The Cricket and Seagull: “What a Friend We Have In Jesus”

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Reflecting on these words from a favorite Protestant hymn of her
youth, Chieko Okazaki writes with feeling and passion about the
relationship each of us can have with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Speaking up especially for those who feel disenfranchised and
overlooked in the church,Sister Okazaki reminds us to claim the
blessings our Savior has in store for us. Read more

A Celebration of Life and Family

American Family Fest features fun family competitions, cook offs, a national talent search, family history events, exhibitions and much more. Highlighting the event are concerts at the Heritage Center by the acclaimed Hughes Brothers and the World’s Largest Performing Family from the “Entertainment Capitol of the World,” Branson, Missouri. June 2-7, 2008 (Mon-Sat) in Cedar City, UT. Read more

Mountain West Conference on the Arts

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Movie Extras Needed In Your Area

Steven Kapp Perry to host fall Church history tour

Join Steven Kapp Perry from September 25 to October 3, 2008, for nine days of Church history from Palmyra to Missouri and everything in between. Read more

A Songwriter’s Take on the New Jukebox

Mark Hansen’s blog provides some helpful commentary on the new Jukebox and how to use it. Read more

1856-the Musical

“1856-The Musical” will be playing for a week at the Capitol Theatre in SLC in mid June, and at the Mesa Arts Center in AZ in late June and early July. Read more

Michael McLean celebrates 25 years of songwriting

A songwriter writes a song, and people like it. So, he writes another and another, and pretty soon, he has enough for an album. So he keeps writing.

There is another album and another. Somewhere along the line, the musician realizes that music is paying his bills and may send his kids to college, but still it is an uncertain world.

Then, one day, he wakes up and realizes he has been making music for a quarter of a century. “How can that be?” he wonders. It has all gone by — from one song to the next — so quickly.

That’s the story of Michael McLean’s career. Read more

It’s Easy to Share Your Music With The World!

If you’re a Sibelius user you can publish your scores on the Internet to share with over 100,000 musicians worldwide - all without cost thanks to the SibeliusMusic.com website. You can even earn a steady income by selling scores around the world.
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New Release From Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband

Win an autographed album! Read more

Juice and Jazz with the Bestors

The Cricket and Seagull: “Spirit” with Alex Boye

London-born entertainer Alex Boyé may be the only member of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir to have had a record contract as a performer in a successful pop boy band in Europe, but he shares with his fellow choir members the passion for praising the Lord in song.

With his new solo release, “Spirit,” Alex shares both originals and contemporary Christian favorites with a soulful style that shows why he just won Pearl Awards for Best Contemporary Recorded Song (”Build the World”) and Performing Artist of the Year from the Faith Centered Music Association.
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Lyric Financial Offers Royalty Advance Program

The FastForwardMyRoyalties program from Lyric Financial has been developed especially for songwriters and publishers who earn royalties, allowing you to draw against your future royalty earnings without affecting the ownership of your songs. Because it’s not a loan, there are no credit hassles; you can get the money you need within a day of confirmation of your royalty pipeline. Visit the Lyric Financial website or call 615-739-6515 for more information. Read more

Jukebox Watch!

The Jukebox is a virtual player for new and established singers and songwriters, where demos and fresh tracks can be uploaded by members of the yourLDSneighborhood.com music directory.

Some you’ll know and some you won’t, but you will enjoy listening and voting on the songs in 8 different categories. Winners will be produced on a Best of yourLDSNeighborhood.com cd at the end of the year at no cost to them. So listen and vote for your favorites! Here are some artists to watch rising on the charts:

New Voices:

Jen Handy and Shine: Jen has a couple of very nicely done cover tunes that really complement the group’s style and harmony. They show a high number of views and votes in the Pop/Rock/Alt category.

Kalei Hogan, an 18-year-old aspiring studio singer, nails the style on Before He Cheats in the Country category, and does just as well in the Inspirational category with Only Hope.

Dylan Jackson has an unbelievable vocal range, and a great style of his own on I Kinda Like It, in the Jazz/Blues/R&B category.

Highest New Song Views:

Sara Lyn Baril has the highest number of views (248) for her new song, Living Water, sung by Jen Ehlert.

Lindy Kerby’s new song, also called Living Water, follows closely with 225 views, sung by Rebecca Lopez.

Top Votes:

Songwriter/vocalist Barry Hansen with One Step Closer in the Country/Folk category; Kristi King, with her classical piano piece Midnight Rhapsody in the Instrumental category, and Rebecca Lopez’ version of There Is Hope in the Inspirational category.
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Salt Lake Choral Artists Present Elijah

SLC - Libby Gardner Hall at the University of Utah campus. Read more

An Innovative Idea Whose Time Has Come: YourLDSneighborhood.com-An Online Mall
BY GREG HANSEN

We are in the midst of a historic shift in how the world communicates, buys products, and processes information. It is more significant to our day than the printing press was to the world in it’s day.
Entire generations are reaching adulthood with a completely different mindset-they buy and communicate online, text instead of talk, and meet and greet virtually.
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The Cricket and Seagull: Forgiving Ourselves - Getting Back Up When We Let Ourselves Down with Steven Kapp Perry

We Latter-day Saints believe in becoming better — we work hard at it — but we’re also among the most self-critical people. Too often we fail to fully claim the “amazing grace” of the Atonement. How can we help our loved ones — and ourselves — let go of past mistakes? Wendy Ulrich, an experienced psychologist, maps the journey from self blame to self-forgiveness. She shows how the pure doctrines of the restored gospel, coupled with the practical perspectives of psychology, can help us stop harrowing our souls and start planting the seeds of faith, healing, and joy. Read more

Current Arizona LDS Events

Here’s a list of events in the Mesa area. Read more

This Weekend with Showtime Utah

Check it out! Read more

Is the Gospel Vision of the Arts No Longer Valid?

by Greg Hansen
Recently I went to the Church Cultural Arts Department, doing research for my new BYU Studies article on the Arts and the Church. I asked all the hard questions, such as this one: Is Spencer Kimball’s Gospel Vision of the Arts no longer valid? (Ensign, July 1977).

The answer was clear-they knew of no prophet who’s declarations became suddenly invalid. Now here we are, 31 years later. Read more

Jenny Oaks Baker with Temple Hill Symphony