My Soul Sister: Celebrating My Soulful Connection with Karen Carpenter and the Enduring Power of Music

Two inseparable souls, timelines blurred, half of my life I've spent with her.

I believe our connections in life are not limited to just human form. Soon after discovering the music of the Carpenters back in 2003 (at age 19 ), something magical happened. What resonated with me when I played the very first song on their Singles album, "For All We Know," was that Karen Carpenter spoke my emotional language and embodied the same depth of feelings. I began to feel her warmth and presence around me. She was not just the most incredible voice I had ever heard, but somehow, I felt she was close by in spirit. It was certainly an unusual feeling because I wasn't a deeply spiritual person back then.

When I began to learn the music by singing along with Karen, I felt "locked in." By finding out more about her voice, I somehow found, "the magic of me," and my own voice. Her beautiful, soft, and nurturing voice illuminates strength, resilience, joy, sadness, wonder, loneliness…all of the feelings we experience throughout life. While singing with her, I was grasping the meanings of my own life, often subconsciously, without even realizing it. I was enduring, easing into each moment, healing along the way, and experiencing everything from a soul level.

She became my Soul Sister during a time when I needed it the most. At 19, I wasn't very confident, and hadn't found myself yet or learned to embrace self love. To this day, she continues to be a guiding presence in my life, always bringing me back to myself, even when life and the world around me seem crazy and out of balance. And despite her own life struggles, this unwavering depth that came out in every note she sang was and will forever be her superpower that has inspired me all these years.

My "Carpenters Corner" in my room!

Karen has also sent me some amazing "winks," over the years that are undeniable. The most profound one happened back in 2016, when my job at the time involved the longest commute

(3 hours roundtrip). I would play their music in my car, and I remember that morning, in my mind, saying to Karen, "Can you hear me when I'm singing your songs"? Seconds later, I happened to look up to my right, and there was Carpenter Street! I couldn't believe it, and now, as part of what I affectionately call, "Carpenters Corner" is a custom-made Carpenter Street sign!

I'm beyond thrilled to share my song,

"My Soul Sister," exactly one year to the day that I first wrote the lyrics. Earlier that day, on January 19th, I met with my good friend and neighbor at the time, Paula, in a coffee shop just a few blocks away. I was telling her how I was about to get my first song, Shine Your Joy, produced, and how I was starting to jot down more lyrics. She encouraged me to read more poetry and also listen to Joni Mitchell, as her lyrics are very poetic. Both Sides Now came to mind at that moment, and to my surprise, the song ended up inspiring the expressive, story-telling style of my lyrics!

I went home after our energizing chat and sat down at my laptop, ready to write something. What came to mind was an original performance I did the previous year, in Spring 2024. I participated in a community production of Soul Play, where 5 other women and I shared our stories of resilience in a theatrical, creative way. My story was about my soulful connection with Karen Carpenter and the music of the Carpenters. It was monologue-style, speaking directly to Karen, with a few brief moments of me singing some of their songs that have guided me through life. So, I thought to myself, how can I express this performance poetically? What followed after this can only be described as an out-of-body experience. I kid you not, the lyrics poured out of me in just an hour! Most of what you hear now in my song represents these original lyrics. I only made a handful of minor tweaks along the way.

After looking at what I had just written that afternoon, I was elated! I knew this had to be my second song to produce. Although I didn't know how soon that would happen, I was hoping it would be later in the year. Fast forward to Summer, when I was just browsing Instagram and literally stumbled upon my producer, Dan Barracuda! One of his latest reels showed up in my feed and when I went to his profile, I found out he was a music producer! The melody of my song started to pour out of me soon after, and I recorded a voice memo on my phone, singing through the entire song. I reached out to Dan in early August and the song was completed in late September!

Recording my vocals in my walk-in closet wearing my Karen t-shirt!

I’m very proud of how my song came together, and it was an amazing experience collaborating with Dan! He took the basic melody from the voice memo and composed it beautifully while capturing the sentiment perfectly. He played guitar and bass, and brought in a strings player as well. I wanted to pay tribute to the Carpenters' harmonies and overdubbing techniques. So, he created that melody and contributed his own vocals to the harmonies that we sang towards the end of the song!

This song is both a thank-you and a celebration of the emotional guidance Karen’s voice, presence, and the music of the Carpenters have given me. It is my love letter to Karen and our musical bond. My hope is that the song resonates with those of you who feel the enduring power of music and the profound connections that we can often form with our favorite artists, even across timelines. I do feel that it will hold a very special meaning to my fellow Carpenters' fans who treasure their music and legacy.

To Richard Carpenter...I cannot thank you enough for the beautiful arrangements and amazing songs you created that have been part of my life soundtrack all these years. What you and Karen did together was truly magical and incredibly genuine too. I also believe that if I had not discovered your music, I would not have even thought to pursue songwriting, and I certainly wouldn't have written this song!

Friends, and Family: Thank you for being with me on my blog journey for almost 5 years now! I deeply appreciate all of your encouragement and support.

Shine On!