Are You Satisfied? is now available! Ordering info is at the bottom of this page.
Thirteen original contemporary folk songs with a jazz flavor comprise the first CD, recorded at Songtree Studios in Eugene, Oregon, engineered by Roger Briand and co-produced by Roger Briand and Laurie Childers. Laurie plays the piano and guitar and sings. Songs feature Kent White on saxophone, David Burham on violin, and Gerry Remple on guitar. Niomi Morr, Skip Jones, and Roger Briand enriched the music with bass, percussion, vocal harmonies, and other instruments. See lyrics for details.
Click here if you want to read the text of the lyrics.
Click on a song (printed in blue) that you want to listen to. "Completeness" has piano, sax, percussion, harmonies, and other instrumentation. "Our grief ..." has guitars, percussion, and harmonies. "Where love grows" has piano, harmonies, and exquisite violin tracks. Buying, rather than copying music, gives you better quality sound and supports independent music and musicians. I do, however, endorse spreading song #6, "our grief is not a cry for war" by free copying. Want to sample more? You can hear 2 minutes of each song at http://www.cdbaby.com/lchilders And it's the easiest way to buy the CD! The songs are on iTunes, too.
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SONG LIST:
1. friendship (4:27) 2. breathing on hope (4:06) 3. completeness (3:50) 4. lo que nos haga fuerte/what makes us strong (4:50) 5. are you satisfied? (3:25) 6. our grief is not a cry for war (3:32) 7. ode to the heart (4:40) 8. this African land (3:33) 9. dangerous (4:49) 10. goddessmother (5:28) 11. where love grows (2:39) 12. modern day medicine woman (3:26) 13. the phoenix (1:55) All songs written by Laurie F. Childers © 2004
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LINER NOTES
These songs were written over a period of 2+ decades, in different parts of the world, at different stages of my life. They came of their own accord, infrequently or in clusters, often as resolutions of dilemmas I found myself in or as attempts to understand difficult situations from a more universal perspective. I recognized each song as a gift, a guiding light from the nameless spiritual benevolence. I also felt a responsibility to be attentive to each song until it felt complete. Some were birthed smoothly, others over a longer time and with more struggle over details.
The spiritual dialogue of songwriting, and playing these songs, was mostly an internal affair until recently. Although I shared them occasionally, playing the piano was something I did when everyone left the house. It was a great pleasure. Although not normally shy, playing for others - especially my own songs - made me nervous and that was unpleasant.
A few years ago my songs started to have a mid-life crisis. They insisted, “You’re mortal. We don’t have to be. Get over it.” Any challenge that makes me grow usually proves worthwhile, and I have tried to confront that terror and venture out from my “cave.” Around that time, my husband John said something at Quaker meeting about how we live by the cumulative grace of others. It suddenly occurred to me, what if nobody sang, ever? What if we were all too self-critical and no one in the past 100,000 years had ever sung or played music?
So, I offer up these sound sculptures, with endless gratitude to the gift of song; to Roger Briand, with his steady beat, perfect pitch, harmonic gifts and warm heart, who midwifed this recording; to all who inspired, reaffirmed, and added to these songs, especially Kent, David, Niomi, Gerry, Roger, and Skip, who put heart, soul and chops into these songs – I sing your praises!; to Alvin Batiste at Southern University Jazz Institute whose class in 1979 burst open the inner door of musical composition; to my song circle for the double gifts of live listening and sharing; all who work for peace and ecological sanity; to the visual arts which taught me how to be a beginner; to my family and friends for nurturing; to my children, Julia and Jordan, who must put up with my intense need to create, and especially to John who has profoundly blessed my life and made so much possible.
Are You Satisfied? CD's come in Digipak packaging and include a booklet of the lyrics.
They were beautifully reproduced by Disc Makers, in Pennsauken, NJ. Graphic design by Stephen Chovanec at www.designplane.com.
$16 postpaid for one. Bulk discounts are available, e.g. $69 postpaid for five CD's.
Wholesale prices, too. Inquiries? email me at: childers@peak.org
To order CD's, you can send a check or money order payable to Laurie Childers to:
Laurie Childers
2675 SW Fairmont Dr.
Corvallis, OR 97333 
USA
note: I'll be in Europe July 2005 - August 2006, so try another option during that year:
They are also available at http://www.cdbaby.com/lchilders
in Corvallis at GrassRoots Books and Music, downtown on Second St.,
at Gracewinds Music on Third Street,
on iTunes you can download whatever songs you want for less than a buck or the whole album for under $10.