On February 14th, 1993, my favorite artist Shane Harper was born. Many of you know him as Spencer Walsh on “Good Luck Charlie,” and ever since I watched the pilot episode on April 4, 2010, my life was changed forever. His music is very personal to me, especially since I do not know a single soul who also listens to his music aside from his single “One Step Closer” that he sang in the battle of the bands episode of the hit Disney Channel show (also, did you know he sings the song “The Next Chapter of Our Lives” that plays at the end of the graduation episode of “The Suite Life on Deck?”
One of the most amazing experiences of my life was seeing Shane perform live on May 21st, 2016 when he opened for Jacob Whitesides at Webster Hall in New York City on the Lovesick tour; I could not ask for a better lineup for the first concert I ever attended. This was a surreal moment for me, as I grew up watching Shane on television and religiously listening to his music. I cannot begin to explain the intense feeling of shock and happiness that poured over me when I saw him in person. It truly felt like a gift from the universe because his music is a safe space for me- it feels like home. I vividly remember Shane being grateful for myself and a few other audience members who suggested his old tracks for him to sing, such as “Rocketship” or “Dance With Me.” It was awesome to hear his “Like I Did” EP before it was released a week later. I also got to say hi to him after his set and was over-the-moon excited when he waved at me. I will forever wish I got a picture of this incredible moment, but sometimes the best parts of life are not captured and do not make it to social media; this makes it even more special.
Aside from being Shane’s birthday, February 14th is also the anniversary of the release of his self-titled debut album, which I would consider a huge part of the “Soundtrack 2 My Life” (a little Kid Cudi reference for ya). This album has been blasting through my headphones and speakers since elementary school; the songs bring back countless memories and now make more sense to me than ever before. Now when I listen to Shane’s music, I remember car rides with my family, middle school gym class, a crush I had for a very long time, rainy bus rides at night during my choir trip to Boston sophomore year of high school, and singing karaoke to “my song” (One Step Closer) at a friend’s sweet sixteen. There is a video of middle school me on my friend’s YouTube channel saying my favorite song is “I Know What I Know” by Shane Harper. I used many of his lyrics as Instagram captions in middle school, and he used to follow me on Twitter until my old account accidentally got deleted.
I also want to take this opportunity to plug a bunch of my favorite covers Shane has done: Selena Gomez’s “Naturally” and “Love You Like a Love Song,” Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” “Your Love” by The Outfield, and “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry. I absolutely love his voice and the creativity he adds to these songs. I have an entire playlist dedicated to all of his work. He is amazing! I wish more people knew about him. His songs “Satellite” and “Hold You Up” are two of his many beautifully written songs that lift me up when I am feeling down (Lift Me Up is also the name of a film he was in!)
As we all know, Shane is also a very talented actor. He had a part in one of my favorite movies based on a book I love, Flipped, and I am not ashamed to admit he is the ONLY reason I watched the first two High School Musical movies because he is a back-up dancer in both. Aside from acting, he also did martial arts- just like me!
I am beyond grateful for all of the memories and experiences that I have had since becoming a fan of Shane Harper in 2010. Happy birthday Shane, thank you for everything. Hopefully I will see him live again someday and we will get a picture together!