The story of Teddy Geiger is truly a story of persistence, courage, and of course, living the American Dream. Growing up in Rochester, New York, Teddy had taught himself both the piano and guitar and by the age of 8 had already begun to write songs.

I don’t know if you have ever had the experience of visiting upstate New York, but Rochester is one of the most humble towns of the United States. No, it’s not a ghetto, but it certainly is no Manhattan. I must admit I was extremely surprised when I read Teddy’s biography. Even if you are not one of the hundreds of thousands of fans he has around the world, you have to sit back and see the amazing ability this young man has, to not only make a living and starting out his own business, but also encouraging young people and others like himself to do the same.

“You always want what you can’t have. But I have got to try!â€? sings Teddy. And if goalsetting and achieving objectives were virtues, Teddy would be right up there with Saint Joseph the worker. While still a teenager he entered into VH1’s contest entitled “In Search of a New Partridge Familyâ€?, which was a musical family sensation with their own TV show back in the 70s. As was to be expected, Teddy ended up as one of the finalists, but more importantly he dazzled one person in particular, Billy Mann. Billy Mann discovered such personalities as Sting, Jessica Simpson, Pink, etc.

For those of you who are not part of the music business, most musicians start out by writing or singing some songs which are normally not their own. They make recordings at a studio and send out “demos� or tapes to music producers, hoping for their moment of glory. They sometimes get “gigs� or chances to perform at local bars, etc.

Teddy was a teenager and as such, he was not able to go around doing gigs. So he stayed right where he was and played at schools and local gatherings as his popularity grew among teenagers,etc. And perhaps his greatest achievement, he stayed in school and continued studying… “Wandering the streets, and the world underneath it all. Nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet, as what I can’t have.â€? ... He knew he couldn’t play in bars, but he continued on, despite the obstacles.

Teddy won $1000 grand prize in the Battle of the Bands in upstate New York, and to complement his success, he donated all of it to the Tsunami fund. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he played and raised funds for the Red Cross Relief Fund.

After breaking his way into acting in “Love Monkeyâ€?, a recent teen sitcom, he was chosen by Levi’s to carry forward their Fall fashion line at the age of 17.

Perhaps his most famous hit, FOR YOU I WILL… was ranked #8 in the Billboard Top 200 and is presently number 24 of the famous “American Top 40â€? list. His debut album, Underage Thinking, was released in March 2006. The album was written entirely by Teddy Geiger.

If you are looking for more successful artists just check out the career of John Mayer and Dave Matthews. But for now, sit back and enjoy the lyrics written by this amazing teenager… who reminds us that we too have talent, we too have purpose in our lives.

“I am going to muster every ounce of confidence that I have, catapult into the water. I am going to muster every ounce of confidence I have. For you I will.�