Today, when you look at the world of music, you generally see copies of other artists. It is very rare that an artist can be deemed truly original. But when you hear the name Cassandra (pronounced Cassahndra) Saunders, you won’t see, or hear any copies of any artist out there. How is this known? Not only does she write 99% of the songs she records, but she is also wheelchair-bound and here to make a difference in how the industry is perceived.
At two days old, she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, but because of her mother’s persistency in every aspect of her development, Saunders has minimal limitations. This singer/songwriter will gracefully knock down any obstacle that stands in the way of her success. Being born on June 6, 1983 has a hidden perk for her. The Gemini astrological sign is that of the twin, therefore, she looks at each obstacle as a “reinvention†of her career.
Growing up, Saunders was surrounded by music. Her mother would always have music playing in the home and in the car. As a child, because it was difficult to get her to sleep, her mother also sang to her, or played contemporary Jazz and R&B music. It’s no wonder that she is now in the industry.
Although she enjoyed all of the music played, it was Pop singer Mariah Carey that inspired Saunders to become a singer/songwriter. In 1994, when she was 11 years old, after listening to Carey’s “Music Box†album, she wrote her first song. The song was entitled “Truly Love.†Her sixth grade music instructor had begun writing its music, but never completed it. The song, along with many others, were lost when they were about to be copy written.
Since then, she has written almost three albums worth of songs. Her writing skills have been compared to those of music industry song writing phenomenon, Diane Warren, as well as world-renowned poet, Dr. Maya Angelou. Although Saunders has only written material for her own album thus far, you may someday see her name in other artist’s credits.
In 2003, Saunders teamed up with Futura Productions owner, John Weston to work on what is now her highly anticipated debut single. The song is entitled “My Time†and was produced by Malik Williams of Lip Tunes Music. It was also the inspiration for the debut album title, “Broken Silence.†The album will be the first release on Clear River Records, her independent label.
