in 2001 childs formed a chamber jazz group consisting of piano, bass, drums, acoustic guitar, harp, and woodwinds. sometimes the core group is augmented by string quartet, woodwind quintet, or both. childs was influenced by laura nyro's collaborations with alice coltrane (on "christmas and the beads of sweat") and by a desire to merge classical and jazz music. in 2005, the ensemble released its first album, "lyric, jazz-chamber music, vol. 1", which was nominated for three 2006 grammy awards: best jazz instrumental album, best instrumental composition, and best arrangement, winning for best instrumental composition, "into the light".