Chris "Cassidy" Mentch

Chris “Cassidy” Mentch has built an accomplished career as a singer, songwriter, performer, recording artist, and author with a wide range of success and acclaim in the music world. Among the many songs he has written and recorded are “Give Me Your Song,” “We Are One,” “Only For You,” “Candlelight and Wine,” “Where Words Don’t Come Easy,” and “Rocky Mountain Melodies” in addition to theme songs for such films as “Instruments of Justice.” Making his industry debut during an interview on IRMIX Radio, he has since gained the attention of legendary musicians like the Commodores, Lionel Richie, Steve Lukather—the founding member of Toto—and Bill Danoff, the co-writer of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” as well as those affiliated with the Grammy Awards. Whether on a stage or a sidewalk, he believes in the power of music to unite people of diverse backgrounds through his work and message of love.

Mr. Mentch has always been gifted with a good singing voice and ability to play guitar and write songs. But even though he’s always dreamed of being a musician, he abandoned it for a while when he pursued a career in accounting and business; he earned a Bachelor of Science in business, with a concentration in accounting, from the University of Baltimore, from which he graduated with honors and at the top of his class in 1986. He subsequently became a certified public accountant and worked for Arthur Anderson & Company, part of the largest accounting and consulting firm in the country. His passion for the job dipped as he saw firsthand how divided and difficult people in the corporate world were. He then challenged himself to write songs and rediscover his early love for music. The turning point for him came when he performed in public and witnessed how much it brought people together regardless of their surface-level differences. From that moment on, he resolved to devote himself to the craft. He realized that “the more we learn, the more we will understand that, at the core, we are more the same than we are different.”

Outside of the music world, he expressed his creativity as a writer with his book, “As I See It: Reasons, Rhymes, and Reflections; The Spirit of a ‘Well-Versed’ Philosophy,” which was published in 2015 and gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his artistry and the writing process of his songs and poetry, which ultimately serves to inspire others on their own paths. Looking toward the future, he strives to be more successful as a musician, as music has been his gateway to pursue other avenues, such as a career in film and television. He wants to sharpen his skills by composing songs across many genres for a wide variety of listeners, aged 13 to 65. As an extension of his book, he hopes to be a motivational, trustworthy person who can inspire people to celebrate life through song and creativity. His motto is “Life is a gift. Speak it, embrace it, nurture it and share it.”