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Award-winning music educator Merlin B. Thompson (PhD, MA, BMus) is the Creator and Founder of Teach Music 21C - a music teacher professional development program that highlights 21st century teaching tools and philosophy. Merlin is recognized internationally for his expertise in music studio teaching. His recent projects include working with hundreds of teachers, students and parents throughout Canada, USA, China, New Zealand, Australia, and Finland. Merlin is author of More than Music Lessons: A Studio Teacher’s Guide to Parents, Practicing, Projects, and Character.
You can find out more at https://www.teachmusic21c.com

Top 5 Songs of Encouragement
1) "Bali Ha'i" from South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwYvWF5j0a8&t=10s

2) "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Bach, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Norman Luboff choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6OgZCCoXWc&t=1s

3) "Thankful" by Josh Groban, performed by the Rise Up Children's Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkOEzP-nGZ8

4) "Summer" from the Four Seasons by Vivaldi, performed by Alexandr Hrustevich Vilnius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SE222v1eyM

5) My Neighbor Totoro by Joe Hisaishi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrL9d4GrIGA

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Celeste Watson (MM, MS, NCTM) helps musicians achieve artistry through well-coordinated use of the body. She holds credentials in performing arts medicine, piano performance, and music education and coordinates return-to-play mentorships for keyboard musicians who have experienced injury. She owns a conservatory-model studio for pre-collegiate students in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (www.watson-music.com).

For more information about the Lister-Sink Institute and teachings, visit https://www.lister-sink.org/

For more information about Feldenkrais movement, visit https://feldenkrais.com/

Top 5 Songs of Encouragement
1) Waltzing Matilda sung by Slim Dusty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqtttbbYfSM&list=PLSIRqKhHhcL4nqBuFTgNJZmPqK_7YX-SH&index=2

2) "Kommt, ihr Tochter, helft mir klagen" from St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) by Bach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9Be9xQrWVU&list=PLSIRqKhHhcL4nqBuFTgNJZmPqK_7YX-SH&index=3

3) French Suites, by Bach, performed by Andras Schiff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sDleZkIK-w&list=PLSIRqKhHhcL4nqBuFTgNJZmPqK_7YX-SH&index=5&t=127s

4) Goldberg Variations by Bach, performed by Andras Schiff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHFuaaGpGKQ&list=PLSIRqKhHhcL4nqBuFTgNJZmPqK_7YX-SH&index=4&t=55s

5) Wayfaring Stranger by Johnny Cash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti-FtTz8t5U&list=PLSIRqKhHhcL4nqBuFTgNJZmPqK_7YX-SH&index=1

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David Lane is an award-winning composer and arranger for film, concert, and musical theatre. He is the host of two podcasts: LIFE IN THE PIT (which is devoted to telling the stories of instrumentalists who play for musical theatre) and THE MUSICIAN TOOLKIT (which challenges musicians of all levels to develop a wide range of skills to become the most well-rounded musician they can be). He is coming up on 25 years as a private teacher for piano, composition, and music theory, and has recently begun adding video tutorials to YouTube. He has also served as music director or keyboardist for over 60 musical theatre productions. He lives in High Point, NC with his wonderful wife Jennifer and their 5 cats Oliver, Lucas, Samson, Nelson, and Simone.

You can learn more at www.davidlanemusic.com

Top 5 Songs of Encouragement
1) The Garden by Rush
https://youtu.be/uZodbmC6Mxc?si=h6c7IT8_NtY1UH8o
2) You and I Will Meet Again by Tom Petty
https://youtu.be/8MVZ1en8evE?si=PGza_KJHdcXgX8oG
3) Onward by Yes
https://youtu.be/hbowD1NZ-zc?si=HTe_U_mFCv_2e3g9
4) It Can't Rain All The Time by Jane Siberry
https://youtu.be/Rtqyw9IS0aw?si=zRxVBb7zD899sbOm
5) Eclogue for PIano and Strings, Op. 10 composed by Gerald Finzi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGO9LpZTpRU

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ANDREA GRODY is an Olivier and Drama Desk Award-nominated music director, arranger, and composer with a focus on developing new work. She is the Music Director & Music Supervisor of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical SUFFS. Andrea was also the Music Director and Additional Arranger for THE BAND'S VISIT (Best Musical Tony Award, 2018) and the Music Director and Vocal & Incidental Arranger for TOOTSIE (Best Musical Tony nom, 2019). Other recent projects include the world premieres of Public Works’ AS YOU LIKE IT (Public Theater), CAKE OFF (Signature Theatre/Bucks County), THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE (Public Theater/Dallas Theater Center), UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Williamstown), and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (Shakespeare in the Park); and the regional premieres of THE GREAT IMMENSITY and VENICE (Public Theater). Other favorites include ASSASSINS (Yale Rep) and ROBIN HOOD as Composer/Music Director (Williamstown). Writing credits include the full-length musical STRANGE FACES and several songs for The Civilians' Let Me Ascertain You series. Andrea is Resident Music Director and Senior Voice Teaching Associate at New York Vocal Coaching, and she is the creator of WordWaves (www.singwordwaves.com). She is also training to be an Alexander Technique teacher. Andrea holds a B.A. Princeton University, and M.A. Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

www.andreagrody.com
www.signwordwaves.com

SUFFS the Musical
https://suffsmusical.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjww5u2BhDeARIsALBuLnPIJck7Ws6LcHRoPW5bukPlF7P3Gd4YzYaoNHJNzeeuSoCkCC9TuSkaAmvDEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Top 5 Songs of Encouragement
1) Elevation by U2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19KstSgU-c0
2) Underdog by Alicia Keys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izyZLKIWGiA
3) If the Stars Were Mine by Melody Gardot
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLFKKY5RHxc
4) In the Heights from In the Heights by Lin Manuel Miranda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0BVfBwVqFo&list=PLn0Zn1caShZWlW5JwG0ULhWjEa2hFN6m6
5) Don't Lose Sight by Lawrence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C01nBm6vV5c

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Artist Gurm was born in India, grew up in China and currently resides in Thailand. Having grown up and been schooled in an international environment, immersed throughout in a multi-cultural atmosphere, she has always been fascinated with the unique cultural elements and stories from all over the world. After following art as a passion since her middle school days, she honed her skills by doing a Masters in Visual Arts (Studio Art) in Hong Kong. She works in the medium of drawing, painting and mixed media, and also enjoys writing and vlogging. She has had several solo exhibitions in China and has gained recognition of her art globally. Gurm’s artistic inspiration comes from everyday life. She is interested in creating works that represent the familiar world around us. By looking beyond the obvious, Gurm reconstructs the everyday environment around us into something artistically unique, which allows the audience to discover beauty in unusual places.
For Gurm, art is not only a way to express herself, but also a therapeutic path of self-discovery. She likes to think that she has not found art, but rather art has found her. She perceives art as a medium to radiate bliss and peace of mind, and to bring life to the present moment. Gurm wants people to look at her artworks and experience the same feeling she has while creating them – freedom, satisfaction, and a journey of self-reflection.

See and Learn about Gurm's art at https://gurmsart.com

Top 5 Songs of Encouragement
1) "Imagine" by John Lennon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugrAo8wEPiI
2) "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtC1W-6hwIU
3) "Firework" by Katy Perry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGJuMBdaqIw
4) "This is Me" from the Greatest Showman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjxugyZCfuw
5) "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y66j_BUCBMY

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Lauren Best lives where the Pottawatomi River meets Georgian Bay, on the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (now known as Owen Sound, Ontario). She is an interdisciplinary creative with a multifaceted community arts practice interweaving her work as a poet, musician, and composer/creator.

Lauren left her small Ontario town as a young singer-songwriter keyboardist and returned to become Poet Laureate Emeritus (Owen Sound, 2017-2019). Lauren is included alongside other Poets Laureate Emeritus in the City of Windsor’s South Shore Collections series, A Manor of Words: Poetry at the Manor 10th Anniversary Anthology (Black Moss Press, 2022). Her poems are published in Spike: Poems in the Time of Pestilence (Cannon Creek Press, 2021).

Lauren’s 2010 chapbook Resound Re:Sound is a collection of lyrics written in Owen Sound between 2004-2008. Lauren’s music has been heard coast to coast since her debut album release in 2011, and she’s collaborated across genres and art forms with work in music, poetry, theatre, film and digital media.

During more than a decade of community engaged arts, Lauren has partnered across sectors spanning education, cognitive neuroscience research, healthcare, social service, and cultural organizations. In 2022 she teamed up with Seattle-baed saxophonist Steve Treseler to create the Infinite Improvisation Podcast.

Lauren’s new performance pieces combine poetry from her first full-length poetry book Just Leaves (2023), set within a soundscape of keyboard and vocal improvisation paired with lyric melodies.

You can find Lauren on socials and at https://laurenbest.com or at https://bestpracticearts.com/index.html

Lauren's Top 5 Songs of Encouragement:
1) This Joy by The Resistance Revival Chorus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TbDPwA09Bc&t=15s
2) Soy Yo by Bomba Estereo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxWxXncl53U&t=48s
3) Fool for Waiting by Dan Mangan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W4sCAl1qzY
or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJjDQ_OzLt8
4) Mississippi Nuthin' by Shovels & Rope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMKxTjo21bI&t=21s
5) Don't Quit on Me by Richard Laviolette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVBDEsGcj8g&t=95s

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Lauren Best lives where the Pottawatomi River meets Georgian Bay, on the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (now known as Owen Sound, Ontario). She is an interdisciplinary creative with a multifaceted community arts practice interweaving her work as a poet, musician, and composer/creator.

Lauren left her small Ontario town as a young singer-songwriter keyboardist and returned to become Poet Laureate Emeritus (Owen Sound, 2017-2019). Lauren is included alongside other Poets Laureate Emeritus in the City of Windsor’s South Shore Collections series, A Manor of Words: Poetry at the Manor 10th Anniversary Anthology (Black Moss Press, 2022). Her poems are published in Spike: Poems in the Time of Pestilence (Cannon Creek Press, 2021).

Lauren’s 2010 chapbook Resound Re:Sound is a collection of lyrics written in Owen Sound between 2004-2008. Lauren’s music has been heard coast to coast since her debut album release in 2011, and she’s collaborated across genres and art forms with work in music, poetry, theatre, film and digital media.

During more than a decade of community engaged arts, Lauren has partnered across sectors spanning education, cognitive neuroscience research, healthcare, social service, and cultural organizations. In 2022 she teamed up with Seattle-baed saxophonist Steve Treseler to create the Infinite Improvisation Podcast.

Lauren’s new performance pieces combine poetry from her first full-length poetry book Just Leaves (2023), set within a soundscape of keyboard and vocal improvisation paired with lyric melodies.

You can learn more about Lauren and order her book, Just leaves at www.laurenbest.com

You can also collaborate with Lauren by checking out https://bestpracticearts.com/index.html

Tune in for Part II to hear Lauren's Top 5 Songs of Encouragement and MUCH MORE!

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Chris Rugowski is the man, or chicken as he is known to many, behind Chicken or The Egg Photography. He is a photojournalist who captures your authentic story. As of 2023, he’s been in photography for about a decade, and in that time has gone from hobbyist with an iphone doing a full time job in software engineering (i.e. living in the matrix) to breaking free of the matrix to become a full time freelancer living the photography, music and journalism life.

His main focus of photography is events, music and street lifestyle. His unique vision and ability to capture life and scenes has led to work with high profile music festivals such as Rock Fest and Mile of Music, both of which get 100,000+ in attendance. He has worked with Tough Mudder, and is a staple photographer for the Downtown areas of Green Bay, WI.

He is a recording artist, with his band Age of Fable (progressive rock) and solo project The Finest Faux (acoustic rock). Age of Fable has had radio play from the Midwest all the way to Australia, with multiple singles being released from their concept album Modes of Persuasion, which focused on the concepts of Pathos, Ethos, Logos. You can find Age of Fable on any of the streaming platforms.

He writes for The Business News covering all types of business news from small startups to companies with worldwide presence. Musically, he writes for MyGlobalMind a metal and rock publication. He photographs and reviews concerts, and writes album reviews.

Top 5 Songs of Encouragement
1) Sunshine by Atmosphere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AckhnLpwceM
2) Lose Yourself by Eminem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YuAzR2XVAM
3) Look What Happened by Less Than Jake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTpAF8PSj-4
4) Disenchantment by Meshuggah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0jlf9MICv4
5) Pardon Me by Incubus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxgHjhc0t3Y

Bonus Track
Fire Fighters by Age of Fable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap2lmnE1GqU

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