A B O U T T H E S O N G S
1. B R A N D N E W E Y E S
As mentioned, this collection of songs stands as a testament to all the wonderful family & friends in my life who have supported me and made me who I am today. So this is just my way of saying THANK YOU. None of this would have been possible without you. As I also mentioned, I do not make music to make money, I make music to try to make a difference, so the following just explains the dedication of each song, the charity that the proceeds from the song will be going to and also a little bit about what the song means. Thank You.
2. A L L M Y H E A R T
3. L O S T
5. SH O W S O M E T E E T H
4. D R E A M I N G
6. G U I T A R O U T R O - H O M E
Brand New Eyes is supposed to be about moving through life and how everyone's perspective changes when people move in and out of your life or you experience different things. This song is dedicated to my family because since my grandma had her stroke in 2010, a lot of my perspective on things have completely changed or become even stronger, like the importance of family and unimportance of all things superficial. With that, a lot of people's perspectives on me have changed or haven't. I've learned what is truly important and that the only way to realize that is by letting go of what you used to value, but no longer do. Therefore, you will learn to see things in 'brand new eyes'. This song is also dedicated to my family, as I wouldn't be anywhere without them and this entire project wouldn't have happened with out them. Their support is the whole reason I was able to do this, especially my mom, dad, and brother.
As the song is about seeing clearly, I realized that a great organization these proceeds would be able to help is a charity called "Sightsavers". They are focused toward preventing blindness and making a difference in so many people's lives by providing simple surgeries that many people cannot afford. By donating, you are essentially helping someone to see.
This song was influenced by two events, one is is fictional and one is not. It was influenced by personal experience and just the stress of life in high school, but also by the book, The Fault in Our Stars. The song is meant to be a lesson beacuse there are so many times in any of our lives where we are extremely overwhelmed and in over our heads, but that shouldn't ever stop you from realizing that there will always be people in your life to help you and people in your life that are going through it all with you. No matter how alone you feel, you never are, and no matter how many times you've said it, you have to keep telling people how much you appreciate them because you never know if you'll ever get to tell them again. Life will get hard but there's nothing that you can't make it through if you have the right mindset, come to terms with what is happening, and keep the right people by your side.
This song is dedicated to a friend of mine who passed away last year, Raja. He was an extremely intelligent and thoughtful individual and an incredible dancer. With the support of his family, all proceeds from this song will be in his honor and will donated to J.K. Rowling's charity, Lumos. The charity helps kids regain their right to a family.
I wrote this song before going to college because as everyone knows, the future is an extremely scary place, but most of the time, the only thing holding you back is yourself. In college, I met so many wonderful people and experienced so many incredible things simply by stepping out of my comfort zone. I have changed, but I believed that I have only strengthened my values and found my personality. Change is inevitable, but whether or not it is a good change or a bad one, is completely up to you.
A big part of changing and finding our potential is all the teachers in our lives. Though she was never my teacher in school, Kelly Snyder was a strong advocate for hundreds of students that she taught around the world. In addition to providing entertaining car rides on our way home from basketball practice, Mama Snyder, as I liked to call her, also helped me fulfill a goal of attending Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp in 2013. Her unwavering generosity and optimism even throughout her battle with cancer inspired me every day and still does. Therefore, with the blessings of the wonderful Snyder sisters, all proceeds from this song will be in her honor and donated to the organization, Little Kids Rock. The proceeds will help this charity continue to provide students with music education and support, in times of struggle just as Mama Snyder always had.
People constantly tell our generation that we have it rough because we grew up in a time where there rarely was no war going on, and it's true. We do have it rough, but mostly because a lot of our generation have become desensitized to disastrous occurances and ignorant to what is happening to people on the other side of the world, or even right in our backyards. I wrote this song a few years ago on September 11th. I don't remember the actual day of 9/11 or the panic, but I do remember everything that came as a result of it. Therefore, this song is meant as a little reminder to always continue to be educated and always continue to help others that cannot always help themselves because in the end, we all just need to remember, that we're all human.
Now I can't solve world hunger or world peace with one song, but I can try to support organizations that do take care of people all over the world, regardless of race or alliance or beliefs or these labels that our world seems to put on people based off where they come from. That's why all proceeds from this song will be donated to the Red Cross, as they are always first responders on the scene to natural disasters, such as the most recent Nepal Earthquake, and dedicated to helping those in need. This is song was originally dedicated to all of those people who lost their lives on that day in 2001, but now I would like to dedicate it to anyone who has served humanity in any way. Whether a firefighter, a researcher, a soldier, a teacher, or a volunteer, you are making a difference. "Be the change you want to see in the world." -Gandhi
Like I've said before, life gets hard and sometimes we don't know where we're going, but as long as we have the right attitude and people in our lives, we'll be okay. If there's any group of people that have confirmed that this statement will always be true, it is the Singing Hoosiers. I do not know what I would have done my first year at IU if I didn't have this group of wonderful people. This song is inspired by Dr. Zegree, Ly Wilder, Duane Davis and the 2014-2015 IU Singing Hoosiers. This song is all about being confident and staying positive, even when you're not, and that is one of the most important things I learned in this year. If you know that, you can make it through anything and continue to put a smile on someone else's face as well.
Therefore, 'SHow Some Teeth' is dedicated to Dr. Steve Zegree and the Singing Hoosiers. I only knew Dr. Zegree for a couple months but in those few months, he changed my life and my philosophy on how to live it. Anyone that knew him was touched by his grattitude and his positive attitude, not to mention his endless musical and performance knowledge. It was an honor for me to be one of his students. With the blessings of his family, all proceeds from this song will be donated in his honor to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Compared to others, pancreatic cancer research is still developing and in need of more support/awareness. Please support this great cause.
Home is not one of the larger songs that I recorded, but it's just there as a reminder. Home is where the heart is. It's where you come from. It's why you're who you are today. Never forget that. This song is dedicated to everyone in my life because you are a part of who I am today. Thank You.