One of the major challenges of making the album, said Carolyn, was hauling the piano into the studio. "I have a 7-foot Baldwin grand piano. We thought about working with another piano, but Paul came up and listened to me play and told me that I had to use my own piano."

Since recording an album was a new experience for Carolyn, it did take some time to get into the groove. "During the first three days I thought I was going to die," she said with a laugh. "Working with click tracks to make sure we were on tempo, and then making sure I was playing accurately, was nerve-racking."

But Speer's guidance and know-how helped smooth out the edges for the session. "She had 25 strong songs that we had to choose from," said Speer. "It was difficult to pare them down to what's on the album."

All of the tunes on the 11-track album — which can be sampled on www.carolynsouthworth.com — have special meaning for Carolyn. But two that stand out are the title track and another titled "Once in a Lifetime." "I remember composing 'At the End of the Day.' I was in the middle of the song when we had a storm and the power went off. I lit a bunch of candles and finished the song.

"The other song, 'Once in a Lifetime,' was about my getting ready to make this album, something that I never thought would happen."

Another that is very personal is "In My Fondest Dreams." "I had composed music for a church musical called 'Abinadi.' And this is one of the songs from the production, albeit without the lyrics."

At present, the Southworths are seeking a distributor for the album, but it can be ordered from www.cdbaby.com. "All in all it took about 15 days to complete," said Carolyn. "And it was an experience I'll never forget."

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com