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Songwriter Gets Personal

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By JOYCE McKENZIE

jmckenzie@tampatrib.com

Published: March 18, 2009

TEMPLE TERRACE - For years, Chuck Hoover found himself in a quandary whenever it came time to select a gift for his parents.

"What do you get them at this stage of their lives?" he would ponder over and over. "Do you send flowers, do you take them to their favorite restaurant again or do you give them a present they put in the closet and never use?"

Hoover's dilemma was resolved when he met with Leah Clark, a fellow member of Business Networking International and the founder of Specially Yours Music.

She is in the business of writing the lyrics and music to songs she records for giving. To gather information about the recipients, she first meets with the gift recipient's family members or friends to learn as much as she can, including his or her favorite style of music.

"I've been writing and singing my own songs as far back as I can remember," said Clark, a longtime Temple Terrace resident who recalled making her singing debut in the sixth grade during her school's morning show. "Once I've collected the data I need about the person, the song just seems to flow."

Clark, who studied music at the University of South Florida, packages each titled CD in a case with a jacket cover she either designs or creates from a provided photo of the beneficiary.

At the request of the customer and the expertise of a couple she partners with, the CD, along with a copy of the jacket cover and lyrics, can be framed. She also is willing to compile photo-slide presentations with customized graphics to accompany the CDs and even attend special occasions to perform her songs.

Hoover, 46, hired Clark to compose a CD titled "Momma" for his mother in Hopewell, Va., as a Mother's Day gift in 2007. He also opted for the framed package and a slide show from photos he and his siblings contributed.

"She did a fabulous job. It was beyond anything I imagined, and when we presented it to my mother our family went through a whole box of tissues," the Brandon resident said. "It was a way to say thank you for everything she did in her life for me. Leah was able to present the song in a way that made all those memories fresh again."

Hoover, who later had Clark create similar packages for his father and grandmother, called them wonderful keepsakes.

His mother, Brenda, is of the same belief. Her framed package contained a copy of her high school senior year photo positioned next to a recent shot of her.

The slide presentation was a compilation of snapshots gathered from her early childhood through her adult years.

"I treasure that more than anything else I've been given," said the 68-year-old mother of three, who last year celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary. "I cried. It was just like I was seeing my life unfold again before my eyes. And the way she wrote the song was as if she had known me all my life."

Clark also composed a CD for Andrew Jordon, 16, of Sarasota, before he died of leukemia. Copies were given to donors who attended a fundraising rally to help defray his family's medical expenses during his four-month hospital stay.

"My son always said she Clark had the voice of an angel, and he blogged people around the world about her talent," said his mother, Connie. "It meant the world to him that someone who didn't even know him would do this. She's another one of Florida's best-kept secrets."

Clark will create CDs for any special occasion, but she especially enjoys making them for expectant mothers.

"There is nothing like going to a baby shower and watching a mom-to-be open a gift like this that's so unique," she said. "I haven't heard of anyone else in Tampa doing anything like this. For me, it's a divine inspiration."

Following one such occasion, the father-to-be wrote an e-mail to Clark expressing how thrilled he and his wife were to receive the CD.

"He said that after all the clothes are outgrown and the toys are gone, they will still have the song to cherish," Clark said.

Her mother, Mary Lyman, also a Temple Terrace resident and mother of four daughters, is one of her youngest daughter's biggest supporters.

"She has a love of singing and a God-given talent," Lyman said. "Not only does she have a beautiful voice, she also has a big, big heart."

SPECIALLY YOURS MUSIC

CD packages generally range from $300 to $500. For information, visit www.specially yoursmusic.com or www .myspace.com/specially yoursmusic. Leah Clark may also be reached at leah@ speciallyyoursmusic.com or (813) 727-0913.

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849.

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