by Liz Curry
photo by Javier Herrera
The city of Dallas is filled with aspiring bands and independent music, and it can be difficult for musicians to rise above and be noticed. Titanmoon, a local indie rock band, is no stranger to this struggle, and their name alone is a symbol of their unique approach towards music and philanthropy.
Titan is actually one of Saturn’s 15 moons. However, it differentiates itself by being the largest and orbiting in the opposite direction. The name Titanmoon perfectly describes the group’s local and global mission because like Titan, they do not gravitate in the same direction as their peers. Instead, they use their talent and position as a means to do greater, more impactful things.
Their music is filled with beautiful melodies and soothing guitar riffs. They also incorporate exotic elements such as a mariachi band, a German opera singer, and a Moroccan soloist. Lead singer Tyler Casey describes their lyrics as, “feelings that everyone can understand. Concepts like forgiveness, anger, embarrassment and love.” These simple emotions can translate into any language or culture, and helps them connect with every audience on a personal level. Their song ‘Shine on Down’ is a prime example of how they have chosen to overlook stereotypes and hatred and simply “shine on down, love, and turn the world around,” guitarist Rene Floyd explains.
On the last day of September 2009, Titanmoon bravely took flight overseas to share their music with the world. Their international music tour began in Pakistan, and nothing could have prepared them for what they would encounter. Greeted by machine guns and barbed wire check points, Floyd describes the adventure. “The whole place looked like it had been bombed.” By the end of his twelve day stay he was amazed by the people’s attitude and recalls them being “happy, jovial people that treated us with respect and dignity.”
In Pakistan they were privileged to meet the Mayor of Karachi, Mustafa Kamal, and the President of the Karachi Stock Exchange, Zafar Moti, and with these and other connections the band embarked on a much larger mission. Inspired by the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson, the band felt a calling to make a difference in the current school system in Pakistan. After using their title of “American Rock Band” and performing concerts and making TV appearances on shows such as MTV Pakistan and ARY Musik, the team finally got the response they needed to work towards opening an orphanage a few miles outside of Karachi, Pakistan. They will title it Inshallah House, which translates to “God Willing.”
The orphanage will be funded by wealthy Pakistani’s, and Titanmoon is proud to be the catalyst for some of the unused charity dollars currently in Pakistan. The band has been offered $150,000 to fund the first five years of Inshallah House. Floyd explains, “The money is not trickling down to the people who need it…You can have all the money in the world, but if you don’t have good relations with the people in the area that you are trying to do something with you will never get anything done. We decided to cut through the red tape, go over there, meet the people ourselves, and actually do something on a realistic level.”
And now they are working on the plan to make Inshallah House a reality. Casey enthusiastically states,
“The people running the school would be Christians, and the guys funding it are Muslims. That’s a huge deal to get Muslims and Christians to work together.”
And a huge deal it is. The orphanage will house, feed, and educate ten boys and ten girls in the beginning. This act of pure kindness will impact these impoverished children tremendously, and will forever change their lives.
Their generosity does not stop there. They traveled to Dubai and then to Japan to share their talents with other gracious and welcoming cultures. After learning that Japan has one of the highest suicide rates, their original undertaking was to be connected with suicide prevention resources and schedule discussions at schools and local community centers. Unfortunately, a big budget cut in Japan occurred before they arrived so they were forced to improvise. After each show, lead singer Tyler Casey used his gift of words to provide hope to a discouraged culture, and each band member gave their own personal gift of optimism and understanding to their fans after each performance.
Following a show in Nagaoka, Japan, Casey said to the crowd, “People are people are people,” and that resonates in their hearts and minds while it also flows through their music. Drummer Trey Ware further explains this by stating, “On a global level, it’s about loving people that are different than you that aren’t actually different than you.”
The bottom line is simple. This group of selfless, humbled individuals is struggling to find the funds to journey back to Pakistan and complete their unfinished mission. Casey pleas, “What needs to happen, for real, is we need to go back this year and it would help to have some backing. If there was someone in Dallas that would say, ‘Hey, we believe in what you guys are doing and have already done. Here’s some help for your plane tickets, hotel, etc.’”
It’s inspiring to witness pure selflessness in a world filled with individuals who so often forget the less fortunate world that surrounds us. Not only will their lives be enriched from this goodwill mission, but the lives of others around the world will be forever touched by their generosity.
For more information visit www.titanmoon.net
How Can Dallas Get Involved?
The Basics:
– Go to iTunes and buy your favorite songs
– Join them for their live shows and meet them face-to-face
– Buy their new CD We All See Stars
Above and Beyond:
– Donations small and large will make an impact
– Band Sponsorship
– Help raise $20,000 this year so they can go back to Pakistan and fulfill their mission for Inshallah House
