Every time Master Sgt. John Egbert goes up on a bombing mission in Afghanistan he knows there are lives saved and lives ended.
It comforts him after he lands to hear the sweet music on YourLDSRadio.com, so much so that the Air Force pilot from Sandy, Utah, decided to fly a flag for the station and give it to them as a thank you when he returned stateside.
Friday, June 26, he did just that. Read more
Step into the past and relive the spirit of the founding of a nation, the fight for religious freedom and the impact of printing on civilization and on our nation July 2-4 from 10 A.M. to Dusk.
Enjoy free entertainment, family activities, and live encampments with demonstrations of daily colonial life. Experience a walk through the Mayflower right in our Jamestown exhibit. Spend time reading original historical documents, letters and printed pamphlets of the era B. Ashworth’s Hall of History. Stop by the Benjamin Franklin pint shop and help print replicas of the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution (there is a fee of $5 for your own take home copy). Watch a paper-maker a work, visit with a calligrapher, watercolor artist, and enjoy a live chalk artist at work.
The live entertainment on Colonial Square Stage is showcasing local talent with an 18th-century flare. Read more
The Mormon Miracle Pageant takes place on a temple hill chosen by prophecy, and the yearly gathering of thousands on those grounds was foreseen by a former temple president more than a decade before the presentation was written. It’s an old-style pageant with touches of melodrama in the script and hints of Cecil B. de Mille in the music and mass movement, all performed by a cast of nearly a thousand which can completely fill the dramatic hillside stage.
Join Manti, Utah, native and pageant President Doug Barton for behind-the-scenes information and the spiritual history of The Mormon Miracle pageant, which plays to over 90,000 viewers each June. Read more
I recently read a book called “Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else,” by Geoffrey Colvin.
Colvin sets out to demonstrate that “world-class performers,” compared to performers at the next level down, did not start out with greater innate abilities.
Instead, they simply worked harder and longer. Sometimes they had unusual opportunities, but we usually think of that as “luck” or “good fortune” rather than talent. Read more
If you haven’t already heard about it, the Church has a new radio website — radio.lds.org — and one of their programs is a podcast on creativity called Everything Creative, with ten episodes already available. Here’s their description:
Inspired by a talk given by President Uchtdorf called “Happiness, Your Heritage” (General Relief Society Meeting, Fall 2008) Everything Creative explores creativity through interviews with artists and creative people of all types. Each episode is unique as the interviewee from a previous episode becomes the interviewer of another creative artist. The program is hosted by Utah musician Nancy Hanson. Read more
They are all musicians; all new-age piano men extraordinaire who have delighted listeners around the region and the country for years.
But they are also fathers, which, as Paul Cardall says, “is one of the greatest things God has given to us.”
“Nothing gets in the way of being a dad,” Jon Schmidt notes. “That is more important to me than anything.”
“Being the father of four children has brought me the greatest joy in my life,” David Tolk adds. “No amount of musical success can compare with the happiness that comes through my relationship with my children.”
Because they see themselves as fathers who are also musicians, Michael R. Hicks says, they know the power that music can have in the lives of their children. “Music can create emotions that last a long time,” he says. “We have always utilized it as a unifying force for the family. It creates wonderful bonding moments.”
So, it is natural that the men look for opportunities to combine love of family and love of music, which is exactly what they have done in creating a new CD of piano lullabies.
Enjoy the sounds of Utah’s own Joshua Creek. Somewhere, on the road between Sunday night and Monday morning, is a place called Joshua Creek — a unique blend of country-esque music and inspirational lyrics of faith and family from songwriters Jeff Hinton and Quint Randle. Also performing on this year’s concert is the up and coming Country Singer Jessica Poulson.
The concerts are free! Tickets available at Daynes Music or by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Pops Tickets, PO Box 2623, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. to those holding tickets and at 7:15 p.m. to the general public.
For more information, call: 801.363.9708 Read more
A Cappellastock
“The Rocky Mountain West’s premiere a cappella music event-fueled solely by the power of the human voice!”
Saturday, August 22 at 7:30pm at the Ogden Amphitheater
MormonMedia.com is opening the door to Mormon artists, authors, performers, etc. to talk about their work. Under the site’s “Media Buzz” section, MormonMedia.com posts articles about movies, books, music and other related topics, about the details behind the work and about the artist. If you would like to submit news about yourself and/or your work, please email Brittany@mormonmedia.com. Please note that by submitting any news to MormonMedia.com, you give the site permission to post the information. MormonMedia.com reserves the right to choose what news it posts, and the right to edit it. The information may also appear in MormonMedia.com’s newsletter, which you can also subscribe to at www.mormonmedia.com. Read more
“It’s a small world after all. It’s a small world after all. It’s a small world after all. It’s a small, small world.”
Many of you will be cursing me, for at least the rest of the day — if not days — as you hum that tune over and over again.
In fact, the Sherman brothers, composers of that and other catchy songs like the “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” have, jokingly, issued apologies for writing songs that get permanently embedded in our heads.
But why does that happen?
Or why, when you’re hearing your favorite singer live do you get goose bumps? Why do we remember exactly where we were when we heard a certain song for the first time?
That’s the power of music — but it goes far beyond inducing thrills or chills.
“The Music Instinct: Science and Song,” is a two-hour documentary dedicated to exploring the scope of music. “Music can have a profound effect on the brain, behavior and other learning skills,” said filmmaker Elena Mannes, whose body of work has been honored with eight Emmy Awards and a George Foster Peabody Award, among others.
The American Radio Cafe is a musical variety show fashioned after old-time radio programs and films of the early broadcast era, and will feature local artists as well as big name talent accompanied by a five-piece house band and the new American Radio Orchestra. June 25 – July 4
7:30 p.m.
Tickets $30 main floor; $25 mezzanine; $20 balcony. Read more
By Bobby Borg
A tight description of your sound is essential to marketing your music.
Listing your “like” bands will help define your musical category and sound. This will enable you to attract new fans via print media and the internet and open you up to a variety of marketing strategies based on the successes of other artists and bands. Read more
Tuesdays, June 2nd-August 25th, 7:30pm
Tahitian Noni Auditorium and Gardens
333 River Park Dr., Provo, UT 84604
(it’s a block West of the Wynnsong Theaters and Riverwoods Mall in
Provo, not the Tahitian Noni building off of the freeway)
Admission: $5
Artist lineup: http://www.shaunbarrowes.com Read more
Maureen McGovern’s career spans over 37 years, including recordings, concerts, theater, film, television, radio and songwriting, all with a voice that defies categorization.
Her current PS Classics CD, A Long and Winding Road, has been praised by The New York Times as “…a captivating musical scrapbook from the 1960s to the early 70s. Ms. McGovern’s vocal technique is second to none” and was voted by Playbill.com and TalkinBroadway.com among the “Best of 2008 Performances” and “Top 10 Vocal Recordings of 2008.” Read more
Labels don’t want YOU until you’ve done it yourself. Once you’ve done it yourself, you don’t need THEM. Read more
What would top-selling LDS singer/songwriter Jenny Phillips have loved 11 years ago when she was trying to break into the LDS music industry? Exactly what she and Tyler Castleton are offering now: a chance to record a demo in a professional studio with an LDS producer and a workshop packed with resources and information for the aspiring LDS singer and/or songwriter. As a part of this annual event, you can compete to record on Jenny Phillips annual youth theme CD, get a song critiqued by Tyler Castleton and enter to win an arrangement of your song by Tyler, improve your vocal and songwriting skills, and learn what it takes to break into the LDS music industry. This year’s presenters include Jenny Phillips, Tyler Castleton, Hilary Weeks, Mindy Gledhill, Alex Boye, and representatives of major LDS record labels including: Bob Ahlander, Gaylen Rust, and Greg Hansen. More info available under the Auditions and Workshops button here: Read more
The six members of Eclipse originally met while performing at Utah State University. They began by arranging their own vocal covers of popular songs and performing them on campus and in the Logan area. That led to their first album entitled “Once”. Eclipse has performed around the region and for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and opened for such acts as Brooks and Dunn, Nelly Furtado and Train at the Medals Plaza. Read more
MANTI, Utah — A series of concerts, including Mormon musicians Jenny Oaks Baker and Sam Payne, will be held June 18-27 at the Manti High School auditorium during the Mormon Miracle Pageant. Performances will be at 2, 4 and 7 p.m. each day, followed by the pageant at 9:30 p.m.
The concert schedule includes Dale Jessee and Mary Knaphus (June 18), Jared Allen (June 19), Amy Van Wagenen (June 20), and Nicole Sheahan and Truman (June 23-24). Van Wagenen, Sheahan and Truman, a duo from Nashville, Tenn., featuring Chad and Ben Truman, were all finalists in the recent “Showcase” contest sponsored by MormonTimes.com. Read more
Applications to audition for all voice parts in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will be available during the month of July 2009 with completed applications and voice recordings required to be postmarked by Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009. Read more
After June 5th, two bands will be given the chance to travel the world, with all expenses paid, to headline the Diesel:U:Music global tour. The opportunity is FREE for all submitting bands courtesy of Diesel, as a show of support to the independent music community.*
Starting in Berlin in July, the tour will stop by twelve cities around the world, including Paris, Madrid, London, Tokyo, Helsinki and New York; before ending in Miami in November.
The majority of performances will be headlining dedicated Diesel:U:Music parties at local clubs and venues, while 2-3 stops will be performance slots at some of the world’s most marquee festivals.
All expenses and travel for this twelve city global tour are fully covered by Diesel, and there will be major promotional initiatives for all stops on the tour. strong> Read more
Sandy Amphitheater offers a program of Broadway’s greatest hits called “Broadway and More” with George Dyer, Jenny Jordan Frogley and Daniel Beck. This program will play for ONE night, Friday, June 12 at 8:00 PM. Hear music from “Les Miserable,” “Phantom of the Opera” “Wicked” and “West Side Story.” Read more
It’s one thing to read the Book of Mormon and recognize truths that pertained to an ancient people.
It’s another to realize those truths pertain as much to today’s people with today’s problems: a man who’s lost his job, a mother whose child has died, a teenage girl faced with protecting her virtue, parents dealing with a wayward son, couples faced with leaving grandchildren behind while they serve a mission.
The new stage show “Receive These Things,” produced in Utah County by Sally Johnson, brings those truths into the modern-day world and sets them to music. Read more
Following the release of a new video channel by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU is reconsidering the school’s ban on YouTube.
“There is a review taking place because the amount of educational information and material on YouTube is increasing,” said university spokeswoman Carri Jenkins. “This certainly includes material coming from the Church.”
The Church’s “Mormon Channel” on the LDS.org home page offers photos, audio feeds and videos — including a link to the official church YouTube channel “Mormon Message.” Read more
David Archuleta hasn’t let success spoil him.
Even though he recently wrapped up his first headlining tour and his self-titled first CD debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 (and is nearing platinum status), he’s still just a kid from Murray. Read more
Consider the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Now, think of the Christian music industry as the camel. As the economy continues to falter, might the straw be upon us even now?
An extraordinary number of things have worked against the Christian music in recent years, even before the recession—starting with illegal downloads. (Yes, even Christians steal music.) There was some relief when Christian music found its way into stores like Target and Wal-Mart, but sales didn’t increase much, and Christian bookstores were hurt. Radio found a formula and a target audience, but record labels, feeling the pinch and afraid to take risks, focused so much on that target that music became homogenized. Now radio is pinched as well.
The camel’s knees are starting to buckle. But is the recession enough to break the entire industry? Read more
The first four semifinalists in MormonTimes.com’s “Summer Showcase” music video contest are set.
In online voting that ended at midnight on May 29, Nathan Osmond, Summer Funk, Jared Halley and Charles Hathaway emerged as the top four vote-getters. Read more
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performing with Erich Kunzel and his Cincinnati Pops Orchestra: It doesn’t get much better than that, and it will take place June 18.
When 314 of the choir’s singers arrive at the Riverbend Music Center — located by the Ohio River on the outskirts of Cincinnati — renowned Pops director Kunzel will “be there with open arms to welcome them.” Read more
Mormon Artist features interviews and
articles about artists in music, dance, literature, film and visual arts.
In 1991, when I ran the tape room at Warner/Chappell Music in New York City, I had an NYU intern named Nick Ruechel from Germany. He was a few years older than me, had recently moved from Cologne to New York, and seemed really driven to do whatever it takes. Read more
Marvin Goldstein, an internationally acclaimed pianist, composer and entertainer whose recital and professional career spans four decades and three continents, began his music training at the age of nine. When he was 18 years of age, Marvin was awarded a music scholarship to Tel Aviv University School of Music, Tel Aviv, Israel. His studies continue at the famed “Mozarteum” of Salzburg, Austria. He completed a Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at Florida State University. Read more
