Solbird Sessions is made possible through viewer contributions to the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

Have you ever press pause and realize music has been a remedy in your life?

Today on Solbird Sessions, South Carolina artists share honest conversation and piano driven performances with Antonio McKie and TiffanyJ.

And this is Solbird Sessions, where melody becomes remedy.

♪ I feel I need to take a deep breath.

The energy around is a mess.

Somehow, I need to free myself Starting with my mind, then I'll heal the rest.

I feel I need to take a deep breath.

The energy around is a mess.

Somehow, I need to free myself Starting with my mind, then I'll heal the rest.

I feel I need to take a deep breath.

♪ ♪ Laugh a little, smile a lot.

Cry a little.

But dance a lot.

Wish on a star Right where you are.

See happiness is never far away from you.

It's never away from you.

Brighter days are coming.

Brighter days are coming for you.

See laugh a little, smile a lot.

Cry a little bit, but dance a lot.

Wish on a star right where you are.

See happiness is never far away from you.

It's never, ever away from you.

Brighter days are coming.

Brighter days are coming, oh Brighter days are coming Brighter days are coming.

Just hold on a little while.

Cause a brighter days are coming for you.

♪ So here we are at the intersection of music and mental health.

And today I have a group of talented South Carolina artists from different backgrounds, different sounds, different genres, but we all share the same sentiment that melody can be remedy.

Today we have, as Regina Skeeters, Colton Beasley, Tipton Jones-Boiter, Imani Wiley-English, and Cat Galan.

How are y'all doing today?

Great.

Wonderful.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for being here.

I want to break the ice, and I want to jump out and ask you, what is the song you turn on when you need a mood boost?

Like, what's your hype me up song?

♪ You know, you make me want to shout.

Put my hands up and ♪ you just, you know, every now and then.

Mine is probably, “I'm Every woman”.

I have too many.

But I love a song called “Selah!

Selah” by a guy named Mike Ferris.

That's amazing lyric.

Amazing song.

I am jumping into another genre.

I love J. Cole.

“Amari”.

I love that song.

How about you?

I'm the opposite.

I need un high bing.

So I listen to something that kind of chill me out.

But it's the old song, Christopher Cross sailing.

Okay.

And that puts me again, just like my low spot.

So for me, if I want to be hyped up, it's between two things.

It'll either be Sounds of Blackness “Optimistic” Or “Just Fine” Mary J. Before realizing music can be healing, you had to realize you had a voice for it.

And I would say it within a group of singers.

When did you first realize you wanted to sing?

I was volun-told by my mother, and I was volun-told.

But after a few tries, I noticed the effect that it had on people's lives and even the healing that it brought, even at an early age.

So that is when I knew that I was, called to this thing called singing.

I have a similar story.

My mom... and seeing her sing in church every Sunday is what drew me to wanting to touch people in the same way.

My brothers and I would like put on shows for my parents all the time.

We were like, performing in the living room and I just always like, felt such joy and thrill performing.

I'll take the fall on this one.

Rock band, rock band as a video game.

No one would be the singer.

I thought the singers are cool, but I liked guitar and my family musical family, and my mom was singing in church as well.

But I think I shyed away from that and did not want to be in the spotlight by any means.

But being the only one Volun told so to be the lead singer in rock band and feel like you're getting as good points, you're doing pretty decent.

So I think that was my initial like, I think I can make music with my voice rather than just with my hands, with my guitar, with drums, you know, kind of just quickly like realizing I like singing better.

It might be a little more difficult or different for me, but I something it resonated with me more than just the instrument, you know.

One of the beautiful things about music is that every artist carries their own story into the room.

Let's experience that now through performances from Cat Galan and Regina Skeeters.

♪ Things aren't always as easy as they may seem.

Try as you might.

Sometimes life falls apart at the seams.

Forget self love.

You've got self-doubt and you don't pick up pieces.

You just throw them out.

And that's okay because you'll find a way.

Meanwhile, he's working overtime down at the bar that's on Main.

Alone and forgotten.

Drinking away all his pain.

He laughs it off.

Doesn't want help, but he loves the bottle much more than himself.

And he's okay.

He says so anyway.

Ooo Oooo.

Ooooo Ohhh Mmmm ♪ ♪ La la la la la oh la oh la.

La la la la la oh la oh la.

La la la la la oh la oh la.

Oh la.

We stand in a sea of abrupt demands.

When no one wants to be their own man.

Camouflage by shades of ten.

We try.

We try to look the same.

To forget from whence we came.

Face the thought of losing our name.

Blend out.

Why are you afraid?

Blend out.

For heaven's sake, blend out.

Don't be afraid to blend out.

You know, this is what He wants, So go.

Be the example.

Blend out.

Don't be afraid to blend out.

La la la la la oh la oh la.

La la la la la oh la oh la.

La la la la la oh la oh la.

Oh la.

♪ So we're set with musicians too.

Regina, do you play an instrument?

I used to play the drums.

Don't tell anybody, okay?

But I was volun-told to play the drums in elementary school.

My church didn't have a church drummer at that time, so my mom said, alright, get over there.

And my cousin taught me how to play.

And it's been downhill ever since.

I don't play drums anymore though.

Okay, so we're sitting with singers and musicians, but Colton brought up, getting lost in music without the words.

And I think, words are so powerful and such a great addition to music.

Every music artist is not a songwriter, and that is a very, very special gift, a gift that I personally take pride in.

I feel like songwriting allows me to be honest and tell the truth when I don't really want to say it out loud with just words.

That melody somehow allows me to be bold.

I want to know if there is a particular lyric that you just think is so profound.

I like PJ Morton.

“Just wait until the morning.

I know it seems dark for you.

But just wait til the light shines through” or something like that.

I love that song because sometimes you can feel so low, but he's just like, wait to the morning.

I know it feels dark right now, but you'll be fine.

Like the sun will shine later.

And that's always empowering.

I was gonna say I have one that I wrote.

That's my favorite.

When I look back and Go ahead and go with your wrote Was like, yeah.

But it's “a story with no end, written again with the same pen.

” “A story with no end, written again with the same pen.” Yeah.

Kirk Franklin's “Love”.

“Love a word that comes and goes, but few people really know what it means to really love somebody.

Love.” I do believe that calamity... A lot of the calamity would cease if people actually knew that someone loved them.

You know that.

But she just made me think of this.

“Calm The Fire” by Alter Bridge and many maybe not know them, their song “Calm The Fire”... “Now more than ever what we need is love to replace all the obscene, something good, something beautiful.

If only you could see.

Now more than ever.

We need a little love.” And I'm like wow.

With the music.

With heavy rock music like that, you don't often hear positive lyrics that hit the heart.

And I love that.

That's something that drew me to that kind of music for my life, I guess.

For many of us, our earliest connection to music began in places like church at home, with family, or in community places where sound and spirit come together.

Allow me to share with you the sacred place where I first discovered the power of lyrics.

♪ Blessed Quietness, Holy Quietness.

♪ My love for songwriting originated in church.

I have a traditional Baptist upbringing, and we sang a lot of hymns that I fell in love with because lyrically, they were clever and painted mental portraits with words used to tell those melodic stories.

The hymn “It Is Well” was written in the 1800s by Horatio Spafford, a wealthy lawyer who experienced loss after loss, but he still had the desire to pen the phrase “whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say, it is well with my soul.” ♪♪ Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say.

It is well, it is well with my soul.

♪ I'm not going to give you all the specifics, but this man, wrote this song as a result of tragedy.

Right?

Lost his family.

He was overseas, and his kids had died.

Lost the family in a fire.

But this is what he penned as a result of that experience, right?

So what does Paul say?

He says “I can be content no matter what.” Yeah.

Yeah.

I need y'all to sing it like that.

Okay.

This man was deep in sorrow after losing his four daughters in a shipwreck.

And while passing the actual spot of the tragedy, he held on to hope that all is well.

That right there is self encouragement even while hurting, and is truly a hymn I live by day after day.

♪ It is well... with my soul.

♪ So as we talk about storytelling, how do you put your journey into lyrics?

How do you tell that story without telling the story?

You know, as songwriters, we we tell some without telling it all.

Oh, yeah.

So how how?

What's your process to like?

Recollect what you want to say, but not say it.

I think it starts with here.

Like she just said some things you just chew on, you can't figure it out or.

But it feels like something, you know whether it's instrument or vocal.

And that song specifically “Time” I wrote years ago I was a young kid and when I went to record it and I wanted to put it out to the world was after several life events, the coma, my injury.

And, when I went back to it, into the studio and at home, I went to with that feeling like this means something to me.

Due to the time that's passed.

Regina., currently, your mom is living with dementia.

Yes.

And you are her caretaker.

And as time has gone on, regardless of where I would say, her state of mind might be like, music was always a part of her language, regardless of whatever else.

How how is that journey been for her through your lens, and how has it been for you?

Well, I'm grateful that she's living with dementia first and foremost.

Music has always been a great thing and a great tool for her therapy.

There be times which my mom would not remember what, has happened maybe five minutes ago, but if a song came on, she used to be background singer for, Billy Stewart, who was, an amazing recording artist in the late 60s.

And I would turn that music on, and she would just sing all the songs.

I turn on music every day, and I see her eyes light up, and it's almost like joy is being restored back to her.

Whenever we turn the music on.

And I do believe that music, even as relates to individuals that are dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia, that can help prolong their lives by just hearing that familiar song to uplift their spirits.

So if music is truly therapy and it keeps people is it's literally people's lifeline.

Absolutely.

The ability to pause, breathe, and feel helps regulate our emotions and makes room for healing.

Let's enjoy more performances that allow us to do just that.

Here are performances from Imani Wiley-English and Tipton Jones-Boiter.

♪ Oooo ooo.

Oooo Oh, Yeah.

Journey through my life.

I've gotta find a place to breathe, to exhale and release.

So, where is my place of peace?

I need that ensurity.

I imagine rest beyond a place beyond belief.

Where my heart reflects that light of majestic stars at night, Where I feel no need to fight... I'm on a peach and purple sky where love is true.

Painted ivories and blues.

Determined to feel as smooth, and it's peaceful as the sky.

Find me a peace of mind.

I'm gonna be all right.

I will become the light.

I'm gonna be the light.

Ayye yeah yeah yeah.

Find me a peace of mind.

I'm gonna be all right.

I will become the light.

I'm gonna be the light.

Yeah.

Eeeee-oooo.

I gotta be free.

I wanna be, I wanna be, I gotta be free.

Ohhh oooooo Ohhh ♪ ♪ I find myself in need of a little soothing.

Who turned the lights out and left me in the dark?

I was doing fine.

Now, I'm not moving.

I'm just staying in one place too long.

In my mind, sometimes I feel like I am fading.

In my heart, I know there's more that needed saying.

In my hands, everything I need to awaken.

I can't look away.

I can't look away.

There's a mirror in every room.

Reminding me of who I am.

Telling me there's more to do.

There's a mirror in every room.

Fear can be a great motivator.

Maybe later you'll see what it's all for.

You're bound to catch the life elevator, but you don't know which floor to land on.

Stand on who you already know you are.

The next move is not that far.

If you want to see things clearer, sometimes you just need a mirror.

♪ Sometimes as songwriters, we say things other people need to say or need to hear.

A lot of people dealing with mental health, feel alone.

One thing you shared with us privately was that music has helped you find a friend within yourself.

And I thought that was so powerful.

How has discovering music help you build you up?

It's interesting.

Well, to be very vulnerable.

I do, deal with anxiety and depression, and a lot of times I would find myself, you know, you're doomscrolling, and I would just turn on one of the recordings that I would have sang or something randomly, and I would I would feel something in my spirit like, wow, like, you have purpose.

Get up, sing something.

And I'm a cellist as well.

So even when I just get up and go grab my instrument, I feel the strings because it sits on my chest and I just feel like this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and I can encourage myself a lot of times by hearing myself because I'm talented, I can do this.

You don't need to be sad.

Pick yourself up, friend.

You got you.

You're Good.

Absolutely.

That's beautiful.

Very beautiful.

Cat, one of the things I have struggled with as a musical artist is finding the right partners.

What is the go to or what is the criteria that you look for when you are judging the chemistry that you can have with band mates or people that you want to collaborate with?

I would say it's a mix of several different things, obviously, like their skill level is going to like come into account.

But I would say, being able to be a good hang is a huge part of it.

Have a same sense of humor.

Maybe even more importantly is having an open mind so that you can kind of bounce ideas off of each other and, you know, feel honest with, maybe some criticism sometimes.

I think that's all really important.

When I choose band mates or performance partners.

I agree, I think the vibes got to be right.

Yeah.

As the creator of the show and a music artist myself, I want to highlight as many South Carolina artists as possible who have a story to tell.

And if I may, let me echo the great Andre 3000 “the south got something to say” Let's enjoy one more performance.

So turn on your listening ears for the powerful vocals of Colton Beasley.

♪ Time is slipping away.

Further from my mind.

Don't leave me all alone.

Abandoned far behind.

Drowning in a sea of wishes and memories.

Don't leave me all alone.

Abandoned far behind.

And time's the silent killer.

Never ending.

Always changing time.

You've only got one chance.

Live without regret.

Never waste your time.

♪ Every artist has a reason they create.

Sometimes, it's healing for others.

Sometimes, it's survival for themselves.

And for many of us in this room.

Music saved our lives.

I hope this journey through music and storytelling has encouraged you to keep going and reminded you of the power music has to heal.

And when you feel you need to take a deep breath, remember you have Solbird Sessions, where melody becomes remedy, on South Carolina ETV and Public Radio.

♪ I feel I need to take a deep breath.

The energy around is a mess.

Somehow I need to free myself.

Starting with my mind then I'll heal the rest.

I feel I need to take a deep breath.

The energy around is a mess Somehow I need to free myself.

Inhale, exhale.

Inhale, exhale.

I feel I need Oh, Somehow I need to free myself I feel, I feel I need to take a deep breath.

♪