Paying it forward: Why NAMI? When making the decision to launch my Tour and live recording project 2 things in particular drew me the PledgeMusic Platform. 1 - Its status as a ‘Music Only’ crowd sourcing platform 2 - Pledge Music’s encouragement to ‘pay it forward’ by contributing to the charity of your choice Since the start of this journey I have been asked repeatedly how and why I chose The National Alliance on Mental Illness? I have mentioned that it is a cause close to my heart. My ‘Artist Mother’, the amazing spirit who came into my life at that pivotal point when I was ready to buckle down and give this music thing a go - took me to my 1st Fishbone concert - introduced me to the music of Betty Davis - took me under her wing and gave me opportunities to express my talents on stage The person without whom I could not create an image of myself today, as she is an integral part of my artistic fiber, suffers with bi-polar disorder. When this truth became evident to the point where those of us in her inner circle could no longer ignore the signs or attempt to avoid our discomfort or the stigma, I tried my best to help my older, wiser, fiercer sister keep her dignity in the ways I knew how. When the illness robbed her of her relationships with her partner and her child. I did what I could. I tried to honor our bond and dove in deep to try and stay the tide over and over again until finally I cried uncle and made the decision to love her from a distance. More than a decade later after a roller coaster ride of heart breaking experiences the truth that remains is that no one in our community had a clue of what to do. We lacked the tools. This to me, is the most tragic aspect of all. I wish NAMI was on my radar back then. I cannot change the past but I can pay it forward now. This is why 10% of Black Bottom EP preorders and exclusives purchases support NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:51:53 +0000
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