On October 14th, 2021, My Voice Music’s founder and Executive Director, Ian Mouser, died while pursuing his dream of cycling across the United States. Ian was a brilliant visionary, leader, musician, and story-teller. He devoted his life to inspiring others; to use music and creative expression as a means of finding one’s authentic voice and connecting with others. Ian believed in the power of music. He believed and trusted in the creative process; in its ability to alchemize some of our most painful experiences into empowering ones.

Like Ian, we believe in the healing power of music and its ability to bring us together, and share in our common humanity. We’d now like to invite you to write a song for Ian, as an apt way of honoring his life and vision. Songs will be published to an album on the My Voice Music Bandcamp page and shared with the MVM community.

How to write your song

This project is open to the wider MVM community — students, partner orgs, local artists, families, staff, friends, old bandmates, classmates, etc — to write and create your own song for Ian. Here are a few suggestions of types of songs you could make:

  • An original song inspired by a memory, poem, drawing, photo, story, etc

  • An original song you have already created that reminds you of Ian

  • A cover that reminds you of Ian

  • A cover one of Ian’s original songs

New to the songwriting process? Our team of professional musicians can support you in creating an original song following our Let’s Write A Song Together process. Send us your inspiration (memory, lyrics, drawing, photo, a voice memo or recording, etc…) to info@myvoicemusic.org and our team can write and record a complete song based on your inspiration. Based on availability. Please allow 2-4 weeks to create your song if requesting support from our team.

There are no rules or limitations to this process. All you have to do is trust, begin, and see what unfolds. As Ian said:

 

“Trust yourself. Trust your ability to adapt to changes. Trust your intellect and your intuition. You have earned your own trust. Believe you are capable more than you believe you aren’t.”

 
 

How to record your song

  • You can write and record your song on your own and send it to us

  • You can write your song on your own and record it in person at MVM Studios

  • MVM Teaching Artists can help you write and record your song in person at MVM Studios

  • MVM Teaching Artists can write and record your song remotely using inspiration you provide

    Email info@myvoicemusic.org to request support from MVM Teaching Artists to create your song (please allow 2-4 weeks to create your song), or book time in the studio to record your song. Support and studio time based on availability.

 

How to submit your song

Please upload your completed song here. If you are requesting support from MVM Teaching Artists, please allow 2-4 weeks to create your song.

  • Songs will be published to an album on the My Voice Music Bandcamp page and shared with the MVM community.

  • If you would like your song to be included in the Bandcamp album anonymously , you can use the “Artist Name” field to list a pseudonym or simply write “Anonymous”.

  • If you would like your song to remain private and heard only by MVM staff and Ian's family, let us know in the submission form in the “Permissions of Use” section.

Ian’s MUSIC

We invite you to enjoy this curated collection of Ian’s original music: