The Script

This month’s song is a particularly personal one for Hear the Hope co-founder and Communication Officer, Chris Lah. Chris not only plays guitar and bass on the song, but he also wrote the lyrics and music to “The Script”. Chris, a father and grandfather himself, was overwhelmed with emotion when he met and got to know the Dynamic Cancer-Fighting Duo, Ayrton and Don Dobson, who inspired him to write the lyrics.

Ayrton Dobson, who plays the vibraslap and Taos pow wow drum on the song, is a nine-year-old superhero. He spent the majority of his young life fighting cancer. When he was just two years old, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). With the help and knowledge of amazing doctors and nurses at Cincinnati Children’s, he was given a cancer-fighting, life-saving treatment plan that would make a grown man weak in the knees. But, Ayrton was a cancer-fighting machine. Yes, by the ripe old age of nine, Ayrton has already added to his long list of lifetime accomplishments — Taekwondo champ, aspiring storm chaser, killer percussionist, and professional cancer defeater.

The Real Hero

But, Ayrton didn’t do it alone. By his side throughout it all was his dad, Jason, his amazing Uncle Rick, and his beloved grandfather Don. To say the two — grandfather and grandson — are close would be an understatement. Don and Ayrton share an inextricable bond that is clear to anyone who sees the two together. “He’s my hero,” Ayrton says without hesitation. And Don reflects, “Ayrton is the real hero.”

“The relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren is both powerful and magical,” Chris says. And with “The Script,” he wanted to capture that particular power and magic that can transform ordinary folks into super-humans able to defeat the likes of cancer. He also wanted to express the life-saving and life-changing power of the relationship itself. “Most of us grandfathers see both our sons and ourselves in our grandkids,” Chris adds. “It’s such a transformational moment when it happens.”

Surrender to Your Heart

Chris is quick to point out that the song is also universal to every relationship and not just limited to grandparents and their grandkids. He summed things up with saying that “… so many times the script life has written for us is different than what we had planned. The villains are always there but don’t forget that there can be heroes in the story as well. The script is just about that: not surrendering to the villains but only to your heart. It’s the place where heroes are made. We just need to be there for each other and not disappear when the times get tough. Don Dobson and his family are very representative of that.”

Truly Healing

In addition to Chris and Ayrton’s musical performances, Toby Christensen, who played the djembe, and CJ Lambert the production guru, were instrumental in helping organize the musical moments in the song. And a poignant and personal addition to the band, was Chris’ oldest son Joe, the father of his grandson Jack, who played the piano. In the end, generations playing together is truly healing, inspiring, and literally like hearing the hope… despite how the script plays out.

Song Credits

• FEATURED SONG: “The Script”
• OUR HERO: Ayrton Dobson
• ARTIST(S): Chris Lah
• COMPOSER: Chris Lah
• VOCALS: Chris Lah
• INSTRUMENTS: Chris Lah (acoustic guitars, bass guitar), Aryton Dobson (Taos pow wow drum, vibraslap), Toby Christensen (djembe), Joe Lah (piano)
• PRODUCED BY: Toby Christensen
• ENGINEERED BY: Toby Christensen
• EDITED, MIXED & MASTERED BY: CJ Lambert

To purchase for $5.00, click the button: