The Common Man Project, a Baltimore-based nonprofit musical group is set to premiere their debut single, “Celebrate the Common Man,” on Friday, Sept. 7.
The release is scheduled to be followed by a community-wide concert experience at Hayfields Country Club on Sept. 8 to raise funds for The Foundery, a Baltimore marker-space with industrial grade tools that allows the city’s creative community a space to gather, learn, build and teach.
“The response to The Common Man Project has been positive so far,” said The Common Man Founder Richard Hinton.
“We have witnessed considerable support for our mission and the underlying message of the Common Man Project. It has been great to partner with The Foundery, as their efforts to support the community through creativity through a makers’ space aligns with ours, to celebrate the common man,” Hinton said.
With the launch of their original music compilation, “Turn Your Ground,” and a series of live performances which Hinton said speak to meaningful civic engagement, self-worth and purposeful living, the project is challenging an American culture increasingly focused on celebrity, spectatorship, and circus.
Through poignant songs which call for social action, a community granting program and partnerships with like-minded organizations including The Foundery, the Common Man Project is dedicated to seeing the country evolve in a more optimistic, thoughtful direction, said Hinton, who founded The Common Man in 2016.
He said the goal reflects the lyrics in “Turn Your Ground.”
“Reach down deep with your own hands and sow a better sound/Not screams of fears or fanatical cheers those are voices of the crowd/but the beauty of your own simple song that need not be so loud.”
The Common Man Project pulls from Hinton’s upbringing in rural, eastern North Carolina coupled with his education at UNC, UVA and Johns Hopkins, and a life of engagement, he said.
“I grew up with a sense of self-worth tempered with humility. A sense that every person is of value and that with hard work and purpose we can all take a seat at life’s table,” he said.
Hinton believes the goal of the group is being realized.
“From our humble beginnings in the studio to moments onstage, we’ve spent hours talking about the importance of our own efforts to each make a difference in society,” he said.
“This dialogue is catching on through our social media pages and with every live performance, as we’re challenging our guests to think about their self-worth, and what they can do to help make our country, and the world, better,” Hinton said.