"In my elementary school music class," writes Marisa Frantz, "we sang folk and folk-pop songs from the 1960s and '70s. It was my first exposure to singer/songwriter style music. I didn’t know it at the time, but a deep understanding of how music connects people was being developed in my own life. In my teen years, the music of the folk rock revolution continued to inspire me. This is when I picked up a guitar for the first time and began writing melodies of my own. The music that defined a generation acted as a catalyst to allow young artists like myself to explore music in a new way. Bands were saying important things. They were expressing feelings that evoked both uncomfortable and wonderful emotions. Young singer/songwriters like myself saw a whole world of possibilities through the lens of this generation’s music. As a little girl, I may not have understood the political landscape of what was happening in America at that time, but I felt the importance. I felt the gravity of the words being sung. I felt the artistry that was being communicated through the melodies and rhythms. It greatly shaped who I am as an artist today. When I hear the haunting piano melodies of "Sad Lisa" by Cat Stevens, I feel the heartache of my first break-up. When I sing the words, “the answer my friend is blowing in the wind,” I open myself up to the pain of the world. When I hear the crash of the snare drum in "The Boxer", I feel the rebellion of a generation. I can’t always put my finger on why a song speaks to me, but when it does, it moves me. Tonight's collection of songs do just that."