The simple honesty on this is very refreshing. It's magical how the lyrics and music come together. It's also a beautiful moment to see these young artists realize their artistry through the lens of gifted musicians. What a nice bit of community in an era of disconnectedness..

For the last 9 years, May has seen the release of fantastic compilations brought about by the Deep Roots Project. Founded by Reynolds High School English teacher Chris Gragg, the project pairs high school English students with Portland, Oregon area musicians; the students put forth their great efforts in poetic lyric writing, the musicians then write music to go along with those lyrics, and finally record the song. The students get to hear their poetry in action and experience the process of writing and recording songs, the musicians get a chance to work outside of their normal creative sphere, as well as give a little back to the community. This 10th release is a diverse 15-track cross-section of the ever-evolving Portland music community, and features everything from folk to blues to power punk to Barry White-like R&B. Deep roots is starting to branch out from the founding high school, too… be sure to check out The St. John’s Poetry Project release.