Category: Music

Music

Let Her Fly

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Photo by Alexander Mass on Unsplash

Hello friends!! I’m proud of myself tonight- I’m here because I committed to myself that I would be. And I followed through!

This piece of music means a lot to me, and I am excited to share it with you.

Somewhere around the beginning of the year, I started working on “Let Her Fly.” I was reflecting on my relationship with my parents and specifically drew from experiences from my childhood like walking up the hill behind our white farm house to find the first buttercups in the Spring (verse 1) and a moment my Mom remembers watching me walk up toward campus and feeling that “she’ll be okay” (verse 3). I thought about the process of letting an adult fully have the opportunity to spread their wings and fly- and the gradual letting go that a parent does over many years (though a mother and father will never fully grow out of their role and I’m grateful for many times my parents have stepped in for a period to help more intensely after letting me fly initially!).

After writing over half of this song, in the middle of preparing my oldest son to leave home, I realized that I was now writing this song about my relationship with my son and was processing the letting go that I was currently experiencing. Wow the power of music to help us through challenging, new experiences! Suddenly instead of the little girls I write about in verse 1, I was picturing little boys (I have 3!) and memories would drift through my mind (and sometimes tears) as I sang to myself about letting go…letting him go…(You’ll notice I decided to keep it “Let Her Fly” – since that’s how I started it and it felt too complicated to change it!).

Eventually it was time to say goodbye to my son who was ready to leave home. There at the airport, standing with the suitcases in a moment by myself, I considered what I wanted to say in our final moments before he walked off into the distance- what one last thing he would hear from me (for now!). I immediately knew what I wanted to say and the tears came to the surface quickly. How silly of me to think I might not cry! A minute later in that last big hug, I told him, “I guess all that’s left to say is ‘I love you’ and ‘you’re so ready for this.'”

The last part of the song is tender for me to listen back to. I worked on the vocals after my son left, and it gave me a chance to process, especially in this bridge section: “I’ll always be here, loving you so- loving you enough to let you go…” And then the final chorus starts. The timid, shaky vocals here represent the Mother (me! but also any of you who have experienced this!) feeling the pain of the separation. Even though she knows it’s the very best thing for this child and she’s SO happy for him, the separation from this boy she loves is painful! As the chorus continues, she gains momentum and strength. He can do this. I can do this. He- and I- will be okay. I can let him fly.

Enjoy!

A special thanks to my amazing piano arranger and pianist (you are hearing her playing the piano in the recording!), Shari Orme!

Lyrics, Composition, Vocals, String arrangement, Recording, Mixing and Mastering by Laura Harper

Music

Come

Melodies of Light2 Comments
“Bid Me Come Unto Thee” by Rose Datoc Dall,©️.png2026,  rosedatocdall.com

Hello Friends!

I’ve been really enjoying working on music lately. One of the fun updates here is that I’ve been collaborating with other musicians! One of those musician friends is Jana Johnson. I didn’t know it until today, but we grew up in the same Stake (10 or so church congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in an area) and our families know each other quite well. She was a fair bit older than me so we didn’t cross paths directly, but we have a lot of common background and a strong connection we didn’t even realize. So joyful.

Jana wrote this beautiful song and asked if I could help with the recording and production end of it. We had a fun day in my studio working (playing!) together.

This song tells the Bibical story of Peter. Peter and other disciples are in a boat in the middle of a stormy night. Through the limited visibility, the disciples see Jesus Christ walking toward them on the water. Jesus invites Peter to “Come” and Peter steps out of the boat. Then he takes a few steps on the water. He’s walking on water, just like Jesus! The storm catches his attention and he is afraid. He begins to sink, and cries out for help. Jesus reaches out and rescues Peter. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/new-testament-seminary-student-manual-2023/matthew-14-22-33?lang=eng)

This beautiful story is captured so well in this piece. I hope you enjoy it!

Composer: Jana Johnson

Lead Vocals: Laura Harper

Backup Vocals: Jana Johnson

Piano arrangement and piano recording: Daniel Blomberg

Arrangement of backup instruments and Production: Laura Harper

Music

The Willow is Weeping

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Hello friends! Hope this post finds you well!

This is my newly-finished song called “The Willow is Weeping.”

I read a poem by JRR Tolkien a few months ago that spoke to my heart (“All that is gold does not glitter”) and I decided to write music to it. Then, because Tolkien’s estate makes getting copyright permission nearly impossible, I decided to replace the original words with my own. It didn’t take me long to decide what this song would be about. The week I was trying to decide on a topic so I could begin the lyric-writing process, I had a conversation with a gentleman at a church party. He spoke of losing his father this past summer and the waves of grief he is currently experiencing. Before we left, he expressed hope that brighter days lay ahead- days where the weight of grief will ease. I went home determined to write this song about grief.

It didn’t take me long to develop the lyrics, pulling from my own experiences, as well as family members and friends who have lost loved ones. I wanted an analogy that helped me talk about grief, and the willow tree seemed like just the thing. I soon developed the verses to shift through the seasons, and loved phrases like “under the ground something’s yawning” and “the numb and the frozen are thawing.”

Enjoy!

(This is a link to youtube where you can see pictures of willow trees as the music plays.)

Music

“Not an Ordinary Passenger”

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Years ago, I had the awesome opportunity to go to EFY in Provo at BYU. One of the classes was taught by Brad Wilcox who now is a General Authority in our church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). After his awesome class, I asked if I could take a picture with him and he (of course!) answered enthusiastically, “Yes!” I still have that picture, and feel especially excited when he speaks in General Conference.

Last fall, he gave a talk entitled “O Youth of the Noble Birthright.” It was a wonderful and inspiring talk, helping young Latter-day Saints understand their “Birthright” – their promised blessings and responsibilities from a loving Heavenly Father. I have 3 boys in those teen and pre-teen years and I thought it would be neat to put this message into a song to help them remember it.

Here is my expression of Brother Wilcox’s message in song. This is called, “Not an Ordinary Passenger.”