Get all 12 ilyAIMY releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Chords of Courage Volume One, Live At The New Deal Cafe, cicada, Seasons (Chris Cornell cello cover), A Message In the Mess, Another Life/Another Live, A Gift For Saint Cecilia, Between Lover and Twilight, and 4 more.
1. |
Hope
02:47
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"I can't breathe"... "Please" ... "Mama."
While a 10th grader, Lilian Phillips was inspired by the unity and protests she saw come from the tragedy of George Floyd's death, and saw hope in the world during a bleak and troubled time.
On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, after a convenience store employee called 911 and told the police that Mr. Floyd had bought cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Responding officers took a series of actions that violated policies of the Minneapolis Police Department and turned fatal, leaving Mr. Floyd unable to breathe, even as he and onlookers called out for help. Officer Chauvin kept his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for at least eight minutes and 15 seconds, according to a New York Times analysis of timestamped video.
Floyd's murder led to worldwide protests against police brutality, racism, and lack of accountability. Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old who filmed Floyd's restraint on her cell phone, received the 2020 PEN/Benenson Courage Award from PEN America. CEO Suzanne Nossel said Frazier's act sparked a "bold movement demanding an end to systemic anti-black racism and violence at the hands of police." Chokeholds and other neck restraints were banned or restricted by at least 17 state legislatures the following year.
Learn more at www.georgefloydmemorialfoundation.org
LYRICS:
Looking out the window always wondering why
Why there's no hope in this bleak and sullen world outside
Why is there nothing left?
Why did we leave it like this?
Like this
Oh yeah
There’s still hope in every heart and soul
There’s still hope that we can learn and grow
There’s still hope. Let’s raise a revolution
There’s still hope. Let’s make a better nation
Oh, yeah
Oh, but there’s a problem when I look outside
All these different groups trying to coincide
If I were to help them, yeah,
I’d want them to unite
But there’s no hope in sight
No hope in sight
There’s still hope in every heart and soul
There’s still hope that we can learn and grow
There’s still hope. Let’s raise a revolution
There’s still hope. Let’s make a better nation
Even if we tried our hardest
Nobody would ever see
Even if we tried our hardest
Who are we trying to be?
There’s still hope. In every heart and soul.
There’s still hope. That we can learn and grow.
There’s still hope. Let’s raise a revolution.
There’s still hope. Let’s make a better nation.
There’s still hope in every heart and soul
There’s still hope that we can learn and grow
There’s still hope. Let’s raise a revolution
There’s still hope. Let’s make a better nation
There's Still Hope.
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2. |
Smile Every Single Day
03:25
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"I always refused to resign to my fate. I’ve already suffered so much. If I give up now, wouldn’t I have suffered for nothing?”
As a high school senior, Fiona McKee was inspired to write about Taiwanese activist Liu Hsia, known by her pen name Xing Lin Tzu (杏林子).
In 1954, at age 12, Liu was diagnosed with atrophic arthritis. The illness left her wheelchair bound, in constant pain and with only an elementary school education. Despite this, Liu maintained a positive outlook on life, becoming a prolific, popular writer and activist for the disabled. She chose writing because it was something she could do in bed. Xing Lin Xiao Ji is a light-hearted and contemplative collection of essays about her illness and her observations from the hospital, her second home. She was listed among the nation’s 10 Outstanding Young Women in 1980, and used her prize money to start the influential non-profit Eden Social Welfare Foundation.
Liu was especially concerned that many universities still barred disabled students from enrolling in certain departments. Her foundation and protests led the Ministry of Education to lift restrictions. She later ran for legislator, despite a rule disqualifying most disabled citizens, to highlight the lack of special education. Liu died in 2003.
Learn more at https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2020/02/02/2003730208
LYRICS:
You’re trapped in place
Yet your mind is wandering free
It soars among the stars
Reach out, reach out to the world
Though it hurts to even write
Spread your words far and wide
The sunshine on your face, even as the waves batter away at you
Though the pain will never go away, you smile every single day
Twisted bones make your strength all the more beautiful
Don’t give in, fight on, you smile every single day
You’re trapped in place
Yet your mind is wandering free
It soars among the stars
Reach out, reach out to the world
Make a place for those like you
Build a Garden of Eden
Your pain, transmuted into strength
Lights up as a beacon
Igniting the way
The sunshine on your face, even as the waves batter away at you
Though the pain will never go away, you smile every single day
Twisted bones make your strength all the more beautiful
Don’t give in, fight on, you smile every single day
Reach out, reach out to the world
Though it hurts to even write
Spread your words far and wide
Like flowers, they bloom in people’s hearts
Make them change their minds
Even after you’re gone
The sunshine on your face, even as the waves batter away at you
Though the pain will never go away, you smile every single day
Twisted bones make your strength all the more beautiful
Don’t give in, fight on, you smile every single day
Don’t give in, fight on, you smile every single day
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3. |
Change the World
02:42
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“I can think of no more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut.
7th grade songwriter Lyric Allen lost her uncle in 2019. Mike Powers, an active member of the Libertytown Volunteer Fire Company for nearly 40 years, died of a heart attack while on a call in Frederick County in 2019. Powers was driving a fire engine, but got out and started to remove debris from the roadway to make room for an arriving ambulance when he collapsed.
His niece wanted to pay tribute to the vital work he did and the person he was, honoring he and ALL firefighters.
Lyric said that he put others’ needs and safety in front of his own. “He loved the fire department. He loved serving his community and anybody that attended our carnival,” said Chip Jewell, Fire Company President.
Mike served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, and after his active duty he entered the Army Reserve with the 558th Signal Battalion, serving on their color guard. He was a lifetime volunteer firefighter, beginning his volunteer fire career at the Brunswick Volunteer Fire Company in the 1960s. He was also employed for 47 years with Montgomery County Board of Education
Support Mike's Volunteer Company at https://www.lvfd17.org/
LYRICS:
(NOTE:parentheses indicate slight lyric edits during arrangement)
He told me that kindness is key to life
(He said this) Looking out the window at a big oak tree
With the leaves blowing free
He fought for people's lives
Putting his own on the line
That is what all firefighters do
They try to make the world a better place
Risk(ing) their lives (to make sure) so you are safe
After a mission he came back all black and smokey
(He) had a heart attack
But before that, the last thing he told me
If you want to change the world have kindness
Have kindness, have kindness
If you want to change the world have kindness
I can see the connection
He always stayed if you wanted to talk
He never pushed you away
He always stayed and listened
It is hard to think how hard he tried
to get where he was (before he died)
But you got to think about the good things in life
If you want to change the world have kindness
Have kindness, have kindness
If you want to change the world have kindness
It's hard to think how hard he tried
But you got to think about the good things in life
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4. |
Darkening Skies
03:29
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“Most people have moved on, but the people directly involved with 9/11, for them, twice a day it’s 9/11.” – Robert Reeg, former FDNY firefighter
Two decades after 9-11, 7th grader Levi Johnson was thinking about the first responders who entered a building on the verge of collapse to save anyone they could. Of the 2,977 victims killed in the September 11 attacks, 421 were emergency workers responding to the World Trade Center. This included: 343 firefighters (including a chaplain and two paramedics) of the FDNY.
The sacrifices of first responders didn't stop there: Since then, another 306 firefighters, emergency service technicians, officers and paramedics have died from diseases contracted from working the smoking pile of metal, glass and rubble at the site, according to the Uniformed Firefighters Association.
Learn more at http://neverforgetproject.com/statistics
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/09/movies/no-responders-left-behind-review.html
LYRICS:
The morning of September eleven
Some planes went off the grid
They flew to go to heaven
To heaven is where they did skid
woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa
Running into shadow
Trying to bring light
Knowing that they might go
Into the darkest night
woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa
Firefighters in the building
Helping others out of the way
This was just the beginning
So people were out and away
woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa
Running into shadow
Trying to bring light
Knowing that we might go
Into the darkest night
woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa
Walking out of shadow
Having held a light
Having known we will go
Into the darkest night
woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa, woa
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5. |
Nadia
03:52
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“I want to be the last girl in the world with a story like mine."
While an 11th grader, Gabriela Cuddy wrote about Nadia Murad. Nadia's peaceful life was upended in 2014 when ISIS attacked her homeland to ethnically cleanse Iraq of the Yazidi people. Six of Nadia's brothers and stepbrothers were murdered along with her mother, and at 21 years old, Nadia was kidnapped and held for three months. More than 5,200 Yazīdī women were trafficked by ISIL in 2014, marketed as sex slaves. Beaten, burned with cigarettes, and raped repeatedly, her first failed escape attempt resulted in a gang rape as punishment. She nearly gave up, but one day her captor left the house unlocked, and she fled. Murad was taken in by a neighboring family, who also put themselves at great risk to aid her flight. In February 2015, she gave her first testimony to reporters while staying in a refugee camp, living in a converted shipping container.
"Nadia," in Slavic, Arabic ... means Hope, delicate and fragile.
Since then, Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador, has become a powerful advocate for women in conflict settings and survivors of sexual violence worldwide. Much of Nadia’s advocacy work is focused on meeting with global leaders to shed light on the continued plight of the Yazidi people and the need for justice for survivors of sexual violence.
Learn more: https://www.nadiasinitiative.org/
LYRICS:
Iraqi August sky
Smoke and bullets, blurry cries
Sun burning on blood-soaked earth
Brothers' bodies, empty eyes
Dragged from home locked in chains
With a thousand other maidens
Childhood stolen, can’t be returned
Too young, too numb to feel the pain
Alone in the dark, anguish filled my heart
The months felt like years.
Cried a thousand tears
But I remembered my name
Nadia - hope is what I am
Hope is what I have
To set free people like me
Iraqi autumn night
Tasting fear as I took flight
Body covered in bruises and scars
Now was the time to fight my fight
In my new home, finally free
Sharing with the world my story
Memories hurt but staying silent is worse
Helping the innocent be heard
Nadia - hope is what I am
Hope is what I have
To set free people like me
Nadia - hope is what I give,
to help the broken live,
hope to heal,
hope to reach for the peace
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6. |
Only An Idea
03:34
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"They're hiding us away."
9th grader Kastle Smith was moved by the story of Tammy Aaberg, a mother trying to change educational policies that failed her son.
Justin committed suicide on July 9, 2010 at 15 years old. Tammy says his sexuality made him especially vulnerable in a Minnesota school district with a policy that sexual orientation topics aren't part of the curriculum and teachers must remain "neutral." Critics say these types pf policies resemble gag orders, and contribute to a hostile atmosphere where teachers can't validate students' identities or offer support.
Starting in 1998, the Minnesota Student Survey found that gay students were twice as likely to contemplate suicide, and two and a half times as likely to have tried it. Over a decade later, a rash of suicides in the Anoka-Hennepin School District — eight students in two years, at least four of them gay or bisexual -- showed conditions hadn't improved.
Tammy eventually DID help persuade her district to adopt language in its anti-bullying policies that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Tammy is raising a trans teenager, older now than Justin was when he died, while witnessing the rise of another round of "don't say gay" policies all these years later.
Learn more at https://www.aclusocal.org/en/lgbtq-know-your-rights
LYRICS:
You've been there since the start of his life
Yet you never thought you'd see him fly away
Time has passed, the years go by
Maybe he could be here, he could be alive
The world has only an idea what you're going through
But they'd never know the pain that struck your home
ooh ooh mm - mm
It felt brutal going to his funeral
Death reminds you it confines you
Why were you lied to
That your son was okay?
The world has only an idea what you're going through
But they'd never know the pain that struck your home
ooh ooh mm - mm
But now you stand up advocating
For the kids we've lost
And for the sweet, sweet boy
Even if he's gone you give him a loud-loud voice
The world has only an idea what you're going through
But they'd never how this affected you
ooh ooh mm – mm; ohh ooh mm mm mm mm
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7. |
Spirit
03:13
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"He can’t do that on his own now, but I can do it for him. I can speak for him.”
6th Grader Rylie Collins was inspired by Christina Leinonen, the mother of Christopher Andrew “Dru” Leinonen. On June 12, 2016, Christopher and his boyfriend, Juan, were among 49 killed at Pulse Nightclub in what was then the biggest mass shooting in US history.
Drew was a helper. He launched the first gay-straight alliance at his Florida high school, eventually earning the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award. He earned his master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, working at a mental health facility to help diagnose mental illness among those experiencing homelessness. He became a mental health counselor in Orlando Hospital’s emergency room.
Christina, a state trooper for 10 years, has stood up for common sense gun reforms and supported “The Dru Project,” an organization founded by Drew’s friends. Its mission is to promote gay straight alliances by providing curricula and scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth.
“Americans have a right to feel safe ... at a prayer service, in a movie theater, or like my son, at a nightclub. We deserve better," she said, vowing to continue in Drew's giving spirit.
Learn more at http://thedruproject.org/
https://momsdemandaction.org/it-took-33-hours-for-me-to-learn-my-son-had-been-killed-at-pulse-nightclub-in-orlando/
LYRICS:
Silence in the darkness, waiting for a sound
Waiting for a light to tell you try not to drown
In the silence you wait to know just what to do
You have to follow your dreams and try to see 'em through
'Cause we can fight to make it fair
We can fight it on our own
We can fight together to make equality
Saving the lives of who you care
Together we can make it fair
Together we can make it fair
Silence in the sadness, please give her a sound
Don't let it bring her spirits down...
It never should have happened to you
it's not fair
Death is not a threat to take
When anger cuts you loose.
Oooh
'Cause we can fight to make it fair
We can fight it on our own
We can fight together to make equality
Saving the lives of who you care
Together we can make it fair
Together we can make it fair
Together we can make it fair
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ilyAIMY Baltimore, Maryland
ilyAIMY is a percussive acoustic rock animal hailing from Baltimore, MD. Mixing genres from rock to folk to soul to bluegrass; flavours as varied as jazz and hip hop curl through what is undoubtedly one of the most exciting sounds in today’s folk(ish) music scene. Instrumentation includes acoustic guitars, cello, djembe, cajon, Irish bones, keyboard, bass, drums & harmonies. ... more
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