Are you a performing musician/band/(comedian, even) ? OR do you have a loved one who is a missing person?
I know, most of you are thinking "What the heck do these two things have in common?" - right? Just stay with me, and I'll explain.
Years ago, I may have thought the same thing. My mother, Debra Ann Wilhite, was a missing person, it was something I'd lived with my whole life. On the flip side, I had been doing comedy at night the past two years and had been in the comedy industry for ten years. Incorporating these two things together had never even occurred to me... that is, until I met Jannel Rap.
When I first met Jannel, it was like we'd been brought together by a higher force. And I still do truly believe that is entirely the case.
Jannel Rap is a singer/songwriter/performer. Her sister, Gina Boss, was as well until October 17, 2000. Gina performed at an open mic in Lincoln, Nebraska one night. She left the pub that night and was never seen again. The next day her car was found across the street, her guitar and music was in the trunk of her car, and the trunk door was sitting ajar. Gina, however, was no where to be found. Today in 2011, this is still the case.
One of my strongest beliefs is that we are all to use what we are given. Jannel Rap is a prime example of this. After her sister went missing, she began profiling her sister, and loads of other missing persons, as well, within her music sets while she was performing. She later organized "G.I.N.A. for Missing Persons" - an organization that brings musical artists and the missing together, getting those who are missing who have no "draw" that the media covets, into the public's eye.
She then began "The Squeaky Wheel Tour" - and it became an INTERNATIONAL Tour with hundreds of different musical artists and hundreds of the missing were profiled. Local artists who only perform in their little home time could participate, national artists who tour across the country could participate... this allowed for many, many more missing people to get the attention that they deserve. It was perfect.
For anyone who is thinking profiling missing persons within their music set would "put a damper" on their performance, think again --- I did the first COMEDY show in this way, and it was great. People had an awesome time watching the comedians perform, and in between each comic, I profiled a different missing adult/child who was local to our specific area. It was an awesome show, AND people went away knowing they were also helping the missing. ---And this is how your show would be as well.
If you are a performer, please consider being a part of The Squeaky Wheel Tour.
If you have a loved one who is missing who you would like to be featured at one of the Squeaky Wheel events, OR you are a performer who would like to participate, please contact JANNEL RAP by visiting http://www.411gina.org/ or http://www.jannelrap.com/.
If you have questions or concerns that you would like to address prior to contacting Jannel, you are welcome to contact me directly at MistyLynnWalker@yahoo.com or on Facebook.
It doesn't matter if you are a cover band, a folk singer, a one man show with you and a guitar, a rock/pop artist, country, heavy metal... You can be a part of something so very big, that helps so, so many people.
Please, consider this.
Misty Lynn
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