An emotional song that tugs at the heartstrings. Don't Forget to Say Hello expresses what all parents feel as their child leaves the nest. Conveyed so movingly by Armi Abiera, this song will leave a lasting impression long after the last note is sung.

Empty nesters looking for a way to cope with children going off to college, may have found a new vice with Armi Abiera's Don’t Forget to Say Hello. This is Abiera's first single, and was written by Jimmy Wendt. Abiera and Wendt both live in Irvine California. A mother of four daughters, Armi will experience empty nester situations 4 times.

How does Jimmy Wendt, a career marketing executive and lifelong surfer from Tustin come to write an empty nest song?

“I love writing songs about people and experiences”, says Wendt. “ Two summers ago I had just completed producing the song Soarin’, a song about a girl realizing a dream. I was anxious to write the next one. Armi Abiera is a professional actress and very talented singer. Our families were at the pool together and after learning she had not yet recorded original songs, I offered to write a song for her and then challenged her on the topic. Armi suggested I write a song about parents dealing with kids going off to college. So I took the challenge to create an epic empty nester song."

Don’t Forget To Say Hello was two years in the making. Wendt wrote most of the chorus lyrics at the pool that day, and over time, completed the verses, created a bridge, remaining lyrics and the initial melody concepts. After some initial practice sessions, Abiera & Wendt worked with Lacey Johnson to record and produce the single. Johnson plays all the instruments on the song. She can be found on YouTube and Instagram (@laceyjohnsonmusic).

The vision of the song was to capture the thoughts and feelings an empty-nester-to-be parent goes through and encourages their children to ‘say hello’ through a roller coaster of a song. According to Wendt, "I wanted this song to tell a story and mimic real life with peaks and valleys and big moments. With a wide range, Armi's vocals added genuine feeling to the words with tender moments and huge notes. Lacey's keyboards, guitars and drums took the song to a whole new level. Vision realized."

Wendt and his wife MaryAnne are parents of a 16 year old. “We’ll also be dealing with this issue soon”, says Wendt. “Not gonna lie, I shed a few tears writing this song. The greatest fear I had when thinking about this song was will our daughter call us? So the song plays on that fear. We think that when she goes off to college, hearing her voice will be the best coping mechanism for empty nest syndrome. So that drove the chorus of the song and ultimately became the title.”

Joël René, from Lafayette, Louisiana, an actress, known for her roles in Boy Culture and Mamma Mia!, has a son going off to college this fall. She described the song this way. ”It’s an emotional song that tugs at the heartstrings. Reminiscent of the Lee Ann Womack hit, I Hope You Dance, Don't Forget to Say Hello expresses what all parents feel as their child leaves the nest. Conveyed so movingly by the vocal talents of Armi Abiera, this song will leave a lasting impression long after the last note is sung.”

Alex Jewett, Founder and CEO of the Right Left (digital marketing) Agency, had this to say. "Don't Forget to Say Hello is a beautiful song that every parent and child who have been through the "empty nest" stage will connect with. It is sure to bring both tears to your eyes and a smile to your face."

“This was a fun and sometimes emotional project”, says Abiera. “I’ve always thought about recording original songs so I really appreciate being of part it. Get the tissues ready. The biggest challenge for me was not bawling in the studio.”

About Armi Abiera
Armi Abiera is an actor, director and producer and has appeared on television, film, and many national commercials. Armi has traveled the world as a singer and actress performing lead roles in such blockbuster musicals as The King and I, Mamma Mia!, Beauty and the Beast, and Miss Saigon. Armi is the voice of Tuptim in warner Brother’s animated Feature Film The King and I. Armi’s family of 6 resides in Irvine, CA.

About Jimmy Wendt
Wendt is a songwriter and marketing executive also based in Irvine, CA.