Page 9 - Love-of-Music-Magazine-winter-2019

LOMM Staff Reports - Social Media Reports - Web
Music With A Message

Pastor Troy - True-To-Life Lyrics and Trunk-Rattling Beats
STLien raps faith to uplift youth

Stephon “STLien” Greenlee is a Through his struggles and realization
rapper who uses his gifts to bring of faith, STLien relates with youth
light to the youth of the world. of today’s society. “I feel that the...
Growing up in the inner city issues the youth face all fit under the
streets of South/West St. Louis, umbrella of social connection. The
he was exposed to gangs, drugs, idea of feeling accepted by others,”
and poverty. Stephon was raised he expresses in an interview via
in a single parent home with his email. “Social media has caused
mentally ill mother who, despite us to create an idol from it thus
illness, was able to raise him esteeming what others think about
and his older brother and sister. us over our self-perceived identity.”
Without a steady father-figure, Using rap music he focuses on the
he looked to television for role principles of not being ashamed
models. Eventually, he began Photo used with permission of The Gospel of Christ. He continues, “It is my prayer
to rebel against his mother, smoke weed, self-mutilate that the youth be delivered from people along with their
and contemplate suicide. His struggles continued into perceptions in such a way it enables them to embrace
his early-20s when daily prayer, Godly fear, change of
surroundings, and applied reading and learning gave who they are.”
him perspective of purpose as a believer in faith.

Sonderegger aims to unite communities, audiences through music

Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville, IL, The Love Your Neigh-
bor Project continued outreach with performances includ-
ing appearances on The Thread STL on FOX2, The Pascal
show and Metro Community Church.

Outside of The Love Your Neighbor Project, Sonderegger
has also spent time playing dueling piano bars and
supporting artists such as Anthony Gomes, Shannon
Nicole and the Well Hungarians. “Playing in bars,
churches, clubs, etc. has led me to believe…music has the
ability to bring people together...anywhere,” Sonderegger
Photo used with permission stresses. His experiences lead him to believe that spiritual
Singer/songwriter and worship leader Mike Sonderegger experience doesn’t need to be in a church. Instead, there
had a divine dream to help heal and unite our broken, is one defining element that music brings to the listener,
divided country and world by sharing love through music no matter the venue. He continues, “[Music] can help
and bringing people together through what has become heal and comfort. We aren’t that different. We all need
The Love Your Neighbor Project. A crowdfunded result- love. No matter who you are, where you are, what you’ve
ing EP has realized the original dream by reaching 54 done, love can change everything.”
countries around the globe. “It has been really wonderful The Love Your Neighbor Project music can be found on
to see and hear how our music, especially our song “Love iTunes, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer, Amazon and
Your Neighbor”, has been reaching people and helping Spotify, where they reached people in over 900 cities in
others in our community and world,” Sonderegger states. 2018 alone.
Touching local communities with a sold out show at The

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