The AsCast Jar

Hey folks.

I am about to explain to you a fundamental part of what makes up IrishSongBird, the person. Get ready.

When I was 3, I sang my first note. I believe it was to “When You Wish Upon a Star.”  I never stopped singing. It didn’t matter the song. I always loved music, but until I was 11 years old, I’d never had one particular artist or band that I really connected with.

That all changed in May of 1997.  A little song called “MMMBop” was climbing the charts, by a group of boys called Hanson who were my age. My age? And they’re playing music? Not only singing, but playing instruments and writing ALL OF THEIR OWN SONGS?! They’re not dancing around on stage like all these other boy groups?

Even though their music was “pop,” it was still organic. It was real guitars, real drums, real piano…no synthesized, fake computer crap. As a fan of music, that was what I appreciated. The moment I was hooked was during the first song, “Thinking of You,” track number 1 on their very first album. As Taylor’s ridiculous piano solo began, I literally remember my heart stopping and tears rolling down my face. I was inspired.

I listened to that album so much I wore it out. My mom and dad got on board and became fans, too. On July 31st, 1998, when I was 12 years old, my mom and I drove 5 hours to see Hanson in concert for the first time. It was another pretty life changing experience. Since that first concert, so much has happened in my life, both good and bad, and Hanson’s music has been there to get me through it every step of the way.

October 1, 2009 was my 16th Hanson concert. (And 16 is a tame number – there are some fans that have seen them hundreds of times. No joke.) They just keep getting better, both as musicians and as people.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Hanson are big activists and very involved with an organization called Tom’s Shoes. For every pair of shoes someone buys, Tom’s donates a pair to a child in need. During a trip to Africa in 2006, Hanson was inspired to begin this journey with Tom’s when they saw the horrible conditions there. They began by recording a song called “Great Divide,” and all proceeds from the song benefited an AIDS charity. (You can still download the song on iTunes if you’re interested in donating in a very simple, easy way.) They then partnered with Tom’s and began doing one mile barefoot walks before every one of their concerts to raise awareness of the issues in Africa.

Last year, they decided to continue the walks on their next tour, but added a new goal: to walk around the world, 24, 902 miles. They reached that goal and have now surpassed it; as of today, Hanson and their fans have walked roughly 28, 201 miles. That number is increasing every day because Hanson is now on tour again and are still doing 1 mile walks before every concert. I’ve been on 5 walks, but I hope to get the chance to do a few more. For every person that walks, Hanson donates $1 to a charity of the walker’s choice. Walkers can choose to donate their dollar to purchasing SMS credits to provide medical care for AIDS patients,  donating a pair of Tom’s, building a school, and drilling clean water wells.

By the time this tour is over, Hanson will have donated well over $30,000 of their own money on behalf of everyone that’s taken the walk. They’re admirable people, and I’m really privileged to be a fan. On every walk, Taylor Hanson takes a minute to try and get the message across that everyone has a voice and we can make a difference to make the world better, no matter what our cause is. I wanted to share Hanson’s cause with you guys because through NFFR and AsCast, I have a bigger voice and can get this message out to lots of people. SO, if you’ve read this blog, thank you. Go find a cause that you’re passionate about and do something!

If you’re interested in finding out more about Hanson’s cause, go to www.takethewalk.net. Find a walk near you and TAKE THE WALK with Hanson!

Here are some pictures from the walk at Saint Louis University on October 1, 2009.

Taylor, Zac, and Isaac Hanson

Walkers at SLU. I’m next to Zac Hanson in the purple coat.

A close up of just me and Zac.

Now…go take the walk.

Also, if you’re interested in hearing some of the best of Hanson’s music, here are some links:

Madeline, from the album “Middle of Nowhere,” released in 1997.

Runaway Run, from the album “This Time Around,” released in 2000. Video recorded at the Underneath Acoustic Tour, House of Blues Chicago in 2003.

Penny and Me, from the album “Underneath,” released in 2004.

Lost Without Each Other, from the album “Underneath.”

Been There Before, from the album “The Walk,” released in 2007.

Go, from the album “The Walk.”

Running Man, from the album “The Walk.”

Georgia, from the album “The Walk.”

World’s on Fire, from the EP “Stand Up, Stand Up,” released 2009.

These Walls, from the EP “Stand Up, Stand Up.”

And that’s all I’ll bother you with. haha Thanks for reading/listening.

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