Laurie Lester

Bio:

.. .. .. .. .. Go back in time... Listen to the ancient voices... Hear the sweet melody of the dulcimer.... A modern day songstress of traditional music, Laurie’s vocal sound is an amalgam of the ethereal sounds of Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Sandy Denny and Carolyn Hester. Laurie Lester is an accomplished lyrico spinto soprano, her vocal repertoire includes music from the middle ages and Renaissance, folk music from many lands, classical, opera, musical theater and New Age genres. A self-taught mountain dulcimer player, Laurie’s instrumental repertoire includes traditional Elizabethan & French Renaissance music, Early Music, Classical & Celtic music as well as original material. Laurie plays in both strumming and fingerpicking styles. Audiences are amazed at the wide variety of music and the depth of sound that Laurie creates out of just three strings. Laurie won first place in the California Music Teacher’s Association State VOCE competition, placed in the Long Beach Mozart Festival, was named Southern California Rotary International "Singer of the Year", and most recently, placed 2nd in the 2009 CO-WY NATS Auditions. Laurie plays a custom Aeolus dulcimer, a hybrid of a mountain dulcimer and a classical guitar. She also plays a Fhyrie traditional mountain dulcimer. Please no friend collectors! I have blocked bands from adding as a friend in an effort to control this. If you really want to be a friend, send me a message...Thanks!

Member Since:

September 12, 2007

Members:

Laurie Lester: Vocals, Mountain Dulcimer, Frame Drums, Shruti Box, David Lester: Guitar, talking drum, Synth.

Influences:

Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Maria Callas, Montserrat Caballe, Leontyne Price, Linda Ronstadt, Cecilia Bartoli, Victoria de Los Angeles, Anna Moffo, Cyntia Smith, Sheila Chandra, Layne Redmond, Loreena McKennit, Fleetwood Mac, John Winn, Stephen Sondheim, Anonymous 4, Gjallarhorn, Rosenberg 7, Garmarna, Omar Farik Tekbilek, Hamza El Din, Randy Wilkinson

Sounds Like:

"Laurie's music is like slipping into a cool refreshing pool of water. Her music simply washes across the any pain or discomfort in your mind and leaves it at peace." Julia Widdop, Publisher of In Dreamtime Magazine

Record Label:

Unsigned