A Conversation With Lizzie Sider – HuffPost 10.8.14

Mike Ragogna: Lizzie, you’re a young, emerging country artist with hits such as “Butterfly” and “I Love You That Much.” What drew you to help promote bullying prevention?

Lizzie Sider: The topic of bullying has always been close to my heart, because of my personal struggles with it in school when I was younger. That will always be a part of me and so will those emotional scars, but with time, as crazy as it sounds, I have learned to appreciate it, because those experiences have played a huge role in making me the person I am today. I am happy to use what I have learned from my experiences with bullying, to help others who may have their own struggles with it; whether they may be the victim, the bully, or the bystander. “Nobody Has The Power To Ruin Your Day” has become the theme of my Bullying Prevention School Tour, which is what my dad told me one day, walking out the door on my way to school. Its message is that throughout life, the world and the people in it are going to do whatever they want to you, but you are the only one who can decide if that is going to knock you down or get in your way of moving forward. It applies to not only kids, but people of all ages.

MR: Do you have any personal stories about bullying?

LS: I was verbally teased and bullied by my peers in my elementary school years, and that was hard for me. I remember coming home crying, quite often, and begging my parents to homeschool me, because I didn’t know what to do or how to handle it. I didn’t fire back at those who were being rude to me, because I didn’t believe in that. Over time, I learned that the most affective thing for me to do was just walk away and dismiss it, and it changed everything. “Nobody Has The Power To Ruin Your Day.” You know, bullying happens in every school. I truly loved my elementary school–my teachers and my friends especially–and some of my best childhood memories were made there. I just happened to be the target of the teasing. Why, I’ll never know, but I don’t care to know. Possibly it was because I openly showed my love for music and singing, and that came across as “weird” and “different” to the other kids.

MR: What stories have you heard that are cautionary and inspiring with regards to bullying in schools?

LS: When I leave a school after an assembly, my connection with a lot of the kids and adults who were there, continues through social media. I get so many emails and messages from the students themselves, teachers, superintendents, principals, parents…telling me the kind of impression my assembly, and my personal presence, left. Some students have written to me to tell me they were bullies before, but not anymore, and others have told me how I inspired them and how they have developed a different outlook on life. With the older kids, I have even been told that I have saved a life. To know that what I am doing is really working, gives me the most humbled, blessed, and awesome feeling.

MR: What have you learned by participating in the anti-bullying campaigns?

LS: Having the opportunity to tour schools around the country has been truly amazing. I have met so many wonderful and inspiring people, and I’ve visited with about 100,000 kids so far, which is something I am still trying to wrap my head around. Since beginning my anti-bullying assemblies, I have been able to witness, over and over again, how powerful a message can become when everybody is supporting it together. One of the key parts to my assembly is the finale, which is my original song “Butterfly.” Even though I wrote it with my personal experiences with bullying in mind, it is a song to inspire anyone who has dealt with any hardship to spread their wings and fly, and be proud of who they are. Music has a unique way of connecting with people on a deeper level than anything else, and when the kids and I sing it together at the end of the assembly, you can feel that strong sense of unity.

MR: You were labeled as an “Artist To Watch in 2013.” How did you react to that when you hear?

LS: It was a cool moment when I found out that I was named an “Artist To Watch” by the CMA. Knowing that I was recognized by the country music community, with that honor, was the most humbling part.

MR: You’re working with producer James Stroud on your debut EP. How’s it going?

LS: Yes! I recently finished recording my new EP in Nashville with James, and the whole experience was fantastic. James and I just “click,” so it almost seemed like we were inside of each other’s minds when it came to how we wanted to music to sound. He is a genuinely great guy and very creative. The new music sounds amazing and I am so excited for everyone to hear it!

MR: What’s your creative process like, writing and recording?

LS: When I’m writing songs, both by myself and with others, I tend to write the music and the lyrics together. To me, that’s the best way to make a song really make sense; you feel everything out as you go. I can write a song in two hours, or it can take me two weeks- leaving it for a while, and then coming back to it, fresh. I’m also the kind of writer that when I write a song, it’s done. Most of the time, I don’t go back and make revisions. One of my favorite things to experience is the song getting taken to the next level, to production. Hearing it all come together in a big way for the first time, is really cool. When I record the vocals on a song, I am always focused and I am very in-tune with my body. That said, there’s a LOT of fun and goofiness that goes on too. My secret to keeping my voice strong and clear is……. coffee. Tip: try to have decaf, when at all possible.

MR: What made you get into music?

LS: From a very young age I have loved music, both listening to it and being the one creating it. My parents are not musical, but we have a strong appreciation and love for it in our home, so I grew up surrounded by it, in that sense. When I was six years old, I was in my first musical theatre production, and that was really what did the trick and made me realize that entertaining and performing was what I wanted to do. At that age, I started to take piano lessons, which I absolutely loved. Then, when I was nine, I began writing songs. A few years later, I picked up the guitar and pretty much taught myself. When I was thirteen, my parents and I made our first trip to Nashville, and that sparked something else in me, that has lead me here. Through the years, I have come to understand more and more, how happy it makes me to make others happy, doing what I love.

MR: What advice do you have for new artists?

LS: The world is filled with so much incredible talent, it blows my mind, and there are so many people who want to make a career out of their talent. In my case, my goal is to be somebody who, in fifty years from now, is known as an individual who changed the world and who is an icon in entertainment and good-doing. From what I have learned, a major factor that separates those who are successful from those who are not, is work ethic. If you know that this is what you want to do, then go for it! Give 110% always and never let anything or anyone stand in your way. Are there going to be discouraging moments? Of course. There will be lots of them. But the climb is really what it’s all about. And be yourself. That is the most important thing. You might feel pressured to change who you are for the sake of your success, but staying true to yourself, and working hard, will earn you success, every single time.

MR: What are the plans for the next couple of years?

LS: Honestly, I don’t know what the next couple of years will bring. I am so focused on all that is going on right now, that I am only thinking a few months out. I am looking forward to finding out, myself!

MR: Will you be continuing your anti-bullying work beyond these latest efforts? Do you have a bigger plan or picture regarding that?

LS: Anti-Bullying is an important issue to me, and I am very pleased with what my efforts have accomplished already. I am all about being a positive role model and I do plan to continue to be a voice for this cause.