Born to Sing

Born the youngest of nine children, singing was an influential part of my growing up from an early age. Our family often had sing-alongs harmonizing pop songs or musical theatre songs around the piano in the living room, or folk songs in a circle with a guitar, and family road trips in the car.

My parents sang in the church choir, and I followed suit starting around age 12.  I was invited to sing solos at special occasions and weddings, I sang in high school choir and played leads in the high school musicals.  I determined I was born to sing.  

At age 18 I ventured from my home town to Tucson, New York City, then San Diego, where I enjoyed singing with jazz combos, the Moonlight Serenade Orchestra big band, the lounge act Blue Velvet, a Dickens caroling group, as a soloist at temples of worship, plus a variety of musicals and Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. 

Upon moving to Los Angeles in 2012, the desire to perform publicly left me, and I needed to reevaluate and fill the well.  Performing had taken its toll, but I was and still am deeply passionate about singing.  I attended vocal workshops to keep a toe in the water, and sang for friends on occasion.

Eventually, in 2020, I found the desire to record, and really wanted to make a new, different record, branching out from standards, something more reflective of my journey.

The decision to record at Spragueland was instinctual, even though I had only met Peter Sprague once briefly about 15 years ago, when I recorded one song there on someone else’s project. Check out his music, he is a phenomenal guitarist and super cool cat.

My vision was to have a harmonious collaborative experience making beautiful music, and indeed, Peter’s expertise in the studio, virtuoso guitar work, and artistry in crafting the arrangements to suit my voice, made it all come together. Ain’t I a lucky girl.

I feel released, like a butterfly from a chrysalis, rediscovering the joy of singing, and the courage to record again. It was a journey of unearthing, a process of healing, and practicing a deeper level of self-love through self-expression.

I’m so excited to share these songs and hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I do!

Available 5/5 at https://franhartshorn.hearnow.com