- Hello, everybody.

I'm Satori Shakoor.

Welcome to "Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove", where Detroit's talented artists take the stage and share insights into their performances.

This episode, curated by "20 Front Street", brings a trio of fantastic singer-songwriters.

First up are the enchanting sounds of Olivia Dear.

(gentle music playing) ♪ We made our house a home ♪ ♪ Where memories don't hug no ♪ ♪ They just hold you close ♪ Followed by the magnificent Trey Simon.

♪ 'Cause we can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Baby I won't let us fall ♪ And then, the brilliance of Aaron Lewys who brings us the beats.

♪ Don't make me say it twice ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time yeah ♪ So let's get started right here right now on "Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove".

- [Narrator] Funding for "Detroit Performs" is provided by the "Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation".

"The Kresge Foundation".

"The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan".

"The A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Foundation".

"The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs".

"The National Endowment for the Arts".

"The DeRoy Testamentary Foundation", and by contributions to your PBS Station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(instrumental music playing) - Hi, I am here with Scott Loudon of "20 Front Street".

Hi.

- Hi.

- Welcome to "Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove".

So you are the owner of "20 Front Street"?

- One of six owners.

- One of six owners?

- Yeah.

- And your part was in designing a unique space?

- Yeah the design is kind of a fusion of a control room of a recording studio meets an amphitheater.

It's a 92-seat venue, has brick protruding out and it's lit.

And it's just a really creative artistic space.

- [Satori] What kind of events do you have in there?

- [Scott] We have mostly singer-songwriter type artists from international, national, and at times bands, full bands, and folk bands, and jazz bands and we've done classical stuff in there, all kinds of stuff.

- [Satori] And who are the three performers we're gonna hear today?

- [Scott] You're gonna hear Aaron Lewys, you're gonna hear Trey Simon, and you're gonna hear Olivia Dear.

- [Satori] Can you tell me a little about each performer and why you chose them?

- Yeah.

I'll start with Trey.

He's just a really sacrificial person.

- [Satori] And very talented.

- [Scott] So talented.

It's amazing.

- [Satori] And what about Olivia Dear?

- [Scott] First time I saw her, I'm like "Wow, where'd you come from?"

And she has a full band that she plays with too and they're all equally as brilliant as she is.

And Aaron is a guy that he'll come in just blow your mind, literally blow your mind.

Especially with his killer band and amazing backup vocals.

- [Satori] Oh my goodness!

- [Scott] Yeah, he's a genius.

- [Satori] So where is "20 Front Street" located?

- [Scott] "20 Front Street" is located in Lake Orion, Michigan.

- I definitely wanna come down there.

- I would love that.

- How would the viewers find you?

Where would we go?

Are you inside or?

- Yup, we have www.20frontstreet.com and we have a schedule of events, and you can see what concerts are coming.

- Thank you so much Scott for being here and talking with us shedding light.

And now we're gonna head to the stage and see Olivia Dear.

(guitar music playing) ♪ Woke up in the middle of the night ♪ ♪ 'Cause I don't sleep so well with you so far away ♪ ♪ When this rock is the better of me ♪ ♪ It's nice to know that some things never change ♪ ♪ You've been running at the speed of light ♪ ♪ Haven't slept since last July ♪ ♪ And I've been saving up but I'm still spent ♪ ♪ So someday soon we'll have enough for a house on a hill ♪ ♪ Or a corner light ♪ ♪ And it'll all be worth it ♪ ♪ I'll want a house a home ♪ ♪ Where memories don't hug no ♪ ♪ They just hold you close ♪ ♪ And every day we wake up ♪ ♪ We're just glad to know ♪ ♪ I've got you you've got me ♪ ♪ We've got these four walls ♪ ♪ To call home ♪ ♪ We'll call it a home ♪ ♪ Called up in the middle of the night ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know you're awake ♪ ♪ Somewhere far away ♪ ♪ My head gets ahead of itself ♪ ♪ It's nice to know you're still in front of me ♪ ♪ Five years and still going strong ♪ ♪ And our baby runs through the yard ♪ ♪ We're so young and still growing up ♪ ♪ But just look how far we've come ♪ ♪ We made a house a home ♪ ♪ Where memories don't hug no ♪ ♪ They just hold you close ♪ ♪ And everyday we wake up we're just glad to know ♪ ♪ I've got you you've got me ♪ ♪ We've got these four walls ♪ ♪ To call home ♪ ♪ We'll call it a home ♪ ♪ If the door comes off of the hinge ♪ ♪ All the paint comes off of the walls ♪ ♪ Brick by brick by brick by brick come stumbling down ♪ ♪ We'll let them fall ♪ ♪ 'Cause we made this house our home ♪ ♪ Where memories don't hug no ♪ ♪ They just hold us close ♪ ♪ And everyday we wake up we're just ♪ ♪ Happy to know that I've got you ♪ ♪ You've got me ♪ ♪ We've got these four walls ♪ ♪ To call home ♪ ♪ We'll call it a home ♪ ♪ I I I I I I ♪ ♪ We'll call it ♪ Hello everybody.

I am sitting here with Olivia Dear, singer-songwriter.

And as you just heard how enchanting, and transporting her voice, her performance was.

And did you write that one?

- [Olivia] I did, that's an original called "Brick Story."

- Can you tell us a little bit about the story?

- Sure, it's kind of fitting that it's for "Detroit Public TV", because I was hired to write the theme song for a TV show that was being filmed here in Detroit that highlights historic buildings and homes and tells the story of every person that's been through the facility, as well as just the story of the structure itself.

- [Satori] And when did you know that you could write songs and wanted to do that?

- [Olivia] Oh goodness!

I think I was about 12 years old when I wrote my first song.

I've been studying opera because my grandma studied opera and I wanted to be like her.

And then one day I was like, I'm sick of singing other people's songs.

I wanna write my own, sounds easy.

(both chuckle) So I gave it a go and it wasn't easy, but I've been doing it ever since.

- [Satori] What's challenging about writing a song?

- [Olivia] Honesty is the most challenging part about songwriting.

Being honest about the situation that you're speaking of.

You can write about something made up, it's whatever you wanna write about but, for some reason when you tell the truth, it makes what you're making 10 times more powerful.

So it's been tough to just be unbiased and honest sometimes.

- So when someone commissions you to write a piece as they did with "Brick Story", what is your approach?

- Sometimes with a commission or when I'm writing for TV and film, it can feel more puzzling than actual songwriting.

Like I'm calculating the song, but the art sneaks into it.

With that one, I just knew it needed to be about what it meant to make a house a home.

What it meant to make a building into a home and all the things that went into that.

And so the idea that I thought of was like, even if we took away the brick and the paint and everything, at the end of the day we'd still have you and me and the structure is us.

That was the concept behind it and it just sort of becomes that.

- [Satori] I enjoyed talking with you today.

I wish you every success.

- [Olivia] Thank you.

- Thank you Olivia Dear for being here, and now we're going to the stage to see Trey Simon.

(guitar music playing) ♪ I know that we've had our rough times ♪ ♪ Lately things haven't failed right ♪ ♪ Don't forget the words that I pledged ♪ ♪ On our wedding day to my last breath ♪ ♪ We had so much to fight for ♪ ♪ I hate that I left you all her soul ♪ ♪ I'll do anything ♪ ♪ To make it right ♪ ♪ One last day on the front lines ♪ ♪ On the front lines ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Baby I won't let us fall ♪ ♪ I know we're standing on the edge ♪ ♪ But we're stronger than this ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Baby I'm still standing tall ♪ ♪ And I know it still hurts ♪ ♪ I won't make it worse ♪ ♪ Baby just reach out and grab my hand ♪ ♪ Our love will never end ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Honey just think about our kids ♪ ♪ Don't want them to see and stand like this ♪ ♪ Let's push through when things get rough ♪ ♪ Show them the meaning of true love ♪ ♪ I work so hard to gain your trust ♪ ♪ I know my words don't mean much ♪ ♪ I'll become the man that you dreamed of ♪ ♪ Prove it to you just watch me love ♪ ♪ Just watch me love ♪ ♪ 'Cause we can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Baby I won't let us fall ♪ ♪ I know we're standing on the edge ♪ ♪ But we're stronger than this ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Baby I'm still standing tall ♪ ♪ And I know it still hurts ♪ ♪ I won't make it worse ♪ ♪ Baby just reach out and grab my hand ♪ ♪ Our love will never end ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ If I have to leave and put all that we've built behind me ♪ ♪ I will I will ♪ ♪ We can rise and be everything that we've dreamed and more ♪ ♪ If you will if you will ♪ ♪ 'Cause we can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Baby I won't let us fall ♪ ♪ I know we're standing on the edge ♪ ♪ But we're stronger than this ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Baby I'm still standing tall ♪ ♪ And I know it still hurts ♪ ♪ I won't make it worse ♪ ♪ Baby just reach out and grab my hand ♪ ♪ Our love will never end ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ We can do the impossible ♪ ♪ Just you and me ♪ ♪ Just you and me ♪ ♪ Oh honey we can make it ♪ ♪ Darling we can make it ♪ ♪ If we try if we try ♪ (soft guitar music playing) Oh I am so excited to be sitting here with Trey Simon.

You just heard that beautiful performance that he did.

Tell us about the song "Impossible" and where that inspiration came from.

- "The Impossible", it's one that's really dear to my heart because, my parents split when I was 14 years old.

And, just being a young kid especially becoming a teenager and everything, I put a lot of blame on myself about it and really "The Impossible" birth from a prayer, and I was really praying I said, "God, can you give me a song that would bring my parents back together?"

And then it evolved over time about really serving the purpose of, maybe serving as an anchor for marriages to hold on to the fight, the good fight to get through.

And then hopefully something that could spark love between two people and build into a marriage.

So it's definitely a song that serves marriage.

- Wow!

And did you feel that songwriting helped you through that difficult period of time?

- Absolutely!

As artists and singer-songwriters, it's really our life experiences that fuel everything.

It's our way to cope.

It's our way to grow.

It's our way to build.

It's a way to turn the pain into something that's beautiful.

Turn the excitement into something that can be shared with others.

That's everything.

That's where all my songs come from.

- What are your plans for the future?

What do you see as a future?

- For the future, I just got married, so I know there's definitely - Congratulations!

- Thank you so much.

There's some love songs coming from there for sure.

So I'm really excited just to share more of my journey through life and my experience and really write songs of hope for people.

And I think that involves more touring, more traveling, definitely more music being released, and having my wife there to experience it with me.

- [Satori] Thank you Trey Simon for being here with us today.

You are truly an inspiration.

Look for your bright future ahead.

And now we're going back to the stage to see Aaron Lewys.

(instrumental music playing) - I wrote this song for you girl.

I hope you like it.

It goes like this.

♪ You know you're wasting all my time ♪ ♪ With your word play on my mind ♪ ♪ Instead of being all talk ♪ ♪ I think you should pack up and walk ♪ ♪ You know I'm tired of your games ♪ ♪ You think you have control of my brain ♪ ♪ I'll give you my best advice ♪ ♪ You don't want to pick this fight ♪ ♪ You think I want your love ♪ ♪ But you're nobody I can trust ♪ ♪ So I'm warning you just go ♪ ♪ Go go get out of my life yeah ♪ ♪ I think you had your fun ♪ ♪ But now it's time to run ♪ ♪ Don't make me say it twice ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ ♪ I put up with you for too long ♪ ♪ So I bid you farewell with this song ♪ ♪ You did your dirt when I found you in his shirt ♪ ♪ And now I wound up hurt ♪ ♪ You think I want your love ♪ ♪ But your nobody I can trust ♪ ♪ So I'm warning you just go ♪ ♪ Go go get out of my life yeah ♪ ♪ I think you had your fun ♪ ♪ But now it's time to run ♪ ♪ Don't make me say it twice ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo get out of my life yeah ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo get out of my life yeah ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo get out of my life yeah ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo get out of my life yeah ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ Shoo shoo shoo ♪ ♪ Please stop wasting all my time ♪ ♪ You think I want your love ♪ ♪ But you're nobody I can trust ♪ ♪ So I'm warning you just go ♪ ♪ Go go get out of my life yeah ♪ ♪ I think you had your fun ♪ ♪ But now it's time to run ♪ ♪ Don't make me say it twice ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ (drums beating) Hold up!

Hold up!

Hold up!

Sometimes you don't hear right, right?

- They don't.

- So you gotta say it in a different way, just so you could get your point across.

- [All] Yeah - So can you help me on this?

- [All] Yeah!

- All right, so we go 2, 3, say, ♪ Goooo ♪ ♪ Goooo ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Gooooo ♪ ♪ Gooooo ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ So bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye bye bye bye ♪ ♪ You think I want your love ♪ ♪ But you're nobody I can trust ♪ ♪ So I'm warning you just go ♪ ♪ Go go out of my life now ♪ ♪ I think you had your fun ♪ ♪ But now it's time to run ♪ ♪ Don't make me say it twice ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Stop wasting my time ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ Now you want me to be nice ♪ ♪ Too bad you didn't get it right ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ ♪ I don't want you in my life ♪ (instrumental music playing) Bye girl.

- I am thrilled and excited to introduce Aaron Lewys.

Can you describe your music?

- I think my music is soulful and fun.

I definitely have gospel roots, grew up in the church, my grandfather was a pastor, and we moved to Connecticut with him and started singing at the early age of two.

So singing has been all I've known, and so I'm also a lover of music.

So I love tying in so many different influences and genres into one.

I'd say that my first instrument is vocals first.

And so that has been like the way that I tell stories.

- And do you arrange the songs and vocals and everything?

- Yes, I arrange the songs, arrange the vocals, and normally it starts with me at my house and I'll have this idea, and then I'll go and have a little voice memo, and then I'll drop that voice memo into my computer and I'm like, "Lemme try and spice this up a little bit" and creating background vocals and just imagining what would the band play.

- [Satori] And the performance that you gave, what was the name of that?

- The name of that song is "Stop Wasting My Time."

And really it's just a song about, it's not necessarily just relationship-based.

Sometimes there's a lot of distractions, and a lot of people in your life that will play mind games on you, trying to manipulate you and twist you around their finger, and it's just a song that's joyful saying, "I realize what you're doing now", and now I'm gonna say "Stop wasting my time" very kindly and politely.

And if you don't get it, I'll say it again.

Just so you understand, I'm not gonna waste my time fooling around with you when I have so many dreams and aspirations that are ahead of me.

- What is the message that you wanna leave with audiences and just your own spiritual or your own brand message?

- I think my brand is vulnerability.

And so my hope with every performance, whether it's a high energy or really intimate, heartfelt, me kinda crying at the piano type vibe, I want you to feel that authenticity, and that vulnerability and be able to hear the story, not just through the lyrics, but through the emotion in my voice and through the emotion that's playing through the piano or whatever instrument I'm playing.

- Thank you so much Aaron for being here.

- No thank you, it was my pleasure.

I'm so happy that you guys reached out and had me be here, its awesome.

- Alright.

Thank you for being with us, on "Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove".

"20 Front Street", we appreciate you for sharing the musicians we heard today.

I am definitely going to follow them into their bright futures.

Make sure to join us next time on "Detroit Performs: Live from Marygrove" where we promise to engage you with amazing performances right here.

See you then.

- [Narrator] Funding for "Detroit Performs" is provided by "The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation".

"The Kresge Foundation".

"The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan".

"The A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Scott Foundation".

"The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs".

"The National Endowment for the Arts".

"The DeRoy Testamentary Foundation".

And by contributions to your PBS station, from viewers like you.

Thank you.

(instrumental music playing) (piano playing)