Jan 17 Five For Friday 1/16/15

1. Medical Stuff:

• 3 Days of Home Rehab. On Monday, my ribs were taped and I needed my neck brace. On Wednesday, I didn’t need anything to support my body. EDS and POTS are just plain weird and confusing sometimes.
• I saw Larry on Monday. I was really hurting when I got to the office. He must have done something magical, as only Larry can do, because as the week went on, I started to feel like I could hold my head up again without my hand or a brace.

2. Live Love Michigan presented us with a $760, Life as a Zebra Foundation check on Friday, from our partnered, Hold on to Hope campaign. Thank you to everyone who ordered zebra apparel. You are the reason we now have more funds to support invisible illness awareness and research. We are very grateful!

3. I will be glad when we get through next week with my kids. This month has been all about testing, so it has been hard to find time to teach a lot of new lessons. They have been troopers though, and I do have to say that it has allowed me to really observe how far they have come with developing independence in the classroom.

4. A HUGE thank you to everyone who nominated me for WEGO Health’s, Health Activist Hero award! I am very touched! The three most endorsed nominees will become finalists. This is where we now need your help! If you believe in what Life as a Zebra Foundation is doing and what it stands for, please consider endorsing me, (and therefore, Allie and LAAZF, because it is after all, a major team effort)! It takes 2 seconds…You just click the link below and the endorse button is under the picture! Thank you, thank you, thank you again!

TO ENDORSE: https://awards.wegohealth.com/nominees/205

5. Last week I spotlighted Noah Guthrie, one of our benefit concert performers this year. This week it is Chris Trapper’s turn. Chris has been with Life as a Zebra Foundation from the beginning. He has been one of our biggest supporters and his music and his way with a crowd is incredible. Here is more about Chris:

Chris Trapper began his career as the front man for late-90’s alternative rock band The Push Stars (Capitol Records). With four CD releases and several high profile national tours –– including a run with Matchbox Twenty –– The Push Stars served to establish Chris as an authentic talent. As a modern day singer–songwriter, Chris is most known for his song, “This Time,” the #1 selling song on the Grammy nominated soundtrack for August Rush (Robin Williams, Jonathan Rhys Meyers /Warner Bros Pictures).

The new CD (released October 18, 2013), Technicolor, is a collection of 17 songs written and performed by Chris Trapper. This new work was produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Brad Young at BKY Music, Boston, USA. Focus tracks include the title track “Technicolor” and “Northwest Sun” and “The Accident.”

Chris Trapper’s music can best be described as lyrically driven roots–pop with a knack for telling everyday stories filled with extraordinary characters.
“Every record tells a story. For me, much more than gimmicks, my albums are like diary entries, or truthful accounts of where I’m at in life. I suppose that might be the same for most songwriters, but in the spectrum of the music business, it’s still an animal that’s nearly extinct.” ~Chris Trapper

“His humble sense of humility is what makes Trapper’s songs so strong… He makes you feel like you are the person he’s singing about.” ~Popdose

The New York Times calls his work “classic pop perfection.“

A prolific songwriter, Chris can boast high profile film placements including There’s Something About Mary (Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz), The Devil Wears Prada (Meryl Streep), Say It Isn’t So (Heather Graham), and Gun Shy (Sandra Bullock, Liam Neeson) as well as significant television placements including All My Children, Women’s Murder Club, Malcolm In The Middle, a coveted placement in George Clooney’s final episode of ER, the theme song for WB Networks dramedy Pepper Dennis and a cameo on-screen appearance with the show’s star, Rebecca Romjin.
A respected songwriter of the highest caliber, Chris has written 7 songs with/for Canadian band Great Big Sea, including their #1 single “Sea Of No Cares” from the certified-platinum Sea Of No Cares CD. Great Big Sea covered Trapper’s song “Everything Shines” and their version served as the debut single off their certified-gold Road Rage CD album. Chris’ songwriting collaborations with Great Big Sea earned him two prestigious SOCAN awards. Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty and Antigone Rising have performed other notable versions of Trapper’s songs.

Chris Trapper’s ability to craft songs that are both elegant and accessible is evident on each solo CD in his deep discography. There is a smart, honest quality to the lyrics that never panders.
Trapper’s live show is a favorite among fans of alt–acoustic music. His onstage persona is warm and inclusive, his organic understanding of classic pop melody infectious. Audience members seem to particularly appreciate the lighthearted moments with the ukulele. They depart the venue at the end of the evening with the sense of having been truly entertained.

“It’s an incredibly rare musician, particularly in the world of popular music, who is able to forge a career based on quiet dignity and steadfast integrity.” -The Buffalo News

To learn more about Chris Trapper, please visit: http://www.christrapper.com