IN DEFIANCE, OHIO AT THE AGE OF 38, ON THE EVENING OF June 15, 2022, Tyler Micah Eckel, took his life after years of battling the effects of paranoid schizophrenia.
YET THROUGH IT ALL, AND I BELIEVE IN SOME WAY TO DEFY THE NEGATIVE VOICES AND VISIONS, TYLER WROTE HUNDREDS AND PROBABLY THOUSANDS OF POEMS AND LETTERS.
TYLER WAS A HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND OF MINE AND HIS FATHER, DR. MARK ECKEL REMAINS A FRIEND AND MENTOR OF MINE TO THIS DAY. AS SUCH I ATTENDED THE MEMORIAL SERVICE AND THEREAFTER WAS APPROACHED BY A FAMILY MEMBER, INVITING ME INTO A BRAINSTORM ON HOW THEY MIGHT BRING TYLER'S WORKS INTO A GREATER LIGHT. AND THIS IS HOW THE DEFIANCE PROJECT WAS BORN.
THE ALBUM (CURRENTLY IN THE WORKS) ENTITLED DEFIANCE, IS A SELECTION OF POEMS WRITTEN BY TYLER, THAT I HAVE ADAPTED TO SONG. IT IS MY ATTEMPT TO HELP BRING TO LIGHT THE BRILLIANCE OF TYLER'S MIND; A MIND THAT SOMEHOW FOUND A WAY THROUGH THE BROKEN SIGNALS SO TO WRITE AND CREATE WITH AN ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE PROLIFICACY. A MIND IN DEFIANCE OF THE DISEASE THAT DISTORTED IT.
THE HOPE IS THAT THIS WOULD NOT ONLY BRING MORE ATTENTION TO TYLER'S WORKS, BUT ALSO THAT IT WOULD BRING HEALING TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS, A NEW AWARENESS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND THAT IT COULD BE A RESOURCE FOR THOSE DEALING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AS WELL AS TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM.
IF YOU WISH TO DONATE TO THE DEFIANCE PROJECT YOU CAN DO SO BY CLICKING THE LINK HERE.
