Granddaughter of Former Texas Slave, Isaac Toland, Releases Album to Honor His Legacy

Nationwide — Those Who Matter… is a compilation of soulful classical music that Tracy Lightner composed for her loved ones and to honor the legacy of Isaac Toland – her great (3X) grandfather who was emancipated in 1865 and donated land for the first church, school, and cemetery for newly freed slaves near Houston, Texas.

This collection has dates as late as 1993, to as early as 2020. Her grandmother, Susie Burton, invested years of her earnings to pay for Tracy’s piano lessons. In the end, she would have her train with four instructors. Tracy started playing the piano for her church’s youth choir while in the 5th grade. She continued on while attending high school. Soon she performed in city-wide recitals as the closing act. She was a natural and music allowed her the self-expression needed during her teenage years.

Each song is lovingly composed with the thoughts of those nearest and dearest to her heart. She was spiritually compelled to leave this part of her talent and artistry as a legacy for her children. Tracy decided that the best delivery for her work would be a complete and honest recording. Each song was recorded in its purest form -she sat at her keyboard and used iPhone’s recording app. There was no remastering, no unnecessary mixing, no addition of altering frequencies or editing… just raw uncut music-filled. This method of recording and releasing of music provides for a true live experience that is heard throughout the album.

Tracy is an independent artist who researched how to publish her music without the wait for a possible contract with a well-known music label. She researched the journey of the leading Independent recording artist, Chance The Rapper, and followed the route he took. During this COVID pandemic, recording studios are not as assessable. Other popular artists like Megan The Stallion have taken to recording their new releases in the living rooms of their homes.

Classical Music Is Great For the Brain. . .
“How might music enhance cognitive performance? It’s not clear, but the researchers speculated that listening to music helps organize the firing of nerve cells in the right half of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher functions. According to this construct, music — or at least some forms of music — acts as an “exercise” that warms up selected brain cells, allowing them to process information more efficiently.” — Music and Health – July 2011, Harvard Health Publishing

 

Those Who Matter… is available for purchase on Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify.

 

About Tracy

Tracy was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her grandmother, Susie Burton provided her with piano lessons at the age of six. Her talent blossomed and her grandmother had her sit with three other instructors with a focus on music theory, gospel, and classical. Her skills led her to play for the school’s choir. She headlined city-wide piano recitals and served as youth pianist at the church she attended from the 5th through 11th grade. Each of these opportunities was rewarding and certainly helped shape her to be successful throughout her career.

Tracy earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from Dallas Baptist University (DBU) and interned with the State of Texas in Human Resources. Later, she earned a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from DBU. She is currently enrolled at a university to earn her Doctorate in Health Care Administration.

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