Road to Dreamland: Unexpected Lullabies for All Ages

An old love might just be back.

I was once that annoying yet curious teenager (extended until my early 20s) who wants to experience everything to herself. Who listen to her music by earphone/headphone on almost everywhere to signal everyone around that she's doing her own thing and that she doesn't want to deal with anybody. An annoying factor most matured people hates nowadays, including my now 29-year old self. Ha! Weird.

Fast-forward to becoming a parent and a wife, my obsession to pop and other kinds of music took a dramatic drop from moderate to low. Though I still cherish a walk to the neighborhood with some T.Swift music playing just a few yards away or some love songs in the background during date night, I just eventually stop making time for it. (Except for Nursery Rhymes and Kid's songs we sing along when we hang out on the bed with my little one ;-)

So when Patricia asked me to listen to Jane's new album Road to Dreamland:Unexpected Lullabies for All Ages it took me a couple of days to give it a go. Only when I've been hit with some family problems and career uncertainties  a few weeks ago that I finally gave it a chance.

Surprisingly, in this album along with my favorite praises and worship songs, I found the secret weapon against these shocking waves I've been experiencing the past few days. The calming and soothing sounds of this unexpected collection reminds me to relax and stop worrying. These are the good sleeping aid for both mommies and babies. There's something about lullabies that tricks the mind into escaping from reality to dreamland, to sleep better, to stay calm and possibly wake up with a more positive and focused mind, ready to face the daily battles of life. Call it signs of aging, but I, even more, appreciate the benefits of smooth and soft sounds now compared to my teenage angst kind-of-rebellion music.  Though it's a bit hard to listen to few songs with more exaggerated melodic tendencies in this collection especially when faced with certain unfortunate circumstances because they could make you feel lost; like a lot is being ignited and flashed at once that it's so hard to keep your focus and your mind is wandering into the unknown. I just have to skip the beat. Like what my husband said, this is not my 20-something kind of music but it's liberating to listen to other genre and unique pieces.

Get to know more about Jane and her brand new album Road to Dreamland: Unexpected Lullabies for all Ages and be sure to add this to your music repertoire.

* About the singer and other musicians of this album:

The singer herself, Jane Roman Pitt lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where she sings, writes choral music, and plays with her grandchildren. She has also been a teacher of Transcendental Meditation for over 40 years.

Her co-musicians are Chris Rosser on keyboards, Franklin Keel on cello, River Guergarian on percussion, Matthew Richmond on vibes, Al Schlimm on classical guitar, Jacob Rodriguez on saxophone. The cover artwork is by her friend James Flames, a well-known poster artist for bands all over the country.

*When did Jane start or discover her love for music?

Jane’s introduction to music came from sneaking downstairs at night to hear the classical chamber music her parents and their friends were playing. And later by listening nonstop to folk music, pop, and jazz from all over the world. She started to play the guitar at 15, and began to sing and play at local coffeehouses, college campuses, and on public television as the resident folk singer. She has a graduate degree in music history and composition and has published her classical choral music with Transcontinental Music in New York.

*What genre of music she most considers this album to be?

The team worked together to create arrangements that would combine the talents and interests of each musician—world music, jazz, classical, folk—into a unified feeling that is soothing and uplifting lullabies for babies and grown-ups.

*Who are her major influences? Or who inspired her to make this album the most?

This album is extra special because Jane started collecting lullabies in preparation for her first grandchild.

*Does she write her owns songs? If not, who writes them?

Some of the songs here were written and composed by poets and songwriters as diverse as Neil Young, Hoagy Carmichael, and Rabindranath Tagore. “Road To Dreamland” was recorded, produced and engineered by Chris Rosser at Hollow Reed Arts Studio and Sound Temple Studio in Asheville, North Carolina. It is the result of collaboration between a group of incredibly creative musicians and her.

*What are the main topics of the songs?

All these songs give the same universal message: you are loved and I will take care of you, so you can relax and go to sleep.

*Brief description of the Album?

We are beyond thrilled to let you know that Jane's new album, “Road to Dreamland: Unexpected Lullabies for All Ages,” has been awarded a Gold Award by the prestigious Parents’ Choice Foundation. It is a collection of soothing songs for both babies and grownups. And as Lynne Heffley at 2016 Parents’ Choice puts it, “Among the tender, off-the-beaten-path lullaby choices here, are the Thad Jones classic, “A Child is Born,” Neil Young’s “Barefoot Floors,” and this exquisite little art song hinting of magic and fairyland: “The original “Dance Like the Wind,” is a smooth fit; another soothing, well-chosen tracks include “Over the Rainbow,” “The Nearness of You,” and “Summertime.” The jazz arrangements and instrumentation here are A+, and the singer herself, who styles the songs with lilting vibrato and a soft vocal caress, is chief among the album’s unexpected treats.”

*How can fans and other people gain access to this album and her music?

“Road To Dreamland” is available on iTunes, on their buy page, Amazon, and CD Baby.

Thanks a lot for reading!

**This post is in partnership with ladylullaby.com and as usual, all opinions are my own.