120829071
With an abundance of talent and tenderness at her disposal, Cris Valkyria will venture to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia tonight to offer melodic counterpoints to young patients’ maladies.
The 34-year-old guitarist will receive accompaniment from colleague Lou Paglione, with whom she has teamed for more than three years to advocate for children’s social and emotional progression.
“Once we enter their rooms, we’re striving to spread joy and induce a positive message,” Valkyria said last week from her seven-year home on the 2000 block of Pemberton Street. “We interact with kids with various afflictions, some terminal, so we want to provide an enriching experience.”
The South-of-South dweller and her New Jersey-situated peer have spent more than two years making visits to the medical facility as contributors to Musicians on Call, a New York City-headquartered organization that has united volunteers and ailing individuals in Philadelphia since 2004. Rare among their fellow tunesmiths for their child-centered appearances, they call on their altruistic identity to augment their musicianship and further infatuation with strengthening youngsters for their numerous challenges.
“I give so much credit to the families who are going through so much,” Valkyria, who nine years ago earned licensure as a clinical psychologist in her native Norway and dealt with clans in crisis before starting a Chestnut Hill-based private practice for adults, said of trying to mollify their misery. “Childhood can be rough enough without having to combat sickness.”
Youth inspired the singer three years ago to fuse her alternative rock predilection with lighter material. Penning the “Potty Training Song” for her now-5-year-old son Caspian, the mother paired with Paglione, a multi-instrumentalist and father of two who has assisted her as a four-year presence in her band The Valkyrians, to devise ditties to help children to master such concepts as displaying manners, sharing and toothbrushing. Their ’10 debut album, “Cris and Lou and the Virtues,” aided in their establishing themselves as trustworthy voices, with the potty training tune leading to the creation of an iTunes application.
“We’re just about to finish our second album, where we’ll address topics for older kids, such as not being a bully and using their imagination,” Valkyria said of the planned September release of “The Treasure Box.” “We might then have our third focus on anatomy. At this point, we’re happy with the reception our songs’ sentiments has received, and we’d love to reach more audiences.”
As they will not know until tonight’s arrival where they will perform or how many patients they will look to uplift, the friends realize their CHOP trek serves as a semi-contrast to their overall child-geared output, in that the fewer they see, the better they know the professionals are working.
“They need the good vibes,” Valkyria, who became a Musician on Call through a Paglione contact, said. “If we’re the ones to bring them some sort of comfort, we do our best to let them know we care.”
The sensitive singer kick-started her note-filled existence as a Scandinavian teenager with a penchant for poetry. Seeing the genre as therapeutic, she believed she could accentuate emotions by setting her verse to music.
“I found doing so could add many layers to my feelings and the complexity of emotional states,” Valkyria said of making music an obsession as she entered early adulthood.
Academics held the ultimate sway, though, culminating in her ’04 graduation from the University of Oslo. With her husband’s landing a job through Princeton’s Educational Testing Services, she relocated to Center City and eventually South Philly, with Caspian’s birth granting her admission in the “instant moms’ club” that she said has become necessary for her child-heavy neighborhood.
“I’ve pretty much grown up in America because it’s helped to shape my past experiences, and Philadelphia has given me a safe place to explore my musical selfhood,” Valkyria said. “It’s helped me understand musical chemistry better, too.”
Teeming with deeply cerebral themes and a budding sense of bonding with listeners, she and her bandmates began to compile a lengthy list of gigs, with Valkyria aiming for catharsis yet knowing each outing will enhance her creative curiosity. With that influx of severity and sentimentality, The Valkyrians soon will issue their first full-length album, with 12 tracks set to give her older supporters sonic solace.
“We’re not exactly young, so we’re not looking to take over the world, but we feel we can improve our craft and excel,” Valkyria said.
She feels the same about her presentations to their younger crowds, including those whom they will delight Saturday at Center City’s Hard Rock Cafe and Aug. 20 at The Philadelphia Zoo’s Rock and Roar event. Adding to her giving nature, she donates portions of proceeds to charities such as Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer and the Philadelphia Children’s Alliance for victims of sexual abuse.
“Children need allies, so, again, whatever we can do appeals to us,” Valkyria said, adding she and Paglione find themselves excited about finding more causes and outlets for their generosity.
Owing to her past counseling role for children and her continuing duty as a music therapy provider, the entertainer, who will return to her homeland with her son later this month for a much-desired vacation, yearns to build morale, knowing those for whom she performs will one day shape the world with their zeal.
“Doom and gloom have too much pull,” Valkyria said. “When we see happy children, we know music can foster change.” ■
For more information, visit crisandlou.com.
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
120829091
120829081
