Sunday Singalong: Brand New

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I had every intention of recording a new video for this week’s edition of Sunday Singalong, and then life got in the way.  I spent most of last week/the weekend working on an upcoming project (to be announced at a later date!) and preparing for a new Church Mice session, which began today.  Throw in a hospital visit with our friends’ new baby and too many loads of laundry to count, and I’m exhausted!  An understatement, really.

Now that I’ve gotten all of my excuses out in the open, we can move on to tonight’s video.  It’s an oldie (July 2009) and a bit of a departure from the usual Listen & Learn fare.  This song falls under the OTHER category of music (geared more towards you than your child) I write, which you can hear more of here.

You can download the album Brand New for free, by the way :) If you have a song request or suggestion for next week’s Sunday Singalong, let me know!

Catching Up

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I’m back from the Big Apple and thoroughly ashamed to have neglected Listen & Learn for an entire week!  I honestly can’t remember the last time I went so long between posts, and I feel a bit like a failed blogger :(

The truth is, I was already behind schedule before my trip, and being away for four days didn’t help that situation very much.  I have several projects in the works, as well as new responsibilities both at school and in my private practice, which means I have a LOT of catching up to do.

But before I tackle all of that, let me fill you in on my trip to NYC.  I can pretty much sum it up in one word: amazing.  Just being there is a thrill, and we took full advantage of our short time in the city that never sleeps.  We ate lunch at Pershing Square Cafe, dinner at Basso 56, and ordered deli sandwiches from Rupert (of The Late Show with David Letterman fame).

When we weren’t eating, we were walking around the city – Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and Grand Central Station were just a few stops we made – and seeing a Broadway show!  My wonderful husband waited in line at the TKTS stand long enough to score tickets to Memphis, a new Broadway musical that definitely lived up to all the hype.  We had some of our favorite friends right there with us, including my best friend (and NYC resident) Katie and her fiance, Justin.

On Friday, we packed up our rental car and headed to New Jersey, where we took part in the wedding festivities of our friends Dustin & Kristin.  I don’t have nearly enough time to paint an accurate picture of this beautiful affair, so it’s a good thing I took almost 200 photos!  We returned home late on Sunday night, and I spent my “day off” on Monday working on an exciting project (more later…I promise!).

I have a long list of topics to share with you in the coming days and weeks, so thank you for sticking around!  The emails I received from readers while I was out of town put a big smile on my face, and were a constant reminder for me to get in gear here at Listen & Learn.  So this is me…getting into gear…and telling you to come back tomorrow for a brand-new song.  See you then!

Big Apple Bound!

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New York City, that is.  Tomorrow, my husband and I will head east for a few days to attend a friend’s wedding (Zach is a groomsman), but not before spending a couple days as tourists in the city.  My best friend lives there, so we’re going to meet up with her, along with a few other friends who will also be in town for the wedding.  Any suggestions on which Broadway show to see while we’re there?  Should I go with a tried-and-true favorite (like Mamma Mia, Wicked, or Bye Bye Birdie) or something I’ve never seen (like Avenue Q, Billy Elliot, or In the Heights)?  Please advise!

My first trip to NYC was, no joke, to sing at Carnegie Hall.  Granted, it was by no means a solo performance; rather, it was with a huge chorus performing the works of Morten Lauridsen.  That was back in the summer of 2004, and it was an amazing trip.  My mom and I went together, and we hit up all of the hot spots: the Empire State Building, Tavern on the Green, The Today Show, Times Square, two Broadway shows (Thoroughly Modern Millie and Chicago) and lots more.

So needless to say, I am extremely excited about going back to the Big Apple, as well as our friends’ wedding.  I’m taking my computer with me (does that really surprise you?) so hopefully I will even fit in a blog update or two.  In the meantime, have a wonderful Wednesday!

Birthday Boy

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Somebody is turning 27 around here, and it’s not me!  My husband, Zach, who is a whopping five months older than me, will be celebrating his birthday tomorrow, and the rest of the family and I will be there right along with him.

Although Zach and I have only been married for a year and a half, I’ve been by his side for six birthdays.  He takes the cake for giving the best gifts (birthday, Christmas, or otherwise) but I always tell him that I’m much easier to buy for than he is!  One of the best gifts he’s ever given me (and there are lots from which to choose) was actually for our wedding, when we we were planning the playlist for the souvenir CD that would be given out to all 250+ guests.

We had already decided that the song I wrote for him on Valentine’s Day, Second Chance Dance, would be included, but what I really wanted was to record a song together for the CD.  After lots and lots of coaxing, he finally caved in.  We reworked the lyrics to the song “Anyone Else But You” (the one Ellen Page and Michael Cera sing at the end of the movie Juno).  Zach isn’t a singer, or musical in any way aside from enjoying it, so I was pretty darn proud of the job he did on this song.  Needless to say, his friends and family were more than surprised when they heard it played during the picture slideshow my parents put together for our rehearsal dinner!

I will always treasure this recording, because it’s most likely the only one I’ll ever have of its kind. I couldn’t be luckier to have such a wonderful, funny, supportive husband – he calls himself my #1 fan, though my mom begs to differ – and I hope his 27th year is his best yet!

Merry Karaoke: Home for the Holidays

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That is how our first holiday in our first home looked. It was certainly a white Christmas, and I was hoping to take a similar picture of our new home this year, as we get ready to celebrate our first Christmas in it. Unfortunately, we’ve only had a tiny bit of snow, and it is currently raining cats and dogs, so maybe I’ll get one later in the week.

No matter what the weather, I’m just glad to be staying home for the holidays! I feel very lucky that both of our families are nearby, which means we get to see everyone without having to drive long distances or get on an airplane. And that is why I decided that for today’s “Merry Karaoke” song should reflect this sentiment:

Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,
For no matter how far away you roam –
When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
For the holidays – you can’t beat home, sweet home!

I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin’ for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie;
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin’ down to Dixie’s sunny shore;
From Atlantic to Pacific –
Gee, the traffic is terrific!

CHORUS

I met a man who lives in Tennessee and he was headin’ for
Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie;
From Pennsylvania folks are travelin’ down to Dixie’s sunny shore;
From Atlantic to Pacific –
Gee, the traffic is terrific!

CHORUS

What are your plans for the holidays? Will you be staying home, or traveling to see friends and family? No matter what you’re doing, I hope your week is safe, fun, and full of cheer. Today is my first official day of vacation, and I am off to bake cookies. I’ll be back with at least one more installment of “Merry Karaoke” before the week is through…see you again soon!