New Meadowlark Music Class Album – Spring Raindrops

Big news from me today –  the new Meadowlark Music Class album is finished and available for download!  I look forward to singing these songs in person with you at all Meadowlark music classes, and related events this spring!

About the Album

As I’ve shared with you, almost two years ago, I embarked on the wild project to release a new album of family friendly acoustic music every season.  Spring Raindrops marks my seventh release in this series.

Along the way, I’ve learned so much.  And this project, which began simply as a way of continuing to provide new music for my in person classes has become something more.  Now it’s also become a true creative outlet for me, a place for me to connect with the exuberance and wonder of childhood, and one of my all around favorite ways to be of service in this life.

On each album, I’ve had the same goal – simply to get a little better as a songwriter, engineer, and arranger, and to provide quality acoustic music for the families I know and love.  

I don’t just love the process of recording the songs – it’s an equally fulfilling challenge to find them.  Each album is its own musical scavenger hunt, combing the virtual beaches of folk music history to find those hidden gems that inspire wonder and delight, and that connect us to nature, spirit, and our history.

This season, my most exciting discovery was folk-singer Jean Ritchie, who brought the songs of her Appalachian childhood to folk music audiences in the 60s, and who also popularized a wonderful instrument that few had heard of, outside her mountain home – the mountain dulcimer.   

Naturally, once I had heard this instrument played by Jean Ritchie, I had to have one…  😉  At first I wasn’t sure how I’d buy it, but then I remembered my old electric guitar, once a prime instrument for me, back in my early days as a singer songwriter.  To my delight, the vintage telecaster was easily sold, and the new dulcimer, bought, (though that’s another story, one I’ll save for later.)  What a great feeling to pass on something you’re no longer using and trade it for something you will use every day.  

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I’ve been able to start teaching myself to play, and my new mountain dulcimer has actually inspired much of my songwriting for children this spring.   

You’ll also hear my debut on alto recorder, playing a beautiful wooden flute that I’ve so rarely gotten to take out since I had children… You can hear this instrument in the solo section on the song, Raindrop.

Downloading the Album

Like my earlier releases, this new album is offered at the most flexible price point possible – pay what you want.  

That means that you are welcome to download and share this album for free.

But to those who do decide to contribute financially for this album, thank you so much!

Your financial support of my work as a recording artist influences the process in some very direct ways, and I really can’t thank you enough for it

For example, you’ll notice that this album, (like the last one), sounds louder and clearer than my earlier releases.  This is the result of a post production service called mastering which I was able to invest in, thanks entirely to the support of listeners like you.

Thank you so much for this, and for all the ways that you participate in and support my work.

So… I hope you will enjoy Spring Raindrops.

Thank you as always for listening, and I hope to cross paths with you in person sometime soon.

Warmly,

Noe Venable