Memoirs are sellin' like hotcakes these days. It seems that a lot of people are feeling the need to tell their story, and if you are already famous, your book is practically guaranteed to be a New York Times best seller. I would just as soon not know some of the episodes in many people's lives - you know - "too much information." But, telling our stories is very important. Carl Jung says that it is the most essential aspect of healing or beginning the journey on the road to recovery. Where we come from, who we meet along the way and how we are treated are just a few of the facets that make up this jewel we call our lives. I think our spiritual life determines our response to the joys and sorrows, the shocks and awes and all that life and God provides for us. It is fascinating to remember and write and sing and to try to "figure out" the whys along with the why nots! Our latest recording, episodes, embodies some of the questions and some of the answers. Who knows, maybe it will be the beginning of a book - a best seller...

When making up our song list for the album, Will and I thought about including an insert large enough to hold written explanations of the titles because they were, each one, so personal. In many ways, I bared my soul much more openly than I had on any other album. I even made statements of faith that felt like doubt; and I seemed to be grieving over, not only my choices, but also those made by the collective people of the world. All of these selections seemed, in the end, to be about the common search for home and the isolation we all experience at one time or another. Some songs were about another time, but still episodes in life that linger to make a difference in today.

If you are interested, in a few days I will begin to tell all the stories accompanying all the songs. I have already been asked, "Why did you choose that?" And "What was that about?" Now I am writing the words to explain the lyrics. Please check in after June 30. Right now I am rehearsing for a play, Ragan's play, Mountain Light. It is a story about things pondered. I'm in the pondering mood. Have you examined your life lately? Go on. Who knows, you might write a book.

 Cynthia

March 2008

Hello everyone,

It is strange having our son, Will, producing my latest CD. You see, I have been singing to him since before he was born. Then, after he was born, he was rocked to sleep by my music. There has always been a blending of faith in my music whether written by Albert Brumley or Steven Sondheim. Once when the Cathedral Quartet sang, the volume was so loud that they could be heard in the next county. Will began to dance inside me just like John the Baptist did in Elizabeth’s womb. The Cathedrals taught him to dance … or the Spirit did. In any event, I was there and led him to the music.

Now he is producing my new recording. He wanted it to be minimal, honest, spontaneous, improvisational, raw and above all honest. In trying to capture those ideals, he wanted me to do the songs in one take believing that the first take if often the most true to your emotions. We recorded in a studio deep in east Austin on three rainy days where the river rose out of its banks creeping toward the deck at the studio. On a wet spring evening, tree frogs, bull frogs, rain and thunder added to the symphony of spontaneity, and Will said that we should not try to keep those sounds out. The CD opens with the soft sound of rain … and honesty. Then there was the piano – speaking of honesty. It was an instrument like Tom Waits might use, a barely in tune spinet. To me the spinet was a reminder of my childhood when I played the piano in the parsonage where I grew up. The felts were so compacted and brittle that the piano had a distinct honky-tonk sound.

There was an old Hammond organ stuck on full vibrato that Will wanted to use to add a nostalgic flavor to a couple of bars of music. He played the guitar, sang, beat on things in the studio to have a percussive sound and even played the kazoo. He asked friends to drop by and do a part: Ray on the pedal steel; Dave (from our church) with his horn; Jeff on bass and then with his saw, made unearthly music; Lily played a tambourine and sang back-up vocals. Erik was our engineer.

My training has been formal, but I love all kinds of music.  I have known the rules about what makes a good song most of my life, and in this endeavor I chose to break some of those rules. It was liberating for me. Will said that he had always loved my voice and wanted me to express the other music that was born out of the different parts of my life, besides the ones in my career as a gospel artist. So, Will and I went to the studio and played (I’m not talking about playing only music, I’m talking about playing like children in a playroom with wonderful toys). The results of our playing made us laugh hilariously at times, and at other times we sat silently. It is this honest, creative, spontaneous, provocative outpouring of words and music that I hope will continue to help me share the episodes of my life…