Behind The Voices Of Liberty: A Celebration Of Song And Country

For nearly 45 years, the Voices of Liberty have struck a chord with audiences, resonating far beyond the rotunda they call home. Visionary storytellers helped create a Disney experience so profound, it left a lasting impression, even on Walt Disney's own daughter. Standing in the American Adventure, and that wonderful vocal group singing there, all of a sudden I got this image of Dad. And he was a great sentimentalist, you know. He would watch the flag lowering at Disneyland every evening they were down there, and tears would roll down his cheeks, right? And I had an image of him standing there listening to this group, with tears coming down his cheeks. I know he would have been there doing that. This special group honors the stories, the music, and the people who shaped our nation. And today, we invite you on a rare behind-the-scenes journey to meet the voices who carry on that tradition, because it's more than the beautiful sound. It's the storytelling, and the unique connection with audiences, that keep the legacy alive. We are the Voices of Liberty! Ready for blue and white, May it wave as I stand here forever, The gem of the land and the seed of man. I think the uniqueness of the Voices of Liberty is that we sing acoustically in this space. Our stage is the perfect stage to be able to connect with every guest that we have a chance to be in front of. The Rotunda is the best acoustical device ever created on this earth, and I think it is our secret weapon. I think we might be one of the only shows on property that isn't mic'd, that doesn't come from, the sound doesn't come from a speaker, another source. So there's nothing filtering the humanity of ourselves to our audience, except air. This type of singing, acapella, is very unique. That's what connects with our audiences. Acapella singing that doesn't go through a microphone, there's no compression, there's nothing mechanical. It's people, real people, making these sounds, connecting, and this space amplifies it perfectly, better than any microphone ever could. There's something magical about the human voice connecting with other human voices. Listening to them and the power of their voices and the passion, it just hits you deep to your core. We're storytellers, and we're communicators more than that, I would say. Because anybody can sing pretty, but if you can't tell the story, and you don't connect with somebody, what's the point? Voices is one of my favorite shows to do on property as a performer, because right after every set, you get to connect and talk to the audience and the guests. That's the most special thing about Voices of Liberty. We make real connections with people. And it touched me when I first heard Voices of Liberty with Shenandoah, the way that arrangement is made is so beautiful. Oh Shenandoah, I loved your daughter well. You were all in heaven. Oh Shenandoah, for years I saw her. I loved her well. Beautiful. I am in awe of them now, and when I stood in that line on that floor singing with all those talented singers. First of all, I was covered in goosebumps. I think the first thing that they sang that I remember is, This land is your land. That song remains to be my favorite song. If I'm in the audience, I want them to be singing that. The first time I saw Voices of Liberty was my very first day on property. A manager took me to see the show, and my mouth, I couldn't believe that's what I was going to get to do, because singing a cappella is a passion. They started the original group when they opened Epcot in 82, and then in the summer of 83, they decided to form a second group. I sang for 83 to 2000 with Voices of Liberty, and that's what I consider my golden years with the company. The transition from performer to show director at Disney was wild and exciting. It's such a blessing to come full circle and get to direct a group that I used to sing in. On top of that, getting to work with Tony and David, it's amazing that I was the first one who noticed, I'm like, oh wait, we're leading this group now, and we have the management side, the music side, and the creative direction, all former members. Wow, I'm now the stage manager of Voices of Liberty. We're asking cast about feedback on how things are going. We can all glance at each other and go, yeah, we know, we did this. Ooooh With a glory in his bosom That transfigures you and me I have a great Voices of Liberty story. I was a sub and I was performing over at the Disney Hollywood Studios and I got a call and they said, we need you to, can you come tomorrow? We need you at Voices of Liberty. Well, this just happened to be the week of 9-11 and we had all just returned to work, you know, and we went out for that first set to sing this beautiful patriotic music and every guest, every song, the minute we started singing, would cry, they were all in tears crying and we were grabbing each other, trying to support one another because we said, wow, they need this. I'm kidding you right now. Our guests need this right now. We have to be strong. When we, after the first set, we went back in the break room and we all were all crying. We were all crying and said, this is going to be a tough day and we grabbed each other's hands and said, they need us, we have to do this and be strong and it was one of the greatest Disney memories I've had that I got to be part of Voices of Liberty and provide that for our guests. Let us live to make them free, oh God, glory, glory, hallelujah, glory, glory, hallelujah. In the spring of 91, I believe, we were on our dinner break and went over to our snack bar and they had TVs on and we saw on CNN that the Gulf War had started. They were showing bombing and I remember going after our lunch break back to the rotunda and we sang God Bless America and there's a phrase in it, while the storm clouds gather far across the sea, let us pledge allegiance to a land that's free and I remember singing that to people and looking them right in the eye and knowing they didn't know we were at war and to share that message and really connect with those lyrics, why those lyrics were written. I didn't understand it until that moment as I was sharing those lyrics with the audience that was there on their vacation and then it just became more powerful as the days went by. It's significant. It has a real meaning and I would even say it has more meaning than ever because we all need to be reminded that we're in this together. That's my favorite thing about Voices of Liberty is that people don't know they needed to hear this until they walk in the room and they found it in a theme park. They never expected that. That's real Disney magic. Battle Hymn of the Republic is a powerful song and the arrangement is written just right for this group. We have incredible soloists that can deliver a solo and tell the story. I love that song. I actually get to sing the solo on that at times. And then the way the arrangement builds and grows, the audience just can't help but be moved and I gotta say, they can't even stay seated half the time. The words resonate with me. As he died, under volume, yeah, just as he died. As he died to me. You know, I love the history behind the song, the story that it tells. I also love the faces of people in the audience and the way that they respond to it. It gets a pretty big reaction from the audience. It takes me back to a place where I remember and I think about the people I served with and the ones that came home and the ones that didn't. One of the things about serving is you serve with coalition forces. You serve with all different branches. And it shows you how individuals from different places can come together. For one purpose, for one hope. Individuals here that maybe have no clue about the military or the pride of America, they get transported to that. Well, we do have an armed forces medley that we get to honor and recognize every branch of our armed forces. Our guide, our pledge, our motto, too. We're always ready, do or die. High Coast Guard, we are for you. Off we go into the wild blue. And invite those who have served, are currently serving, and including their families. Many who have had service members and family members that have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. We invite them to stand during the song. Army, Navy, Air Force, everything. But to see Korean War vets, Vietnam vets that are getting up there and they do whatever it takes to stand and to honor their branch. And I've got to tell you, we end the medley with the Marines. I am a Marine Corps veteran. And I've got to tell you, the Marines stand something special. So when we sing the armed forces medley and we get to the Marine Corps hymn, I stand up a little taller, a little more at attention. Pride and honor and posture that takes your breath away. There are people who notice in the audience who will come up to me and either they'll say, hey, I'm a Marine, and I notice you stand up straighter. Are you one too? And so I get to share in that with them. And then at the end of our show, to be able to go out and talk to them and thank them personally, words can't express the honor that is. And to get to interact with them and their families. Because their families sacrifice too. I also have two brothers that were in the military. And when I joined Voices of Liberty full time in 2012, my younger brother was serving in Afghanistan. And it was tough for me to get through some songs at times because I was so stirred up. Singing a lot of these songs just really hit home regardless. But having that extra layer of knowing that, oh, my brother is actually fighting for this country right now, it definitely brought special meaning to everything that I was singing. Aaron, would you walk us through this? Sure. Armed forces. Vroom, vroom. Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Vroom, vroom. Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Vroom, vroom. Verse two flying for the ride, It's a revelation's delight. Vroom, vroom. Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. And the Army Eagles rolling along. T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T It's our army, hey, the army's on its way Come off the cane, it's not it's calm Two, three, four, up! Two, three, four Wherever we go You will always know That the army goes rolling along We're singing O-o-o-nkers We sail at break of day, day, day, day, through Last night on shore, treating to the foe Till we meet once more, here's wishing you a happy voyage home One of my favorite songs is Skip to Malu. It's a fun little old folk song. Skip to Malu, skip to Malu, skip to Malu my darling Malu, skip to Malu, skip to Malu, skip to Malu my darling Lost my partner, what'll I do? And we'll have a soloist come out and they pick somebody. Well, they just lost their partner, you know, Lost my partner, what'll I do? And then later in the song, I'll never find one cute as you I'll never find one sweet as you I'll never find one cute as you I'll never find one sweet as you As you We invite them to come and be in the show, and what I love about it is that it completely breaks the wall between the audience and the Voices of Liberty. We're a safe space. We're not intimidating. We're friends. We're your friend. I am always blown away when we can do a sensitive, tender song like maybe a Shenandoah or a Red River Valley, a beautiful, soft, tender song, and kids just are transfixed. You'd think they would be bored. They're not. They hear the story, they feel the musical intent, and then to turn around and do an old McDonald's where it's all funny animals and we get the kid up with us to spell, I think that's part of why it sticks in kids' heads, that we've got the contrast. We've got the contrast of something serious and moving and touching that you don't expect in a theme park. And then we sing Old McDonald, like a bunch of silly people. Ba-ka! Singing and looking out into the audience and looking out at the guests and seeing the children, spaces, their faces, and them watching us so intently or mouthing the words or trying to mouth the words to the songs or seeing them be inspired by us was exactly why I got into this in the first place, and I'm so grateful that I get to do this every day. There are so many moments that have moved me, but I think one of the most personally moving has been the fact that I am a child of immigrants. My parents moved here from Mexico, and so we have this dual heritage that we're very proud of. And I know that there was a moment where my parents considered going back to Mexico, and my mom was very adamant that the future of her kids was here in this country. So to get to sing in a group like this and then direct this group and talk about what it means to be American and the sense of pride that's tied to that, it's really, really moving. And singing a song like, This land is your land, this land is my land, what that means for people in our group who come from every walk of life and from every rich cultural background. In many ways, Voices of Liberty can be both a reflection of America, but it can also be what America can be. The one that resonates with me, it's definitely We the People when we're singing the proclamation and we say the words first. We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity to ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. And then we add music to it, and it's just adding another layer and layer and layer. We, the people We, the people, and establish this Constitution for liberty. Echoes are a unique experience because as a general guest is sitting just enjoying Voices of Liberty and taking in a single cast on the floor, all of a sudden at the end of our show, at the end of our set, as a finale, we bring an entirely new cast of people that emerges out of nowhere from the balcony. It's been said to be one of the greatest show moments on property, being in the audience for the first time or for several times, or when you don't know it's coming, and you hear these ethereal voices coming from out of nowhere, and then they emerge into sightline, and then both groups come into play and sing together, and they trade off these amazing harmonies. It's overwhelming, it's absolutely overwhelming. Usually on some of the patriotic holidays or our government-celebrated holidays, we'll see Echo Sets here in the Rotunda again, and July 4th will be a wonderful day here as we celebrate our 250th anniversary of the birth of our nation to be able to sing material that harkens back to that day, those time periods, but also celebrate just the dream of America and the golden dream that's ahead of us. I'm nervous, but I'm very nervous-excited to be a part of this group in this very, very moment. I feel very lucky, I feel very lucky and grateful. I feel a little pressure. It's our 250th anniversary, we have to be at our best, which we are, we are, but you have that pressure to make sure we are celebrating this the best that we can, because it's a milestone, this 250th, and it's an honor to be their stage manager. Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming The 250th anniversary is so impactful. It reminds me of the strength of our nation. It gives me hope for the future, right? The patriotism, the humility, and really just the common bond that we all have. Everybody wants to do better for each other. And then hearing the songs just transports me back to when I was a little kid and being at shows or coming to Disney and listening to them sing, and now future generations get that same thing. It's pretty powerful. To be in Voices of Liberty, you've got to be a great communicator, you've got to have the skill set, of course, of course you have to have the skill set, but the job is communication, the job is connecting with the audience, the job is being a good person. That happens to be really talented. What it really takes is to be able to perform and tell a story and tell it well. It's not just about the voice, it's not just about being a good performer, it's about being a good person. Because again, we can't exist, the group can't work if we don't have everybody who is on board to make the overall impact and the overall music and show come together. It helps when you really enjoy the people that you're singing with, performing with. Whether the audience understands that part of it, they're getting something special by the fact that we're so close. Once in Voices of Liberty, kind of always in Voices of Liberty. America! God shed his grace on thee. My favorite song is America the Beautiful. There's just something about those lyrics and describing the country. It gives such a sense of hope of what this country can be. It's so palpable to me how lucky we are to be in a country that represents freedom. But then the fact that we have people from all walks of life singing in harmony, just by standing there and singing together, we become this emblem that we can aspire to be like as a country. O beautiful for spacious skies For amber waves of grain For temples steeped high above God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea I'm so excited to have some of our legacy performers join us to watch our show. It's going to feel so powerful. For tomorrow, the 1115 set, we have some friends coming in for that set who've been in Voices of Liberty before. To just stand together and reminisce about where this group started, all the journey that it has gone through, but then that it still stands today. America! America! It was amazing. We were all standing watching, and we were singing with the same inflections and timing and movements that the current group does. So it's great to have something, with everything changing in the world, that has something so steady and just remaining the same, because it was great then and it's great now. I think the magic of Voices too is that people come in here not expecting this. Voices is a gift. I've been given a gift by being a part of the group so long ago as a singer, and now as music director for so many years. This is something I inherited, but I do my best to take very good care of it because it's a gift that I care about, and I think most everyone that has participated in Voices of Liberty feels the same way. America! America!