Dear Friends

I just thought I would let you all know not only have I recently been able to hear Jon Peter Lewis' new single Break The Silence, but I have reasons why I feel it is so important for everyone to listen to this song. Of course, through my promotions and sending the song around to people before I even got a chance to hear it myself, I'm sure (or I hope) many people I've sent this to already realise this, but not only is Jon's new song beautiful, but I feel it is a very important song as far as self-healing and potentially saving lives is concerned.


Yes, I've finally been able to hear Break The Silence. I tried to buy the download the other day, but for some reason Amazon. com won't allow people outside the US to purchase downloads. They must think Australia is on Mars or something...

Not only that, but my computer isn't always reliable when it comes to downloads. It frequently freezes and stalls when I've tried in the past, so I didn't bother anymore.


I really wanted to support Jon and buy his song, so our good friend Paula bought me a download and sent it to me via E-Mail. I am grateful of course, but disappointed I couldn't buy the download and support Jon myself. Still it was a lovely gesture from Paula and I do owe her so very much for her kindness.


I was doubtful as to whether the song would come through, and after several days of trying to open Paula's attachment, it finally decided to give me a break, and work! I still haven't been able to make the music video work properly, and the sound quality of the mp3 wasn't all that great.


No offense to Jon or Paula of course, the poor audio has nothing at all to do with the quality of his song, it's more a case of my computer not wanting to be too generous - so the sound came through a bit wonky. Don't you just love machines...[*that was sarcasm by the way*]

I can't wait until June when Jon's album comes out so I can buy it and hear all the songs perfectly.


Other people can keep their computer multimedia, give me hardcopy CDs any day, at least they work when you want them to, not when they feel like it!

After all that, you're probably wondering how I feel about Break The Silence...well, I LOVE it! It really is a beautiful song and I am so grateful to Paula for sending it to me.


Also, this song hits home on a very personal level for me. A few years ago, before I got sick and had all that trouble with depression, I kind of had feelings for someone I went to university with, but because of severe shyness, I couldn't bring myself to "break the silence". I didn't think I was good enough and I didn't want to ever hurt them, so I kept my feelings to myself as I often do. We were friends and all, but after literally years of not being able to admit how I felt, this person went away to study in another state, and I never saw them again.


We tried to keep in touch via E-mail, but that's stopped now as well. It used to hurt more than it does now, as I've healed somewhat, but I still feel wistful and blue sometimes, wondering what might have been. I wish I had been able to "break the silence" then, even if my feelings weren't reciprocated, that would have been a lot better than not knowing at all and wishing for something that could never be.


I don't know how many of you have ever had the same experience with someone you've had feelings for, but the way Jon wrote and sings the song, the emotions and feelings really come across strong. Once again, he manages to deliver a very powerful song that could be personal for so many people. I strongly believe a song like this could really help a lot of people who will listen to the song, realise how important it is to not let shyness or self-doubt keep you from your true feelings, and avoid the mistake I made, that sadly many people make.


I have another friend - in England - who is going through the same thing, and I might suggest to him that he needs to buy this song (and album), because I really do think Jon's music can help soothe people's shattered emotions, and perhaps even save lives. I know from personal experience that depression can make you wish you were no longer around.


Songs like Break The Silence can be very healing so people will know they're not alone, and that life does go on and that someone somewhere really does care for them, even if it's not the one they had their heart set on.


I have many favourite artists, but it takes a rare quality in a musician to actually reach inside people, especially me. Most times I generally try to keep my deeper feelings to myself. Before Break The Silence, other songs which helped me a lot through my own personal experience are Debbi Peterson's What I Meant To Say, Belinda Carlisle's cover of the Disney Hercules song I Won't Say I'm In Love, and others with the same theme.



More recent songs which evoke the same theme as Break The Silence include Lucy Lawless' own composition Never Pass This Way Again which, as Lucy herself said on the concert DVD before she sang the song, is about "not letting that girl - or that guy - get away when the right one comes along, because they might never pass this way again".


Sorry to seem over-emotional, but this song really struck a chord with me. I hope nobody thinks I'm weird or anything, and I hope I'm not making anyone feel uncomfortable. Normally I don't go around telling people my personal details, and I usually make a point of never asking - or answering - personal questions.


I hope that doesn't sound cold or unfriendly, I try and be as friendly and bubbly as I can, and sometimes I'm even a bit of a goofball, but most of the time I am shy and reserved.


I just wanted you all to know how it makes me feel knowing how much of a positive impact Jon is making with his music, and how grateful we - the fans - are that he is dedicated to his art and willing to share himself through his music.


Cheers, Mikey

glad you were able to hear the new song, Mikey! you are just going to have to save up for a new computer...lol. can you save the .mp3 to disc or anything? maybe that would help.

you're right that it is a lovely song. from the comments i've seen on the web a lot of people have a similar reaction to it as you do. i've heard a lot of 'it's so beautiful - it made me cry!' responses. and, yet it's still optimistic, not a downer at all. i love songs that display complex emotions like that and jon is great at bringing out those subtleties with his vocals.

quote:

Originally posted by Mishtat:
glad you were able to hear the new song, Mikey! you are just going to have to save up for a new computer...lol. can you save the .mp3 to disc or anything? maybe that would help.

you're right that it is a lovely song. from the comments i've seen on the web a lot of people have a similar reaction to it as you do. i've heard a lot of 'it's so beautiful - it made me cry!' responses. and, yet it's still optimistic, not a downer at all. i love songs that display complex emotions like that and jon is great at bringing out those subtleties with his vocals.

I will try and aim for that new computer someday, Mish! As for what you said about saving mp3's to disc...could you please repeat that in English?

Just playing with you but I wouldn't even know where to begin to save anything to disc or "burn music" (I think that's the right terminology). My computer skills leave much to be desired, and we won't even talk about my Maths skills...


I hope I didn't come across as overly sentimental or mushy about my feelings toward the song. I don't want anyone to be made uncomfortable by anything I say. I do tend to just blurt things out when I am feeling moved by something. That's another side-affect of being shy - sometimes things get bottled up and they have to express themselves somehow.

Cheers, Mikey

This song has a chilling, hypnotic effect on me every time I hear it! Jon's tone is spellbinding, love this song and the video too. We need to "Break The Silence," and tell everyone about this wonderful song and Jon's amazing talent. All in due time-I am sure!

Hey Guys

I just received a reply from my friend in England, who I recommended Break The Silence to. I think we have another JPL fan, and I'm hoping my friend Chris will post here at Jon's forums someday. He's kind of shy like me, but very goodnatured and a lot of fun - plus he's a He-Man & She-Ra, TMNT, Xena, and Thundercats fan like I am, and he's a HUGE fan of The Beatles, and many of the English bands of the 60s/70s that you all mention you love, which Jon also loves. He would fit in well here, my friend I mean. Jon's already one of the gang - in fact, if it weren't for Jon, we wouldn't have a place to hang our hats, kick off our shoes, and gasbag together.

Anyway, here's Chris' verdict of Jon's song:


****Thanks for the heads-up about all this - I checked the song out on YouTube and it's awesome! What I shall probably do is keep an eye out for it to turn up on the iTunes store (which it isn't at the moment) and when it does I'll probably download it from there. I can definitely see how it relates to both of our situations - have the lyrics been posted up anywhere? I did a Google search and couldn't find them, it would be great to read them as a couple of the lines on the YouTube video are a bit hard to make out...****


I sent him to YouTube because he doesn't currently have a MySpace account and might not have been able to access the music video the way we can. I don't know whether the song is available at iTunes or not, since I'm not a customer there. If it is, I'll let Chris know.

Cheers, Mikey