We are thrilled to announce that Next Step participant and cancer survivor, Grace Van Dyck, will appear as a special guest of the Community Conversation tonight at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA, held after the much anticipated performance of the off-Broadway musical, The Lion. Ms. Van Dyck will perform her original song, “True Colors Shine” and answer questions from the audience regarding her own experiences as a cancer survivor. The Lion starts tonight at 7:30pm.
True Colors Shine (TCS) is an original song written by Grace Van Dyck that speaks to the resiliency and courage she found because of and through her cancer journey. Diagnosed at 15 with a rare, adult cancer, she had to endure the pain of separation from friends and family, treatments, and the loss of the life she had known. Not bending to fear, she put what energy she had into the one thing cancer could not take away – her music. Songwriting gave her back her voice and a way to move forward in her life. TCS is Grace’s personal mantra and reminds her that it’s the challenges in life and how we move through them that reveal our true colors. This past year Grace found Next Step and our music therapy program, Song.Studio. Next Step’s music therapy program supports youth in writing original music that helps them realize and actualize life goals. The process of songwriting and recording provides a creative, viable way for youth to discover, develop and deliver their personal narratives – aiding them in realizing where they are today and where they can be tomorrow.
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