LAMORINDA WEEKLY | 12-year-old Singer Inspired to Make a Difference


Samantha Anne Martin sits at the piano in the video Ricochet. Photo provided

One simple act can affect the world. It's one of the lessons Samantha Anne Martin learned in her sixth grade class at Stanley Middle School in Lafayette.

Martin was taking a course on adversity, learning about homelessness and bullying, when her teacher had the class read an article and showed them a video about Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani activist who was shot in October by Taliban gunmen on her way home from school for promoting girls' rights.

Inspired by the teen's courage and plight, Martin decided to write a song about Malala. She and her father, Dan, wrote the lyrics, a friend of her father's wrote the music, all of them collaborating on the harmonies and melodies. The group produced a video of the song, Ricochet (Malala's Song), which was posted on the Change.org website.

The video includes clips from news reports about the Pakistani teen. "I have a right to sing, I have the right to talk, I have the right to go to market, I have the right to speak," the activist is shown saying.

In the video, Martin, who is a three-time group competition winner of Orinda Idol and who performed in the lead role of Annie at Berkeley Playhouse last year, sings of the little girl like her who lived under siege. The final lyrics of the song ask for the world for support and to help Malala make a stand.

When word about the video reached Malala's family, Malala's father watched it together with his daughter who is still recovering from her injuries in England. In an email to Martin Dec. 8, Malala's father said they could not control their tears when watching the piece.

"When my dad told me that Malala's dad had emailed us I was beyond excited," Martin said. "What touched me the most was how grateful he was for what we did. Reading that he cried while watching the video brought tears - joyful ones - to my eyes."

Knowing that her video had such an effect on Malala and her dad made Martin want to help her even more, she said. "It's a great feeling to know that my video made it halfway around the world and 'ricocheted' back to California in such a strong way."

The video ends with a plea to nominate Malala for the Nobel Peace Prize due to her efforts to speak out for girls' rights everywhere, risking her life in the process. Ricochet (Malala's Song), which has already been played on the radio, is available on iTunes and all proceeds go to MalalaFund.org. The video can be viewed at www.change.org/malala or on YouTube.