Singer-Songwriter Johnny Schaefer Releases New Single & Video That Reminds Us to Focus on What Really Matters!

Singer-songwriter Johnny Schaefer begins his stunning ballad “While You are Right in Front of Me” with hushed statements about a tendency not to do or think about things until it’s too late:

“I was in Olympia, WA with my husband as caregivers for two parents who were in hospice care at home. My stepfather died in July and my mother died in November of 2020. It was a sacred honor to be with them during their transition. In addition to that, we were in lockdown due to COVID restrictions, so I think most of us were doing a lot of soul-searching about what is important, what we want to accomplish in life, and how we want to spend our time. I wrote a lot of music during those days and ‘While You are Right in Front of Me’ is a song that came from the realization that there really is no time like the present to express our love for each other.”

I don’t think much about breathin’Until I’m turnin’ blueI never spend any time grievin’‘til suddenly, it’s all I do
The opening line about turning blue is actually a reference to Schaefer’s battle with a condition called Vocal Cord Dysphonia. “Several years ago, allergies and asthma along with common digestive issues resulted in my vocal cords freezing up and me being unable to breathe for an extended period of time. Loved ones told me that I literally turned blue.” Through a combination of hydration and use of a humidifier, diet adjustments, meditation, and a trick where he lifts his hands above his head when he feels his throat closing up, Schaefer has been able to manage the condition. ‘I thought at one point that I wouldn’t be able to sing anymore,” he says. “I’m grateful that I was able to find an approach that worked. I’m a big believer in holistic solutions.” 

Paco Silva, Johnny’s husband, has created music videos for Melissa Manchester, Roslyn Kind, and many others. When Johnny played the song for him, their shared experience inspired Paco to immerse himself into the universe of Adobe® After Effects® to see what tools he could find to express himself. The resulting video is a beautiful, imaginative communication of the thoughts and emotions conveyed in the song.

“I need to tell you that I love youWhile you are right in front of me.”

Watch the video:https://youtu.be/n9e0Hb3iMwQ

The recording is lovingly produced by Stephan Oberhoff, who also mixed and mastered the song. He and Wenndy MacKenzie added just the right touch of backup vocals.  The song might be described as a power ballad along the lines of “Say Something I’m Giving Up on You,” or “Chasing Cars.” An unexpected bi-product of the pandemic is the use of a protective mask in parts of the song. “When I laid down the scratch vocal I was in the room on an auxiliary mic rather than in the vocal booth. It was the height of the pandemic and we were fully masked. There was something we liked about the compression of my voice with the mask on and we decided to keep it in sections of the song,” said Schaefer

Based in Los Angeles, CA, Johnny Schaefer is an eclectic singer-songwriter with a BA in Music (Composition and Voice) from California State University Fullerton. He has sung back up for Josh Groban, Melissa Manchester, Sarah Brightman, Sarah Vaughn, Pete Townsend, Diahann Carroll, and Billy Idol. His recent release, “Unflown,” was a semi-finalist in the 2020 UK Songwriting Contest in both the Best Video and Best Original Song categories. He has been a cantor at Blessed Sacrament Church in Hollywood, California since 1981. With over 100,000 social media followers, Johnny’s interviews are widely viewed by his audience. His website is www.hearjohnny.com, where you’ll find an EPK and links to all social media, streaming and video sites.

For more information:
Website/Home Pagehttps://hearjohnny.com/
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MixCloud (Put it Together podcast interview)https://www.mixcloud.com/putittogetherwithdanielgarza/episode-139-a-christmas-wish-johnny-schaefer/
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