Individual Stories and Struggles Helped 'Listen' Take Shape, as Paul Rudd,Carly Simon, Daryl Hall and Many Others Became Involved in Our Time
In-Store Event Scheduled for June 23rd, to Coincide With Benefit CD Release
In a world where reality shows and talent contests dominate media coverage, it's worth taking a deep breath and embracing the stories of these quiet superstars: children who deal with the daily shame of stuttering. Each of the five children (introduced below) overcame their real-world challenges to write songs that will appear on Our Time¹s June 23rd Benefit CD, 'Listen'.
Our Time is a non-profit organization centered on a one-of-a-kind Arts program that provides children who stutter with an environment of unconditional acceptance- a creative forum, where they can express themselves through art, music, writing and theater, slowly and without risk of being ridiculed.
Our Time¹s kids have inspired Paul Rudd, Carly Simon, Daryl Hall and numerous others to join together in support of an organization that brings sensitivity and compassion to a group of youngsters who are often ignored.
On June 23rd, Kelli O¹Hara, Michael Cerveris, Mary Testa, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Sherie Rene Scott and cast members of ŒSpring Awakening¹ will join together
to celebrate the release of ŒListen¹ at an in-store event. Also appearing will be the kids of Our Time, as well as Founder Taro Alexander. The in-store performance and CD signing will take place at 4pm, at the new Barnes and Noble East Side event space, at 86th and Lexington Avenue.
Until then, please meet these very speciAl Young people:
Keith Russell began Our Time when he was 13 years old. At that time, he was a closed-off young man, afraid to express himself. As time went by, Keith became a leader at Our Time and an inspiration to many younger kids who
stutter. When he was 16, he wrote and directed a play called 'Perfect Place'. Paul Rudd, a Board Member at Our Time, played the lead - a teenager who stuttered, who yearned for a place in the world where he could be accepted for who he was, where there was no violence based on the color of your skin, or the way you spoke. Keith wrote a song, 'Perfect Place', for the play, and Paul Rudd was actually the first person to perform it. For the
making of Our Time's 'Listen' album, artists Adam Pascal, John Forte, Carly Simon and Ramona Dunlap came together to record Keith¹s powerful song. Keith lives in Brooklyn, and will be a counselor at Camp Our Time this
August.
Dashawn Taylor began coming to Our Time when he was 10 years old, and displayed extraordinary promise as a budding songwriter, even at that young age. Though he had never written music before he joined Our Time, in the
five years since, he has composed, traveled and performed all over the country. Dashawn wrote two of the 15 songs on 'Listen', impressing Daryl Hall along the way (Hall sings his 'Nothing In This World' on 'Listen').
Dashawn will be a Junior in High School this Fall, and his dream is to become a jazz & r&b singer. He¹s already on the right track, thanks to Our Time.
Naudia Jones began stuttering at age 11 (unusually late for a child,) and it affected her greatly. In fact, because of her stutter, she abandoned her dream of becoming a teacher. After years of struggling in her hometown in Guyana, she moved to the United States with the hopes of overcoming her stutter, and joined Our Time at age 17. Once at Our Time, Naudia not only found a surrogate family and unconditional acceptance, but she re-discovered the power of her voice. Naudia wrote two songs on 'Listen', Flaunt It and Breathe In (the latter sung by Mandy Patinkin).
Linda Gjonbalaj began Our Time when she was 14 years old. At the time, she was terrified of EVERYTHING! She cried often. She was paralyzed by her anxiety about stuttering. But time has passed, and Linda is now 22 years old
and an usher for Broadway's Studio 54 Theater. While at Our Time, Linda wrote many songs and discovered that she could be a leader and an inspiration to younger members. Linda wrote two songs for 'Listen': 'What We Have To Say' (which has become a theme song for Our Time) and 'You Don't Know Hurt'. When icon Carly Simon first heard You Don't Know Hurt, she was blown away. The song speaks to kids who stutter, as well as to anyone who
has experienced pain or heartache. When Linda found out that the legendary Carly Simon was going to record her song, she told Taro Alexander, "thank you for making my dreams come true."
