Interview: Kara Lindsay and Michael Deeney of CHANGE THE TIDE

Protectors Of The Endangered and Empath Worldwide weren't messing around when they got Kara Lindsay to sing the song CHANGE OF TIDE for their joint organizations. At home and enjoying time with a beautiful bouncing addition to her family, the star of WICKED and NEWSIES is always ready for a good song and good cause, so when Michael Deeney proposed that she be the singer to bring the first single of Protectors Of The Endangered to the light, Kara jumped in feet first. Maintaining an interest in what causes the artists of the industry support, as well as good music, I read up on the project and on the two organizations behind it before asking if Ms. Lindsay and Mr. Deeney might share a chat with me. Together, we discussed motherhood and fatherhood, education and ecology, and Avery and Masa.

Who are Avery and Masa? You'll see. I can tell you this, though, they're as cute as they can be - as cute as they are important.

This interview was conducted digitally and is reproduced here with minimal edits.

Greetings, Kara Lindsay and Michael Deeney, and welcome to Broadway World - Mike I know you don't mind my Southern "Ladies first" mentality, do you?

Mike: Not at all! Go right ahead.

Kara, in 2019 our Brady Schwind was completely charmed by your nightclub act about impending motherhood - so I have to ask, how's the little 'un? And how's Mommy doing?

Kara: That is so kind! Thank you, Brady! Emerson, my 16-month-old son, is a dream. It is wonderful to be able to see the world through his eyes. He appreciates the simplicity of seeing the wind blow tree limbs and it reminds us just how blessed we are to witness nature's beauty as well. I am forever grateful that I get to be his mommy!

The lockdown and showbiz shutdown left you with a lot of free time - what has been your experience, getting to spend an uninterrupted first year with Emerson?

Kara: Haha....free time?! Being a mom is a 24/7 job, and it's my favorite gig yet! It really has been such a gift to have this time with him in his first year of life. Babies grow so quickly in their first year and we have been lucky to witness every one of Emerson's milestones.

Is there any kind of Broadway Mommies Zoom group so all the divas can swap stories and a little grown-up conversation?

Kara: Hilarious! I am on multiple mom text chains. It's a must. But the best resource has been the Broadway Baby Mamas group. Generally, we all commiserate with each other in regards to our exhaustion and lack of sleep. [Laughs] But it's also a wonderful source of information, support, and love!

Mike, you also have a newborn - your organization PROTECTORS OF THE ENDANGERED was launched in June, in the middle of a global pandemic. Was it an easy birth?

Mike: [Laughs] My wife Sterling Masters was on maternity leave from performing in the Broadway company of Wicked when the lockdown started, and we have done our best to embrace this time at home with our son, Dylan. He is a joy and inspires us both on a whole new level with everything we do. The birth of Protectors of the Endangered during the pandemic was essential to immediately provide our resources to help families at home dealing with a shift to remote learning. It was an important challenge to take on for sure! Our goal was to build an online educational platform that is accessible for parents, educators, and community organizations while also helping to donate and distribute books to build home libraries.

Press releases and websites use a lot of language and many seventy-five-cent words, and I would like to cut right to the core of your organization with simple verbiage that everyone can understand. Will you please tell us what the focus is of your important non-profit organization?

Mike: Our mission is to Educate. Entertain. Protect. Our focus is to improve children's literacy and to inspire the next generation of young learners to protect each other and our planet.

PROTECTORS OF THE ENDANGERED is reportedly the first of its kind - what was the nature of similar services before this, and what are the revolutionizing factors of your organization?

Mike: We feel what makes Protectors of the Endangered unique is our mission pillars. We have built a world in which endangered animals are activated as heroes who empower and protect each other. Our values are shared through the characters and the stories are told through the eyes of the endangered animals. Friendship, teamwork, diversity, inclusion, empathy, confidence, perseverance, and kindness-are all purpose-driven issues which are embraced.

Before the launch of Protectors, our creative team had developed a chapter book trilogy with supporting STEAM-based curriculum. This content was the foundation for the Educate pillar, which continues to grow with short-form stories, fun activities, and engaging videos. The Entertain pillar allows us to enhance the books and instill a love of learning through music, performance, and dance. Through these experiences, we hope to inspire young leaders to become future protectors. Our Protect pillar is anchored by two of the world's leading conservation organizations, Red Panda Network and the Little Fireface Project as well as Earthday.org. We are continuing to grow our community-based partnerships with missions that align.

Kara, you have partnered with PROTECTORS OF THE ENDANGERED on an exciting new single. What drew you to Michael's non-profit and the "Change The Tide" project?

I adore Mike! I am honored to be a part of this journey with him. I know his wife, Sterling Masters, an incredible Broadway Performer and dear friend. I met Mike after a performance of Wicked. He is the kindest human and unbelievably gracious. He gave me one of his Avery and Masa books several years ago so that I could get a sneak peek. I loved the lessons within Avery and Masa's adventures and the mission behind Protectors of the Endangered. Mike asked me to sing a new song in support of this non-profit and of course I said "YES".

Many artists have organizations that they support with their talents - has motherhood brought you a heightened awareness of what causes you would like to focus on and how you approach your charity work?

Motherhood has given me a heightened awareness of children and their needs. That's obvious. But, for example, hearing a baby cry on an airplane hits differently when you're a mother. You're not annoyed, you're empathetic and want to help in any way you can. Protectors of the Endangered works to provide children with invaluable teachings and, as a mother, that is very important to me. It is our obligation and duty as parents to provide our children with these sorts of educational resources so that they may grow up to be impactful and moral members of society.

There is a teaser video showing footage of your recording session for "Change The Tide" - what was your artistic experience of creating a significant work of art during a year in crisis.

It was an honor. Craig Wilson, Jason Lane, Elise Harper, and Mike created this wonderful masterpiece and entrusted little old me to sing it. The lyrics speak to this moment in our nation and in our world. A message that is timeless and always necessary, but most especially right now.

Mike, tell me about the pairing between PROTECTORS OF THE ENDANGERED and EMPATH WORLDWIDE.

Mike: We were introduced to the changemakers at Empath through one of our advisors. It was inspiring to see what they have accomplished during the pandemic, with a focus to help small businesses and nonprofit missions connect to their audiences. "We overcame, so you can overcome" is the heart and soul of their business. After meeting with their founder, Maya, and her incredible team, we were excited to partner and begin "making waves" to "change the tide".

Put a picture in my head of the creation of and the work of Avery The Red Panda and Masa The Slow Loris.

Mike: "One person can change the tide, but two friends can change the world," is a quote from the first book in our series that calls to action how special it is to be a protector. Avery, the amazing escape artist is selfless and has a passion to help everyone. Masa is the Great Loris explorer who aspires to see the world. Together, they are changing the tide by empowering the animal and ocean worlds to overcome all odds.

Our creative team has education backgrounds, and we are all inspired to build an interconnected world of endangered animals as heroes through research, advising from our conservation partners, and our childhood inspirations. My co-author Steve Barrett, our incredible illustrator Erle Tompkins, and director of content Matthew Leiner have fun bringing the characters and locations to life with a lot of humor and heart. We are very excited to introduce Avery and Masa to more young readers and families.

There are photos on your website of in-person learning opportunities involving the young people in your program; how are you folks approaching your work during pandemic restrictions?

Mike: Great question! This has been a challenge, and every state, district, and community are different. We have done our best to stay connected on community calls and listen to what additional support is needed for parents and teachers. We continue to promote our online educational platform at www.protectorsoftheendagnered.org, engage with classrooms and groups virtually, and safely distribute books into the community through partnerships. We also connect our mission through virtual fundraising events, which is a great way to share our impact progress to new audiences. Hopefully, we can soon provide more support in-person as the safety guidelines and restrictions are lifted.

Kara, with "Change The Tide" you have entered the world of virtual entertainment. Are there more at-home creations brewing for you that fans can look forward to?

Kara: You can check out Amour, a virtual Broadway revival. Tickets are available at www.stellartickets.com. Performances are April 2nd through April 4th. It's an incredible score and the cast is phenomenal. Thank you for asking!

Mike, "Change The Tide" is touted as the first original song to amplify the Avery and Masa Platform - how do you see the development of similar projects in the future?

Mike: Collaborating with Kara on "Change the Tide" was a dream. The first time I saw my wife perform in Wicked, Kara was playing Glinda. After the show, I told Sterling that when the time came to produce Avery and Masa's theme song, it would be amazing for Kara to perform it. Years later, we could not be more proud of it!

Our producing and songwriting team in Nashville is Craig Wilson, Jason Lane, and Elise Harper. They took a deep dive into all our books and we were blown away with the song they created. "Change the Tide" not only brings Avery and Masa's journey to life but aims to inspire us all with a hopeful message. We are excited to begin developing the next song as there are many more stories to tell. We see the Entertain pillar becoming an exciting creative space to explore, working with artists who we love and who inspire us to be the best we can be.

Kara, many performing artists have turned to online ventures for their livelihood this last year; where do you stand regarding online coaching opportunities?

Kara: Coaching opportunities via Empowering the Artist, Broadway Booker, and Broadway Plus. Coaching has allowed us to stay afloat as a family in the midst of the shutdown. I've loved every minute of working with these kids! Generally, I am the student learning from their bravery and excellence!

Mike, where online can people find "Change The Tide" and what are some ways for interested parties to get involved with PROTECTORS OF THE ENDANGERED?

Mike: "Change the Tide," is available on all music streaming platforms. Proceeds from the song go toward the donation of new books to build home libraries.
To learn more about the Protectors of the Endangered mission and to support our Earth Day Virtual Fundraiser please visit www.protectorsoftheendangered.org. Follow us on social media @protectorsoftheendangered.

Thank you, Kara Lindsay and Michael Deeney, for sharing your story and your passionate work for the world with Broadway World and our readers today. Please come back again, any time.

Change the Tide on SPOTIFY

Follow Kara Lindsay on Twitter @KaraLindsay1

About Protectors of the Endangered

Founded in June 2020, Protectors of the Endangered is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving literacy and inspiring the next generation of young learners to protect each other and our planet. The non-profit provides full access to the Avery and Masa Educational Platform, featuring an original chapter book series and supporting STEAM-based curriculum with exciting activities and engaging videos for young learners, teachers and families. To learn more about supporting the Protectors mission, please visit protectorsoftheendangered.org.

About Empath Worldwide

Founded in June 2020, empath worldwide is the first integrated pro bono communications firm to emerge from the global pandemic. The agency helps resilient organizations forge strong, virtual relationships with their communities across the globe through strategy driven by creativity, versatility, and adaptability. empath worldwide services clients in 12 cities across 3 different continents. To learn more, please visit empathworldwide.com.

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