Rebecca Parks “Part of Me”
Americana Highways presents this premiere of Rebecca Parks’ song “Part of Me” from her forthcoming album Secret Stage. Secret Stage was produced by Cookie Marenco, engineered by Ariana MacDavid and mastered by Patrick O’Connor at OTR Studios in Belmont, California.
“Part of Me” is Rebecca Parks on vocals and acoustic guitar, and the Grammy-winning Mads Tolling on violin. This song operates on several levels, one of which is the literal level, as Rebecca wrote it on tribute to her best friend who donated a kidney to Rebecca. And then there is the emotional connection and gratitude that’s carried along as well, for anyone who is a part of the fabric of our lives. The music is richly recorded with Rebecca’s honest vocal style, which results in a very relatable and moving song.
As Rebecca recounts: “My best girlfriend is like a sister to me. Decades ago I told her about my genetic condition, which slowly leads to kidney failure. When I had weakened enough to qualify for a transplant, she astonished me by saying, “I want to be your donor.” Many people die waiting for a kidney, so she saved my life. Writing her a song was the least I could do.
“To avoid sounding too clinical in the song, I used a few metaphors: the thousand cuts of disease progression, the tether of dialysis, and the knife of transplant surgery.
“I hope my song encourages other healthy people to donate a kidney. If a loved one is in kidney failure, you don’t have to watch helplessly like you do with so many other diseases. You can save them!”
You can find more information and the music here on her BandCamp page: https://rebeccaparks.bandcamp.com/album/secret-stage