Tori Allen at JBJ's Nashville

Tori’s music is not “Main Stream” as many want to see or hear. She has a talent for taking music to a different level, where adversity challenges the best of us in the lives we lead. She has a vocal deliverance that you cannot walk away from- maybe because it’s so fresh, you don’t exactly know how to process it in your mind. You just know it often brings a smile to your face. As we walk about in our everyday lives, lyrics come back to us. Like the line, “Was it something I did or something I said?” Or “I run out of things to say when you turn away. The silence kills me everyday.” And these poignant words- “My whole world turns upside down, and there you are. “Safely on your ground.” While not knowing the origin of these lyrics, we really don’t care…these are experiences we have all dealt with and will continue to do so, and the words resonate with us. As time unwraps this calendar of life, we all have things in common- and that’s our hearts. “Well, maybe this time it’s real” or” This one’s for me.” For the most part, we don’t want to be reminded of days past or what went wrong. It is a sensitive place that is private for most of us- yet still there and real as time itself. In many of Tori’s songs, she reminds us of these challenges and defeats-with one thing remaining- life’s hope. In spite of pain, her beautiful and persevering heart pushes her onward. “She stands up; She moves forward.” Really, lessons for us all. There is no question that Tori is a superstar, looking for a place to shine. It is no longer a question of where or how…it is when. As I see it, it’s like wondering when South Padre Island is going to be just a ruin of seagulls. We all know it is going to happen…we just don’t know when. Tori is unique. In a crossover from Heavy Metal, Classical, and then Folk Guitar, she grew up in it all. Her father was a heavy metal freak and still is to this day. Her grandfather was a 40’s hit on a ukulele until his death in 1985. He Uncle Ed was a percussion nut who played with passion and a-joined with humor. He captivated audiences with his simple charm and laughter. All this rolled up into one individual: 1 + 1 = 2 = 1 + 1 = 4, or does it = 1? The gene pool has no chance against algebra! Me, being a math proficient person could break this down into numbers and still come up with the answer: it all still equals 1. Tori has challenged herself to do it all. Besides writing and composing her own music, she has dabbled in movie scoring. Recently, she was given one shot at working with an animated feature by Aaron Quinn called The Sunshine Makers, a tale of bringing light into darkness. Again, the heart is at the center of meaning. Hope becomes threatened in darkness, and the only weapon of defense is bottles of sunshine, made straight from the homegrown factory. The black crow warning system, the arrows of death, and the skulls of the dark lose as the Sunshine Makers bring tranquility to the world. Tori added her own interpretation of sound effects and music to this film, bringing smiles and positive feedback from its viewers. As a result of her success on this endeavor, the producers offered her a job as sound director on all their up and coming films. For a seventeen year old musician- singer/songwriter, not even out of high school, this is a great opportunity! As Tori moves up the ladder of fame, she will bring the youth beneath her in a most humble way. While she earned a Leadership Skill and Outstanding Performance Award in 2009 from the Round Rock ISD Board of Directors, she does not rest on her laurels. She has lofty expectations for herself and others. As her high school’s orchestra president, she recently stated, “We are all going to have to face the music…We are going to have to work…This is not a simple credit; I expect great things from everyone. They will work, or they are out!” Words from a true leader who will not be satisfied with anything less than making her orchestra the “top of the line.” Tori is passionate about her music. She encourages all individuals to pick up a musical instrument and make it sing. “Singing is not just by the voice, it comes from your heart, and everything you bang on, every note you suddenly hear from those turtle shells can be music to someone’s ears. Never, ever forget that!” Tori summed up her emotions when she told me, “Music is my life…I need it like oxygen. Without it, I would die inside.” Yes, Tori Allen is headed for great things. She has too much to give of her heart through her music not to succeed. And there will be much for us to learn and remember. She is Indie and has no label yet.