We Are All The Same Inside - The Blog

None other than Sherlie Matthews, who carved out a decades-long career as a singer, record producer and songwriter working with the likes of those artists and dozens more household names from the pop music pantheon, from Motown Records and beyond. The versatile vocalist has also been heard on the theme songs for the film “Mahogany” and the classic television shows “Wonder Woman” and “The Wonder Years.” At Motown, she was known as the go-to gal for pitch!

Now, Matthews has teamed up with the T.I.M.M.-E. (Tolerance in Multi Media Education) Company for “We Are All The Same Inside: 10th Anniversary Commemorative Single” and DVD, “The Inside Story.” A special 10th anniversary edition of the book is also available.

We Are All The Same Inside ^®, the book and accompanying Sage doll, was created by artist and educator Timothy D. Bellavia, to celebrate a message of tolerance among all peoples while also embracing each other’s differences. Bellavia himself has toured over a hundred schools over the last decade, using his props to teach human diversity to children, and picking up many awards along the way.

"Working with Timothy was a dream experience.  Realizing he needed help with the music component of his WAATSI project, I volunteered to write the theme song for him.  We ended up co-writing the lyrics for the song, We Are All The Same Inside."  says Sherlie Matthews.  "I gathered a lot of inspiration and actual lyrics from reading his children's book by the same title, and from input from Timmy.  He is so full of ideas and so easy to work with that the song was completed in 'record time.'  Like Timothy, I feel that the song will be an inspiration to everyone who hears it ..."

Matthews assembled the instrumental backing tracks and composed the children's songs music, while collaborating on the lyrics with Bellavia.  The lyrics were heavily influenced by the just reissued 10^th anniversary edition of We Are All The Same Inside^® children's picture book, which includes a brand new, eye-popping cover, lesson plans, paper dolls, and the original 32-page story, featuring the lovable and recognizable alien, Sage.

With recent news about clashing religions over the Ground Zero mosque controversy, online and campus bullying that leads to suicide, and continuing skirmishes about immigration and basic human rights, the We Are All The Same Inside^® – Sage doll-making workshop message is needed more than ever.