Good Music for a Good Cause

While the title says it all, a local concert bridged the gap between access to mental health care and the positive impact of live music. 

Country For Kids is a local benefit concert, which honors the local non-profit Center for Child & Family Services. The center increases access to those in need of counseling, behavioral assistance, and even aids disrupted families through specialized services. Hosting a concert, and giving those who benefit from these services a time to get a breath of fresh air and bond with others, binds the gap between mental health and music. Hence my thesis statement- music is medicine. 

Since its founding in 1943, CFS has hosted twenty-three "Country for Kids" events, featuring Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Sara Evans, and so many more. Their lineup this year consisted of Chris Janson, famous for "Buy Me a Boat" and "Fix a Drink", as well as TracieLynn and Alec Edmonds, both of whom are Hampton Roads natives who have made their way to Nashville to write, record, and perform with some Honky Tonk natives. 

TracieLynn was first up on stage and she nearly burned the stage down with her electric set- no literal fire was involved, yet it sure felt like it. She drew in the attention of the crowd so much so that her meet & greet lasted over an hour and sold out all of her merch- leading her to go back to Nashville to pick up more before playing more shows throughout the 757 area. Blending covers and original songs, as well as going from sweet to country girl rage, the crowd remained enamored by her vocal range. In addition to this, she brought out her husband for a sweet duet. Since this show, "Broadway Cowboy" has been stuck in my head and "First I'm Gonna Kiss You" was the hook of the show for me. 

Next up was Alec Edmonds. A Belmont graduate, he can be found bringing real country throughout Williamsburg, Newport News, and Virginia Beach. He has opened for acts such as Old Dominion, Morgan Wallen, and Miranda Lambert. His set was evident why- his stage presence correlated so gracefully with his ability to not miss a note. It is rare to find someone who can grab the attention of a crowd with the genre variety of "Stick Season" to "Tennessee Whiskey". I have a feeling this won't be the last show locals are eager to see him at!

Headlining the event was Chris Janson. His family-forward attitude was evident throughout the night- from bringing two young kids up on stage to dance and bring the crowd to life even more to having a harmonica battle with a young boy, who absolutely nailed it. Midway through his set, he brought out his son- the youngest of four- to sing "Whatcha See is What You Get". There were no blank faces and everyone was beaming with happiness as both Chris Janson and his 9 year old son rocked out together. 

Janson's set included his wide range of acquired #1 hits, including "Good Vibes", which the night certainly had, to classic country and class rock covers, which hit all bases in the audience and got everyone in on crowd participation. 

Between honoring the kids and families who have been positively impacted by Center for Child & Family Services to spreading the joy of live music to those in the audience, this show demonstrated what it is to use a platform for good and aid those in the community who needs it most. Music can change a life and so can access to proper care. Cannot wait to see who they bring to town next year!

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