College of Education and Health Professions

Chris Goering Releases Debut CD with a Little Help from his Friends

Posted on 11/9/2009

Chris Goering, a University of Arkansas professor, recently completed and published his first musical CD titled Where He's Going. The 12-track CD, labeled as Americana or alternative country, features Goering as songwriter, singer, and bassist on the various tracks.

The release ties directly into Goering's work with http://www.littunes.com/, a Web site dedicated to developing literacy and teaching literature through the use of contemporary music. Two of the songs were specifically inspired by literature.

"I wrote 'Dear Oklahoma Rain' immediately after reading The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck for example," Goering said. "While others (Bruce Springsteen, Woody Guthrie, Chris Knight) have certainly captured the hopelessness and desperation of the Joad family and the time period, I wanted to look at it from the perspective of Kansans living just across the border. The title track was also a song inspired by literature, a poem by Jerrod Bohn."

Goering grew up just across that border in Medicine Lodge, Kan., where he met some of the friends included on this CD whom he later played with regionally in the Aaron Traffas Band. All told, there are nine other musicians listed as contributors to the effort and five other songwriters. The CD was recorded and engineered by Chris Moore at East Hall Recording in Fayetteville.

Of note to the College of Education and Health Professions, Caleb Rose, research associate in the department of education reform, plays lead guitar and sings harmony vocals on the four songs featuring the Aaron Traffas Band. Two of Goering's Master of Arts in Teaching graduates and first year English teachers, Brian Lee and Laurie Jennings, contributed steel guitar and backing vocals, respectively.

"I can't say enough about all of the talented people involved in this project," Goering said. "I tried to emphasize their contribution in the title '& Friends,' but there aren't really words to express my gratitude to them for making this possible, a realized dream for me."

Goering met and began singing with Trey Graber (singer, songwriter, and musician on Where He's Going), Chase Mather (background singer) and Cori Hart (background singer) at a Monday night acoustic jam at The Perk on Wedington, the site of the first CD release party on Nov. 6.

Copies of Where He's Going are available locally by contacting Goering directly or by sending $10 to Dreaming Dust Records, 1614 N. Fieldstone Ave., Fayetteville, AR, 72704. Online distribution, including amazon.com and iTunes.com, will begin in the next few weeks.

Goering joined the faculty of the College of Education and Health Professions in 2007 as assistant professor of secondary English and literacy education in the department of curriculum and instruction. He also directs the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project and formerly worked as high school English teacher at Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kan.

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