Some students may wonder if they can ever pursue their passions, have stable careers and still have a positive impact on the world around them. 

These pathways don’t  have to be mutually exclusive.

Guitarist and singer-songwriter  Kina   Grannis is a great case in point. Grannis , who played  Carrboro’s  Cat’s Cradle last week, continues to show how one can balance a career and passion while creating positive change.

Breanna Leesch , a second-year graduate student at the University of North Carolina, was one attendee who continues to be inspired by Grannis’s music.

“Her songs are really inspiring,” Leesch said. “They’re worth listening to because she put a lot of thought into it, and she obviously knows her music. When you put feelings and thoughts together, you make great music, and it reaches a lot of people.”

Finding that balance is seldom easy, and Grannis is no exception. For years she knew what she wanted to do, and she worked at it, whether it was practicing music on stairwells at the University of Southern California or performing at open-mic nights and coffee shops. But it was not until she joined YouTube and won an opportunity to share a music video during the 2007 Super Bowl that she began earning worldwide acclaim as a touring musician. 

Through it all, Grannis managed to stay true to herself, even when it meant forfeiting an opportunity sign with a major label. While many other artists might have given up at that point, Grannis used her independence to share not only her music, but her personal struggles and passions as well.

Grannis uploaded another music video on YouTube titled “Make It Go – Kina Grannis & p.s. I hate cancer” on April 1. The video features a song Grannis dedicated to her mother, who was diagnosed with blood cancer 11 years ago. All proceeds from the song are going directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to help blood cancer research.

Grannis said she found releasing such a personal song to the web difficult at first.

“I had hid it away and pretended it didn’t exist … But lately with Run Team Kina and seeing all the strength that people have demonstrated in going through similar situations, it seemed like the appropriate time to bring the song out and share it with the world,” Grannis said.

Grannis continues to raise awareness for the cause and even gives her fans an opportunity to register as bone marrow donors at concerts.

This past year, Grannis launched her Run Team Kina campaign to encourage healthy living and raise awareness for blood cancer.

“Of course this is something that is really important to me and my family,” Grannis said. “It has been really awesome in doing Run Team Kina to see how many people have jumped on board, and just hearing from so many different people about their stories and whatnot. I think it just makes everyone stronger.”

Her campaign has caught the attention of people all over the world. More than 1,700 people are following the campaign on Facebook. Many of these followers have their own personal stories of how Grannis’ music has impacted their lives. Quenten Stewart, an alumnus who graduated in 2010 in arts application, was in the audience at the April 18 performance. Stewart has followed Grannis ever since a former roommate suggested that he check her out on Myspace. He did not know at the time how deeply Grannis’ music would affect his life.

“Run Team Kina really struck a personal chord with me,” Stewart said. “It just so happened that right around the time that she announced her song ‘Make it Go’ and told the story behind the song, right that week, I learned that my mother was going to have open heart surgery.”

A stoic person by nature, Stewart was concerned but unable to express his feelings.

“… I didn’t really show any worry or stress. That actually stressed my mother because my sister and father had expressed concern, and I seemed unfazed,” Stewart said. “Then Kina’s song came out and I could identify with struggling with emotionally dealing with [such an traumatic situation] … It brought to my attention the need to have that emotional output and connection to people.”

Stewart and others look to Grannis’ example of harnessing their passions to make a change in the community.

Stewart said he wants touch others the same way that Grannis’s music has touched him.

“I’m pretty fortunate to have an incredible group of friends, some of whom have created the internationally recognized non-profit R.E.A.C.H. because they wanted to give children everywhere the same opportunities to better themselves and their communities,” Stewart said. “Seeing my friends give so much of themselves on a regular basis is a great reminder that I and everyone like me can make an impact.”