Spencer Kane Reaching Teens Worldwide with Hope

“The music I write is usually inspired from things I observe at school or talk about with people.

Spencer Kane
Spencer Kane

 Thirteen is the age when most kids begin to see change in their own life as well as lives around them. For Spencer Kane, it was a critical year of change that involved his first public performance and making a commitment to stay pure until marriage.

For someone entering the dreaded middle school years, this was an extremely courageous public statement to make.

As an athlete in basketball and baseball, Spencer had always been one of the guys and held fast to his dream of playing college or pro sports some day. An honors student in school and a typical all-American boy next door, it would seem embracing his talent for music and commitment to avoid sexual activities until marriage would be honorable among his peers.

Wrong!  Instead, he became the target for serious bullying and ridicule for making both choices. As a typical jock, it isn’t the norm for a male athlete to pursue the arts like singing and acting. Add to that his choice to wait for his first kiss until the right girl, maybe even his future bride, well, that was simply too much oddity for middle school peers to handle.

After several attempts to resolve the consistent bullying flair ups, Spencer’s parents elected to move him on to another school district. This new school fully embraced Spencer’s talents as both an athlete and artist.

That was 2011. Today, 2013, Spencer is 16 and has come a long way since those times.

“When I look back, I still remember how it felt and how lonely it was. I won’t ever forget that season of my life and still experience some verbal bullying even today. I’m more able to handle it now than when I was 13. I think a lot of kids and teens aren’t as fortunate to have parents who they can openly talk to or don’t understand the help that comes from having a relationship with God to get you through”,

said Spencer at a recent speaking engagement with a local Rotary International meeting.

Having had this personal experience as well as listening to dozens of fans from around the world share their own stories has allowed Spencer to be inspired to write the songs on his latest CD, One of the Kind’ released February 1, 2013 on iTunes and many other online download retailers.

Be One Of  The Kind

“The music I write is usually inspired from things I observe at school or talk about with people. It helps me to want to write lyrics that share the issues most teens face today and hopefully give them a message of hope that things can get better”,

he added.

Continue reading “Spencer Kane Reaching Teens Worldwide with Hope”

Blackberry Jam Tremendous Twin Musical Treat

Blackberry Jam Interview
Meet Blackberry Jam "Adrian & Julian"

Many of the featured artists who appear on this site are brought to my attention by either my readers or supporters.  Today’s talented duo is no exception, as it was my good friend in radio, Bruce Owens from Good Morning Hudson Valley who recommended today’s artists.

After Bruce contacted me I realized that I was already subscribed to the boys YouTube Channel. It only took a short time to get in touch with their Mother, who shared the following information about her amazing twin sons and their uniqueness not only in birth, but in talent and personality.

Being Twins

BlackberryJam

 

Adrian Chirtea and Julian Woodrow are identical twins…mirror twins to be exact. While they are both legally “Woodrows”, Adrian has always used his Mother’s last name. Julian is the oldest by 10 minutes, and he’s always been a fraction of an inch taller, and a pound heavier. Julian is left-handed, and Adrian is right-handed.  But other than that, Adrian and Julian really enjoy being identical.

As babies, their first teeth came in just a day apart. They also share the same moles in exactly the same spots, on opposite sides. Unlike most siblings they rarely fight and (almost) always share. As best friends, they have more fun doing everything together than trying to kill each other!

Most people can’t tell them apart, and that’s just fine with them.

The Singing Started at Lunch Box Special

anjontramp
Adrian & Julian "Blackberry Jam"

Their elementary school held a show-and-tell at lunchtime, each day.  The twins signed up to sing “In the Jungle” in 4th grade.  Julian sang the wee-ba-wops, and Adrian sang the verses. Their friends and teachers loved it so much, that it became a weekly challenge to try and “out-do” the previous week’s performance. Each night at the dinner table, we’d think up a new hilarious song to learn and the twins would practice for the next week’s Lunchbox Special.  They performed “Little Surfer Girl”, “Eddie-Coochie-Catchie-Gammie”, “Minerva”, and thanks to a few well-timed video rentals, the twins also started adding “Mr. Bean” comedy routines into the mix.  The goal became to make everyone laugh.  Soon every song was littered with comedic dance moves and acting routines.

Continue reading “Blackberry Jam Tremendous Twin Musical Treat”