A graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Leah Hinton presents a fresh new sound in inspirational music. Fused with jazz and soul, her music is uplifting and restorative. Leah is a singer, songwriter, musician, performer and teacher. Hailing from Henderson, North Carolina, Leah grew up listening to jazz on the radio played by her father. As a young girl, she sang in school and church. She was in many choirs including the Raleigh Girls Choir. Taking music lessons in her youth led her to perform in recitals, concerts and festivals such as the Mozart Music Festival with The Capital City Girl’s Choir in Vienna, Austria. She also studied and performed abroad in Valencia, Spain. In 2018, Leah was nominated for a New England Music Award for Jazz Act of the Year. Today, Leah enjoys writing, recording and performing as well as taking the time to give back to her community. Off her upcoming album Back to Me, the single “Teach Me” is a song about letting God show you how to love.
Acoustic guitar fills the air. The sound is full and resonating. It sounds like the guitar is in a live hall. With precise and pristine finger-picking, a gorgeous full sound is created with just one instrument. A second guitar, played by Franklin Rankin, who also co-produced the song with Leah, is introduced. The guitar solos add a sparkling conversation to the lovely mix. Musically, “Teach Me” has a noteworthy and engaging arrangement. The simple acoustic guitar arpeggios, heard in the song’s introduction, evolve into more complex harmonies which keep your ears perked to every nuance.
“Teach Me” is a vocal duet sung by Leah Hinton and Thomas Stewart IV. Both singers possess pure-tone vocal abilities that come across as light and breezy. Each singer develops their own interpretation to the song’s lovely melodies with phrases that unfold naturally. Beautiful harmonies between the duo offer multi-dimensional textures. The lyrics to “Teach Me” are a petition to God filled with gratitude. “Be my guide and my confidant. You are the sky, the moon and the sun. No one could love me like you do (only you, only you)."
The video of "Teach Me' opens with a symbolic red ribbon attached a tree, waiving in the air. Listen and watch.
In “Teach Me”, Leah Hinton & Thomas Stewart IV hold your attention with two voices that have the power of a full choir and two guitars that build like an orchestra. Starting with simple acoustic guitar finger-picking, “Teach Me" teaches us how to listen and ultimately, how to love.
For more information about Leah Hinton's music, please visit her website.