Lorie McCloud

Lorie was born and raised in the greater Chicagoland area. Blind from birth, sound and particularly music occupied a central place in her awareness. Her mother discovered that she had perfect pitch when, at the age of 3, Lorie asked why the wind sang middle c. The wind had been blowing through an opening somewhere making a tone so her mother checked it on the piano in the livingroom and sure en, the note was middle c. That turned out to be handy later when Lorie began to teach herself songs from albums.

Although Lorie's mother and sister were musical, there were no guitars in the household. They sang in the church choir and played piano and organ. When Lorie heard the acoustic music from the hoots on tv and some of the hits on the radio, she wanted to do what she was hearing. Her parents started her out with a plastic guitar and progressed to the real thing when she managed to actually play it. By ow age of 12 she was playing in a local coffee house, her sister singing with her.

In the early 80s she moved to Corpus Christi, Tx. where she played regularly at a little listening room in the back of a music store. During that time she opened for regional artists who were invited to play there and collaborated with several local musicians, producing and contributing to a couple of cd's. She worked as a massage therapist while writing songs and appearing at some of the regional fairs and festivals including the Kerrville Folk Festival. She also played in a local Celtic band for a while and recorded with the band's harper. She recorded her own cd in Oklahoma City with a close friend, Pam Washam when the owner of a studio there offered her unlimited use of his equipment.

Lorie has some experience in broadcasting: first on the public station in Corpus Christi where she did a weekly folk show in the 90s. Later after moving to the DFW area, she and a partner broadcast "The Folk Connection" on the internet on ACB radio for five years running.

Over the years, Lorie has developed a consumate interest in alternative healing and Spirituality. She reads and studies on the internet and in her local study group on and ongoing basis. Currently she is a Certified Music Practitioner Intern, playing live music at the bedside of the sick and dying. Still an avid listener, she trades music with friends on the internet, goes to concerts and learns and occasionally writes songs that are healing and comforting to her patients.