One Artist's Plan to "Right" Music

lisa birch

When Tiffany Deonna Martin says she's out to change the lyrical landscape of popular music, she's not just talking.

She realizes that every plan to make a paradigm shift starts with a seed, so she's been digging and sowing all over the place in the last several years.

First she co-wrote "Come Fill My Heart," which landed on the "Throne Room" album for Grammy Award-winning artist CeCe Winans. She also wrote songs with super producer Chuck Harmony (Chrisette Michele, Mary J. Blige, Celine Deon) and Jamie and Joni Portee (Michael Jackson, Out of Eden, INOJ), among others.

Then she released her debut record "Beauty Mark," featuring life-inspiring messages paired with the work of multi-talented, award-winning indie and major label producers.

And in addition to writing a book titled "Unscarred," reflecting her experiences and lessons learned in the music industry, she is also founder of Let's Right Music, an annual event created to benefit charities while helping to steer music in heaven's direction.

As Martin's roots continue to spread, the plan to inspire change in music grows healthier and stronger day by day. Let's Right Music is this season's freshest fruit...

What is Let's Right Music?
It's a movement to unite the music community to create and promote socially and morally responsible music for a purpose. The Let's Right Music event creates an environment in which we can do just that! In addition to live performances, we'll have a Re-Right showcase where pre-selected writers will be asked to re-write a cover tune to reflect a more positive message. We'll also have Right-on-the Spot, where all those in attendance can collaborate to write a song in support of our featured charitable cause. It's kind of like a staged studio session. Our goal is to redeem the power of music and return it to its true intent-to help others, to restore hope, to reinforce truth and values and exalt The Lord Jesus in the process. Nothing in music should go against God's Word, and it doesn't have to sound like what the world considers "Gospel." Music must however maintain integrity to the point where none of us would be ashamed for Jesus to walk in the room or ask to borrow our iPod earphones. Even better, our music should make Jesus want to use it to heal, deliver and empower. We want songwriters and artists to walk away with a renewed perspective and the courage to write with this in mind without compromising values or commercial viability. We want attendees to walk away refreshed and inspired, and those who benefit from the proceeds, blessed knowing that God loves them.

What sparked the idea for this event?
I look around and see a world of chaos, a world filled with utter confusion and instability, a world whose culture is starving for guidance, help, fulfillment and answers, a culture filled with youth who don't have strong family support and that struggles to understand what is right and wrong. Music has and will always be one of the most powerful tools that feed, direct and define our culture and shape our thinking and perspectives. Those like Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Earth Wind & Fire, many early Hip Hop pioneers and others back in the day understood that music was that of a feast served to empower, educate, equip, enlighten and encourage. Yet, too many of our songwriters aren't thinking much about what they're cooking and too many artists are careless about what they're serving nowadays. It's more about being on top of the world. It's more about making music to make dollars instead of making music that makes sense. We, the music community, need to take more responsibility.

Tell me about Tiffany Deonna Martin and how she arrived to Let's Right Music...
Well, I grew up in the south where everybody in the neighborhood knew your grandparents, your parents and all your kinfolk! Everyone in my community shared common beliefs and values, as well as authority to put us kids in check. As I've come to the point in life of having my own family, and am undertaking the massive spiritual and practical responsibility and privilege in caring for it and protecting it alongside my husband, I find that a lot of the "old school" was right! Yet, we've lost community and common purpose everywhere. Music is a community with a common language that everyone can experience and take something from. I see all those in music as a teaching community, and, being a songwriter and recording artist in this community, I understand that what we create fills gaps and meets all kinds of needs in many lives. I'd really like my daughter to enjoy more music without glamorized curiosity about kissing a girl or thinking stardom should be her life aspiration. You know, I don't want my son to think life and relationships with women are all about self, chasing money or superhero-style sex. Shoot! I don't even want grown folks to think this way (lol)! And since I want all this, and am partially responsible for what goes out there, I'm doing something about it. As a parent, I diligently educate and censor like crazy! As a Songwriter and Artist, I simply create music without compromise. I'm certainly not perfect, and I understand it truly takes a village. So as the organizer of "Let's Right Music" and the host of the event, I'm all about uniting the music community to act responsibly. And I believe in the power of the music community. We are more than singers. We are more than hot producers and writers. We are leaders... and leaders care about those who follow them beyond a buck.

What specific or personal convictions weigh on you heaviest and incite you to change music?
I truly care about the destiny of our youth. I have children and they are little computers, downloading everything around them. Also, my personal journey in music has allowed me first hand insight to the challenges in this entertainment industry. I've experienced much of the same issues others have, even as a Christian and even in dealing with Christians in entertainment...bad deals, stolen publishing, way less than perfect performances, loss of relationships, etc....few are ever exempt! But none of that matters really. What I've found to be the real issue is the inherent battle with self. That's how people get lost. It's by far the most subtle, yet ever so present battle that all of us face, especially those in music/entertainment. And "self" goes against the very nature of the God I serve. I share this in my upcoming book, "Unscarred," which highlights my own experiences with the goal to inspire and guide aspiring and established songwriters, artists, producers and entertainers.

So what charities benefit from Let's Right Music?
The four charitable initiatives involved are WeBOYZ, dedicated to helping care for boys of incarcerated Dads; The 1 to 100 Project, dedicated to caring for and feeding the homeless and hungry; Kingdom Education Alliance, dedicated to parent education awareness and making private Christian education affordable; and Family Life, dedicated to building healthy marriages and families. These were strategically chosen because each focuses on areas that are fundamental building blocks of a thriving humanity and society, and are perpetually challenged. Our emphasis in January 2010 is healthy families, and the core of healthy families is healthy marriages. 

Definitely music for a cause...
Yep, music has power and can make a difference, especially when aimed at the right things. So that night, the charitable initiatives will benefit from proceeds. Additionally we hope to directly bless identified families who are in need in the above areas, and drive additional awareness and support of these issues and initiatives ongoing. The "Right-on-the-Spot" segment of the event will allow for writers who attend to collaborate on a song inspired by real stories shared by these charitable causes. Again, we're making music with purpose. We want to make sure tangible results come from our work, and expect that everything that happens in and beyond this event will be divinely orchestrated.

Is the goal to focus on getting young songwriters to move in a more positive direction or to change the mindsets of adults in the industry?
Absolutely both. We want songwriters, producers and artists to walk away with a renewed perspective and the courage to write and sing with a purpose beyond themselves. We also want adults, especially parents, to become more aware of their responsibility to censor media and protect the innocence of young people's minds and hearts. All of us play a role in changing our world and "Let's Right Music" is an effort to begin to push the envelope to all who are responsible.

Who is Let's Right Music geared to attract and what genres of music is it open to?
We're open to all styles and genres of music, and Let's Right Music welcomes amateurs and professionals to participate in the music creating aspect of the night.