As part of The Pixel Project‘s “Music For Pixels” campaign, we encourage artistes taking part in any “Music For Pixels” programme, be it as an Artiste of the Month or as a YouTube Cover Carnival contestant, to speak up about why they are using music to say NO to violence against women.

Today, we interview YouTube artiste Noah Rickertsen who submitted his cover of One Directions “Little Things” for our Valentine 2013 YouTube Cover Carnival contest which ended at 9PM EST, 14 March 2013. Noah is one of our 8 semi-finalists.

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Noah Rickertsen is a singer and songwriter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. Music is his greatest passion. He grew up listening to Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer, and many more who influenced his style. He continues to write, perform, and record in the hopes of touring the country. Noah keeps in touch with his fans through Facebook and Twitter, and fans can find his music on iTunes and YouTube.  Keep an eye out for new material very soon!

1. Tell us about yourself and why you decided to take part in the YouTube Cover Carnival.

I decided to take part in this competition in support of saying NO to Violence Against Women and in tribute to the Delhi Gang Rape Victim, Jyoti Singh Pandey and her courageous fight for her life to the very end. I want to use my music to help influence and create change on the issue of violence against women.

2. Why is ending Violence against Women important to you?

Ending violence against women is important to me because I was raised to respect women and treat them like angels. I hear about these terrible things happening regarding violence against women and it really bothers me.  Violence against women makes me mad at the world.  It can feel like our hands are tied and there is nothing we can do to help. This is not true. We have our words, our music, and our prayers to contribute.

3. In your opinion, how does music help in efforts to end violence against women?

Music has been and will always be an inexplicable and miraculous remedy for hurt and pain. I find that music provides comfort in all aspects of life.  And I think music can inspire others to act more than the simple spoken word.

4. In your opinion, how can musicians help encourage people to take an interest in and step up to help stop violence against women?

People respond differently to music and, through it’s inspiration, are more likely to get involved in action because in order for people to act and stand up for a cause, they must feel inspired! This is what music does to people. It connects our souls on a deeper level and gives us a loving compassion for others in these terrible positions.