What musicians support TWLOHA?

TWLOHA receives support from numerous bands, especially in the indie/alternative rock genres. Leading musicians in this genre such as Aaron Gillespie of The Almost and Underoath, Stephen Christian of Anberlin, Bryce Avery of the Rocket Summer, Mat Kearney, and many more contribute through benefit concerts. These artists, on January 9, 2010, played a concert sponsored by TWLOHA in Orlando (twloha.com). The popularity of these musicians alone attract people who are either struggling with depression or looking to help people that are struggling. The concert, Heavy and Light, is dedicated in memory of Casey Calvert, a guitarist and singer for Hawthorne Heights who died a few years ago of unknown causes. His band had already been in support of the organization, and, after Casey’s death, they made shirts to honor him, which read: “Our hearts are heavy and light. We laugh and scream and sing. Our hearts are heavy and light” (twloha.com). Other bands, such as Paramore and Forever the Sickest Kids had t-shirt designs that benefited TWLOHA extremely positively. Lovedrug, an indie band, also created a slogan t-shirt which has become a motto for the organization. It reads: “Wake up. You’re alive, we’re on your side” (twloha.com). From the song, “Everything Starts Where it Ends,” Lovedrug have supported and appreciated everything Tworkowski and TWLOHA has done for the community. While the organization continues with their connections of the popular bands of the genre, Tworkowski has set his sights higher in the music industry, however. One of his idols, Bono of U2, does similar, humanistic promotions, and Tworkowski would love to “be on his radar” (Conny). Another band that correlates with the style and genres of TWLOHA’s followers but also is popular internationally is My Chemical Romance. Tworkowski looks forward to hopefully meeting Gerard Way and his band, as he feels there is common ground between them (Conny). The founder of TWLOHA comments on MCR’s song, “Famous Last Words,” and says that was a song the organization supported and promoted to followers. The theme of pushing through the pain of lost love rings throughout the song and especially in the chorus, “I am not afraid to keep on living/I am not afraid to walk this world alone.” An optimistic view after the realization that one is in pain is something that music can provide an injured soul, and Tworkowski stresses this importance in many of his interviews (Glock).