School of Music, Theatre and Dance

OU music lecturer Carly Uhrig pens, performs new theme song for annual ‘I See You Awards’

icon of a calendarSeptember 13, 2021

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OU music lecturer Carly Uhrig pens, performs new theme song for annual ‘I See You Awards’
Carly Uhrig
Carly Uhrig, a music lecturer and marketing manager for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at Oakland University.

The “I See You Awards” — an annual celebration of low-budget independent filmmakers — was held on August 29 and featured a new theme song, “You See Me,” written and produced by Carly Uhrig, a music lecturer and marketing manager for the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at Oakland University.

The awards ceremony was livestreamed on Facebook from the Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak, Mich. If you missed it, or want to see it again, you can watch it on YouTube.

“Carly did a fantastic job conveying the idea behind the event,” said Terri Lee Chandler, film critic for WWJ Newsradio 950 and creator of the one-of-a-kind awards program. “The song evokes the feeling of many of the filmmakers who submit; so many tell me the awards make them ‘feel seen.’”

Uhrig said she was initially approached about judging a songwriting contest for the awards, but after the COVID-19 pandemic led to a limited number of entries, she offered to write the theme song herself.

“It meant so much to me that Terri felt the song captured the essence of the contest, and that it had a hopeful spirit but still acknowledged that it’s been a tough time, and it’s fulfilling to finally be seen,’ Uhrig said. “The ‘I See You Awards’ are so positive, and Terri’s passion for independent film is contagious. I am honored that she was able to use my song to represent this wonderful program.”

Uhrig said she was inspired by Lee’s description of the awards, which were created to recognize and reward low-budget filmmakers. Awards are handed out to independent filmmakers in a number of categories, including Best Actor/Actress, Best Supporting Actor/Actress, Best Director, Best Short Film, Best Film Made in Michigan, Best Feature Film, Best Picture, and more.

“The arts have taken such a hit during the pandemic, with everything being shut down,” Uhrig said. “But still, there has been tremendous growth and creativity in the arts. Creators keep creating, and when the world sees trauma, art responds.

“I wanted to write a song that would capture the excitement and anticipation of an event celebrating the work of artists, and that no matter what the outcome is — who wins, who loses — it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they are seen. I tried to write it from the perspective of one of the nominees and their happiness in being seen. Instead of ‘I See You,’ I turned it around to ‘You See Me.’”

Uhrig teaches Foundations of Rock — a study of rock music rooted in African and African-American cultures as the result of social upheavals and economics and as a continuous and overwhelming influence on today’s American society — at Oakland University. She was recently nominated for the university’s Excellence in Teaching Award and is consistently recognized as a faculty/staff “Impact Player” by OU student-athletes.

Uhrig holds music degrees from both the University of Michigan (BM, Music Education) and New York University (MA, Music Business). She studied songwriting with film composer Ronald Sadoff and Grammy-winning songwriter Phil Galdston, and spent a year apprenticing with children’s music superstar, Laurie Berkner.

To hear more of her music, visit https://soundcloud.com/juice-box-rockers/sets/grown-up-rock-music.

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