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Hey Steemians! We present to you the official music video of our song "Grand Masquerade". This is the same song in the video of us that has more than 75million views... we think it is the story behind the song that has connected with people so.

In his book The Clash of Civilisations, political theorist Samuel Huntington sets the stage for a new era of conflict in the post-Cold War world. He points to cultural and religious differences as the primary wedge between people inciting conflict. While this has been commonly used as a theory to explain international politics, there is a similar paradigm emerging within domestic blocs. The massive polarization of Western politics over the past decade has seemingly come to a precipice in 2017, with populist movements sweeping Europe and North America. To understand these heightened tensions is to understand the very essence of the conflict, an inevitable battle between a socially progressive section of the population eager to expand their culture, and a conservative populace feeling an eroding of tradition. The battle between traditionalists and progressives is not limited to the west, as it is a truly global phenomenon. 

In the United States and United Kingdom, the Brexit and alt-right movements reflect on the past, a time when they felt their societies were “Great.” When traditional values lead to prosperity. When the nuclear family structure was in place. Father, the head of the household and breadwinner for the family. Mother, the caretaker of the children and operational manager of the house. Questions of sexual orientation, progressive political thinking, gender roles, religious beliefs were suppressed. Each member is forced to mask any thought which deviates from the defined parameters of tradition. This scenario may be unidentifiable to many in today’s world, but it is at the center of what the global populist movement hopes to return to. While the code of morality indeed stems from both the family and the political system, it is critical that we observe the necessity for a differentiation between the two.  

We are all forced to wear masks in our everyday lives. This can be the result of wide range of familiar, political or societal pressures, ranging from fear from persecution to rejection from a social order with which we identify. This is the Grand Masquerade. A tribute to the mask and a recognition of its existence. Determining whether or not a mask should be worn can only happen once it has been identified. What is the reason for hiding this aspect of the self?  

Music Video Grand Masquerade:  

The Music Video Grand Masquerade is about being different and about being true to yourself.  

According to your own personal experience and culture background this can mean different things to you but the concept is the same.  

We might have 3D cameras and cyber technology and you name it. But at the core our society still operates through tribal thinking, that is our society dictates which behaviors and beliefs are acceptable, and which behaviors and beliefs aren’t, this concerns our religious beliefs, career choices, sexual orientation and so on.  

We all want to be loved and accepted and fit in, so sometimes in life we end up wearing these masks.  We hide our true self, because we want to be loved, because we want to be part of the group and this happens consciously but quite often it happens subconsciously. Even artists who by their very nature tend to question the establishment can develop this kind of patterns of thought. I observe this in myself too. Sometimes I have this thought and I ask myself is this really mine or does it come from my family, ancestors or society and you would be surprised if you really reflect it.  

From this awareness, the basic story of Grand Masquerade has its origin:  

Lara Celenza chose the family as the basic setting because the family is the first nucleus of society. It’s where you learn all the rules - what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.  

The act of dancing can mean different things to different people. You can be gay and can belong to a family that doesn’t accept you. Or you can be a pacifist and be born into a family that is super supportive of war. You can desire a career that you family doesn’t understand.  

She invites you to write your own perspective on it and to see yourself in the concept while asking yourself the question – Have I ever felt different from my family or society at large, and if the answer is yes, than I think that the concept will definitely resonate with you.  

Lara Celenza chose the open concept because she wanted to stay true to the groups original idea for the song grand masquerade and idea of the masquerade as a metaphor for hypocrisy and conformity. Lying to others which is ultimately lying to yourself.  

It fits with the current political situation because we are observing some governments trying to impose a restauration on us. There is a feeling of nostalgia a desire to go back to the good old times and sometimes it feels as if we are going backwards. But luckily this isn’t really the case. Because the universe is bases on expansion. The change is going to happen, whether they like it or not.  

We are headed towards unity, change and interconnectedness and this is also the message of the song and the video. The song is an invitation to break free, to break the rules and to express yourself – to become self-actualized. A self-actualized person is someone that is not dependent on the opinion of other people. And I think this is also the message of unity actually is also the basic message of The Trouble Notes because their music is sort of a colorful melting pot of different traditions and cultures. The busking all over Europe bringing the music to the streets and clubs, connecting people and bringing them together. 

The Video:  

Using a perverse example of the nuclear family, the video illustrates the emotional gauntlet that a young girl experiences within the walls of a traditional patriarchal home. She is groomed to take the role of mother, who found a suitable partner in her father as the sole breadwinner and became the home-maker. Tucked safely underneath her mask are feelings of anxiety, frustration and a desire to break free. She dances freely, momentarily forgetting her surroundings, her movements providing temporary relief from the suffocation of her mask. Opening the window, with the sun beaming on her face, she imagines a different life. A life where she can pursue a career and a lover of her choosing. A place where she can make mistakes and not fear the harsh discipline of her father. In a climactic moment during a TV dinner, her mask becomes unbearable. She can no longer hide her feelings and allows herself an emotional outburst in front of her family. Collapsing to the floor, she struggles with the mask, as if it burns her face. As she rises to her feet, she forcefully rips off the mask, revealing her true self to her family. They pause for a moment, as if reflecting on their own personal feelings before rising and disgustedly walking from the room. The girl picks up her mask, places it back over her face and sits at the table. As she clicks on the TV she allows herself to forget about her aspirations and feelings – the screen numbing her back to her place. 


VIDEO CREDITS: 

Director: Lara Celenza (http://www.kaliflmproductions.com) 
Shot at Schloss Schönow w/Black Magic 4k Based on a Treatment by: Lara Celenza 
Screenplay by: Lara Celenza & Sabine Alexis Fleur Scribner 
Choreography by: Sabine Alexis Fleur Scribner & Giorgia Minisini 

CAST (in order of appearance): 
Sabine Alexis Fleur Scribner - The Girl 
Annedore Kleist - The Mother 
Cristiano Vilhena - The Brother 
Blake Worrell - The Father 

CREW: 
Producer: Anna-Charlotte Freiin von Ledebur 
DoP: Péter Garajszki 
Gaffer: Peter Bromme 
Best Boy/Grip: Biko Voigts 
Backstage/2nd Unit: Steff Tendler & Virginia Vannucchi 
Art Director: Giorgia Minisini 
Editor: Marianna Rudas 
Colorist: Matteo Massimo Valenti 
Special Thanks: Thomas Fabian Eder 

THE TROUBLE NOTES 
Bennet Cerven (Violin) Florian Eisenschmidt (Guitar) Oliver Maguire (Percussion)

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