The Mic Is Open For You

Grayson Kessenich

Bio

California solo artist GRAYSON KESSENICH blends melodic songwriting, personal lyrics, and uniquely intimate arrangements to create music that is fresh, memorable, and full of life. Upon moving to California from Vancouver Washington at a young age, Grayson began to delve into and fall in love with music and songwriting. Eventually, working with several bands, including Ives, Grayson began to refine his craft and gained much experience recording and extensive touring throughout the US. Playing hundreds of shows over the past few years. In the summer of 2008, Grayson released his solo debut EP, “Where Your Heart Is”. And in November of 2009 followed it with his highly anticipated full length record, “From the Treehouse.” Including songs like “Under the Moonlight,” “All Things New” and “Lights and Lampstands.” Grayson’s music has since been heard on shows like “One Tree Hill” and “The Lying Game.” Recently, he has spent much time touring and writing, finally releasing his powerful third studio record, “Imaginary World,” in March of 2011. With expectations for a new full length record to be released in 2012.

The Music Room

My sister and I started playing music together about three years ago. We had a room in our house called “the music room,” so we racked our brains for hours and decided that we’d call our band that as well. Genius, I know. I had been writing songs for a few years, but never showed them to anybody, not even Aimee (my sister, and lead singer in the band). I had written a song called “Cost of Believing,” thought it was cool, sang it for my mom, who thought it was cool because she’s my mom, and then never planned on playing it again. Little did I know that this song would be played and heard a lot more in the years to come. The Music Room is now a toddler of a band, just three-years-old. We are about to record our next album titled “Wolves Without Teeth” and are going to donate all of its sales directly to Courage to Be You so that they can build more homes for rescued girls. In a sneaky way, we’re trying to be more like Christ by losing our profits before we ever see them. We found that if we forfeit our right to claim anything up-front then it’s easier to allow it to be surrendered once the money starts coming in. I’m trying to apply that same mentality to life in general.

Google Inc. has donated $11.5 million to 10 organizations working against slavery and human trafficking. One of these 10 organizations includes International Justice Mission (IJM).

Interesting Facts [according to CNN article]:

- “According to estimates by grant recipients, Google’s support will free an estimated 12,000 people from slavery”

- “The bulk of the donation, $8 million, will go to two coalitions led by IJM in India”

- “In addition, $1.8 million will go to the U.S. Anti-Trafficking Initiative”

- “Since launching the CNN Freedom Project in March, CNN has broadcast more than 200 stories and a half-dozen documentaries on the issue of human trafficking and modern-day slavery.”

- “Nearly 2,000 people have come out of slavery, either directly or indirectly, as a result of those stories.”

 Be sure to read the article and stay up to date with the proactive energy being invested into this crucial fight!

The night included a meal cooked for free by a renowned Napa Valley chef, a handful of words from Courage To Be You [C2BU] president Jenny Williamson and music by the band The Music Room, whose profits from their newest CD will be donated to C2BU.

While this event may look like just another fundraiser put on by a large organization, the reality is that it came together through the heart of an 11 year old girl. Sydney Jones is a Loomis resident whose family has become deeply involved with C2BU and Courage House- C2BU’s licensed safe house for rescued victims of sex trafficking inNorthern California.

Jones and her family began working for Courage House a year and a half prior to this event. Her parents desired to get involved with teenagers their entire life and finally went through the training required to interact with rescued girls.

Jenny Williamson and Sydney Jones at Spaghetti Feed

Growing up around this shared passion between her parents, Jones eventually adopted those feelings as well and God blessed her with a burden to raise funds to assist Courage House. “Through time God has just spoken to me about making this night happen…”, she said.

Jones, by no means, put on this event all by herself. Raley’s grocery store sponsored the event and one of her dad’s clients chipped in as well. Enough funding came through to allow every penny of profit directly benefit Courage House. Jones was quick to give all that glory to the Lord: “…He has put so many people in my life to make it happen.”

This fundraising dinner was not just a big event that spurred excitement and activity for Jones; it was a response to feelings of sympathy for sex-trafficked girls, many whom are the same age as Jones. “Just seeing these girls, I constantly want to do something just to raise money and raise awareness, just to get these girls out of the street and into a safe home”.

Sex-trafficking is a complicated concept and even Jones’ acknowledges its complexity: “It’s been a little hard for me to wrap my brain around it”. Jenny Williamson expanded on the issue in order to shed light on the shady subject that many are ignorant to.

Williamson was exposed to the issue four years ago in a discomforting manner and was not able to continue on with life knowing of the perversion happening all around her. Her testimony was spectacular and full of stories, but every word she spoke was narrowed down to one statement: “We’re inviting you to join us in changing the world one individual at a time”. Ignorance was no longer an excuse by the time Williamson finished her speech.

Many of the attendees had not arrived to the dinner ignorant of the issue. In fact, some had even experienced this perversion in their own lives. Joyce Warner, an 83 year old lady from Auburn has lived her life publicizing the issue and doing what she can to protect girls at risk. Her passion stems from the experience she had as a young child.

At 18 months old, Warner says she vividly remember being molested on a regular basis: “I can tell you where they laid me, where exactly they stood and what they did”. Warner went through the foster system through childhood, but during her middle-age years, she lived in the Bay Area where she had a safe house for rescued girls.

Eighty-one years later, Warner can still recall her pain and is battling against the perversion that caused it, while Jones, at age eleven, has just begun the fight.

The Music Room: http://www.facebook.com/entertheroom

Courage To Be You: http://www.couragetobeyou.org/

Is This Really Going To Work?

I still often have to stop and scratch my head. Is this really working? Are there really too many
volunteers for an 84 person schedule? Are we really already one year into this movement?

This January 22nd is an important day for the Origin Coffee family. In many ways, much more important
than January 22nd of last year. Last year, Mark and I stood on top of the counter, Mark proclaimed
words of freedom, hope, and fighting. The shop was standing room only. People spilled out into the
side walk. I hopped down from the counter and served drinks for the next four hours before the line
shrunk back inside the door. It was an amazing day. Filled with expectation, hope and resolve. But also
filled with a lingering question, will this actually work?

Opening Day 2011

That is what makes this year’s celebration so unique. It is working. And it is growing more effective.
The Origin Coffee family wants to invite you out to hear all that has happened in year one of a
generational fight against sexual slavery. And there is much to share. This year has blown us away. It
has been more difficult than we expected and more impactful than we had dared to hope.

So come and hear. Take a deep breath, cheer, drink a $2 mocha, and celebrate with us. Then, we will
get back to the selfless sacrifice that is Origin Coffee.

…tell them we’re coming…

Chad Salstrom

Opening Day Crowd

Anniversary Day Schedule

2:00 pm: $2 Mochas for everyone starting at 2pm lasting all day

4:00 pm: Come celebrate with us as we share stories from our first year in business

8:00 pm: Live music featuring The Music Room , The Reel, and Josiah James

Event Info Here

According to California Against Slavery, 100,00 to 300,000 American minors are at risk of being exploited in domestic sex trafficking every year.

California is currently failing when it comes to protecting children against sex trafficking. That is why the C.A.S.E. (California Against Sexual Exploitation) Act has been composed.

Coming To Origin Coffee

This month we have some great musicians coming out to share their talents and their music with us.You are going to want to see and hear Fate Under Fire live! Here is one of their videos in case you haven’t already heard them.

Chelsea Hughes

Chelsea Hughes @ Origin Coffee

Lauren Coppage

Lauren Coppage Live @ Origin Coffee

The Mic Is Yours

Love Is ...... ?

I grew up in the forest reading poetry to myself and the birds and the deer.

Autumn Sky is an award-winning, multi-instrumentalist indie-pop singer/songwriter from Sacramento, CA. At twenty-two years old, she has been playing to the crowds of Sacramento for just over four years and garnered much local acclaim for her lively and engaging shows, as well as her debut EP and album, Diminutive, Petite EP (2007) and All Which Isn’t Singing (2008.) A local indie darling in her hometown, her dynamic shows (for which she, also a talented visual artist, designs and constructs matching stage sets,) have gathered an intensely loyal following and reviews such as “the brilliant splendor of the vocals held the audience captivated and gave me goose bumps,” (Laura Winn, The SF Examiner, 2009.) Her unique style mixes pitch-perfect and deeply emotive vocals with indie and pop sensibilities, setting her apart among a sea of singer/songwriters with a mix that manages to entice both young and old with catchy hooks and carefully crafted lyrics. She is based out of Sacramento, CA.

Finishing off the night with an acoustic set will be Kingdom Band. These guys ROCK but they are going to show us a lighter side this Saturday night.