Firehouse Community Arts: Singing a New Song

Taylor Cunningham, a music student at Birmingham's Firehouse Community Arts Center, shares how learning to rock out with new friends taught him how to play instruments and find his own voice.

Episode Transcript

(00:22):
And a few years back, he had never held a guitar. 5 00:00:26,500 --> 00:00:34,010 Kinda back then, I was a bit struggling with who I was. I was never the popular kid, I’ll say that. 6 00:00:34,010 --> 00:00:36,600 And music? It was a way to try to fit in.
I would try to seem cool and stuff. So, I kind of picked up on what everyone else is doing, and tried to replicate it, even though it was not me.

(00:45):
Then, Taylor met Eric Wallace, the director of Firehouse, at the local basketball courts. Taylor didn’t own an instrument, and he couldn’t afford lessons.
But Eric said that wasn’t a problem. At Firehouse, Taylor learned new instruments and made new friends.
He discovered he loved Bob Marley and musical theatre.
And for the first time ever, he wrote and performed an original song.

(01:07):
It's a song about kind of opening up, realizing who I am. The chorus is like, “We are the rainbow, we are the fight, we are the ones who will stand up and unite.” In my mind, I'm not just singing to an audience.
I'm singing words that mean a lot to me. In my mind, I'm battling my past, every stereotype about me when I'm singing.

(01:30):
For a long time, Taylor used music to fit in.
But he says once he learned that music could be a place where he could be himself, it was a game changer.
I've done stuff I never could have imagined. I've overcame fears.
I've made my own song that's been in my heart for years on end. And I got to make that, so that’s awesome.

(01:51):
Arts Fell on Alabama is a production of the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
I’m Stefani Priskos. Thanks for listening!