LTTS Exclusive: Keaton Simons - A Few Notes On Change

Keaton Simons, a musician that has shared the stage with Coldplay and grew up with the guys from Maroon 5, is no stranger to the world of celebrity. So what inspired this provocative singer/songwriter to speak about the importance of raising a child?

Keaton Simons was raised in a family that believed in making a difference. “I have always had an awareness of charity since I was a child. My mother (Eliza Roberts) has always been involved with charity, particularly those to do with child abuse prevention. So it is something that I have always had in my life and been aware of. I have always wanted to do something to make a difference.”

Simons believes that the key to making a positive change in the world today is through educating parents on how to raise their children and through the prevention of child abuse.

“If you think about all of the other charities, they can all be profoundly affected just by an awareness of the prevention of child abuse and the importance of raising your child in an environment of love and compassion.”

This is the philosophy taught by The Natural Child Project. The concept of educating parents to raise their child with a “loving and respecting approach to raise a happy, trusting and confident child.” Keaton not only supports and embraces this philosophy but is now also the voice on the audio books, The Natural Child by Jan Hunt.

Keaton believes that if more people would get involved to build awareness, that it would make a dramatic change in society and we would see a decline in violent crimes and behaviors. “It will take a really committed movement. It is a self-perpetuated machine. Once you get the ball rolling, it is rolling. The change will continue to occur through a pattern that will correct itself.”

The gifted songwriter also believes that having this kind of education can drastically change the way a person functions as an adult and deals with adversity. He believes so many people have the wrong idea about how to address children’s difficult behaviors.

“What doesn’t kill you CAN make you stronger if you allow it to. For many people they don’t know how to channel it and it makes them weaker and makes it more difficult for them to survive. It is important that you give recognition to that. It goes back to the whole childhood development thing; it’s not about tough love. Tough love is something that only works with a strong education and the right safe and loving environment. Otherwise it just breaks people down and it and they retreat into themselves and stop asking for what they want and eventually they don’t know what they want anymore. They start looking to other people for their answers. You need the foundation of a loving and compassionate childhood and education to endure. You cannot just use “tough love” as rule."

Keaton doesn’t just talk these practices about puts these philosophies to the test when he was faced with own personal hardships. He recalls a time that seems very reminiscent of so many musicians and celebrities, when his career started to take off and the reality of the entertainment industry started to reveal itself in a harsh light. He reflects on a huge setback that included a record that would never hit the shelves, dishonest dealings and a contract prohibiting him from moving forward.

“It was really difficult because I was so close to exactly what I wanted. I persevered and now I look back and don’t have any regrets at all…but it was extremely difficult. I think for a lot of people it would have been terminally heartbreaking and would have marked the ends of a lot of people’s careers. For me it ended up being a new beginning and every day, I continue to work harder and stick with it. And realize it happens when it happens.”

And the hard work is paying off. Keaton is now signed with CBS Records and has a new album out, called Can You Hear Me Now, with several songs already appearing on various television programs. Simons will also be among the performers at the United Nations for the inaugural Millennium Development Goals (M.D.G.) Awards on March 17, which will honor Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Dr. Kevin Cahill for a Lifetime of Humanitarian Service with the initial M.D.G. Awards.

For those of you that will not be at the Awards show, you will also have the opportunity to catch Simons on tour and will be performing on March 28th at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles as one of his stops. There will also be a very intimate performance that will benefit one of his charities later this year that is already in the works.

If Keaton Simons is any example of the strength, endurance and love that can come from a Natural Child Project environment, then I think there it is time that we all started listening.

For more information about his tour dates and about his music, you can go to keatonsimons.com. To purchase the audio book for The Natural Child Project or to learn more about this cause, visit www.naturalchild.org.