We'll start at the beginning.

August 29, 1984.
My first rejection letter. This came from Father Joe Glass at our church, enclosed with the tape he was returning to my mother, informing her of the reasons why he didn't want to use my recording at Aunt Carol's funeral mass. Too much of a "tear jerker" he says. I don't know whose idea it was to have my sister Leslie play this on the piano, have me sing, and then record it all, but I'm SO grateful that such a tape exists. It has to be my earliest musical recording, and what a beautiful document of my four-year-old self! I think the song selection is a little challenging, but hey, that's what my family has always done best--challenged me to reach for those high notes in whatever I was doing.