A collection of songs relating to the experience of China adoption.

9 MP3 Songs
KIDS/FAMILY: Lullabies, KIDS/FAMILY: General Children's Music



Details:
Lullabies: For Chinaâs Daughters and their Adoptive Families

In a world laden with many hardships, tragedies and charities intended to help alleviate the pain, itâs almost impossible to sort through the causes and find a compelling reason to reach out. And itâs only human nature to get caught up in the daily busyness or have a hard time relating to a situation miles away from oneâs geographic residence. But one day in December 2004, singer Lynette Giacinto (best known for her role in Clique Records act Final Quest with her husband Chuck) was watching a television program that would literally change the course of their lives.

âMy eleven-year-old daughter Alexa and I were watching Oprah and Lisa Ling from National Geographic was sharing the subject ËChinaâs Lost Girls,ââ she recalls of that fateful day. âWe heard story after story of little girls being abandoned because of the policy that families are only allowed one child and we were both crying really hard when we learned that. My husband came home in the middle of this and was wondering what we were so shaken up about. I just remember sharing with him the story and the showâs plea for adoptions of these girls being left behind and it struck a really soft spot in our hearts.â

After both parents were unable to shake these images from their minds, they started looking deeper into the subject, starting with adoption agencies and moving into an informational meeting and several weeks of family discussion. As one green light turned to the next, they each found themselves finding approval from Alexa and nine-year-old son Matthew, their extended families and friends.

âChina is in a unique situation having the worldâs largest population- somewhere around 1.3 billion people- and with a one child policy in place, and an age-old preference for boys, many of the girls are abandoned,â relates Chuck, further disclosing motivations for their decision. âWe couldnât just let them fall by the wayside and wanted to reach out in the most loving way possible. So sure enough we went through the long process of paper work and waiting time, which weâve found out first hand is a lot of rushing at the beginning and then a really long wait in the end.â

In fact the paperwork required for the overseas experience is so lengthy that Lynette and Chuck couldnât sit still under any circumstances. Though they filled some time picking a name for the newcomer (her name is Dani) and decorating her room, the additional waiting was still the hardest part. But instead of growing impatient, they turned to the artistic expression closest to their hearts and began crafting music to correspond to the emotional roller coaster.

âMusic is a natural extension for us and it started out as something we could do in our waiting time as a gift for Dani,â Lynette explains. âWe put all our emotions and feelings into her since this process began and it all came out in our craft with tremendous concentration on the words and instrumentation.â

Following various songwriting sessions and trips to the studio, the duo emerged with a mixed bag of originals, traditional instrumentals and a special cover, now bundled as the CD Lullabies: For Chinaâs Daughters and their Adoptive Families. Not only is the album an exceptional display of their talent and emotional message, but its a premiere in this genre, stirring up a craze across the country by other couples patiently awaiting the completion of the adoption process.

âEven in the early stages, weâve been getting overwhelmed responses from people looking for a project like this for a long time but kept coming up empty,â Chuck contends. âItâs crazy to think we have these feelings towards a little girl we havenât even met, but weâve tried to put that into words and found it relating to lots of other parents. We want to hit peopleâs hearts and weâre reaching that mark because this is such an honest, personal experience for us as well.â

The nine-track collection features a wide variety of soothing, easygoing selections, including the anthem of thankfulness âHome,â the love ballad âI Promise,â the light hearted ukulele based âPolly and Me,â plus the gentle blessing âThe Greatest of These.â Thereâs also a cover of the Billy Preston penned turned Joe Cocker classic âYou Are So Beautiful,â featuring Chicagoâs acclaimed violin player Anne Harris, plus the narrative poem âA Way Home,â written by John Elmore and accompanied by Christopher Peterson. A trio of Chinese traditionals cements its authenticity, including âBamboo Flute,â âDaniâs Songâ and âPurple Straight Grown Bamboo Shoot.â

âIt was unlike anything weâve ever recorded because these songs are literally loved ones to our daughter and are filled with sentiments every parent can enjoy,â Lynette summarizes. âThose waiting on their little one will be able to see right into our hearts, those watching their baby sleeping in a crib can use this as a soothing tool and even those a little older can use it to remember when their children were young. Itâs been a wonderful experience for those involved and is the first of many exciting and enriching chapters to our new family history.â

Indeed the projectâs resonating with those from all walks of life tied together through the incredible opportunity of adopting a wonderful child from China and preparing for their arrival. And while many are still struggling to escape abandonment, hopefully these expressions will raise additional awareness to the cause and ignite the inspiration in other families as well.

âI remember back to that day when I saw my wife and daughter crying and I asked 'if we had the money, wouldnât it be great to go for this?,ââ Chuck ponders. But soon it shifted away from 'how can we do this?â to 'how can we NOT do this?â And here we are with Dani on the way to our lives and a soundtrack for every initial step of the way from our family to yours.â