"I am honored to be an official participant, judge and goodwill ambassador in this great new project: Let's all FALL IN LOVE WITH AMERICA – AGAIN!"
- Darryl Tookes, singer, pianist, composer, arranger, poet, educator, and humanitarian.
'Fall In Love With America Again!' is an innovative, timely and important new documentary style web and mobile based interactive multimedia series highlighting stories from across America…our stories - about why we love America and why others need to Fall In Love With America Again!
Here's how it works - we are inviting everyone to have fun, be creative, entertaining and inspiring - tell us your story - told through short stories, letters, videos, photographs, original songs, illustrations, poetry, recipes and more. Post your work on the web, tell everyone you know (tell us too) where to view it, comment and pass it along to their friends. Our panel of judges will select the top ten winners (based on the number of views you get and the quality of the work...from each category. (Yes, this is a competition - we are looking for the next great American song, video, photograph, illustration…) The 'winners' - the work, the author, the artist - will be recognized through our sites/media and invited to join us on our National Touring Show and Exhibit.
When you post your work use this title format:
Fall In Love With America Again - (type of content ie Music Video) By (your name)
"Darryl is truly an inspiration and having him join us on our journey will make the experience even more special. Darryl will be one of the judges in the original music, music video and short story competitions." Dennis Gelbaum, co-executive producer, adds.
Darryl has recorded and performed with George Benson, Diana Ross, Sting, Leonard Bernstein, Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Carly Simon, Laurie Anderson, Dave Grusin, Gerry Mulligan, Patti Austin, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Steve Tyrell, and many others. In spite of these collaborations, Tookes’ style is completely original. He has what has been described as an “angelic” voice (NY Newsday), which along with his message of love, are at the core of who Darryl Tookes is an artist.
Studying physics in college gave Tookes a perspective on harmony that informs his
music in surprising ways. From his first hit single, Lifeguard, Darryl Tookes has been
seen and heard as a prophetic messenger of love and spirituality, essential elements in all of his songs. He has never wavered from this path.
Tookes’ voice has been featured on commercials for Coca-Cola, AT&T, American
Airlines, and the US Army, among others, and on the television show, Sesame Street. His
other television appearances include Late Night with David Letterman, Conan O’Brien,
Saturday Night Live, The Morning Show with Regis Philbin, Great Performances,
Everyday with Joan Lunden, The Joan Rivers Show, and NBC’s Today Show. He has
performed at the White House, and received a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall for his
duet with Roberta Flack.
An educator, Tookes is Adjunct Professor at the Tisch School of the Performing Arts at
NYU. He also mentors a growing number of private students at the Lagond Music School
in Westchester County, NY. Further, Tookes is a clinician, having taught master classes
at several universities and secondary schools. He has arranged for student a cappella
groups, and has been awarded numerous commissions for composing and arranging
choral works. In the realm of sacred music, Darryl Tookes is artist-in-residence at First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, CT, and is frequently an invited guest soloist at interdenominational services. He also performed Duke Ellington’s Mass with Jessye
Norman at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.
Darryl Tookes has participated in many charitable activities – concerts and recordings – including Arts for Healing, Best Buddies, A Better Chance, UNICEF, Hands Across
America, Songs of Love, Comic Relief, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS/HIV Foundation,
Daniel Pearl Foundation, Rainforest Foundation, 9/11 Memorial, Fall In Love With
America – Again, and Fun In Learning Tutorial, and Creative Learning @ FPC. He is in
partnership with the global humanitarian organization, AmeriCares, serving as a goodwill ambassador, traveling the world to provide aid and crisis relief to victims of natural and manmade disasters.
For more than three decades, Tookes has been an active member of ASCAP, AFTRA,
SAG, NARAS, and AF of M. He served two terms as Chairman of the New York Singers
Collective, and three terms on the board of directors for the Society of Singers. Tookes was founding musical director for Black to Broadway. He is also musical director, pianist and arranger for Lesley Gore.
For more information about Darryl Tookes, please visit www.darryltookes.com
