This album offers a collection of chants and lullabies, both traditional and contemporary. Sung with the gentle voice of a loving mother, the songs are healing and soothing for listeners of all ages, carrying powerful messages of affirmation and comfort.

The inspiration to record this collection of songs came to me one night as I was singing my children to sleep. As I sat rocking my youngest child, it came to me that the singing my children found so calming and nourishing could extend beyond their rooms. I was doing inner child work at the time, personally and in my practice as a counselor. It seemed possible to me that the experience of being sung to could be a healing and nourishing experience for many of the adults I knew. Open to the inspiration that had come to me, I was willing to trust that the songs my husband and I had been singing to our children could be a blessing to a wider audience.

I began by gathering six of the songs in my nightly repertoire that I felt were the most soothing. I invited more inspiration, asking that any additional songs that would be useful and relevant for the collection would come to me. Within three weeks, four more songs had found their way to me, and I began work on the project.

As I moved through the process of finding musicians, and a place to record the songs, the nature of the album continued to clarify and deepen in me. When I began recording, it was my intention to do my best to presence the same energy in the studio that I had brought to my children as I rocked them to sleep: heart-centered, soothing, comforting and embracing.

So here’s what I offer you, now, if you are drawn to these songs for yourself, and your inner child:

Each of these songs was chosen for the strength of its healing message. I deliberately recorded them at tempos that are unhurried; so many of us were hurried as children, so few of us got enough of the kind of loving and gentle support that these songs bring.

As you listen, know that it is never too late to receive this kind of deep support. Music has the capacity to touch us in places that nothing else can. The child that lives inside of you can draw deeply from these songs, here and now, and be nourished and soothed by the energy they bring.

To read a collection of stories I’ve received over the years from people who have been deeply touched by  Songs For The Inner Child, you can visit the Stories section of my website. These stories have touched me deeply, and I’m so pleased to be able to share them with you here.

Credits:

Vocals: Shaina Noll, Richard Noll
Keyboards/Piano: Jim Oliver
Guitar: David Ziems
Recorder: Richard Noll
Soprano Saxophone: Rusty Crutcher
Cover art: Nancy Bright