Touch of Love

Local musician David Segall launched his newest single and video, “Touch of Love,” at a free, public event on Thursday, June 27 at Oniracom SB. The video of the song was weaved with the Plastic-Free July initiative, and featured the “Ocean Guardian” students of Adams Elementary School, our own Montecito Water District Water Conservation Coordinator Mike Clark, and local residents in support of clean waters. At the event Mike shared with the MJ, “I got to know David by seeing him play a few years back at Solstice and Earth Day, and got my percussion on bongos up to speed to gig with him. He asked me to be in the video, and I went for it because it’s a great cause to get plastics out of oceans and protect our oceans, it was fun and a good thing to do.”

The “Touch of Love” video tells the story of going the extra mile to preserve, heal, and protect our ocean, with the Ocean Guardian school kids inspiring us to live more mindful and empowered lives. The video was produced in conjunction with the Community Environmental Council and the Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, who are leading the local ZeroWaste and Plastic-Free movement, and asking our town to participate in the global plastic reduction July campaign. Attendees of the event were invited to pledge to reduce some, or all, of their plastic use during the month of July. To raise funds, there was a raffle with the prize being a cruise and live concert on Segall’s sailboat in the SB Harbor. Guests were treated torefreshments and a veggie platter from Local Harvest Delivery following the viewing of the video, and a music set by David with bandmates Brian Fox (bass) and Jerry Zacarias (drums).

VIP attendees at the event were John Lucchetti,Montecito Rotary Club President and Green Room Strategy Owner; Mike Wald, Oniracom CMO and co-owner; Marc Segall,David’s dad; cinematographer Alan Kozlowski; Kathi King, Community Environmental Council Director; Penny Owens, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper Education Director; Michael Gilbert, author of The Disposable Male and senior fellow at USC’s Center for the Digital Future; Corinna Bernasko, founder and CEO of MANU the lifestyle brand for intentional sustainability; film director Andrew Burgher; Gary Baker, CEO of Cinamaker; and Boz Nobel, music photographer. David’s manager Scott Ross,who co-founded Digital Domain with James Cameron and ran Lucas Film’s Industrial Light and Magic, texted in from NYC, “David is one of those unique artists that stay ‘true to their school’ about spreading love through music and raising awareness about healing our relationship with the Earth. At the same time, he has incredible skill and sensibility as a songwriter. I knew when I first heard him that he would become a superstar, and with my background in the film and entertainment world, I wanted to work with him and help to navigate his creative journey.”

Q. Share with our readers how “Touch of Love” came about.

A. The song “Touch of Love” was written a few years back at the SB Harbor, where I was living aboard a sailboat. Deborah Ananda, a fan, had seen me performing at the Endless Summer Bar, and approached me with her poem “A Touch of Love,” and asked if I would consider making a song out of it. It was a poem about compassionate living, and how putting forth love in everything we say and do can have a far-reaching and powerful effect in the lives of those around us. I liked the essence of what Deborah was saying, so I did my own transliteration of the title and concept, in words that flowed with a musical melody idea I was working on. Then, in the past year, Jacob Tell, CEO and co-founder of Oniracom, and I had been talking about how to inspire our local businesses and community to go more “ZeroWaste” and plastic-free. Being a sailor, a surfer, and a beach yogi, I could no longer ignore how much plastic I was seeing in the water and on the beaches. He suggested I meet with Kathi King at CEC. We came up with the idea of making a music video with the Ocean Guardian students of Adams Elementary School who learn about the plastics issue in ocean health from the CEC and the SB Channelkeeper. I had recently completed “Touch of Love” in the recording studio, and it turned out to be the ideal song for creating a video about leaving our world, environment, and ocean better than we found them.

What is your dream by way of this song collaboration? 

My dream come true would be to see this song and video inspire our local and statewide businesses and community members to go completely plastic-free by replacing single-use plastics with reusable and renewable items. And to swim in the ocean and walk on the beaches without ever seeing another piece of plastic waste!

And the top five songs on your device right now?

“Boa Sorte” by Vanessa De Mata, “Are You Serious” by Andrew Bird, “Live for Today” by Luminesse, “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” by the Cowsills, and “Om Kumara Mantra” by Deva Premal with Miten and Manose.

411: www.davidsegall.com