Anne (with an 'e") Wilson~ Debut Album Review and Giveaway! (ends Thursday evening, 5/5)

Hi all! 

I am so pleased to be able to write this next review, as it is always easier to write a good review about something you are excited about, or just really like, in general. I think I can honestly say both apply here. 
~>Many thanks to Universal Music Group for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation<~

Anne Wilson is a new Christian Singer/Songwriter (definitely not to be confused with Ann Wilson of "Heart" fame), who just released her Debut Album, "My Jesus," on April 22nd. 
You may have heard her title track this past year on Christian Radio or on your favorite streaming platform, or if you were fortunate enough to attend the Zach Williams Christmas or Spring Concert tours, where she was a special guest artist. She showed up >>for me<< as a recommended artist in my "discover weekly" list on Spotify a couple of weeks ago, so again, I was delighted to be asked to join this review/giveaway campaign and share her music with you all. 

In addition to hearing the music, I was given the opportunity to join Anne's Album Launch Livestream Event this past Wednesday, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse of this talented young lady. She only *just turned 20 this February, and she writes and sings with a wisdom beyond her years. Fun little fact from the livestream~ She spent a year and half pounding out 130 or so songs, the cream of which made it on to her debut album. I can attest to the determination and work ethic that feat requires~ pretty great in one so young.  Some other fun facts learned at the livestream: 

• Anne Wilson is the first female solo artist debut single to reach #1 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart
• Anne Wilson’s debut single “My Jesus” was the longest #1 single on Billboard’s Christian Air-play chart of 2021 at 7 weeks total
• “My Jesus” was nominated for a 2022 Billboard Music Award for “Top Christian Song” against Kanye West(For those interested, the awards will broadcast live coast-to-coast on May 15 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on NBC. It will also stream live on Peacock).
• “My Jesus” Hit #1 on Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and #19 on the Rolling Stone Top 25 Trending charts
• Anne Wilson was featured as Billboard’s October 2021 Chartbreaker Artist in their 21 Under 21 issue

On a more serious note, one of the main threads throughout much of her album is a recurring theme of hard times and despair defeated by the power, glory, grace and love of God. One might wonder at the veracity of a barely 20-something effectively handling the deep and dark right next to the deep and redeeming light, but Anne has walked a tough road herself, and many teens and young twenties experience more discouragement, hopelessness, and distress than some of us want to acknowledge. 

In Anne's case, during one of the most vulnerable and difficult time in anyone's life (15 years old) she suffered the tragic loss of her 23-year-old brother in a car accident. This loss clearly impacted her, but she turned to God for comfort and peace, which is evident in many of the songs throughout the album. What a gift to be able to empathize with others based on shared experience and then turn that into music to minister to the soul. For more on Anne, you can read her Biography here, and listen to her talk about that time and her story here. 

 

 Album Impressions ~ One thing I found interesting (and appreciated) was the way Anne incorporated a couple of lines {or stanzas} of old hymns in many of her songs, giving a definite nod to gospel hymn roots, without feeling like she was borrowing too much or reworking them. I actually noticed a couple, and then listened for some of the more subtle uses throughout. {see the brackets in my little snippet summations)
 

1. Prelude (Scatter) ~ short instrumental
2. Scatter ~ An anthem declaring that the battle is the Lord's, and we can stand firm in the knowledge that He *will* scatter our enemies. {Glory, Hallelujah, My God is marchin' on}
3. My Jesus ~ The title track~ another anthem~ so much has been said about this one already, I don't feel the need. 
4. Devil ~ This is a "fightin' " resurrection song (!😁!) with a refrain of "You brought life to me and death to the Devil. {I was blind but now I can see} 
5. Sunday Sermons~ Fun, foot-stomping track that honors the impact of being brought up "in church."{Jesus loves me, this I know}
6. Hey Girl ~ A tune that joins a few others that walk a line on the side of "Daughter of the King," combating the very real feeling of "not being enough," when in fact, we are each worth so much that Jesus gave His life for us... 
7. This House ~ This is fantastic~ a rockin' take on the concept of a the parable of the wise man and the foolish man~ without a firm foundation (the word of the Lord), "this house gonna fall" {My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood, my righteousness...} I found it interesting that she changed the wording to "my righteousness," which emphasizes that His righteousness does, indeed, become our righteousness, since we have none of our own. 
8. Mansions~ A lively little hopeful tune addressing {When we all get to heaven}
9. Mamas~ (with Hillary Scott) ~ Sweet tune for all the Mamas (and/or mama figures) in our lives. 
   Featuring Hillary Scott (from Lady A[ntebellum])   “Mamas (Official Music Video)” will release 5/4 for Mother’s Day and includes footage of Anne surprising her mother with the song, as well as footage of Hillary Scott and her daughters.
   
10. No Place Like Home ~ A loving tribute to her brother Jacob, and the reality that while we say there is no place like home (here on Earth), there truly is no place like our real home (in Heaven). 
11. God Thing ~ I use "It's a God thing" as a phrase fairly frequently, and I appreciate that there is now a song pointing out that the big and the small things point to Him and His work! Miracles still happen.  
12. That’s What We Need~ Hard hitting, truth spitting reminder that there is One Way, One Truth, One Life, and that Love should be our standard. 
13. Something About That Name~ A fresh take on the name above all names, and the dichotomy of its use by saints and sinners, in joy and sorrow, tender but loud... nicely done! 
14. Closer To God~ Explores how God can be close, even when we don't understand what we are going through.
15. My Jesus (feat. Crowder) ~ fun remix. 

I love the fact that so many established musicians like Matthew West, among others, have taken Anne under their wings~ encouraged her, written lyrics and music with her~ mentored her, really, while letting her  Country, Gospel Rock roots shine through. I also value the hope that Anne represents as a shining example to those who are distressed by this old world, and those who fear for future generations. There *are those young people who know and love God, and will continue to be beacons, reflecting His light, and drawing the lost safely to the shore of God's amazing grace, mercy, and love. 

There truly isn't a track on this album that I don't enjoy! See for yourself! 
Stream or purchase Anne’s new album now!

You also have a chance to win an autographed copy of Anne's Debut CD in my quick giveaway that ends this THURSDAY, May 5th. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

Blessings~

#AnneWilson #AnneWilsonMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork 

Tori Kelly Album review and Giveaway of "Hiding Place"

Until last spring(?), I really didn't have much of an idea who Tori Kelly was, but my Middlest had decided that he really liked her music, and regularly shared videos of her collaborating with a variety of artists with me, both well known and not. I had no idea that she was the voice of the elephant in SING! until months after we watched it... However, I have been very impressed with her voice, and was delighted to be sent a copy of her new project Hiding Place for review and a giveaway! The giveaway form is at the bottom, and just a heads up that this giveaway is of super short duration.

If you don't know a lot about her (like me), then here's a little more information from the officially released biography to give you some insight.

While working on the follow-up to her debut album Unbreakable Smile—a 2015 release that premiered at #2 on the Billboard 200—Tori Kelly felt compelled to include a track that honored her lifelong passion for gospel music. With the help of her manager, Scooter Braun, the L.A.-based singer/songwriter soon connected with Kirk Franklin, a 12-time Grammy Award-winning gospel artist and one of Kelly’s musical idols. “I flew to Dallas and Kirk showed me a few songs he’d written, and I fell in love with all of them,” says Kelly, a 2016 Grammy Award nominee for Best New Artist. “Next thing you know, one song turned into us doing a whole album together. It just took on a life of its own.”

With its RandB-infused, deeply melodic take on classic gospel, Hiding Place offers up what Franklin refers to as “hope-pop”—a classification that fully resonates with Kelly. “One of the things I want for this album is for people to feel uplifted and encouraged when they listen,” she says. “I want them to know that, no matter what they’re going through, there’s a God who loves them so much and so unconditionally, and there’s always a reason to feel hope. That’s what I really believe in, and I want everyone out there to hear my heart.”

As Kelly explains, the title to Hiding Place draws inspiration from a line in one of her favorite psalms (“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with songs of deliverance”). “That always stuck with me: this idea of God being a place of safety, a place where you can hide from all the crazy things that this world can throw at us,” she notes.

Produced by Franklin, Hiding Place unfolds with a lush yet simply adorned sound beautifully suited to Kelly’s incomparable voice. “I’ve worked with Mary J. Blige, Bono, Yolanda Adams, and I’ve never seen anyone that’s a monster behind the microphone like Tori Kelly,” says Franklin. “She’d nail one song in three takes, and all those takes were amazing. It set the bar higher for my whole career.”

I love it when Christians are picked up for their talent, not simply because of their worldview, and Tori Kelly certainly fits that mold. From Kirk Franklin's description, she reminds me of another young (Christian) artist who took the music industry by storm a few decades ago, Alison Krauss. If the pattern holds true, hold on, because there must be even more great music in store down the road!

The songs on the CD are a combination of Kirk Franklin pieces and songs that he co-wrote with Tori specifically for this album.

1. Masterpiece featuring Lecrae~ The basic concept/message is very good, but musically I don't feel it's her best piece vocally on the album. Middlest likes this one however, so maybe it's my "old" ears... ;)

2. Help Us To Love featuring The HamilTones ~ very deep south gospel feel, with a GREAT message. We need this song!


3. Sunday ~ This is the song on the album that speaks of confession and redemption~ that our "Sunday clothes" aren't who we are, and that we need God's grace every day of the week~

4. Just As Sure featuring Jonathan McReynolds ~ "Just as sure as trials come, to pull me close to You. In Your presence now I see, a God I never knew.... I know You love me, just as I do love You." Lovely song.

5. Psalm 42 ~


6. Questions ~because faith is never easy... This girl has read Ecclesiates... and the Psalms...

7. Never Alone~  featuring Kirk Franklin (listen to it yourself... )


8. Soul's Anthem (It Is Well) ~ A beautiful nod to one of my favorite hymns...

*UPDATED Comments
Because there was such a short turn around on this review, I was only able to listen to the tracks from my computer. Listening to them on good speakers (in the car) the day after posting brought out so many more layers than I had heard in my initial listen. Also, my Berklee (Boston Music, not CA Science) trained husband heard it for the first time, and was very impressed with the intricacies in chord changes. This is not a standard, 3-chord pop album in any way shape or form, and I wanted to make sure that this was clear.

Purchase Hiding Place Here

and sign up to win a copy (For you or for a friend) below... The giveaway ends at 12 midnight Sunday morning, the 16th. If you're interested, don't wait because you might miss out! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings~

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller/FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

#TKHidingPlace & #FlyBy

Nuggets of Gold (New music by Chris August, and Jonny Diaz ~ Could June get any better? Keep reading...)

Ay-yi-yi! I wanted to post this earlier!!!

Chris August has a new album out, and New Release Today is offering one of his songs for free download till the 14th. Go download "Worry" from the album "Seasons."

You're welcome. ☺

(And in case you want to listen before you download... )

Probably my favorite song on the album is "Moonlight"~ this is sooooo gorgeous!

The musicality and intricacy is fantastic!

As always, Chris August delivers...  ☺

As I mentioned in my title, Jonny Diaz has new music~ an EP "Sweetness and Sorrow"

He says this is the song that resonates with him the most... 

(Listen all the way through... ☺)

Oh, and Steven Curtis has a new song out also!! WOOT!!!

I missed sharing For King and Country's new song that released in May...

This is a fun, rather retro (MTV-style?) music video~ 

We always have the option to

CHOOSE JOY!

And if you prefer a less stylized/concept video, and want their live "energy," here is a unique single shot video from a concert in Florida...

One more thing to keep an eye out for...
Unspoken has a new single coming out on Friday! I don't have a link or any further information, but you know it will be good! ☺
And Francesca Battistelli has a new song coming out on Friday as well... 

So, I hope this gives you some things to listen to, and some new music to pick up, starting with that free Chris August tune.

Blessings~

Musical Nuggets of Gold (Free Downloads for a limited time)

Time for a few Nuggets of Gold! It's been FARRRRR too long since I've written one of these posts!

New Music for the weary soul is available for download!

First up, from Free CCM

The latest is Micah Tyler's Directions from his Different album. If you listen to Christian Radio, you've probably heard his song Never Been A Moment, which was nominated for a Dove Award. He was one of our favorite sounds of the summer of 2017. ;)

The other two songs available on FreeCCM are pretty diverse~

Stones by rapper/rocker Manafest

and collective Pyramid Park's Born to be Brave 
Confession~ 

Even if I didn't like the concept/lyric much, I might listen to it for the accents... ;) 

Another of my favorite places to check out new music is Hear It First, although it's difficult to know exactly what track they are offering for download until you actually download it from the link they send in your email... :p

Personally I wasn't a huge fan of James Gardin's Right Now~ seemed a little too ... needy... made bad choices, now he wants his girl back. :p If he's actually talking about God, well, this is one of those ambiguous songs that I like even less... (just so you know what you'll be getting before you hit the submit button~ you can look it up on Spotify if you want to check it out yourself. )

Fans of Audrey Assad may enjoy the very mellow

Wood and Nails on Work Songs: The Porter's Gate Worship Project~

Sandra McCracken Live can also be found on Spotify~ I don't know which song is offered as the free download on Hear It First as she wasn't exactly our cup of tea...

Won't Let Me Go by John Tibbs is a high energy tune...
You won't let me go
And I will not fear, when the earth gives way
And the lightning strikes, and the oceans rage
You'll stand by me, I'll never walk alone
You won't let me go


The Legacy Live PlanetShakers song Prophecy wasn't exactly what I'd listen to, but some might enjoy it, so I suggest looking it up on Spotify. :)

Armond Wakeup is a rapper/spoken word artist.
His mellow song Sweeter might be worth a listen if you're into that genre

OK, that's about it for now~ grab them while they are still around!!! And if you pick any of them up, let me know your favorites in the comments~ I'd love to hear from you! 

Blessings~

Matthew West ~ All In (Review and Giveaway)

Hey, friends! It's been awhile since I've had a review and a GIVEAWAY! :)
What a nice way to start out the Fall Season! 

This time it's Matthew West's new album All In

Here are my quick impressions/what the songs are about,  plus a few bonus videos from Matthew West to give you the real story. :) ~

Track 1: All In 

~ No testing the waters here~ he's all in!

Story behind the song:

Track 2: Broken Things 

~ Encouragement that God can and does use broken things to accomplish mighty things

Story behind this song, too... 

Track 3: Mercy is a Song 

~ More encouragement~ Mercy is a song, and Freedom is a choir singing...

Track 4: Amen 

~ This one is a high energy tune that will be a favorite in my house. ;)

Track 5: The Sound of a Life Changing 

~ Kind of a cool auto-biographical song/looking to the future for other's lives

Track 6: Something Greater 

~ Another song about life~ (And BGV's by Carrie Underwood... :) )

Track 7: Jesus & You 

~ Love song to his Lord and his wife. ;)

Track 8: The Beautiful Things We Miss 

~ Encouragement to slow down and not miss the beautiful things... 

(Teary eyes are a possibility with this song... ;))

Track 9: 1 Song 

~ drilling it down to Hallelujah! Thank You, Lord! Amen, I'm made new! 

(In a style a little reminiscent of Nico and Vinz' "Am I Wrong" ~ I like it. ;) 

~ disclaimer: I know next to nothing about Nico and Vinz beyond that song. ;) )

Track 10: Power Love Sound Mind 

~ not rap, but spoken word with a melodic chorus~ not a spirit of fear...

Track 11: Never Ever Give Up 

~ Up-beat encouragement ~  a good, positive  "amp up" song.

Track 12: Dream Again

~ When the doors (and the World) seem closed and against you

~ an anthem of starting over and giving it up to God

~ letting Him show you how to dream again...

Track 13: Becoming Me (Featuring Lulu West)

~ another family-inspired song that pulls the heart-strings

~ (and Lulu has a very sweet voice)

Track 14: You Are Known 

~ written as a note from the One Who Knows...

Summing up~ the entire album is about being "All In" in relation to the Lord, to family, community, and even to his career as a singer/songwriter. From his liner notes: "... these songs are written in the hopes that they will be arrows straight to your hearts reminding you that the goal is to reach the end with no regrets." Essentially encouraging us to understand our position, and seek to hear "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

The album is now available for purchase. Great gift idea to tuck away for a holiday or special event.

More information...

Matthew’s heart behind the album:

Matthew wrote his new album All In with the goal of encouraging himself and others to get up off the sidelines of their faith and really live it out – to go all in in your time with God, all in with your family, all in with your community, and all in battling your fears that may hold you back from becoming who God made you to be. Along that same theme, Matthew will be launching a 6-week All in Challenge on his social media starting 9/18, and each week Matthew will be challenging his fans to go all in in a different part of their lives. What does it look like when a heart that knows Jesus takes a step and holds nothing back? How can we go All In in the places that mean the most?

If you would like to enter my giveaway, please make sure to wait for the Rafflecopter to load.... :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings~

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Nuggets of Gold (A song for my coffee-drinking friends! + Other Music)

Hey!
Are you awake??
Need a cup of Joe?

How about an awesome new song by John Waller called "Awakening (the Coffee Song)" that is available for download from Hear it First. (You can preview any of these songs by listening to them on the embedded Spotify links, but if you want to download them yourself, you need to go to the underlined links).


There is also a song by Jai Velasquez, "God Who Moves the Mountains" that is worth a listen... (Same link as above~ where you can find a few other songs I didn't have a chance to listen to before I wrote this post)


You can also download MercyMe's version of "Come Thou Fount" from FreeCCM

And Landry Cantrell (New to me artist) has a free download on NewReleaseToday.com "Gravity"

Enjoy!
Blessings~

December Nuggets of Gold (Music and Books + Free videos and more for teachers!)

Hello friends~

Well, it doesn't look like that snowy globe just yet, but you never can tell! ;)

I hope that you've been enjoying the reviews and giveaways that I've had to offer on my blog in the past week or two. Entries are still open, so go take a look if you haven't yet!
There's one for a Bible Journaling Kit, and one for Amy Grant's new Tennessee Christmas CD.

Now, here's a nugget for everyone~


FreeCCM is offering a 10 song Christmas sampler, featuring Mercy Me, Sarah Groves, Laura Story, Phillips, Craig and Dean, and Phil Wickham. What a blessing, and generous gift ~ all you have to do is enter your email~ which allows FreeCCM to let you know when they have new free offerings. *Note: Downloads must be made to a computer.

And here are some Books for Kindle that you may be interested in picking up:


A Goose Creek Christmas (Tales from the Goose Creek B and B, book 4) (free at the time of posting) ~ I just read this book, and it is a sweet, funny story. Reminds me a little bit of the Mitford Chronicles, if you remember those... Although it's book 4 in the series, I didn't mind reading it on its own, and am interested in checking out the rest of the series.

A Christmas Carol (Wisehouse Classics with Original Illustrations) (free at the time of posting) ~ Don't really need to say much about this one ~ we all  know and love Dickens' Classic story, and now you can bring it with you on your Kindle! :)



Joy to the World: A Christmas Nativity Counting Book (free at the time of posting)~ Something to read to your Toddler when you are out and about~ Simple little illustrations just right for little ones. :)


Something for the teachers among us... public/private/homeschool...

Izzit.org regularly offers great teaching videos that promote critical thinking, and right now they have a special "12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Spectacular 2016" . You can get a FREE DVD each day, for 12 days!  Plus, they are randomly selecting one winner each day to receive a embroidered fleece blanket.
I missed the first day (yesterday), but please check it out now ~ Each day offers a new video, and a new code, good only for 24 hours (I'll be posting on my Blog facebook page with the codes, so you can just keep an eye out there, if you like). 

And one more for the homeschooling teachers: 
IEW has some free events and more: 

1. This Saturday! December 10- IEW's Virtual Winter Retreat

Joining Andrew Pudewa are Sarah Mackenzie, Adam Andrews, and Jill Pike. There are six sessions that will encourage and inspire teachers and parents. If someone is not able to attend, they can still register to receive the recordings of the session they want to hear. 

IEW.com/virtualretreat2016

2. Twelve Days of Christmas Giving

Every year we celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas by doing what we love to do: give gifts. Families can register now at the link below to receive daily email reminders to download the free gifts. On the final day, we ship something special to their front door. 

IEW.com/Christmas16

I hope this brightens your week, and gives you something fun to enjoy!

Blessings~

Amy Grant Tennessee Christmas CD (Review and Giveaway)

AMY GRANT TENNESSEE CHRISTMAS

One of our traditional Every-Christmas-Morning-Must-Be-Played CD's is Amy Grant's "A Christmas Album." It is part of the soundtrack of our lives, so we were all excited to be chosen to review Amy Grant's brand new Tennessee Christmas Album (And offer a giveaway, hurrah!). 

Amy Grant has one of those voices that is just so smooth and mellow that it makes you almost instantly relax when you hear it.

As you might imagine with a Title of Tennessee Christmas, one of the tracks is an updated recording of Tennessee Christmas. It has a very nostalgic, feel, as does the majority of the album. This was accomplished in part by recording the entire album in their home~ using friends and family for background vocals. One song has her girls (my how they've grown up!) singing together, and yes, Vince Gill definitely makes an appearance or two on this album as well. 

Take a listen... 

Here are the tracks with a little bit of my take on each one.

1. Tennessee Christmas ~ Same songs and harmonies, slightly different cast from the original
2. To Be Together ~ You heard it above. ;) 
3. Christmas For You and Me ~ Not my favorite track, but some folks may like it more than I do. 
4. Melancholy Christmas ~ The name says it all. 
5. December ~ Another mellow, quiet, almost fragile song~ (Just like a melting snowflake)
6. White Christmas ~ Excellent, old-fashioned version in classic Amy Grant style. 
7. Joy To the World ~ *NOT* the typical Loud, Joyous singing~ again, very gentle into jazz, and back again. 
8. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm ~ Vintage~ Love it! (I don't remember really hearing this sung before~ although I understand it was performed by some of the greats~ Tony Bennet and Dean Martin ~ I think I'll stick with Amy Grant's version. ;) )
9. Baby, It's Cold Outside (Featuring Vince Gill) ~ well, if anyone can make me appreciate this song, I guess it might be these two. 
10. Christmas Don't Be Late ~ Love this version~ a peek at the Grant/Gill household. Not all music, but also some memories of Christmases past (And this is the is the song with Amy's daughters singing in lovely harmony). 
11. Still Can't Sleep ~ Sweet little song. 
12. Another Merry Christmas ~ Another nostalgic song~ gives me the same feeling as "If These Walls Could Speak" to some degree. A "real" "honest" song. 
13. Oh Come All Ye Faithful ~ Another peek into Amy's life, as she shares a little bit and sings with her family and friends. 

I expect that there will definitely be songs from this album added to our Christmas morning playlist, and certainly, it will be played throughout this month at home and in the car.

Go buy your own, and then enter my giveaway to win one as a gift to give away! :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings!!

#TennesseeChristmas #flyby

November Nuggets (including some time sensitive Black Friday Freebies/Deals)

Hi All,

Hope that you had a marvelous Thanksgiving! So many things to be thankful for in spite of any external circumstances that might be worrisome. God is Good.

Here's a Christmas Medley (2015) from Anthem Lights to whet your appetite for their newly released EP:


Wanted to share some nuggets that I've found, as well as some Black Friday Freebies and Deals that you might be interested in.

Because the Black Friday Deals have deadlines, I'll list them first.

Homeschool Freebies is offering $160 in downloadable resources for free! There are some great things in here!
Chemistry, Musicals, Nomenclature, Planners, and more.

Music Deals from some of my favorite Christian Artists:
Jonny Diaz~ 2 newest CD's for $5 each
Unspoken~ CD's for $5 each and some nifty bundles that would make a sweet gift for your music lover.

Now for some non- Black Friday nuggets:
A really cute "new" Winnie-the-Pooh ebook you can download. A story about Winnie-the-Pooh and the Queen's Birthday. This is a sweet addition to the lore of Pooh, even if it isn't Milne.

SuperColoring ~ Some really great coloring pages~ if you're doing any state studies, you'll find plenty of material here, in addition to famous people and celebrations.

Advent Coloring Pages ~ I've used these sweet coloring pages in the past.

Printable 24 Christmas Story Countdown Advent Cards ~ These are nicely done as well~ Focus on the reason for the Season!

And one more from Anthem Lights, this one IS from their newly released (today!) EP:

Blessings~

Nuggets of Gold Sept 30 (Music)

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted a nuggets of gold post, 

but I HAD to get one out this week~ 

some things that are too good to be missed!

Head on over to FreeCCM.com for a few GREAT songs! 

Unspoken and Hawk Nelson songs can be found on their free downloads page

MercyMe has their own special page ;) 

All you have to do is enter your email, 

and you can download these to your computer right away!  

And HearitFirst.com has a great song from All Sons and Daughters

I Surrender

Not sure how long everything is available for free download, 

so I suggest popping right on over if you're interested

Blessings~

Graduation (!) Photos and some musical nuggets...

So... This happened this weekend.....

Isn't she pretty? (and SMART, too! :D) 

Proud Brothers

Our Parental Charge:

We are very proud of the young lady you are becoming. 

We look forward to seeing the plans God has for your future, 

being confident that He who began a good work in you will continue it. 

March to your creative beat and press on. 

Love, Mom and Dad

"Personalized" graduation cap~ 

all hand-designed hand-cut letters and embellishments 

by Eldest

Songs that have impacted her over the past 4 years:

(note: for fun, read down the titles, you might catch some mash-up phrases) 

~~~~~

Breathe by Jonny Diaz

~~~~~

Backseat Driver by Toby Mac

You Lead by Jamie Grace

I'm Letting Go by Francesca Battistelli

Tomorrow by Unspoken

Morning by Morgan Harper Nichols

(The)Great Adventure by Steven Curtis Chapman

In Your Hands by Unspoken

Giants Fall by Francesca Battistelli

Center of It by Chris August

Joy by Jonny Diaz

And how great is that? 

Jonny Diaz in concert the same day!?!?!

Guess what we ate on the way there? Chick-fil-A! 

If you're a Jonny Diaz fan, you'll "get" this. :D 

Many Blessings to you all, and most especially to our Eldest as she embarks on the next leg of life's journey. 

Zeezok Publishing LLC Music Appreciation: Book 1 for theElementaryGrades (review)

Music is one of my favorite subjects, and I really love it when there are products that encourage music appreciation for those happy learners of elementary school age, to head them in the right direction! :) Enter Zeezok Publishing LLC and their Music Appreciation: Book 1 for the Elementary Grades, which Youngest and I have been enjoying for a number of weeks, as he learned about the composer Joseph Haydn.

I have been a fan of Zeezok's Musician Biographies for a long while, and have managed to pick up a couple of them over the years, but this Music Appreciation Activity Book/Lapbook/Music Discs/Biography SET really steps it up a notch.
 Book 1 includes studies that coordinate with the biographies of:

• Bach
• Handel
• Haydn 
• Mozart
• Beethoven
• Paganini
• and Schubert

As I mentioned above, for the purposes of this review, we chose to learn about Hadyn, the Merry Little Peasant.

I mentioned to my Youngest that one of the very first tunes I learned to play on the piano when I was young was by "Papa Haydn." Of course, he had to wait to the very end of the book to hear it on the accompanying music disc (because I didn't recall the name of the actual tune...). How apropos that it was from The Surprise Symphony ~ what a surprise!

Composer Biography
Youngest is a huge fan of history/historical fiction, and has been very enthusiastic about doing this study, as he gets to read about the history of the composer. This has been a nice addition to some of the other historical biographies that he devours on a regular basis, and has had the added value of sparking an interest in listening to more Classical Music than he otherwise would.

Music Discs
The music discs coordinate with the text of the biography, and include the most recognizable snippets from various works of the composer. I will note that my ancient MacBook Pro had some issues with reading the discs, but when I had access to my husband's newer laptop, the discs played just fine. I am normally a "physical product" person, not a "cloud" person, but in this instance, I would have appreciated the ability to listen to these snippets online. Perhaps someday Zeezok will include a password protected area on their website with links to each piece, which would allow us to take our study on the go, and listen from any device. ;)

Student Activity Book
This book is a wonderful resource to use alongside of the biographies. It is broken down into Units by composer, and sectioned further into 4 weekly lessons per composer.

As you can see, the edges of the pages are nicely color-coded so that you can easily find where you are each week. Major blocks of color for each composer. The coding at the top has a long line at the beginning of each unit, and the smaller lines are the beginning of each weekly study. Nice detail!

Each Unit includes a weekly lesson plan, with a variety of activities.

• Composer Biography~ The week begins by assigning the reading one or two chapters from the biography. This was my Youngest's favorite and least favorite part... simply because he LOVES the reading/history, but he HATES to stop! ;) 
• Comprehension Questions~ followed by worksheet-like pages

Character Qualities

• Character Qualities discussion~ each chapter pulls out various character qualities that could be seen in the composer's life. Love this! 
• Tidbits of Interest ~ These are *quite* interesting! I am very impressed with these Tidbits, as they give insight into the time period in which the composer lived... very much a Social Studies reading, with some great, full color illustrations.

  

  Tidbits of Interest pages

• From here the activities begin to vary widely, and might include:

• Composer Lapbook  piece assembly ~ there are pieces to cut out from the student book as well as pieces to print from a pdf file included in on the lapbook CD found bundled with the Music CDs. Some of the pieces are not put together with the larger handwriting of the early elementary student in mind, so I would recommend that they dictate their answers on some of them. ;) 

  

  Assembled Lapbook

• Geography/Map work ~ The Haydn unit had mapwork that showed the various cities where Haydn lived, and also where he traveled (these are found in the activity book, and are not part of the lapbook, just in case you were looking. ;) )
• Science Experiments ~ The Haydn unit did not include a science experiment, but as an example, the first unit in the book on Bach had an oxidation experiment as they talked about the copper patina at the top of St. Michael's church
• Recipes and/or food suggestions ~ Foods and recipes from the Composer's time period and country. Youngest was amazed to learn that Mac & Cheese became popular during Haydn's lifetime. How fun! 
• Music Activities ~ These could include listening to tracks from the CD's, learning about instruments (classical/world/band), the makeup of an orchestra, as well as other musical groups.
• Timeline Activities ~ These are fairly simple, and include information about major world events during the composer's lifetime. 
• Copywork ~ Again, not something that shows up in the Haydn unit, but is included in other Composer units. 

I am VERY pleased with this entire set, and think it is well worth checking out. Music and Music Appreciation are so undervalued in our world today, but are such a rich component to add to our children's studies. I am delighted that Zeezok Publishing has come out with not only their wonderful biographies, but also this fantastic resource to enrich our children's understanding of the life, music, and times of these Classical Composers.

Not So Nutty Nitty Gritty 

• Company: Zeezok Publishing LLC 
• Product: Music Appreciation: Book 1 for the Elementary Grades
• Ages: Elementary
• Price: $169.99

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Blessings~