Alright Alright are preparing to release their new album "Nearby" this Friday (Oct 5) and to celebrate we asked China Kent to tell us about the song "Be Kind". Here is the story:
The song "Be Kind" is my lullaby to my daughter, Harper Jane, who most people say is the spitting image of me� and that is terrifying. To have your mini-me as your charge for upwards of 18 years?? Your miniature doppelg�nger as your ultimate responsibility? That's shaking-in-your-boots stuff. I realized early on that one of my greatest achievements in life would be to give my kids the kind of childhood that would set the stage for a peaceful relationship with themselves as they grow older. To give my daughter the resources to learn self-care and self-kindness early in life so that she can show true kindness towards others as she matures is, of course, a tall order. Over the years, I've started to notice the thoughts inside my own head that are downright mean girl self-talk. You know those thoughts. The ones that start with, "You're always (fill in the blank with some terrible quality)," or "You're never going to (fill in the blank with whatever deeply held dream you're super afraid to admit)." Noticing and naming these toxic thoughts has been life-changing for me, and I desperately want my kids to experience a thought-life that is free from those damaging thought patterns.
The phrase, "Be noble, for you are made of stardust; be humble, for you are made of earth," has, for years, enchanted me. A fellow songwriter friend of mine beautifully worked that phrase into one of his songs, and in a bit of Midrash fashion, I decided that I wanted to try my hand at that same phrase, weaving it together with the concepts of positive self-talk and kindness. And, of course, as a composer, I chomped at the bit to arrange a string quartet and children's choir part for the production!
One snowy February day, we met up with a few stellar 5th grade choir students and trundled into a Gothic style chapel inside Saint John's Cathedral here in Denver, carrying stringed instruments and recording equipment. The mood was perfect and the recording experience was one of my all-time favorites.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!
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