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Writer's pictureSarah E. Mason

Portland Musician Launches Initiative to Chronicle the Life Stories of People through Song

Tiny Anthems Catalogues and Shares the Lives of Everyday People through Detailed Songs


Portland, Oregon (November 23, 2020) – Tiny Anthems, a Portland based organization, today announced the official launch of its personalized song service. Founded by musician Mike Long, the organization seeks to catalogue and share the life stories of as many people as possible. Partnering with Friends of Noise, a Portland based youth arts nonprofit, 10% of all revenue from the Tiny Anthems is reinvested into the community to cultivate safe, inclusive opportunities for youth musicians to make music.


A Self-described, modern-day Bard, Long started Tiny Anthems to tell people’s stories and bring levity to his community. With details provided by users, Tiny Anthems creates dense, hilarious narratives about ordinary people in their words. "It's a multi-instrumental, colorful way of sharing someone's story,” explained Long. “The songs are like a highwire act. I balance all the details, memories, and anecdotes shared then add my own embellishments and narration style."


The process begins with a questionnaire, via the Tiny Anthem’s website, designed to provide details about the subject/person of the "anthem". Once the questionnaire is completed Mike Long responds with a series of clarifying follow-up questions and composes an original "anthem" that musically captures this person. To date, there are over 120 Tiny Anthems and counting. The mission of the organization is to eventually establish a coalition of artists and organizations empowering social change through art.



"Commissioned for a couple’s 50-year wedding anniversary, as a gift. The song describes with humor and lightness some of their coming together story, and then each person has a verse where I call out some of the eccentricities that make living with their partner a bit challenging at times." --Mike Long, Founder, Tiny Anthems


"The songs are funny, but are ultimately sincere," stated Long. “I think everyone wants to see their life story played out in a much bigger, grander stage. I jokingly say that the songs are a way to ‘live forever’, but having a piece of art that celebrates your story, like a photograph that captures a picture of you, really does do that.”


At this critical time, Tiny Anthems is donating 10% of all proceeds from the original anthems into programs that teach and empower youth-of-color to make music of their own. Pricing and information on how you can be immortalized in a Tiny Anthem available on the website, www.tinyanthems.com




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About Tiny Anthems

Founded in 2017, Tiny Anthems is an artist’s undertaking to have ordinary citizens be immortalized in song. Using actual biographical information from actual strangers, Tiny Anthems composes, records, and sends users dense, detailed, and fleshed-out musical odes celebrating their loved ones. With over 120 sprawling, genre-spanning “anthems” composed, Tiny Anthems has the sole goal of telling the stories of our time in song. For more information visit www.tinyanthems.com


Footnote

So many cool things have happened since this original post. Tiny Anthems is a big hit, creating anthems for so many cool people, celebrity spotlights, philanthropic missions. Find out more @ www.tinyanthems.com


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