MORO - Area resident Troy Whitworth has always been a man of good, creative ideas, but his new SummitSong is one full of potential and will be a way of capturing precious moments of a person’s life in a video with the click of a Q.R. code.
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Whitworth explained how the business idea came about: “Years ago, my dad had an idea I never forgot. He wanted to be able to go up to a gravestone and press a button and have an audible story told about the deceased individual. That was back in the 70's.
"It was such a great idea that I wrestled with it for years, trying to make something like that work. After seeing my grandma in a nursing home, I thought about it again. I thought there is so much history and love passing away with these people; it’s just not enough that only loved ones knew them.
“Perhaps others may find interest in what they did in their lives. Life can mean something long after someone is gone. Few inspire me in life than those who have passed on. One night I saw a Q.R. code on an ad in the paper for something ridiculous. I thought who wants to scan a Q.R. code for another ad? What if it actually stood for something bigger? Hence SummitSong was born.”
Whitworth said people can send him video clips or photos and he can create a memorable personal video for them.
“I decided to open it up to couples as well,” he added. “I am available for anniversaries, bridal events, retirement, even job resumes, truthfully it is open. The thing with raw video is that it can get pretty boring and long. A lot of great photos never see the light outside of the closet. Good editing and content can transform these bits of one's life into a great video.
“The video is uploaded to YouTube or private. I have put the Q.R. code on coffee mugs along with a great photo. if anyone wants to see how it works, they can simply scan the Q.R. code on this article to see how it works. I enjoy the creative work. I also take great responsibility crafting such a personal thing for people.”
“So many people die with all the wisdom they learned, what they stood for and all that dies with them if it is not recorded,” Whitworth said. Wouldn’t it be great to call up a Q.R. Code on a headstone, a park bench or coffee cup and learn a little bit about this person’s life? That gave me the inspiration to do this.”
Troy provided the example of long-time Realtor/Godfrey Village Board member Eldon“Twirp" Williams, who tragically lost his life in October 2018. I think of how wonderful it would be to have his great life captured on video and have it saved with a Q.R. code.
“He (Twirp Williams) was my grandpa’s neighbor,” Troy said. “I knew all he had done and what he meant to the community. I went to the mayor a while back and said I would like to do something for Twirp. I thought maybe we could put the Q.R. code on the bench dedicated for him so people could learn about him and what he meant to the area.”
Troy singled out another example of his parents who were at the World’s Fair in 1964. He said he put together a video about their experience.
“I keep these moving along at 3-5 minutes,” he said. “I think coffee mugs with a code on them are a great Mother’s Day or other holiday gift. I have also opened this for couples in their 70s and 80s to remember the times of their lives.”
Troy also has a website dedicated to veterans called https://mysoldiersong.org/
“I think of the scene in ‘Saving Private Ryan’ where they talked about their lives and how it stood for something. I can’t ever get that out of my head. These guys who served need to be remembered.”
For more information, contact Troy Whitworth at (618) 772-2176 or visit the following websites and Facebook pages:www.summitsong.com, https://www.facebook.com/summitsong
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