Laurel Creek Music Designs

Guide Dogs, First Hand

If you've ever met, owned, trained, or been trained by a dog, this one's for you, your friends and your relatives! Give it a listen and take a good look at the complex human/dog relationship by identifying with the daily experiences of the working guide dog team!
Read on for more details!

Here is the Cover of Guide Dogs First Hand,
which shows Veronica and L'Orange, a black lab guide dog in harness.
She is laughing, and L'Orange is about to lick her on the chin.
The title says Guide Dogs, First Hand; Veronica Elsea.

"Guide Dogs, First Hand" is my first recording to be released. It contains 11 songs which address many aspects of living and working with a guide dog, not usually covered in basic brochures. I composed, performed and recorded the music and lyrics in my Santa Cruz studio. This CD has many unique features including sampled recordings of 3 guide dogs. The dogs become one of the instruments and can be heard throughout the CD.

The song titles are as follows:

1. Your First Dog
This song discusses the feelings that are unique to that first dog.

2. He's Mine
In this song, we get to state very bluntly what we are often reluctant to say to those closest to us who insist on petting and playing with our dogs at inappropriate times.

3. I Love Ya but I Could Kill Ya Sometimes
This song takes a whimsical look at all the little things that can go wrong, event by event and addresses those mixed emotions we sometimes have.

4. Most of the Time
This song expresses the emotions we feel, most of the time; capturing those moments in between the major challenges and problems. It's a sweet little love song.

5. Do You Know How Hard I've Tried
This song addresses the dog that doesn't work out and has to be returned to the school.

6. The Mental Game
This song describes the complex mental processes involved in successfully working a dog.

7. Something's Missing
This song discusses the emotions that come with the retirement or death of a guide dog.

8. A Cane is a Four-letter Word
This song covers that time in between dogs, starting with the twinge of excitement and the novelty of using the cane and follows a progression of events that eventually lead to begging, "Somebody give me a dog!"

9. My Next Dog will be Perfect
This song takes another fun look at that time in between dogs, starting with fantasizing about that next dog working perfectly, doing something heroic, etc. It ends with a different look at some of the things that don't go quite perfectly with that new dog.

10. I'm So Glad I Waited
This song discusses the dog that grows on you; the difficult start and that time when things really click and fall into place.

11. How Did You Know
This song is about that dog that just clicks immediately; that smooth start, the effortless partnership.

12. Artist reads liner notes
I actually read the liner notes on the CD for the benefit of any blind or visually impaired listeners.

Here is a picture of
L'Orange, my black lab. You see just the head with his big brown eyes shining
and his tongue out as if he's talking to you. This CD has received a very enthusiastic response so far. People have laughed and cried; and several hundred have purchased a CD already. Responses have included comments such as,
"How did you get inside my head and write that?",
"This ought to be required listening for all sighted people.",
"Now I understand a lot more about how to raise my puppy.",
"I use this CD every day to help me through the many challenges and problems that come up.",
"I have never heard the lives of blind people described this accurately in music before."
...and much more.
It is designed to be both entertaining and educational.

"Guide Dogs, First Hand" can be yours for $10 per CD or cassette.

If you'd like to know more, feel free to download and listen to any of the short samples on this page. You'll find two versions of each song sample. Both are in mp3 format, but one gives you higher fidelity, the other gives you a faster download.
Otherwise, if you haven't already seen it, find out how "We Woof You A Merry Christmas". Then you've just got to meet "The Guide Dog Glee Club"! Of course you'll want to make that appointment to check up on "Diabetes Melodious", and if you haven't already heard them, peruse the list of new songs, From The Song Banks Of Laurel Creek. Then I hope to see you on my order page.
Enjoy the rest of this site and don't forget to invite your friends!

If you've never downloaded music from the internet before, and want to know what to expect, you can read all about it by following the link titled Downloading and Saving Audio Files. Then enjoy the music!

MP3 Excerpts

"He's Mine" (high hidelity 390Kb)

"He's Mine" (faster download 163Kb)

"Something's Missing" (high fidelity 683Kb)

"Something's Missing" (faster download 260Kb)

"My Next Dog Will Be Perfect" (high fidelity 553Kb)

"My Next Dog Will Be Perfect" (faster download 228Kb)

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