Oh my goodness. As I’ve said before in these posts, a huge plus for me as I research and write about the texts, composers and backgrounds of the programmed pieces for my beloved Cherry Creek Chorale is that I discover wonderful music and people that I’d never known existed. Such is the case with “I Dreamed of Rain” by Colorado composer Jan Garrett. What a character! Garrett’s been writing music for decades and won many awards, but had I ever heard of her? No, not at all.
Garrett describes herself as a “a jazz singer with a poet’s soul. A native of Colorado and a lifelong musician, she is a master teacher, wilderness vision quester, creativity guide, and (yes) certified laughing instructor.” I find that last item to be the most intriguing, don’t you? You can listen to a track of (I’m assuming) her and her husband, laughing uproariously, on her website. (Link is to the home page, with the audio button on the right sidebar.)