This music video is a performance-led, narrative and conceptual piece that explores identity, morality, and generational responsibility. The video follows a young black man who questions what kind of person he would have been in key moments throughout history, and what that means for who he is today.

The video reflects on ancestry, faith, activism, and silence. At its core, it asks how progress is made and what responsibility the current generation carries.

The video is broken up into three different 'realms' or moments. The first is the performance element, where the character performs the song directly to camera much like the classic rap music video of today. The next element is surreal vignettes. This is where we see dream-like, surreal 'memories' that give conceptual insight into the song, and its deeper meanings. The third element focuses on objects that reflect power, strategy and belief.

Here we see items that create a story of change, power and evolution, matching the lyrics and message in the song. Boxing gloves, chess pieces, & the Bible are some examples of the objects included.

These three 'realms' are intercut with each other throughout the music video, creating a visually striking music video that puts importance on the message of the song.

I created this music video for my Final Major Project in Film & TV Production at South Essex College. When deciding on my project, I discovered that I really wanted to create something with genuine emotional and social weight. While listening to Dave's new album (also titled 'The Boy Who Played The Harp'), I realised that I could pair my love for music and my love for creating visually striking films, and make a music video that pushes the boundaries on social challenges, historical injustices.

The song (The Boy Who Played The Harp) touches on many historical events that shape the way we live today. From the Battle of Karbala, and stories from the Bible to Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the 7/7 London attacks, the song is fuelled by these painful stories. I wanted to match that with my music video, using strong imagery and metaphorical visuals to capture and present the struggle and pain people around the world have experienced throughout their lives.

The song also surrounds Dave's constant attempts to speak out and do more for people in challenging times. I wanted to do a similar thing with this project, telling more than just a story but aiming to spread awareness for standing in the face of adversity rather than just passive observation.