Kharlie’s new 12-song, 35-minute album will drop everywhere
on Wednesday, June 16. It will appear on Spotify along with other
streaming platforms; you will be able to listen and read the lyrics on
Kharlie.com. Bandcamp, being on Universal Time, will actually have it by
7 pm Central Time on the 15th. CDs will be available from the artist, in person,
at the open mic at Mocha Moment in Janesville from 5:00 to 7:30 pm on the 16th.
But why, you may ask, is there a little girl’s face on the front
cover? That’s my lovely wife, Wendi, in the third grade. (I couldn’t
find my own school pictures, but hers is cuter anyway.)
Spoilers: Track Listing and Info
This album is not exactly children’s music. Well, some of it is, but
most of the songs are about children, or about life. Read on below:
The Child in You - the title track focuses on the simplicity of childhood,
declaring that in some ways, we should all be more like children.
The Blossoms of Springtime - just as the flowers bloom on time each year,
life comes and goes on its own schedule. Make the most of it!
Spring Awakening - a bright song extolling the wonders of nature. One of
my personal favorites.
Birthday Reflections - written for a young lady who was turning 24 at the
time. Philosophical, with tempo and key changes throughout.
Maria - just a fun little ditty written for a little girl by a different
name.
Dana Leigh - this baby was lost in a miscarriage. Sort of a tear jerker.
Ode to Patricia - the music is snappier, but the song is about our first
granddaughter who was stillborn.
Born Too Early - we knew a family in Illinois who had a baby born at 23
weeks gestation, only 19 ounces. Good news: the little warrior made it!
Bless Baby - dedicated to our first living granddaughter, Asha. It is
both a lullaby and a prayer.
A Tale of Three Brothers - a fanciful tale based on this poem on our
family website, The Oo Kingdom.
The Flying Apparition - the story of the Oo-oo bird (fictional), which
I wrote in 1975 and set to music in the 1980s. This poem also appears on The
Oo Kingdom, here.
My Star - a lovely children's poem written by Peg Nelson, used by permission.
Musical accompaniment is played on various ukuleles, piano, and a variety
of virtual instruments, in typical Kharlie M style. Some songs have backup vocals;
the title song includes a quartet that jumps in several times.
