I have finally finished my fall semester and I am home getting ready for the holidays. As I sit here on the couch I miss Nashville, because Saturday night in Nashville meant hanging out with friends and going out to see live music. My Saturday night in Hunterdon County now means drinking hot chocolate and watching Netflix all night.
This week I had the opportunity to visit and play some music at A. Harry Moore, a school in Jersey City. A. Harry Moore is a school that offers comprehensive academic, therapeutic, pre-vocational and social programs for approximately 140 students between the ages of three and twenty-one. The students are classified Preschool Disabled, Learning and Language Disabled, and Multiply Disabled. Most of us don’t understand how lucky we are to have the ability to clap along to a song. It’s something so simple, yet it’s something we take for granted. Today, all the students were crazy in love with the music and were moving around the room and in their seats like nobody was watching them. The energy level was incredibly high. One boy in a wheelchair had never clapped before on his own. During my show he started clapping on his own. This was the first time the teachers knew of him doing this behavior independently. After the music, my dad came up to me and made me aware of what my music had just done for this little boy. Music moves us and stories like these are why I do what I do. It doesn’t matter how many doors slam in my face it’s about connecting with people and changing the world for the better. It’s about opening the eyes of others to the power of music. Today I experienced the beauty of music and the grace of God.
Over the past two weeks I also shared a new song with y’all called “Goodbye is Cheap”. Thank you so much for all the great feedback. All the messages, comments and requests at shows just make my heart so happy. My music is my story and it really means the world to mean when you take the time out of your day to let me know that my stories mean something to you.
Last thing! My song “Tough Guy” has been on the NSAI website since October. If you have not had a chance, please head over and vote for it! Y’all are seriously the best!
Happy Holidays and make sure you keep an eye out for a new video that will be posted by New Years!