Kelly McCauley can’t listen to “My Immortal” without immediately shutting it off. Oddly enough, that feeling of connecting to a song with deep emotion is what made her want to integrate music into her everyday life.

McCauley is the chairperson for the Linn-Benton Self Protection And Rights Advocacy Council (SPARC), which focuses on advocating for bills that prioritize the disabled community. Basic societal structures aren’t always accessible for individuals with disabilities. McCauley has experienced this firsthand. Her work with SPARC builds a healthy community of individuals with disabilities, and she is able to connect them to music. Plus, in her free time, McCauley rocks out. She composes and performs her own music.

Growing up around abuse and battling a seizure disorder from a young age, McCauley started her involvement with SPARC to help people with similar experiences. SPARC gave her connections and a new passion. Knowing what it was like to struggle through dark times, McCauley says she uses her platform at SPARC to provide support for others who deal with the same things.

“I draw my songs out of my own life,” says McCauley. “I didn’t have a great childhood. When I write about it, it helps me close that door and put certain memories to bed.”

Most recently, McCauley has been trying to work on lifting the marriage penalty that people with disabilities face. It’s an issue not often highlighted in the media, but something that can adversely affect disabled individuals.

Through her relationship with music and its universal language, McCauley says she can show the people she advocates for that there is a light at the end of a dark tunnel.

“Playing the piano is relaxing to me so if I’m having a bad day I’ll start writing lyrics and composing the music,” McCauley says. “I think music is healing and it never fails to make me feel better.”