A four-and-a-half minute music video featuring Santa Barbara musicians who are all homeless has received 6,800 YouTube views in little over a week. The musicians include the song’s author Tattor, a.k.a. Marvin Tattor Mechom, on guitar, as well as Garvin on harmonica, Carl on keyboards and Shea on vocals. All four were reportedly staying in camps or on the street at the time of production, about two months ago.
The video was produced by Elijah Allan-Blitz, a 23-year-old songwriter-musician, Santa Barbara native and son of activist and developer Chuck Blitz. When the young Blitz became turned-off by school at age 15, his family let him instead spend 18-months interning with county Social Worker Ken Williams as he outreached to the Santa Barbara’s homeless everyday.
The experience made an impression, obviously, because the desire to make this music documentary has been incubating ever since, he said. To read more, see homelessinsb.org.