User talk:Char Butler

Char Butler

Char Butler (born Nina Charlene Lacey on August 18th) is an Americana/Folk singer/songwriter and guitarist. She is also a certified Educational Diagnostician and Counselor. She has practiced in the field of social sciences along with performing and teaching music. She has used her voice and guitar to connect on an emotional level with children and adults of all ages, contributing to healing of the body, mind and soul.

Musical beginnings _____________________________________________________________________

Nina Charlene Lacey was born in Elk City, Oklahoma. Her parents Stoney and Joyce (Brown) Lacey moved to Custer City, Oklahoma where she started singing at an early age in the First Christian Church. Her family relocated to Clinton, Oklahoma when she was nine years of age. She immediately started singing in the local Christian Church Youth Choir and sang her first radio program in 1965. Vocal training started at the age of ten, singing coloratura soprano following the Operetta style of Deanna Durbin. Charlene Lacey received many superior ratings from state vocal competitions through high school. She began studying clarinet at age 11, piano at age 15 and guitar at age 17. She was an All-State Musician in 1971 and 1972 and sang with the Oklahoma All-State Chorus. She started studying music at Southwestern State College after high school graduation in 1972. She entered the beauty pageant scene and won first runner up in the Miss Queen of the West Pageant in Elk City, Oklahoma in 1972 singing ‘Die Fledermaus’ and was the first runner up in the Miss Clinton Pageant in 1973 singing  ‘Je veux vivre’. Studying opera in western Oklahoma set her apart from the dominating country music of the region. The lack of appreciation for opera was made clear as she was approached after receiving two first runner-up titles by a pageant director asking her to sing something rather than opera. She was told that her selection of music was keeping her from winning the title. At this crossroad she decided to leave the music field all together and changed her college major to Health. She continued her studies at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma and  graduated with a Bachelor Degree in 1976, followed by a  Master Degree in Counseling and Guidance in 1978. Later she furthered her studies and acquired the Educational Diagnostician Master Degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma in 1999.

Adult Years ______________________________________________ After acquiring two degrees Char continued to have the yearning for music. She relocated to Enid, Oklahoma in northwestern Oklahoma and started studying music at Phillips University. She studied guitar, music theory, voice, and clarinet. It was at this time that she started her song-writing career. She performed as a singer/songwriter locally in Enid and began singing with the Enid Phillips Symphony and also played clarinet with the Enid Phillips Community Band. Char began working as the Director of Career Development at Phillips University in 1985 and in 1987 she took the position as Adjunct Faculty Instructor in the Fine Arts Department teaching the guitar. She continued teaching guitar at Phillips University and also established a studio business teaching private guitar. She was a vocal judge at the Tri-State Music Festival from 1994 to 1996 and choir director for the Christian Church of the Covenant in Enid, Oklahoma from 1994-1996. Char’s counseling degree continued to be beneficial as she worked as a therapist for the School and Family Enrichment Program and later for the Enid Public Schools in Enid, Oklahoma. She combined her love for music and counseling children until 1996 when she moved to the state of Arizona. She lived in Mesa, Arizona for one year and relocated to Clinton, Oklahoma in 1997.

After her relocation back to Clinton, Oklahoma she taught guitar, and directed the youth choir at the First Methodist Church. She also worked as the office manager of the Clinton Medical Clinic until returning to Gilbert, Arizona where she began working as a Psychometrist/Educational Diagnostitian for the Gilbert Public Schools. Char started studying healing energy after the death of her father in 2005. She became a Reiki-Master and also a certified Quantum Touch Therapist and Instructor in 2006. She continues to use energy as healing for individuals who seek her assistance. She created the album “Secrets of the Heart” with the intent of sound healing and she and her daughter Amber Whitworth created the second album “Sleepers Awake” to continue the healing vibrations. Amber has also been a student of Reiki and Quantum Touch Healing and joins Char in resonating healing vibrations. Two quotes that Char lives her by are: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and "Be Still and Know God".

Char received “Crossover Artist of the Year” in 2008 after the release of her first album ‘Secrets of the Heart’ and was nominated for Best New Artist by New Music Weekly. She has licensed material with Music Box LLC and Creative Retail Communications. She has received recognition for her songwriting abilities from Billboard Song Contest, UK Songwriting Contest, and the 100% Songwriting Contest. She received the 2010 Indie Artist Award from Starliners Radio Station after the release of her second album ‘Sleepers Awake’.

Musical Success __________________________________________________________________

Secrets of the Heart - Quantumelody Productions, 2007

Sleepers Awake - Quantumelody Productions, 2009 Char Butler (talk) 02:22, 28 May 2010 (UTC)