Sarah Pirtle

Sarah Pirtle's joyful folk music has earned her a number of awards, such as the American Library Association Award and the Parents' Choice Classic Award. Her delightful songs blend different sounds, like Navajo chants and Louisiana zydeco, with lyrics that encourage caring, conflict solving with words, and appreciating and respecting the many gifts Mother Nature has given. Along with the unusual zydeco, Pirtle has used gourds, udu drums, rainsticks, and other instruments supplied by percussionist Brain Melick. With melodies like "Mother Earth," "Journey Dance," and "Talk It Out," Pirtle's 1998 Gentle Wind release, Magical Earth, is rated for children age five and up. She also recorded the album Two Hands Hold the Earth under the Gentle Wind label.