To purchase this album, click "Buy Album $20" at the top of the music player below. We accept Debit/Credit cards, ApplePay, and PayPal. The album will be delivered to your email. All proceeds go to the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living.
About This Music
A note from Ric & Chamaigne Sharette
These songs were written by Ric and Chamaigne Sharette (except Imagine America, which is an arrangement of traditional American patriotic hymns put together with John Lennon’s timeless classic, Imagine).
Around the world, Centers for Spiritual Living (like most churches) utilize music as a spiritual practice to engage and expand the hearts of their congregants with positive, transformative messages. The power of singing affirmative statements with pleasing, 'catchy' melodies is that these messages resonate with our souls and stay with us, creating a more positive sense of ourselves, of others, and our world. Additionally, when people listen and sing together in community, they create a potent, unifying experience. The positive messages in the songs we've created for this album can fit into three different categories:
1. Sing-along or chant
A few affirmative phrases put to a simple, pleasing melody that is quick and easy to learn and fun to sing: Holy, Holy, Holy Ground, Jump, Change for the Better, Dance, Boogie, All That I Need to be Free
2. Centering or meditative
Typically songs for listening in order to guide one to a calm, centered, contemplative state as a prelude to meditation or prayer: Silence, I Surrender, There's More
3. Positive story
An edifying, moving story put to music. These compositions express the impact and fullness of a particular experience and call upon the sensitivity and skill of the musicians, especially the vocalist: Free, So Much, There's Hope, I've Got a Mind, Imagine America
Many of these songs can obviously fit into more than one category. We don't have particular expectations of a song before it's finished. We open to what wants to be revealed and this inspires lyrics, melodies, rhythm, structure - ultimately, the creation of the completed song. We do have a few expectations after they're finished We would like our songs to be heard. We would like our songs to be enjoyed enough to be played more than a few times. We would like our songs to be sung and shared. We would like our songs to make a positive difference in the world.
We have written well over a hundred songs and we look forward to doing more recording! We also look forward to writing more, of course! So, please stay tuned. We hope you like what you hear...and there's more to come!
Thanks for listening, singing and sharing our music!
Sincerely, Ric and Chamaigne Sharette
Acknowledgements
This recording would not have come to fruition if not for the these dear people; their belief in my potential and their consistent encouragement (nagging! ) and support:
First, to Missy Jolley, for introducing me to Science of Mind in 1991, being patient with me and my initial arguments against it, for our wild and beautiful rollercoaster marriage, and for giving me the wonderful lyric, “Dance to the rhythm of the universe”. Thank you, Missy.
Secondly, to Rev. Donald Graves, for appointing me Music Director of the Salt Lake Center for Spiritual Living (formerly the Church of Religious Science) in July of 1998; for his kudos and critiques, his trust in me and giving me the autonomy in my position to explore and create. Thank you, Rev. Donald Graves!
Thirdly, to my dear friend, Delaine Croonenborgh, for generously gifting me the funds to start recording (years ago!). It was a great learning process, even though I only got 5 songs down. Thank you, Delaine!
Although these Thank You’s are chronological, I cannot emphasize enough the gratitude and ever-expanding love for my wife, Chamaigne. She is a treasure-trove of inspiration, talent and multifaceted Beauty I’m so grateful for all of our common interests, for her patience, love and support. Thank you, my Love!
Thank you to the SLCSL Band for donating their time and talents to this project! Thank you, DelAnne, for your wonderful, soulful, emotive and skillful singing! Thank you, Chamaigne, for your beautiful, soaring and evocative vocals and your phenomenal songwriting! Thank you, Lezlee, for your amazing singing and songwriting; for your commanding, yet never over-played keys, your sensitivity and musical insights! Thank you, Drew, for your great bass-playing, your attention to the music and your persistent sense of humor! Thank you, Ricardo, for planting the seed for this project, for your awesome percussion skills, your kindness, generosity and attentive musicianship. Thank you, Rory! As the newest member of the band, you have certainly made yourself indispensable ! Your skillful licks and shreds, adjusting the timbre of your electric guitar to fit the tune, and your bold, bluesy harmonica provide much of the brilliant ornaments in our music! Thanks, man!
Thanks to AV engineer Raj Harrous, the Wizard of Raj, and his team for making us look and sound good for our live and livestream presentations every Sunday morning!
This album wouldn't have happened without some generous financial contributions that gave us the confidence to get it started. You know who you are. Thank you.
Thanks, Ken Kruckenberg of Sonic Pathways for your stellar musicianship, recording skills and patience producing this album. It was such a pleasure working with you to create something beyond our expectations!
With much Love and Gratitude,
Ric Sharette