Willie Nelson

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Kevin for Peace shares his dynamic and passionate version of Willie Nelson’s and Amy Nelson’s A Peaceful Solution with Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute. We feel excited and blessed to have the honor of featuring Kevin’s rendition of A Peaceful Solution on video for many reasons.

When I first found Kevin on YouTube and listened to his music I loved the passion and sincerity he conveyed in all his songs. He doesn’t use fancy camera work or editing to entertain us just straight from the heart and soul music that means a lot to him. Kevin’s style signifies to me an unpretentious person eager to communicate with others.

So I asked Kevin to be my friend and then invited him to participate in the Willie Nelson A Peaceful Solution project. He originally turned me down expressing and suggesting other musicians who might be more capable and appropriate for the project.

Kevin’s humbleness, selflessness and kindness convinced me he was perfect for Willie’s peace project. I knew I had found a good hearted person who had something to share about peaceful solutions. And I was thrilled when he changed his mind and sent us a powerful version of A Peaceful Solution.

Kevin begins his song with the simple melody of America: My Country, Tis of Thee by Samuel F. Smith – 1832. The theme of this classic song centers on liberty and freedom praising the values of America and promising hope for the entire world. This opening sets the stage for Kevin’s A Peaceful Solution with his additional lyrics.

Kevin’s new lyrics put an elegant twist on the song by reminding us to bring back peace to America. This reminds us that we have lost something dear and we now need to find the peace we once enjoyed. He then challenges us by suggesting if we don’t think peace is the answer then where do we come off dictating right and wrong. He reminds us we need to reclaim our lost morality before we take a leadership role.

Kevin asks for our help because without each one of us involved we will never truly achieve a peaceful solution.

Peaceful actions will produce a peaceful resolution.

Kevin’s performance of A Peaceful Solution offers a wake up call to the real. He explodes with passion and urgency as he conveys his deep feelings through his guitar and vocals. Kevin’s range and dynamics work to wring everything he can out of this song. Kevin never stops pushing as his raw energy explodes into a wild guitar solo. This dynamite presentation leaves no doubt Kevin will never stop until peace returns to our land.

Kevin has many peaceful solutions. Please take the time to read his artist’s statement to learn more about this fantastic human being. And if you wonder about the opening images for the video read further and let Kevin explain the symbology in his video.

Thank you, Kevin for Peace. You have given us your all and this in itself transforms everyone who comes in contact with you and your music.

Please visit Kevin’s YouTube channel and hear more inspired music from this generous peacemaker.

Kevin says, “This is the version I came up with after being barraged every day about the wars abroad and the depressing news going on here in the U.S.A. If you like this song, then there are many others to thank for their encouragement. If you don’t like it, then it’s all my fault…”

There is a peaceful solution

It’s called a peace revolution

Let’s take back America

There is a war and we’re in it

But I know we can win it

Let’s bring back peace to America

It’s a dream so believe it

Get ready to receive it

Let’s bring back peace to America

When we have the peace and we won it

Let’s remember how we done it

So we don’t have to do it again

Can you please help us

We need you to win this fight

And if peace ain’t the answer

How can we say what is wrong or right

There is a peaceful solution

It’s called a peace revolution

Let’s take it back

Let’s take back America

There is a war and we’re in it

But I know we can win it

Let’s bring peace back

Peace back to America

Can you please help us

We need you to win this fight

And if peace ain’t the answer

How can we stand for what is wrong or right

There was a peace resolution

A peaceful revolution

And the peaceful solution saved America

* * * * * Artist’s Statement * * * * *

I’d rather see things be in Peace, rather than pieces. 

 I hope that others are encouraged to do their own version of this song. Too often those who strive for peace have been marginalized for either being ill informed about how peace is brought about, being too idealistic, or many other-often insidious-ways to justify wars that only profit those who want the wars, at the sacrifice of others who do the real bleeding for the wars.

Thank-you for listening, may peace be with us all, and may it be the solution we turn to instead of strife.

Why are you passionate about creating peace?

I grew up in a rough neighborhood, I was a soldier in the Army, and have had many Life experiences that have proven to me that Peace is the solution to having more fulfilling lives for ourselves, for our families, for our country, and for our world.

If we are fervid for Peace, then we will have far more chance creating new lasting benefits, rather than the destructiveness.

How long have you been working for peace?

Not long enough nor working enough.

What motivates you to work for peace and the environment?

Wanting Peace and better environment for my family now and the generations to come.

Why have you chosen the path of Art for Peace?

Music can motivate others and communicate to the hearts and minds of others a lot easier for me than other forms of communication.

What are your ideas for peaceful solutions?

How about a call to those who were in the movements for peace in the past, most notably the boomer generation who spoke out against the Vietnam War. Ask where are they now through the publications of newspapers, possibly approaching 20/20 or other news commentary shows like that to do profiles on the peace makers of the past. PBS radio or other talk radios could like the idea of doing ongoing profiles on Peace and the true Peacemakers.

The History channel is often called the “Hitler Channel” and often posts stuff about war.

How about asking them to do the history of the Nobel Peace Award Winners?

Sure, there’ll be some people who won it for one certain thing, while maybe the rest of their lives were wastelands littered with wars and other oppressionistic behaviors, but even that would show that even those who have lead less than stellar lives were able to come to their senses and let Peace be a solution. Have the better known people hit the popular talk shows specifically to talk about peace and what they are doing to promote it.

So far as what I have done personally towards Peace, I have only applied it to how I go through Life, discussions with my wife, teaching our sons, and others in our lives, that Peace is the better way and how it can better their, our, and others lives. Striving to live a life of Peace to be a good example and sharing with others (those we know and those we don’t know) our ideas on peace, those are important works and foundations.

If we march to bring about Peace, we should be prepared from the clothing we wear and the shoes on our feet, to the firming of ground we walk on. If we do not armor ourselves with peace and/or lay the groundwork for peace first within ourselves, we leave our positions on Peace vulnerable and lose whatever credibility we have to share the message, discussions, and the solutions for Peace. Just a thought I have had in light of these questions.

This idea, to have others do videos based on or around this song is great!

It opens discussions and gets people thinking about peace. Along the ideas of what could be done to bring peace to the forefront, especially at this time, there have to be more discussions, media coverage, and examples why Peace is the better, more valuable solution to everyone than war is or ever will be.

Doing stuff on the computer Web is great, but having been a working person my whole life, Peace has to be shown in such a way that everyday Life that Peace is possible and worth doing something about. How many war veterans of every age have came home and shown by their actions or their words, just what the horrors of war can be.

These are important people that need to be encouraged to speak about their experiences and how their views on life have been changed.

Apathy is the main killer of anything worthwhile. It is how our freedoms are taken away from us and how quality of life begins spiraling downwards.

Not everyone has computers. Those that do not are usually on the lower economic scale and have been historically the ones who have shed the most blood in wars. They not only need to be reached by means they have access to and informed, but they need to be protected and encouraged.

We have to treat people as if they are the people we hope them to be, so they are given the chance to be that better person desiring peace.

Peace was important in the past.

Peace is important now.

Peace is important in the future.

Honestly and sincerely Educated, Informed, Validated, and Encouraged- a good mix to get people going on those things that are important.

I have been asked about a few things about the video and what they symbolized. In the opening of the video, two paintings of eagles are shown. My wife and I call our two sons Eagles, so I painted them each an eagle.

This is my way of saying “HI!” to them and hoping their world becomes a world of peace rather than war.

The attached song’s descriptions says way better than I can say here about those symbols. The the video shifts to a close-up of a painting on the back of my one guitar that zooms out to show the whole guitar. The figure on the back is a painting depicting the Great Spirit, from Native American’s beliefs, blowing on a piece of rock (sometimes it’s wood or coal), breathing the fire of life into being.

I believe that when creation happened, that was when we were most free, until going through time, we began losing that gift through selfishness.

The flag, of course represents our country. The skull and the other head represent the choices between life and death, peace and destruction. The head to the left of me in the video is carved from a coconut.

My sons wouldn’t let me use either of their heads, so I was stuck with finding a replacement. Well, their heads are like coconuts, so it wasn’t THAT much of a stretch…

The zooming out in the beginning and the zooming in at the end represented to me the circle of life.

Continued blessings on the A Peaceful Solution project.

I thank you for encouraging me to do something for this project. I thank you for your response to what I was able to do. I thank you for helping others the same way.

Take care and God bless you and yours always!

Respectfully and Appreciatively,

Kevin a person for Peace

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