"All those people in New York shouldn't have died, they shouldn't have died," sang Mr. Heitler-Klevans, a singer-songwriter from Pennsylvania. "Try some harmony!"
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NYC Songwriters Rally
Jan/Feb 2002
Post 9/11 Support
by Brian Muni

From superstar concerts held at Madison Square Garden to local pub benefits, New York City's musicians and songwriters have been working tirelessly in the months since the terrorist attacs to sing and write songs that have revived spirits and morale, offered comfort and brought financial assistance as well, to those directly affected by those events. Valerie Ghent, a keyboardist/singer/songwriter, who, when she's not out on the road with Nick Ashford and valerie Simpson ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough"), has been making runs almost every night to Ground Zero with needed supplies for firemen, police and rescue workers. She then sends out lengthy emails describing her experiences with lists of supplies that have been received, dispersed or are still needed (contact wtcgroundzerorelief.org). A resident of downtown Manhattan's West Side, Valerie is invited regularly to perform her song, "Wečll Carry On" at concerts and neighborhood vigils.

While others were producing 9/11 benefit concerts with name entertainers, singer/songwriter Valerie Ghent has been organizing concerts with songs written and performed by members of the city's uniformed rescue personnel­voices from the trenches.
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April 13, 2000
by Bob Gajarsky

New York-based writer/performer/producer Valerie Ghent is heading directly against the currents of today's trends on her independent debut release, "Unstoppable".

While many artists are trying to create a lo-fi, flawed sound (and consequently spending many times their budget to appear "chic"), Ghent took the reverse tactic - focusing her limited budget while yearning to make every note and instrumentation sound perfect.
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discoveries
March 1998
by Titus Levi

The African spirit comes into Ghent's music by way of musical associations with Deborah Harry (who always emphasized a certain loopy, funky blues spirit), the hard driving soul/funk/jazz outfit Defunkt, and the afore-mentioned Ashford and Simpson. ...the strength of Ghent's spirit and intellect shines bright on pieces like the title track, "Truth", "Survive", and "Place In This World".
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Joan Jett has covered the Beatles song "The Word" as part of a charity drive to support breast cancer (news - web sites) awareness...Jett's track was produced by Rob Stevens, who has worked with the late Beatle John Lennon and his widow Yoko Ono, and was performed by Jett with the It's About Eve Band of Leni Stern, Camille Gainer, Sara Lee, and Valerie Ghent.
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Jan 8-15 1997
by Holly Ennist

The story of Valerie Ghent is one of a musical mind nurtured by artistic parents in a creative environment. Raised in Greenwich Village, Ghent's parents were both musicians and composers. Her music career began at age 15; she has since...
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Dec 1996
by Robert Hicks

"Years of performing on keyboards and singing in some of New York's groundbreaking funk, dance, R&B and synthesizer pop bands - Defunkt, Foreign Legion, Debbie Harry and Nursery School - still found Valerie Ghent without a CD to call her own until producer James Biondolillo encouraged her to take her skills as a songwriter, musician and sound programmer to task.
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