard, and the title track of her latest album SING LOUDER debuted on the US/International Folk DJ Radio at #2, with the entire album coming in at #6.
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With masterful storytelling and award-winning songs, Cary engages audiences on a powerfully personal level, inviting them in and leading them through an experience that has been called healing, inspiring and outrageously joyful. A frequent performer at such venerable festivals as Philadelphia Folk Festival, Spring Gulch, Huntington, DelMarVa Folk Festival, and music venues around the country, Cary's message of unity and the power of raising our voices together infuses every show, and her song, “Sing Louder”, has become an anthem for the music-loving community. Her smoky voice, emotional singing, and vulnerable writing garner favorable comparisons to Melissa Etheridge, Brandi Carlisle, and even Bruce Springsteen.
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Cary released her first book, Sing Louder: The Stories Behind the Songs, on International Women’s Day 2019, and is currently partnering with Vision 2020 to create a music video and documentary inspired by her song, “River Rock” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment giving women the right to raise their voices and be heard.
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Raised in Hershey, PA, Cary studied math and chemistry at Duke University, with plans of becoming a doctor. She made an about-face at school, ultimately earning her B.A. in drama before going on to obtain her M.F.A. in acting at FSU’s Asolo Conservatory for Acting. A professional actor and playwright with a successful career in theatre, television and radio, Cary has written and preforms a one-woman show, On the Way to the Waterfall, and is currently collaborating on a Broadway-bound musical. Cary brings her extensive on-stage experience to her performance masterclass, “Own the Stage” to help other artists discover the same freedom, confidence and joy she finds on the stage.
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As a musician/actor/writer/coach and the mother of two school age children, Meghan speaks to the subject of life balance with grace and a healthy dose of humor. “As soon as I think I have my story written, someone comes along and changes the setting...or the charactors…or the plot. Usually all three. My mantra: 'If you don't know the words...Sing Louder!'”
THE RIVER ROCK PROJECT
One hundred years ago, thanks to the men and women who fought tirelessly for us all, we were given a voice.
Let's use it
As we celebrate the triumph of women standing for their rights and fighting for our voice, it’s important to acknowledge the ugliness of that fight. Ratification of the 19th amendment was a complicated process steeped in misogyny, racism and moral compromise. It was not a pretty battle. And as we forge ahead to continue the fight for equality and justice for all, begun by the suffragists 100 years ago, we face those same relentless forces. But we are better equipped to fight them. We have a voice. We are armed with the vote…let’s use it!
Anthem Video & Documentary Film
We've created an Anthem video to inspire and galvanize women to raise their voices and be heard. The video takes the story of the Justice Bell, forged over a century ago as a symbol of women’s equality and justice for all, and brings it meaningfully into the present, calling for women to raise their voices and move purposefully into the future. The team will also create an accompanying documentary film telling the story of the Anthem video, and highlighting unique voices and perspectives of women on equality and voting rights today in 2020, the Year of the Woman.
Purpose & Impact
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Celebrate the century of progress since women won the right to vote
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Inspire action toward achieving economic, political, and social equality for all women
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Bring attention to the story of the Justice Bell, a symbol of women’s suffrage born in Pennsylvania and the power of collective action to unchain voices
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Act as a tool for voter engagement and registration activities encouraging women and other under-represented people to value, and raise, their voice!
Project Team & Representation of Women
Led by Meghan Cary in collaboration with film director Will Drinker, The River Rock Project assembles a powerhouse team of women in leadership roles, including:
Publicity: Denise Kovalevich, CEO of dmk Publicity, in conjunction with Justice Bell 2020
Outreach & Voter Engagement Consultant: Susan M. Furey, Ed.D.
Strategy & Marketing: Jennifer Moyer-Smith, Alice & Albert Inc.
Project Management: Jennifer Rajotte, Wolf Den Management
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The River Rock Anthem Video and documentary will highlight the accomplishments and contributions of women representing a diversity of voices (change-makers of all ages and backgrounds!), and utilize music and powerful visual imagery to galvanize women today to raise their voices and be heard. We are committed to using our privilege to bring opportunity to voices who deserve more attention. As the Project grows, it seeks to engage and PAY women and non-binary folk, and especially encourages BIPOC to contact us to discuss ways you or your business can work with us in the future. Please hold us accountable to our intentions.
Distribution & Promotion
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The River Rock Anthem Video will premiere nation-wide as the cornerstone of Vision 2020's Women100's Toast To Tenacity, the largest centennial celebration of women's rights and the 19th amendment in the US, on August 26, 2020.
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The Anthem Video will be distributed to 100+ partners to use in their Women's Empowerment, Women's Rights, and Get Out The Vote efforts through 2020.
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National PR campaigns spearheaded by dmk Publicity, in conjunction with major partners, including outreach to outlets, publishers and influencers for reviews, features, and interviews.
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Social Media campaigns focusing on emotional content of the music video.
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Local and national radio campaign and confirmed DJ coverage, fueled by Cary’s established music career and media partnerships.
All funds raised are being used to pay the team of women who make up the crew
and leadership of the River Rock Project.
Meeting The Moment - Covid 19
A woman's right to vote was not won easily. Along with battling inequality which had lasted for all of human history, Women's Suffrage was threatened by an influenza pandemic known as the Spanish flu. From 1918 through 1920, The Spanish flu infected 500 million people around the world, or about 27% of the world population. The death toll is estimated to have been anywhere from 17 million to 50 million, and possibly as high as 100 million, making it one of the deadliest epidemics in human history. It sounds all-too familiar.
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On August 18th, 1920 despite the pandemic, and thanks to the tenacity of the women brave and bold enough to raise their collective voice and speak their truth in the face of great opposition, the 19th Amendment was passed giving women the right to vote. The voice of American women rang out.
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In 2020, the 100th anniversary of that hard-won right, we are committed to honoring these women, and celebrating all we have achieved since and because of their tenacious fight. No matter what the world throws at us we will continue to raise our voices for equality, and "justice for all".
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Now, more than ever, we need to come together, raise our voices, VOTE, and be heard.
