Moving Here

Guest post written by Arnoldo Acevedo

We moved here last year to help my husband pursue his music career and boy was that the best decision we ever made. We’re closer to my parents which is nice because they can help with the baby and I now get to be a full time stay at home mom which is so nice. I love being home with Sarah during the days and I also have time to start my own little business on the side which I’ve always wanted to do. I love that I can use my clear internet Nashville to get online and solicit new customers and I’m almost done with my business website which has been a total labor of love. I had to have a design student come in at the last minute on that one and help me finish it off but it looks really good if I do say so myself. My husband isn’t quite famous yet but one of these days he’s going to hit it big, mark my words!

Live Concert

Guest post from: Natalie Walter

We told all of our friends to visit http://www.ExpertSatellite.com/ and upgrade their television package to get HDNET. All of our friends like a pretty popular band from our hometown, Widespread Panic. They were playing at a venue, the Georgia Theatre, which had been rebuilt after it burned a few years ago. We knew that the concert was going to be a good one because the venue was small, was in Athens ( the band’s hometown), and was at the theatre that they had played in some twenty years before. We try to go to every concert that we can when the band is near us, but we live out West and would not be able to make it home to see the band. A lot of our friends didn’t get tickets either or couldn’t make the concert. We got HDNET and were able to watch the concert live on television from our house. A lot of our friends were able to too. I was happy that it was going to be broadcast live. The concert was up close and personal, I almost felt like I was there in the crowd!

My favorite Xmas commercial :)

      

     Most of us hate commercial breaks specially when we're in the middle of our favorite movie or show. In my case, I've had fond memories of myself since I was a kid watching tv commercials - and believe it or not, I've had my favorites. With the holidays just around the corner, I always remember this cute commercial from Coca-Cola which was famous in the Philippines around  the 90's I guess ( I forgot what year it was played) but the memory of the colorful trucks still puts me in a festive mood and makes me say "Holidays are coming!" 

     This year's commercial also makes it to my list of favorites. I am a huge Kim Chiu fan and that's another reason why I liked it. It fascinates me the way they made a Philippine version of this commercial ( the original version is longer and it doesn't show Kim Chiu and Enchong Dee) and still make it look like it was the same one. This time they put a reggae-ish upbeat vibe to the tune of "Shake up Christmas" by Train. Just in time for Santa's snow globe trick :)

♪ ♫ Holidays are coming..... so shake up the happiness!!! ♫ ♪

Songs in the Key of my Life ♪ ♩ ♫

"Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we?" - Abba

      Just imagine the world without melody, without a song, without a tune. Boring isn't it? And think of how music connects and brings us together. Without music, the world would be in melancholy. And without it, I wouldn't have met my partner in life as well.

 My love for music started when I was 4. I have been a solid member of my church choir as a Soprano at the age of 10 up to my 20's. I only quit when I started working since I had a hard time trying to combine my work schedule with my choir practice. My family had an extreme influence in my musical background. Growing up with a family of singers & musicians - grandpa loves to sing & is a huge fan of Elvis Presley, grandma & uncle play the piano, one of my aunts is a professional musician & songwriter, and my mom & my other aunts used to be members of the choir. They helped hone my talent & had eagerly pushed me (even to my limits) and even encouraged me to face my fear of performing in front of the audience. Which then brought me to being a vocalist of a band, thanks to my aunt. I  just quit my job before I got married. But even though I may not be singing professionally anymore, my passion for music stays with me wherever I go.  I listen to a variety of genres but I have a deep appreciation for pop, acoustic, acoustic pop, blues, r&b soul, & jazz music, even some classic & retro.

Anyway, here is a sample of what I call my "chillax" playlist:

•      "Change the world" by Eric Clapton
•      "Power of two" by Indigo Girls
•      "Baby you're mine" by Basia
•      "Everything" by Michael Buble
•      "Let's stay together" by Al Green
•      "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder
•      "Knocks me off my feet" by Stevie Wonder
•      "Baby I love your way" by Big Mountain
•      "L-O-V-E" by Fisher
•      "Stick wit u" by Pussycat Dolls
•      "Just the way you are" by Sitti Navarro
•      "The way you look tonight" by Michael Buble
•      "If I believed" by Patti Austin
•      "Ever After" by Bonnie Bailey
•      "Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield
•      "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat
•      "Secret" by Maroon 5
•      "Deep" by Binocular
•      "Fall for You" by Shanice

Yes, life may not be fair. But there's always something we can hold on to - our hopes and dreams. A lot of us may not be aware of our hidden skills but it's never too late to explore it. What's important is that we don't hold back whatever it is that's in store for us.

Music has been an essential part of our lives, and it still is. We sing when we're happy, and we still sing when we're sad. We describe how we feel by a tune or a melody. Without it, really, what are we?

"So I say THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, for giving it to me....."  

                                                  ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪