Markus Beam Volunteer Artist Markus Beam shares his background and Sing for Hope experience 1) How long have you been a musician? I’ve been a singer for as long as I can remember.  I started performing in public at 4 or 5, and the first performance I can remember is my kindergarten talent show, where I performed a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Beat It!  I sang anywhere that people would have me, (mostly community functions) during my childhood and began studying voice classically when I was 15. 2) Was there a moment that inspired you to become a musician? My mother was the lead singer of a band, (think less Janice Joplin, more Bonnie Raitt).  I got to go with her on some of her gigs and organize her lyric sheets while sitting quietly at the back of the stage.  I think it’s these experiences watching her perform and listing to her practice that inspired me to try performing myself.   She and my family were extremely supportive, and their role in encouraging my path is incalculable. 3) Why do you volunteer with SFH? I volunteer with SFH to share my talents and to give back. I feel that I’ve been so blessed to be able to touch people through the power of music and performance.  Going into the community to share that with others is the most immediate and direct way I’ve found to connect with and touch people through song.  Being able to brighten someone’s day, to inspire them, or just to take their minds off of their troubles for even a few moments, means more to me than any professional achievement to date.  Volunteering with Sing for Hope also helps remind me why I do what I do.  It’s easy to get wrapped up in the business side of being a performer, but when I stand in front of these beautiful people and see the effect that music and song has on them, it enforces in the most immediate way, the real reason for standing up to sing.