Article February 4, 2002 Issue

Student writes 'torch' song

with contributions from Karin Hendrickson, Brock Walsh

THE OLYMPIC TORCH , from which the flame will be lighted during the opening ceremony on February 8, will have been carried 13,500 miles through 46 American states before reaching its Salt Lake City destination. The song that has accompanied the torch, "Carry the Flame," was written by Karin Hendrickson, a musician and George Mason University student, in collaboration with songwriter Brock Walsh.

Karin told us that she began the song in 11th grade when she was watching TV coverage of the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games. She was so inspired by some of the Olympians' personal stories of courage and persistence that the melody line and the lyrics for the chorus came to her immediately.

Although Karin didn't complete the verses until six years later, she says that spontaneity of this kind is very natural to her. "I don't sit down and think, 'Now I'm going to write a song.' Usually I'm doing a very simple thing or driving somewhere in the car, and all of a sudden the song is there."

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