April 17, 2020
To a favorite band, the joy givers
Dear Isaac, Taylor, & Zac,
It’s been 23 years since I was introduced to all three of you and your music and there hasn’t been a day that’s gone by when I wasn’t grateful for that moment in my life.
I was 12 years old and in 6th grade. It was around April 1997 and my class was going on a field trip on a bus. I don’t remember where we were headed but I do remember the bus ride because that’s when one of my best friends handed me this CD single with a bright yellow cover. “MMMBop” by Hanson it read along with a photo of three young long-haired kids on it. “You have to listen to this,” my friend told me as she explained to me the song was from a new band that was out and handed me a CD Walkman to play the single. I looked down at the CD and wasn’t sure what to expect but followed my friend’s instructions. The seconds before I pressed that play button were the last moments I lived not knowing who Hanson was and little did I know, that with one click, my life was about to change forever.
The second I heard the first beats of “MMMBop” my entire mood changed. It hit the heart and I think I sensed this wasn’t just a song, but a song that would lead me to a band that would make a huge impact in my life. I can still picture the moment in my mind. I had the headphones on and was bopping to this new tune while looking out the window of the bus. I was very impressed and thought, “Wow this is so catchy and upbeat. What a great song.” Yellow was the perfect color for the cover of the single because the song was like sunshine the second it played and I know for a fact that’s the reason it became such a hit. I ended up listening to “MMMBop” over and over on the way to our field trip and on the way back and I didn’t want to give it back when the trip was over. But I did, and immediately went out and bought a copy for myself.
It wasn’t long before I bought Middle of Nowhere and declared myself a fan of your music. I would listen to the album over and over again and introduce it to everyone I could because I couldn’t keep a record that good to myself. The album was full of fantastic songs, some of which helped me through some tough moments in my life. As a kid/teen, I suffered from a social anxiety disorder that made it hard to make real friends and “Weird” seemed to describe how I often felt during that time. I was also the youngest of six kids and was the only one living in the house in those days, so I was alone a lot and that song helped me to feel like you guys understood the difficult loneliness I was going through. “With You in Your Dreams”, which was dedicated to your late grandmother, was also another stand-out song for me because I had unexpectedly lost my dad to a heart attack a couple of years before, in 1995, and the lyrics to that beautiful ballad reminded me that he would never really be gone. Thank you so much for sharing that personal song on your album and for helping people, like me, who lost loved ones too.
There are bands we like, and then there are bands that change our lives, and you guys changed my life during that first year of knowing you and beyond. You became my favorite musicians and you still are to this day. I’ve followed your career since the first moment I heard your music on that bus, and the many songs you wrote joined me for a lot of joyful times and comforted me in a lot of tough times. My first concert ever was the Boston concert on The Albertane Tour and I’ve seen you guys at many, many shows in various states, joined you for many walks, and even attended the 10-year anniversary recording for Middle of Nowhere in Tulsa in 2007. It was an incredible experience to be sitting right there in the small room with you guys and listening to you play the first album that changed many things for me. I’m so grateful for that opportunity and I thank you for holding such a nice and intimate event for the fans who stuck with you.
You guys were never a fad to me. I’m not the type of person who gravitates towards what’s popular so becoming a fan at first was a little surprising for me since you guys were very popular at the time. It initially made me a bit reluctant to buy your first major label record, but luckily I took the chance and did so anyway. The music spoke and I had to listen. I had many friends who also loved you guys in middle school and the beginning of high school, but they quickly changed their interests based on what was popular. Not to sound like I’m bragging, but my loyalty to you guys never wavered and the music you kept putting out, although not on the Billboard charts, was still incredible. Staying your fan and ignoring other manufactured “boy bands” that many people seemed to replace you with is the best decision I ever made and it was an easy one because it was from my heart. Although I was no longer considered part of the “cool” music group, I couldn’t help but feel like I knew this amazing little secret that none of the others knew because your music continued to be epic and real, and they were missing out on every part of it.
It still makes me laugh when I come across people now and they’re like, “You love Hanson? They’re still together?” Although I politely answer, “Yes”, I really want to say, “Of course they’re still together, what did you expect? They’re a real band with a real passion for music. I’m in no way surprised that they’re still standing while all those other put-together bands ended a long time ago.” Not to bash other music, but it makes me laugh when I see how many “reunions” those other boy bands have had over the years while all the while you guys have remained together and continued to put out song after song. I feel very lucky to have had the musical taste I had and that my lucky stars brought you guys into my life. There are not many bands of my generation who have the same heart and soul when it comes to writing songs and playing music and all three of you are truly a gift to the music industry.
Your music not only helped me emotionally, it also literally helped me get into the college of my choice, Emerson College in Boston, in 2006. I was looking to transfer there from a smaller college and had to come up with an essay on something or someone that’s impacted my life. I chose you guys and wrote about the impact you made. So, thank you for not only your music, but for your help in getting into a school that would help me better my craft as a writer, which is the career I have now.
I consider myself to be a spiritual person and I realized that some of your songs and events seemed to match up perfectly to situations in my life over the years and I don’t think any of this is a coincidence. Just to give you some examples, “Me, Myself, and I” came out at a time I was going through a very tough breakup and the lyrics fit exactly how I was feeling. That song helped me through that difficult process. I had also moved from Boston to Tucson, AZ, where I lived for a couple of years, and you guys happened to book a concert in Tucson a few months after I moved, even though you had never really played a show there before. I sadly lost my pet in 2013 and you guys had a concert I had already had tickets for two days after his passing, and it was exactly what I needed to get some comfort while feeling the hurt. And most recently, I found out a good old friend of mine had passed away the same day you guys found out about your friend Adam Schlesinger’s passing and Isaac happened to come on Instagram Live within minutes after I found out, and sang a beautiful rendition of “Hallelujah” and it helped to ease the pain I was feeling as I sat there in tears.
I’ll never forget every incredible moment I’ve had with you guys. From first meeting you in person backstage at a show in 2003 to getting a response from you guys in MOE Magazine back in the day to being a part of your music video for your song “Lost Without Each Other” during one of your Boston shows in my college years, your music has always been there and like so many of your other loyal fans, I feel like we’ve grown up together even though you don’t know every one of us personally. There’s a connection that could never be replaced and it’s been such a privilege to watch you guys get older along with me and see the transformation your music has made.
I couldn’t ever possibly express how much I appreciate all three of you in one letter since I only have so many words, but I hope this helps you to understand the difference you’ve made in my life, just one life out of so many out there. I truly believe coming across your music that fateful day way back in 1997, was exactly the way things were supposed to go because you guys have become such a huge part of my days and I couldn’t imagine my life without your music in it. Thank you for putting yourselves out there and taking a chance on music, for following your hearts and going after what you love and sharing it all with us. Whenever any of you may be having a bad day or going through something difficult that may drain your inspiration a bit, just remember that you have many people out there cheering you on and appreciating you no matter what.
Most of my family and friends know that I love you and I’ve had many of them tell me that they think of me the second they see or hear anything having to do with you, and it always warms my heart. I am so proud to be a “fanson” and I promise to be in those crowds cheering you on for the rest of my days. Thank you Ike, Tay, and Zac, for giving us all a song to sing and for sticking with what you believe in, even if it means walking away from a major record label and starting your own label. So here’s to hoping the haters will find the kind of love you’ve brought out in me and many others. I’m sure all your fans will agree with me when I say that we’re the ones who really care and in the end, we’ll be there.
I’ll leave you with the words of Mentor Williams from his hit song “Drift Away”:
“Thanks for the joy that you’re giving me, I want you to know I believe in your song. Rhythm and rhyme and harmony, you help me along, making me strong.”
With so much love,
