Positive Music & Arts Magazine

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

Read more

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.
Read more

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.
Read more

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.
Read more

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.
Read more

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

May 3rd - 4th: Oakland, CA
The Temple Hill Symphony Orchestra presents Jenny Oaks Baker performing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, May 3rd and 4th 7:30pm. Program also includes Schubert Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven Prometheus Overture. Oakland Interstake Center Auditorium. No tickets required. Admission is free. Read more

Utah Heritage Arts Frontier Fest at Gardner Village

The Ghosts at Gardner Village will be performed June 13th and 14th during this year’s annual Frontier Fest. Read more

Pride and Prejudice: A Musical

Pride and Prejudice: A Musical, with book and
lyrics by Deborah Morris and music by Ann Kapp Andersen,
will premiere as part of Scera Theater’s (Orem, Utah) outdoor shell performance season, beginning the first of August; after which it will move to BYU for four performances at Education Week.

For questions or further information, contact akatunesmith@yahoo.com or phone 208-286-4804.

Nashville Tribute Band to be in Nauvoo

The Nashville Tribute Band, led by Jason Deere and Dan Truman, will be performing songs from Joseph: A Nashville Tribute To The Prophet and Trek, July 27, 2008 in Nauvoo during the annual Nauvoo Pageant weekend. Truman and Deere have done more than 130 shows nationwide in two years but they can’t think of a better place or time to do the Nashville Tribute thing than this July in Nauvoo. Make a family vacation out of this opportunity; see historic Nauvoo, it’s spectaclar Pageant and The Nashville Tribute Band this summer in beautiful Nauvoo. Visit their website for dates in your area (www.nashvilletribute.com). Read more

Innovative Fine Art Photography Exhibit Breaks New Ground

This new site may be one of the best combinations of art and music we’ve seen-it must be seen and heard to be fully appreciated.
“Reflections of Christ” is an exhibit of stunning photography by Mark Mabry of events in the life of Jesus Christ featuring cast members of the Mesa Easter Pageant with music recorded by local artists and engineers. Currently showing at the Mesa Temple Visitors Center 9AM-9PM daily. Read more

New Recording is a Model for Emerging Artists

A new song produced as a free download on www.LDSTunesNow.com, serves as an excellent startup career model for emerging artists. It’s called When Thou Carries Me, written by Sara Lyn Baril, and sung by Jenn Ehlert. Both are residents of Raymond, Alberta, Canada. Read more

Music Theatre West Opens to Enthusiastic Audience

Well-known LDS composer/performer Jay Richards has taken his love of musical theatre to the next level. As founding director of a new music theatre company - Music Theatre West – Richards business philosophy is centered on family values onstage as well as backstage. “We wrote ‘positive & uplifting’ into our bylaws.” says Richards of the new company. “I want this to be the best theatre experience possible, both for the actors and the audience. I spent too many years fighting the negative environment that seems to pervade the theatre world. I wanted to change that – and in the director’s chair, I’m finally in a position to do that.”

Judging by the public response, the idea was a good one. MTW’s first show, The King & I (with Richards in the role of the king) was a far greater success than anticipated. “People would come out of the show and stand in line to buy tickets for the next night.”

Audiences weren’t alone; the cast was equally impressed: “…I didn’t know theatre could be like this - I have never been treated with such respect in any show I’ve done…”

Leads and chorus alike are lining up for next season’s
auditions on May 7th (see the website for audition and ticket details–www.musictheatrewest.org).

The 2007-2008 season will include Richards’ original
musical version of Little Women (October) and The Sound of Music (February). Read more

Showtime Utah Cowboys Up With Mama’s Boys

The premier act putting the “show” in Showtime Utah is Mama’s Boys, a Utah County-based family band which describes itself as playing old-time western music and fancy fiddling. Read more

International Children’s Choir Concert

“Freedom Sings!” The International Children’s Choir invites you to a unique concert featuring music that journeys through the massive struggles individuals have endured to their new-found freedoms.
Directed by Dr. Kathy Sorensen with special guest artist Alex Boye’, Saturday, May 3 at the Assembly Hall, Temple Square, 7:30 PM. Free admission ages 8 and up.
Please see www.internationalchildrenschoir.com for events, auditions, and the Summer Music Camp that is open to the community. Read more

Arizona LDS Arts Calendar

Current LDS events in the Phoenix and Mesa Area. Read more


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