CaseyMcQuillen

Biography

Standingonstageinfrontofacrowdedauditoriumofstudents,CaseyMcQuillenbareshersoul.Shedoesn’tsimplysinghersongs;shetalks.Andshetalksalot.Thisisn’tyourtypicalpopsinger/songwritertellingasweetstoryaboutherlovesongs.Caseyisayoungwomanwithamessage:youarenotalone.Shespeaksaboutherexperiencewithbullying.Shespeaksaboutherstruggleswithanxiety.Shespeaksaboutherdesiretofitin.She’ssincere,andeachtimeshecompletesaperformance,she’schangedlives.Throughhermusicandherconcerts,Caseyisvulnerable.Hersongsareaboutself-confidence,beinglonelyandfallinginandoutoflove.It’sanhonestaccountofherlife,andit’sempowering.Asarecordingartistwithasolidfanbase,Caseyusesherstatusasarolemodeltohelpothers.Whetheronstageatamusicvenueorperformingforstudentsintheirschools,sheinspiresheraudience.Caseydidn’tsetouttobecomeananti-bullyingadvocate;itjusthappened.Whatbeganasafavortoaformermiddleschoolteachersnowballedintoapieceofhercareerthatsetsherapartfromherpeers.ThesongsCaseywrotealoneinherroomatthirteenbecamethefoundationoftheseschoolperformances.The“YouMatter”TourisaninteractiveconcertthatallowsCaseytoconnectdeeplywithstudentsaboutbullyingandself-confidence.Sheis,simply,asingerwhohasaneffectiveprogramaboutself-love.“Ihavenevermeta15-year-oldwhothinkstheycameoutofmiddleschoolunscathed,”explainsCasey.“Itissohardtoholdontoself-confidenceatatimeinyourlifewhenyouhavesomanyinsecurities,whetheritbeaboutyourappearance,yourgradesoryourfriends;it’suniversal.”Casey’sgoalistohelpstudentsdefinetheirownsenseofselfworth,regardlessoftheopinionsofothers.Theymightnotbeabletocontrolwhathappenstothem,buttheycanrejectthenotionthatitdefinesthem.Caseygivesthesechildrenavoicethroughhersongsandstories.AformerSeason13contestantonAmericanIdol,Caseyusesherappearanceontheshowtohighlightthisideaofself-doubt.“StudentsarealwayssoexcitedthatIwasonAmericanIdol.Atthebeginningofthe“YouMatter”Tour,theyperceivemeasfamous,confidentandsuccessful.ButasIwalkthemthroughmyexperienceontheshow,theystarttoseeitfrommyperspective.TheyseethepressureIplacedonmyself,myfearofdisappointingeveryoneIknew,andtheshameIfeltforbeingcut.Bytheendofthestory,theycanseehowmyinsecuritiesdistortedmyperceptionofreality.WhenIfinally

recognizedthisduality,thesuccesseveryoneelsesawandthefailurethatIsaw,IrealizedthatIwasholdingmyselfbackbecauseIfearedwhatpeoplewouldthink.Ithinkthestudentsdealwiththesesameinsecuritiesonadailybasis,whetheritbeauditioningfortheschoolplayorrunningforstudentcouncil.It’salluniversal.”Caseywalkedawayfromthatexperiencewithnewconfidenceandherownversionofthegoldenrule:It’snotjustabouttreatingothersthewayyouwanttobetreated,it’salsoabouttreatingyourselfthewayyouwouldtreatothers.“YouwouldneverjudgeyourfriendforonlymakingJV,wouldyou?”Caseyasks.“You’dthinkthatwasawesome.Sowhydoyoujudgeyourselfthatway?”Attheendofeachperformanceonher“YouMatter”tour,Caseysings“Beautiful”–thefirstsingleoffofhernewEP.Itfocusesonaspecificmomentintimewhen,at17,shelookedinthemirrorandnoticedeverythingshewishedshecouldchange.Thatsecretbeliefthatlifewouldbebetterifonlyshewerebeautifulstilloccasionallyhauntshertoday.Caseysharesherpersonalstoriesbecausesheunderstandsthatbeinghonestaboutheremotionaljourney,bothonthe“YouMatter”tourandinhernewEP,allowshertoconnectwithherfansandspreadanimportantmessage:youarenotalone.

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