One Candle (CD)

With her first CD, Tina Landel breaks into the music scene, captures the hearts of her listeners and the attention of the music industry. The first month these songs hit the market, she was selected as a finalist in quot;Song of the Yearquot;--an elite international songwriting contest sponsored by VH1, for quot;Gramma's Songquot; under the folk genre. This recent success is just the beginning in establishing her as a singer-songwriter to be reckoned with. If you are a doubter, Tina's first CD recording quot;ONE CANDLEquot; will make you a believer. The daughter of missionary parents, faith is central to everything in Tina's life and this is heavily reflected in her music. At the age of 12 she first picked up a guitar and a Chuck Gerard song book...and she was off and running. She began writing songs from the very beginning. As a high school sophomore, she started her own singing telegram business, in which she would interview her client, then write a song and make a costume to deliver her melodic message. It was fun and helped to put her through college. Tina attended Delaware Valley College, where she received a B.S. in biology education. Afterwards she earned her masters in biology from East Stroudsburg University. Science and teaching had become an important part of her life and she taught high school biology for 15 years. Even so, music was a part of her teaching style and she turned complex scientific concepts into songs, and her students both loved it and learned. Tina Landel and her husband, Matt, live with their two young children in southern New Hampshire. She is one of the worship leaders at her church and has also taught a women's Bible study. Not only is Tina Landel a very accomplished singer-songwriter, she is a great wife and fun-loving mom. She is bright, well-educated and a boat load of fun to boot. ABOUT THE ALBUM: quot;ONE CANDLEquot; explores a number of musical genres which are very much an expression of Tina's own love for a variety of musical styles, all are held together by her great vocal energy and soulfulness. The influences of southern rock, Gospel, folk, jazz and pop are sprinkled all through the recording. Someone described the album as quot;auditory sunshinequot; as it has such a powerfully positive up tempo energy and message. Six of the ten songs offered on the project were written by Tina, while she co-authored quot;Gramma's Songquot; and quot;One Candle Christmasquot; with singer-songwriter and recording artist Bob Ayala. quot;Symphony Of Praisesquot; which is the opening song on the CD was written by Bob Ayala, who also produced the project. Tina's spiritual roots are the cornerstone of quot;ONE CANDLE.quot; The music carries messages of faith, hope and courage in the face of adversity. It can bring the listener to great heights of praise and worship with songs like quot;Psalm Onequot;, quot;Whom Have I Lord but Thee?quot; and quot;Symphony Of Praisesquot; and then draws you in and melts your heart with ballads such as quot;One Candle Christmasquot; and quot;Gramma's song.quot; quot;Good Chemistryquot; is a fun jazzy tribute to her husband Matt's parents (both of which are scientists). Her own scientific background is what made this delightful song possible. But far and away, the most emotionally potent song on the project is quot;One Candle Christmas,quot; from which the album is titled. For anyone who has recently lost a loved one and is facing the holidays without them for the first time should give this one a listen. It is powerful, bitter-sweet and uplifting all at the same time. In these days of uncertainty, couldn't eve