Trevor Hall believes his efforst to raise money for an orphanage in India are important — that’s why the musician displays a photo of children from the orphanage and a donation box at each of his concerts.

“It is something that is very small but very dear to my heart,” he said.

In addition to helping the children in India, Hall said music is also important in his life.

He will perform at 9 p.m. Friday at the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St. Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door.

Quite a bit of acoustic reggae influences his music, but he also likes to include rock and hip-hop in his songs. For him, music is not only fun, it is spiritual, and it allows him to learn about himself and the environment around him.

University of Iowa freshman Brendan Dudley said he’s a fan of Hall’s music, in part because of the lyrics.

“There are some recurring themes that [Hall] visits in his self-titled album, and I really like some of the ideas and values he preaches,” Dudley said. “His lyrics to me, personally, stick out — they speak to me in a way.”

Books and stories of mythical poets also influence Hall’s works. His album Everything, Everytime, Everywhere, which is scheduled to be released sometime early this summer, demonstrates this.

“Everything, Everytime, Everywhere is kind of a little more raw than my other albums,” he said. “I was going through a little more of a struggle during that time of my life, so I was really able to release my feelings.”

The album isn’t either rock or reggae — it depends on each individual song. However, each song seems to fit perfectly with the others, Hall said.

At his show Friday, he will début some of the new material from his upcoming album in addition to playing some previous hits.

One of his favorite songs to perform is “Origami Crane”; he says it’s fun to play because he is able to improvise on it every night. The song demonstrates there are many different ways for people to live.

“[The song] proposes the notion that however you live your life is how you make it, kind of like an origami crane,” he said.

Hall performed for the first time in Iowa City when he was around 17 years old, and he is excited to see how the audience reacts to his new songs.

He is passionate about connecting with his fans. During the production of the album, the musician launched a video series on his Facebook page that took fans through the process of making the record. He titled the series the Main Street Sessions, and in the videos, he answers questions from fans.

“It was something to do for this record to keep the fans in the loop and make sure they didn’t think I was forgetting about them,” he said. “It was a lot of fun to stay connected while writing.”