Casey’s Bullying Prevention Concert

“Best assembly of the year!”
— Adele Horwitz, British International School

The “You Matter” Tour is an hour-long interactive concert of my songs and stories. Throughout the program, I use my original music and my journey on American Idol as metaphors to speak with the students about bullying, self-confidence, and the benefits of taking risks.  I show the students how I grew from an insecure, 13 year-old girl to an aspiring pop star who isn’t afraid to dream.  We learn that real life is not airbrushed, but that it is the bumps in the road that make us unique.  We learn the most important message of them all: You Matter

In a world full of retouched photos and social media obsession, today’s teenagers compare themselves not only to each other but also to the most privileged celebrities in the entertainment industry.

Students need a role model that is honest, empathetic and relatable.  I hope to fill that void through my anti-bullying programs.

Since I was 13, I’ve had braces, glasses, and bad haircuts; I’ve fallen in and out of love with boys and in and out of love with myself. Along the way, my songs captured my journey of growing up, and growing to accept myself for being imperfect. The original songs from The "You Matter" Tour are the story of my life in middle and high school.

My appearance on Season 13 of American Idol has opened many doors for this program, and I have visited over one hundred middle and high schools and performed for over 40,000 students years.  The "You Matter" Tour has been recognized by the UN foundation and was recently featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, which was my first national talk show appearance.  I would love to share this message with your students and do my part in preventing bullying in schools!

 
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Photos

 
 

Press

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"Andover native Casey McQuillen made it to Hollywood on the 2014 season of American Idol, but her time in the spotlight on the hit show isn’t the 23-year-old’s proudest accomplishment. That distinction goes to the 2016 Berklee grad’s “You Matter” tour, which combines music and motivational speaking to promote an anti-bullying message to middle and high school students across the country."

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"Every middle schooler experiences some level of self-doubt, and many unfortunately also face some form of bullying– but singer, songwriter Casey McQuillen is working to retake that narrative. Casey travels around the country, bringing The “You Matter” Tour, an anti-bullying and songwriting program for adolescents, to middle schools across the nation."


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"Having appeared on Season 13 of American Idol and worked tirelessly to promote positive self-image among young people via her “You Matter” tour, Casey McQuillen creates music with meaning.”

Teacher Reviews

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"What sets [Casey] apart is her ability to connect with students on a personal level through her narratives surrounding her songwriting. Students were singing her songs in the hallways for weeks, we have seen quite a few students with boosted self-confidence, and our artistic-focused students have a new role model. Thank you! Best assembly of the year!”

- Adele Horwitz, Guidance Counselor, British International School, Boston MA

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"Casey's presentation was spectacular- a perfect mix of education and entertainment. Our students were completely engaged for Casey's entire show. While they certainly enjoyed her music, they were equally engaged in her message of acceptance, loving yourself as you are, and the pitfalls of social media. This was one of the best presentations we have ever had at our school.”

- Karyn McGee, Middle School Adjustment Counselor, Wamsutta Middle School, Attleboro MA

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“Besides having a beautiful singing voice [Casey was] able to share such important life lessons about self-esteem, bullying, social media and kindness in such a positive and meaningful way. I think what impressed me the most about [her] presentation was [her] ability to maintain crowd control with over 1000 middle schoolers!”

- Judith Dagnese, Director of Nursing, Stacy Middle School, Milford, MA