While Carol Lester was never an official student of music, she was raised in a melodious climate.
"My brother and sister are piano players, my father was a singer, and it seems like my best friends have always taken guitar lessons, " the Jersey City resident said recently. "So I mooched many lessons. I think I practiced more than anyone in my family or my neighbors."
During her days of mooching, Lester apparently gleaned more than just the G chord. She is currently working on her second CD – her first CD, Spill My Soul was released at the end of 2000 – and on Saturday, March 16, Lester will make her debut at DeBaun Auditorium as part of the theater’s celebrated Folk Music series.
Carol Lester grew up outside of Philadelphia. She moved to Jersey City 11 years ago to pursue a career in marketing.
"I moved here for work – for purely capitalist reasons," she said.
After three years on the fast track, however, she decided to make a change.
"About eight years ago my daughter was born," she said. "I wasn’t sleeping so I decided that with my free hour a week, I should get back into vocal practice."
The first thing she did was to join the Grace Church Van Vorst choir.
"It never really occurred to me," she said. "But about two weeks after I joined they asked me to come the their coffee house and sing lead."
At the same time, she immersed herself in her writing.
"My songs are pretty much about everything life can bring you or you can bring it," she said. For instance, Lester croons about her business career, motherhood and being a community activist. (Along with a handful of parents and educators, Lester co-founded the Learning Community Charter School in Jersey City.)
For the last four years, Lester has been performing around the tri-state area, including premiere venues like Maxwell’s and The Bitter End.
Last fall, she hooked up with the drummer Jorge Fernandez and the pianist Jim Harrold and formed the Carol Lester Band. The trio is currently working on Lester’s second CD.
"We’ve been doing a lot of new material," she said. "And we’re already in progress with new CD."
As for creating a musical environment for her own progeny: "I have to say, like every parent, I’m making her do all of things that I didn’t do," she said. "She takes piano lessons. And she’s a very, very talented little pianist. And she actually sings well too. But unlike her mother, she is shy and self-composed and doesn’t feel the need to have other people hear her." q
Carol Lester will be performing at DeBaun Auditorium on Saturday, March 16 at 8 p.m. The performance is part of the theater’s Folk Music Series. DeBaun Auditorium is located on the campus of the Stevens Institute of Technology. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for students and seniors. For tickets or more information call (201) 216-8960 or visit the theater’s web site at www.debaun.org.