Artsy Chaos

Music is inspiring. Music is healing. Music brings energy and happiness. If you feel that all of these are true and you enjoy a little bit of reggae mixed with a jazz sound, thrown in with a bit of folk and rock beat with a hint of rap, then you must listen to the uplifting musical soup of Michael Franti & Spearhead !  Caution: you may feel the need to jump up and get moving! Making a difference figures prominently for Michael Franti, not only in his music. Michael is an advocate for peace, stopping violence, and an artist with a conscience. When I read this about him it made me stop and think. As parents, neighbors and just as human beings we should live with a conscience and strive for peace and understanding. If we raise our children to be selfless and treat others with care and compassion, our world might be just a little bit closer to peace for all. What a wonderful thought. The Sound of Sunshine is Michael Franti & Spearhead's newest album, full of lots of so...

As part of our Close To Home event, we'd like to share some ideas with you about how we spend time together as a couple and as a family near our home. One of our favorite things to do when it's warm enough outside is to get a roaring fire going in our fire pit, break out the camp chairs and lean back to enjoy the night sky.  It's certainly nothing fancy because we have just your basic backyard and your basic decorative fire pit purchased from Target with run-of-the-mill basic camp chairs.  However, the time we spend relaxing together is anything but basic.  And the best part is, anyone can enjoy time like this for a budget of practically nothing. Our relaxing night sky-watching time is not complete without some relaxing music as well.  Ok, sometimes we roast hot dogs and marshmallows too!  Mostly we enjoy listening to the local jazz station but I think I have found some new music to shake things up a little. Yanni's new album Truth of Touch is a little bit ...