NEW PALESTINE — The door of his office was closed for several minutes. When it opened, the male student came out with a serious look on his face as if he had just had a good talking-to.
Craig Moore, dean of students, Doe Creek Middle School, spends a good portion of his day talking with and helping students learn how to better approach the issues they face in school and life.
He tries to teach them about seeing the big picture and how their actions have repercussions with the hope of helping them to resolve conflicts and problems in a positive manner.
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It’s a lesson he takes to heart in his own life through musical performances.
Moore, a full-time educator, is also a musician and songwriter. He recently decided to take the national issue of police killings and shed light on how it affects the families of officers killed.
Moore is trying to turn a negative situation into something positive, he said.
Moore has written and recorded a song called “Thin Blue Line.” It is now available on iTunes and Amazon Music and he plans to give all the proceeds, 90 cents per download, to current law enforcement officials serving Hancock and Rush counties.
Moore, a Greenfield resident, was inspired to write and record the song after talking with this brother-in law, Joshua Brinson, a K-9 officer at Rush County Sheriff’s Department. Brinson shared with Moore what it’s like for fellow officers and the families of a fallen officer to lose a loved one in the line of duty.
“The loss or life in the law enforcement departments across this nation is painful and disturbing for all of us,” Moore said.
All the proceeds from the song will go to support survivors of fallen officers as well as current law enforcement officers serving area communities, Moore said.
Funds raised will be given to the Concerns for Police Survivors/Indiana Chamber; the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, to help provide protective vests for officers and the K-9 units; and the Rush County Sheriff’s Department to help purchase additional K-9 animals for the department.
Brinson believes the vast majority of residents support law enforcement officials and said the groups of people looking to harm police officers is small, but often receives all the publicity. It’s why he is thankful Moore decided to write the song and bring light to the other side of the issue.
“I don’t think words can express how thankful I really am,” Brinson said.
Brinson wrote several ideas about how families and fellow officers suffer following the death of a police officer and passed them onto Moore. Moore then used the first-hand knowledge from Brinson about being a police officer as inspiration to write his own lyrics and song.
“I took the sentiment from what he wrote and the song came together pretty quickly,” Moore said.
He finished the song in October and performed it live acoustically a few times and it was warmly received at Greenfield’s Riley Festival and at the Kopper Kettle in Morristown, Moore said.
He then went to work with fellow members of the Craig Moore Band, added more instruments and laid down the song, which was officially, digitally released for purchase at 99 cents on Dec. 1.
Showing support for police officers and bringing light to the many issues family members and fellow police officers face when an officer is killed is the hope, Moore said.
For more on the song, visit craigmooremusic.com or facebook.com/craigbmooremusic.
