New from Postwood Press... for your children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren.

ANNE IN MUSICLAND
An introduction to the sounds of the orchestra. For pre-school, kindergarten and early grade school children. A young girl, Anne, finds herself in MusicLand and meets the various musical instruments.

This program was designed to introduce pre-school, kindergarten and early grade school children to the basic orchestra and band instruments. Basic emphasis in the program is on recognition of sounds of the instruments. The method employed is the utilization of a story theme and the development of a personality for each instrument introduced.

A young girl, Anne, is the vehicle through which the story progresses and the instruments are introduced to the listener. It is anticipated that the children will more readily recognize instruments with which they can associate a character or story.

Anne wakes up to the clash of cymbals at the gate of Musicland. She receives permission from Cymbal the Great to enter Musicland. Anne becomes involved in a disagreement between violins and "fiddles", searches for the missing Silent Sam the Cello, and meets many inhabitants of MusicLand, including Grandpa Bass, Violet Viola, Flighty Flute, Tiny Piccolo, Blacky Clarinet, Ruby Oboe, Bob Bassoon, and Jax the Sax. 

In Chapter Two, Anne continues her search for Silent Sam the Cello so he can play in a special Musicland Concert. While searching for Silent Sam, she meets Boom-Boom the Bass Drum, Rat-a-tat Snare Drum, and Ting-a-ling Triangle. They invite her to join their parade in honor of Terry and Timmy Timpani who are returning to MusicLand after their successful debut at Carnegie Hall. She meets Big George the Tuba, Slipper Slide Trombone, Frenchy the French Horn, Mr. Trumpet, and the Timpani. Anne's adventures in MusicLand end with the successful concert appearance of Silent Sam, and a promise from Cymbal the Great that she can return to meet more MusicLand citizens in the future.

The children in your life will love this interesting story, while developing a new interest in music and the various instruments.  This fun recording is available through Amazon, Anne in MusicLand as an instant download.  Or, Click here to order the CD.

Music Makes The World Go 'round

My first memory of music was of sensing the steady, rhythmic thump, thump, thump of my mother’s heartbeat, as I snuggled warmly and safely in her womb. Later, she cradled me in her arms, held me to her breast and I heard the same familiar rhythm. As we swayed back and forth she murmured soft sounds that added melody and lyrics and it became a lullaby, comforting me to sleep.

And, while you might not remember back quite that far, surely you feel that same, familiar rhythm pulsing through your own veins, pushing life through your body, animating your every move.

Yes, music is as old as human life, and the appreciation, enjoyment, and creation of it continues to bring joy, understanding, and emotional release to our lives.

Whether you write music, perform it, dance to it, study it, or just like to hum along, Platinum Pearls® has something for you on the music picks web page http://www.platinumpearls.com/platinumpearls/creativeb.htm. Click around the page for sources of inspiration if you are a songwriter, or to further enhance your understanding or enjoyment of music as a creator or as a listener.

As to Mom’s heart . . . it had a good beat, I gave it an 85.

If I Had a Dollar For Every Time I Have Used This Book, I Would Be Writing This in Napa Valley

Pat Pattison is a professor of music and songwriting at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he developed the curriculum for their degree in songwriting--the first of its kind anywhere. He was a regular contributor to Home and Studio Recording Magazine. He lives in North Hampton, New Hampshire.

I first met Pat in Nashville. I was living and writing there for awhile, and Pat would come down from the Boston area and spend his summers in Nashville, working with some of the great songwriters in the area, as well as teaching seminars. We had mutual friends, and soon I was visiting his summer house on a weekly basis, at the foot of the master. He is a joy to work with.

In this book, Pat presents a unique, in-depth approach to the process of lyric writing. Apprentice songwriters will examine 17 extraordinary songs and learn the distinct elements that make them so effective. Pattison then presents more than 30 lyric-writing exercises designed to help them achieve the same results. From generating lyric ideas and managing repetition to developing verses, it's all here. Songwriters will:

* find warm-up exercises that revolutionize songwriting imagery

* use a rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus to generate ideas and find snappy rhymes

* create meaningful metaphors and similes while avoiding clichés

* develop verses by using or by breaking conventional rules

* experiment with point of view in every lyric to make a song stand out.

Buy Now - Writing Better Lyrics

For more music tips, visit http://www.platinumpearls.com/ and search out the "Music Picks" page. Or, if you are really into songwriting, click on http://www.barkingfrogmusic.com/. In any event, keep listening, keep writing, keep it fresh.

We Are All Artists, Some Still Looking For Our Medium

A very important part of living a more fulfilling life is the exploration of your creative self to release the imaginative potential awaiting there.

Many people have gone through life never stepping outside the traces of humdrum everyday activities long enough to find out who they really are, creatively speaking. You may have harbored urges to "someday" spend more time on that dream of becoming and living more artistically, but have never taken the time to actually do it. Well, someday just started, so get busy.

You may have an art or craft that you are already involved in. If so, good for you! Hopefully, on the PlatinumPearls.com pages you will find information that will inspire you to a higher level of creativity and satisfaction in your art.

If if have not ventured into the arts environment before, come and find out what you have been missing. You will discover the many rewards of your "time away from the real world". Working just a few hours each week at your favorite artistic release will soon become mini-vacations that refresh and relax you, and clear your mind from the work-a-day clutter.

Just choose something that appeals to you and go for it. Everyone started as a beginner, and you'll find a lot of interesting people willing to help you every step of the way.

For example, "Painting Word Pictures" a Platinum Pearls® workshop, focuses on writing creatively. Strong sensory images can make your writing or lyrics sparkle. The workshop helps you learn how to tap into an endless well of creative imagery.

"Music Picks" takes you into the world of music, writing, playing or just listening and enjoying.

The pages of "Create It Yourself " are your pathway to a host of creative endeavors including pottery, jewelry and metalsmithing, woodworking, carving, and fiber and needle arts, and there is more to come.

If you are into the visual arts of photography, painting or video creation, the spot for you is our "Visual Arts" section, which we hope to expand soon to encompass graphic design and sculpture.

We'd like you to consider sharing information, ideas, helpful tips or sources for your favorite creative outlet with other PlatinumPearls.com readers and members. After all, we are a community.