Valerie Banks Amster

Songwriter, Publisher, Video Production

Valerie Banks Amster picked up a guitar in 2018 for the first time in 35 years, and has yet to put it down. She conceived of and wrote the songs for I Am Lola in her first songwriting workshop, which was taught by Maddison Hicks in January 2020.

She has been honored to share her life with horses, and has always enjoyed getting to know these magnificent animals and learning what each of them has to teach us. When she is not writing songs, she is mom to two very musical teenagers, and spends lots of time walking her two dogs, volunteering as Lola's sidekick and therapy partner, and playing guitar and singing for senior citizens.

Photo © Anna Purdy

Lori Bakewell

Author

Lori Bakewell has always been a storyteller. As a child, summer twilights were spent in her front yard tree where neighborhood friends listened to her latest creation. Heroines were strong-willed and not always well-behaved. Animals spoke to each other and their human companions. Lori’s belief in possibilities, both seen and unseen, still influences her writing. She is often found digging and daydreaming in the expanding gardens of the home she shares with one fine husband and one quirky cat. Lori is delighted to help Lola and Danny tell their stories.

Mo Safren

Vocals and production, I Am Danny

Mo, short for Morris, is from Culpeper, VA. He has studied under some of the best teachers in the world at the Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA.  He understands and has a deep love and passion for music.  His parents have been instilling powerful music into his life since he could breathe--everything from Motown to Frank Sinatra to Chopin. Mo is an artist, performer, producer, and philanthropist. Mo started producing and composing at the age of ten and never looked back.  Safren is a Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville recording artist and has performed all over the United States. He strongly feels that music has no limits, therefore, he is always searching for new musical concepts in the unknown. One of Mo's main goals is to create music that moves the hearts of his listeners.  When you see Mo perform live, you can expect an eclectic library of songs with nuances from all genres.  Mo is in his true element when it’s just him and the piano and he is singing to the people.

Alex Purdy

Vocals and production, I Am Lola

Hey! I’m Alex Purdy! I was born and raised in the DC area and have been producing music for 6 years so far. Since Covid hit, I’m grateful to have also been producing for other people. It has been such a joy working with Valerie, I’ve always wanted to work on an album for children and everything about this project is so meaningful to me.

Regarding my personal music, I sing, play guitar, bass, keys, drums and produce. My influences are Labrinth, Jon Bellion, Kygo, iridescent window stickers, and neon blacklight paint. My favorite pastime is gardening and I love waking up early!

Jhosua Rouge

Spanish vocals, I Am Danny

Jhosua hails from Colombia, where he recorded the vocal tracks for Soy Danny. He also edited the Spanish translations for flow and authenticity. Jhosua is also a producer and the owner of Mixit Studios in Alexandria, Virginia, where he has worked with dozens of artists on over 1,000 songs.

Tanner Carlton

Mixing and Mastering, I Am Danny

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Tanner Carlton was raised in northern Virginia by a family of musicians. As a young teen, he learned guitar from his uncle and soon after formed From Coast To Skyline, his first band, a pop punk group that played local DIY shows in Warrenton, VA and performed at the legendary D.C. venue 9:30 Club. In college, at University of Mary Washington he co-fronted the alternative hip-hop trio Goody, digging into EDM, experimental beats and grooves, and the more soulful side of his voice. After college, Carlton recorded two solo records, Back of a Bottle Shop (2015) and Front of a Magazine (2016). For the latter, he assembled a group of backing musicians with whom he later formed the indie rock band The Bottle Shop. In 2018, the band released Spring Shack, a funk and folk infused rock album, and then broke up shortly after. To make Spring Shack, Carlton and his brother developed their own production chops which inspired the formation of their music and podcast label, Rixey Records. Carlton is also the drummer and co-vocalist in Americana band A.P. Project

Jennifer Royall Anderson

Graphic Designer

Jennifer Royall Anderson is a graphic designer and singer, living in Silver Spring, MD with her husband and teenage daughter. She has always loved children’s books so was thrilled to have the opportunity to design Lola’s book!

Jennifer is allergic to horses but is in the midst of getting allergy shots so she can one day give Lola a big hug! When she isn’t designing publications, Jennifer can be heard singing at The Kennedy Center where she has sung with the Washington National Opera Chorus for 20 years. She secretly hopes that the next Horse Tales project will be “Lola, the Opera!”

Floridalma Cholotío Álvarez

Spanish Editor

Floridalma Cholotío Álvarez is the librarian of San Juan La Laguna in Sololá, Guatemala. We met five years ago when we spent a week in San Juan at a homestay, and thought of her immediately when we needed an editor for the Spanish books. Flory is a native speaker and also knows children’s literature so well, since she reads to kids every day! She treats the text of I Am Lola with care and respect to make it authentic and easy to read. Flory has two daughters and a granddaughter. She likes playing basketball with her family – their team always wins the town championship!

Laura Luv

Spanish Vocals, I Am Lola

Laura Luv is a singer-songwriter from Villavicencio, Colombia, currently living in Washington, D.C. She writes songs in Spanish influenced by her life experiences and what is happening in the world today; some of her lyrics have been interpreted by others as a call to consciousness that people can easily relate to. Some of these themes include topics such as animal abuse and global warming. Musically, Laura Luv has been influenced by pop, rock, folk, indie, and Latin music. She has played in several venues including Rock & Roll Hotel, Union Stage, Pearl Street Warehouse, and Rockwood Music Hall in New York.

Laura began recording her music at MIXIT recording studio in 2018. Her first single "Valiente" (Brave) was released in April 2019. This song is a tribute to her maternal grandmother, who died of cancer years ago. At the beginning of 2019, Laura returned to the studio to record 4 more songs that will be part of her first EP as Laura Luv, which she hopes to release in late 2021. Her second single “Más” was released in October 2019 and is found on all music platforms.

She also is a member of the all-women Afro-Colombian group "La Marvela".

Iara Raquel

Spanish Vocals, I Am Lola

Iara’s tunes and stories hold a magnifying glass to our individual and collective deep and dark inner truths. Connect lovingly to your inner child, grab a hanky, and journal while waiting for her debut trance singles and feelzy album marked to drop in 2022.

Sarah Capezio

Office Support and Shipping

Meet Sarah Capezio! Sarah manages our shipping operations, which is a beautiful thing as she is one of the most detail oriented and organized people we know—she has to be, with three kids! Sarah is also kind, supportive, always willing to listen, and good for a laugh. We are so happy to have her on the Horse Tales team!

Susannah Grady

Website Designer

Susannah is a graphic designer and illustrator based out of Richmond, Virginia. She is a graduate of VCUarts with a BFA in Communication Arts, and a minor in Art History, part of which was studied at the University of Glasgow. She enjoys spending time with her horse, hiking, and buying way too many candles.