Liz Hale and Darcie Miner:
Rock Against Violence

by Lisa Hummel

Beethoven once said, “Music can change the world.” And while changing the world may be a little bit out of reach for Elizabeth Hale and Darcie Miner, the two local musicians are hoping that their music has the power to change at least one mind.

This month, Hale and Miner are spearheading a series of “Rock Against Violence” concerts, taking their music and their anti-violence message to area high schools. 
“[Darcie and I] decided to team up and do this thing together which I think is awesome because I feel the kids can relate to us — we’re the same age and we’re going through the same things that they’re going through,” said Hale, who fronts the band Halestorm with brother, Arejay, and father, Roger. “We figured instead of having an older adult come in and lecture about violence in the schools, why not express what we feel in a language that the kids know really well, which is rock and roll.”

And rock and roll is definitely a language that the two speak quite well. These shows will not be the first time that Hale and Miner — who, at 17, ironically share the same October 10, 1983 birth date — have shared the stage. In recent months, the performers have shared many a bill and have even taken to sharing the same management team, both are guided by Ricky Leigh Mensh, vice president of Hits Magazine and CEO of One Up Entertainment. 

“The whole goal is to say, ‘don’t waste your time, it’s ridiculous, all you’re going to do is hurt other people, and hurt the families, and hurt yourself,’ said Miner. “That’s the whole point of this, that it’s not worth it, there are better things to do with your time.”

“We don’t want to go in there and say ‘violence is wrong,’ which of course it is,” agreed Hale. “But there are other ways of expressing yourself. With all of the bomb threats and all of the shootings in the schools going on, these kids are tormented because they’re different or because they don’t’ fit in with the jocks and the cheerleaders and I think we need to celebrate in each others differences, I really do.”

But with all of the issues to take battle with in today’s society, why school violence? “For a long time now, I’ve been promoting rock and roll without sex and promiscuous drugs, basically I have the rock and roll part down,” said Hale. “But all of the violence going on the schools really hit home with me. The kids don’t feel like they have an outlet besides violence. They don’t have a way of expressing their anger or presenting their thoughts and their depression so they take it out on other kids, and in a violent way.”

“That’s one of the reasons I write songs,” she continued, “because that’s my outlet, that’s my way of turning something negative into something positive and my way of expressing myself. I don’t think a lot of kids have that or just haven’t found it yet so what I’m trying to do is let these kids know that we need to be tolerant of other people’s differences and that there are other ways besides violence to express your problems.” Agreed Miner, “Music is our way of leaving all of that behind.”

And while the two are well on their way to musical success — in fact, at press time, Miner has agreed to a record deal and is in the process of finalizing a contract with Beyond Records, home to such acts as The Go-Gos and Blondie; more details are forthcoming — the songsters are hoping that their message and music and the fact that they are teens themselves will make a connection with their peers. “I don’t want to get up there and stand up there and lecture them, because I haven’t been where they are, I haven’t lived their lives,” said Miner, “but I was just in the same position as they were and I know that there are better things to do with your time.”

The first of the two scheduled events is slated to take place on May 11 at Dauphin County Technical School, but there is hope that the show — and the message — will soon be hitting the road. “We’re looking to do every high school in Pennsylvania,” said Hale. “We’ve had many schools express interest, and a lot of them are still pending as to when and where. It’s very exciting. It’s wonderful to see so many kids and schools and administrators be so willing to participate in this event because I think it needs to be done.”

Sponsored by 105.7 the X, The Rock Against Violence Concert Series will take place May 11 at Dauphin County Technical School and on May 18 at West Perry High School; both events take place from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door only. For the latest information and a listing of show dates, check halestormweb.com and darcieminer.com