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The Purple Song Project:
Healing and Awareness Though Song
Interview with Bill Pere
The Purple
Song Project is founded by
Vanessa Stevens
FEB 19, 2010
Fast Five with Bill Pere, founder of
LUNCH
(Local United Network to Combat Hunger)
Bill Pere, founder of LUNCH says. LUNCH's slogan is
Using
the Power of Popular Music to Produce Positive Social Action.
Bill
Pere, a 30 year
veteran of the Connecticut music scene is an award winning songwriter and social
service activist, the Founder and Director of
LUNCH (Local United Network to Combat Hunger,)
President and Executive Director of the CSA(Connecticut
Songwriters Association,)
IMC Indie Artist of the Year,
and an Official Connecticut State Troubadour since 1995. Bill helps aspiring
songwriters and musicians achieve their goals through both the CSA and his
Ct Songwriting Academy.
I first met Bill, chosen by
Music Connection Magazine
as "One of the Top 50 Guiding Lights of the Music Industry" when I joined the Ct
Songwriters Association the first time back in 1999. I dropped out for
awhile when life pulled me in a different direction, re-joined in 2007 and
have found Bill's expertise and the CSA to be of great guidance towards helping
me successfully navigate my career. Through monthly workshops and song critique
sessions I learn so much as well as meet and network with other talented
Connecticut artists.
Most recently Bill compiled his 30 years of study and
success with the songwriting craft into his book,
"Songcrafters' Coloring Book: The Essential Guide to
Effective and Successful Songwriting."
I am pleased to have Bill featured here on the latest
Fast Five Interview, where he talks about the subjects he writes about and his
social service hunger organization, LUNCH.
1.) What inspired you to begin this project?
In 1979, I started volunteering at a group home for
teenage girls who had untenable and unusual abusive home situations and could
not live there. I found their stories very compelling, and started doing a
series of benefit concerts which eventually evolved into my now nationally known
organization, LUNCH. I also write many songs based on their stories, as well as
issues of suicide prevention, youth violence, special needs children, and any
kind of social injustice.
2.) Whom do you hope to reach?
Any person of any age who needs to know that someone
cares about them and that they have a special place in the tapestry of life. To
date we've had more than 3,000 kids in our programs, and have helped tens of
thousands of people in need of some type of social service assistance.
3.) What is your ultimate goal. How much money do
you hope to raise? Where do you see your project in 5-10 years?
Through our live concerts and CD recordings, we have
raised about $1,000,000 so far, and hope to keep expanding our programs.
4. Where can we learn more? (Include your sites,
links, etc.)
http://www.lunchensemble.com
http://www.billpere.com
5.) Anything I
haven't asked you'd like to tell?
Music has great potential to reach people and
move them to act.
I believe that all artists have some degree of social
responsibility to use their platform to help build a better world.
Thanks Bill Pere!
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