“Common Thread”
for the City of Eastvale
Songwriters: Brady Kerr, Santiago Tanori, and Adilene Michel
One stitch wandered from the pattern
Barely wider than a thread
No one thought to pull it loose
They stitched around it instead
You could count the seams forever
Trace each corner, every start
Still you’d miss the whole thing
Standing right there where you are
Stand too close, it’s only color
Take a step back, there we are
Every shade keeps catching sunlight
Every hand becomes the art
Stand too close, it’s only pieces
Take a step back, there we are
Every life keeps its own story
Every story leaves a mark
Some were cut from worn-out blue jeans
Some from jackets left behind
Every square had lived a lifetime
Before becoming part of mine
Leave one corner still unfinished
Leave one edge without a name
Someone else will find the fabric
And continue on just the same
Stand too close, it’s only color
Take a step back, there we are
Every shade keeps catching sunlight
Every hand becomes the art
Stand too close, it’s only pieces
Take a step back, there we are
Every life keeps its own story
Every story leaves a mark
Long after these hands are gone
Another hand will find its start
One more piece
One more thread
One more heart
The Story Behind “Common Thread”
In 2026, the City of Eastvale invited Norco College to create an original song for its State of the City event on October 1, 2026. As part of that invitation, the City shared a list of qualities that reflect its vision of Eastvale: innovative, family-oriented, community-driven, diverse yet united, filled with a strong sense of community pride, safe and clean, prosperous, and a city full of opportunity where everyone can thrive.
Those ideas became the starting point for “Common Thread.”
Rather than simply turning that list into lyrics, I wanted to find a single image that could represent those qualities without naming them directly. I began imagining Eastvale as a quilt, made from individual pieces, each carrying its own color, texture, history, and story. The pieces do not have to be identical to belong to the same design. Their differences are what create it.
That became the foundation for “Common Thread.” Up close, we see individual people, families, cultures, experiences, and ambitions. Step back, and those individual pieces reveal something larger: Eastvale. Each retains its own story while becoming part of a story shared with others.
Just as importantly, the quilt is intentionally unfinished. Eastvale is a young and evolving city, with room for new ideas, new families, new opportunities, and new generations to add something of their own.
Ultimately, I wanted “Common Thread” to do more than repeat a list of qualities that describe Eastvale. I wanted to turn those qualities into an image people could see themselves within.
A common thread does not mean that everyone shares the same background, experiences, or story. It is the connection running through those differences: a shared investment in this place, a willingness to contribute something of our own, and the understanding that what we create will eventually be carried forward by hands other than ours.
Brady Kerr
Assistant Professor, Music Industry Studies
Norco College