MySpace a place for friends

(Tuesday, October 28th, 2008)

Singer-songwriter Brad Wolfe and his band (Brad Wolfe and the Moon) have quickly risen from obscurity to garner one of the most passionate fan-bases of any unsigned group in Northern California; they have gained radio play on San Francisco's most popular radio stations, been featured repeatedly on Bay Area major network television, and impressively sold out headlining shows at some of San Francisco's largest national venues.   Yet, while the San Jose Mercury News declares that Brad is like a young Paul Simon or Cat Stevens, the audience's passionate connection to Brad Wolfe and the Moon runs much deeper than the music itself.  It's also about the amazing story of compassion behind Brad's career and about what the music of Brad Wolfe and the Moon has come to represent….

In 2002, Brad was president of his class at Stanford University and planning a career in politics. Though Brad had been writing and singing songs since he was 15, he viewed music as a passion and a hobby rather than a possible career ambition. But in May of that year, Brad's life path was forever altered by unexpected tragedy. His best girl friend, Sara, confided to him that she had been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare and often deadly form of pediatric bone cancer. Upon hearing this news, Brad committed himself to helping Sara in her difficult fight. He turned to his music and penned a song of hope for her. One night, Brad gathered a group of Sara's friends together at his parent's house and surprised Sara with his new composition, "Sara's Got a Sunbeam." The song became an anthem of sorts during Sara's illness and, for that evening, feelings of love and friendship overshadowed the heartache of Sara's disease.

As Sara's condition worsened and she became bedridden, Brad visited Sara in the hospital frequently. On one occasion, Brad brought his guitar with him and, at Sara's request, performed a bedside concert of his original songs. As Brad played, Sara's spirits suddenly improved. For those few moments, her pain actually seemed to diminish. Brad was grateful and was struck that his music had the power to make a difference in Sara's life. Thereafter, bedside concerts became a frequent scene at the hospital.

Sara's fight against Ewing's sarcoma was difficult, yet it was also inspiring. Her unwavering optimism and love of life moved not only Brad, but all those who knew Sara. Though Sara passed away at the age of 21, her impact on the world, on her friends, and on Brad was permanent. In her memory, Brad decided to pursue a new life path: he made a commitment to share his music with the world and to use his talent to make a difference in the lives of young people like Sara who are engaged in a fight against cancer.

With a new career direction, Brad put together a band of talented Bay Area musicians collectively known as Brad Wolfe and the Moon and entered the studio with the hope of recording a demo. As the project got underway and excitement mounted, it became clear that a demo just wasn't enough—the full LP, “Brad Wolfe and the Moon” had begun.

Multiple songs on the album, including fan-favorites “In the Middle of a Dream,” “Tall Grass,” and “Sara's Got a Sunbeam” were inspired by Sara, and as the album neared completion, Brad started thinking about a way he could use album proceeds to benefit young adults, like Sara, faced with pediatric cancer. When he shockingly discovered that there were no existing organizations that dealt specifically with Ewing's sarcoma, Brad knew what he had to do. Recruiting help from Sara's friends and family and doctors from Stanford University, he established the Sunbeam Foundation. Named after his song honoring Sara, the Sunbeam organizers aimed the foundation at spreading hope and raising funds for research and treatment of sarcomas, such as Ewing's, which affect children and young adults.

In 2006, Brad launched the album and the Sunbeam Foundation simultaneously, and the response to both since then has been overwhelming. NBC11, KGO radio, Gentry Magazine, and the San Jose Mercury have all subsequently run stories on Brad Wolfe and the Moon and the Sunbeam Foundation. Tracks from the album have received airplay on Bay Area's AAA station KFOG as well AC station Alice Radio, which featured Brad Wolfe and the Moon for an amazing 17 weeks in their Local Artist Spotlight.  The band has shared the stage with the Gin Blossoms, Rusted Root, Tim Reynolds, Anna Nalick, Howie Day, Missy Higgins, and Sara Bareilles. What's more, through Brad Wolfe and the Moon's music, the Sunbeam Foundation has received over $250,000 worth of donations and made significant grants to cutting edge researchers finding cures for rare pediatric cancers.

Brad has spent much of 2008 hibernating musically and focusing instead on launching Backlight.org, the central hub and network for inspiration on the internet. Part Chicken Soup For the Soul, part Facebook, and part YouTube, Backlight.org allows people to connect more deeply than any social network, and it helps uncover the subtle beauty in life..though the art, songs, films, photos, and random writing made by your friends...Visit the site now for an exclusive beta invitation. Brad has also found time to co-found www.hungryforobama.com, a viral dinner-party initiative supporting Change. In less than four weeks, over 150 dinner parties were thrown, and Brad headlined and hosted the big election night extravaganza at the Independent in SF!!!

Brad's humanity, his music, and his career have intertwined themselves into a powerful package that differentiates Brad from most musicians and allows Brad Wolfe and the Moon to reach listeners at their core. “I have so much wrapped up in my music and in what it represents,” says Brad. “It's not just about me—it's about life, the goodness of the human spirit, and about giving back to the world.”  So take a listen for yourself, and discover Brad Wolfe and the Moon.

FIND OUT MORE:
www.bradwolfemusic.com
www.backlight.org
www.sunbeamfoundation.org