The Song that Started the Over My Shoulder Project

Watch Patti Austin and Lianna Gutierrez sing the premiere of Over My Shoulder at the 2009 Power Girls Gala in Greensboro North Carolina.

Over My Shoulder is a duet written by Dawn Carroll, Charlie Farren, Brynn Arens and Barry Orms and sung by Grammy Award Winning singing legend Patti Austin and now 15-year-old singing sensation Lianna Gutierrez. The song is about inspiration, guidance and mentoring. It is about passing the baton to a younger generation. The real life mentoring effort that exists between Lianna and Patti has ignited a stunning conversation that started in Boston Massachusetts, which is historically known for its big ideas. The conversation is now reaching all over the nation encouraging all people to become a part of the Over My Shoulder Project, a national mentoring initiative that uses music to raise awareness about the impact of mentoring both cross-culturally and cross-generationally.

Whether older to younger, or younger to older… once again, it has been proven that mentoring knows no age. When great talents collide, we are reminded that without inspiration, education or support there is no evolving and without emotional sustenance, without a positive influence in our lives, we can become lost, disconnected and unstable as individuals and as a society.

Jimi Hendrix said it best. ” If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only be done through music.”

With so many complicated issues out there music may be the only tool with the unique ability to arouse great introspection and activism. That being said, we sincerely hope you will consider helping us rejuvenate the term mentoring, practice Mentorology, the art of mentoring, and join the Over My Shoulder Project.

Excerpts of this post originally appeared on Patti Austin’s blog (http://pattiaustin.com/over-my-shoulder-a-song-about-inspiration-guidance-and-mentoring-by-patti-austin-featuring-lianna-gutierrez)