What if your child faced every challenge with the same confidence they bring to the things they love?Confidence doesn't always show up the same way in every part of a kid's life. CJ's Big Project is a fun reminder that confidence and a little creative problem-solving can turn an impossible task into a possible one.CJ can hit a jump shot from anywhere on the court, but a bad grade in Science might bench him before the biggest game of the season. Whe...

What would your child do if they saw someone being bullied? CJ's Big Moment helps them find the answer.As captain of his basketball team, CJ knows what it means to lead. But when a teammate is picked on by someone much bigger than them both, CJ faces a decision that has nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with character. It takes a reminder from his little brother to bring CJ back to who he really is: a leader, a friend, and a voice for thos...

Inspire Your Child to Chase Their DreamsEvery parent wants their child to believe that with hard work and determination, anything is possible. CJ's Big Dream brings that message to life in a way young readers will never forget.With his sights set on the NBA, CJ faces his biggest basketball game yet. From pep talks to lucky socks, the pressure is on, but so is the excitement. When the final buzzer sounds, CJ discovers something even more important t...

Simple techniques for creating catchy lyrics and memorable melodies!Nearly everyone can hum the melody or remember the words to a hit song. Clever word play, catchy melodies, and thoughtful imagery can create an impression that lasts long after a song has ended.The Everything Songwriting Book provides amateurs and seasoned professionals alike all they need to create, perform, and sell hit songs. Learn how to develop an idea, formulate a rhyme schem...

What’s the secret to writing a hit song? It’s as simple as 1-2-3-4-5-6! Innovative, practical, and inspiring, Six Steps to Songwriting Success presents a surefire step-by-step approach to mastering the elements consistently found in hit songs. Author Jason Blume, a songwriter with the rare distinction of having had songs on the Country, Pop, and R&B charts simultaneously, has packed this book with such key aids as the three-step lyric writing technique used by the pros; lyric, mel...

Packed with literally hundreds of hints, tips, and inside information only a working writer would know, The Art of Writing Great Lyrics demonstrates proven, no-fail methods for everything from communicating through song, defining styles, and collaborating with a partner to studying the market, making a great demo, and getting started on a career. Full of creative exercises, writing do's and don'ts, and a handy A to Z checklist for reviewing new songs, The Art of Writing Great Lyrics provid...

About the BookAchieving "hit writer" status has always been a formidable goal for any songwriter. Never more so however than in the 21st century. Catching the ear of the monumentally distracted, fragmented listener has never been more difficult. Getting their attention, inviting them in to your song and keeping them there for long enough for your song to become "their song" requires more than being just a "good" songwriter. Murphy's Laws of Songwriting "The Book" arms the songwrite...

The Billboard Guide to Writing and Producing Songs that Sell unveils the secrets to climbing the charts and reaching success in today’s ultracompetitive music industry. Eric Beall supplies his firsthand knowledge of today’s record business, as well as interviews with successful writers, producers, and executives from the worlds of pop, hip-hop, country, adult contemporary, and R&B. The result: a proven approach to constructing songs that open doors, create careers, and communicate...

Be the Best “Ukulele Entertainer” You Can Be! Could your playing, singing or onstage banter use a little fine-tuning? All string instrument performers will benefit from this practical, informative book. Going far beyond other ukulele publications, this helpful guide shows the aspiring ukulele star of any age how to: • Put strings on a ukulele, correctly • Play three styles of triplet strum • Know where to look when you sing • Tackle nerves and stage fright • Start and run a ukulele club • ...

From the only artist ever to win Grammy Awards for music, lyrics & orchestration, "perhaps the finest book about songwriting of our time" ( Musician )."An eminently readable master class in songwriting—one that will thrill aspiring composers and lyricists, yet still interest the general reader." — Albany Times UnionJimmy Webb has given the American songbook more hits, in m...

Bartt shows you exactly how to: * read chord diagrams, with free charts in three tunings: GCEA, D-tuning, and baritone * hold and tune your uke * play flats and sharps, inversions, moveable chord shapes and barre chords * play the blues * finger-pick, play scales and chord solos * choose strings and uke sizes * transpose any chord or song into any key, using Bartt’s Key-Changer Pizza™ * turn guitar chords into uke chords * change strings and tie the end-loop * get free song charts * get a ...

**An Economist Best Book of the YearAn acclaimed music scholar presents an accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz.“Mr. Gioia could not have done a better job. Through him, jazz might even find new devotees.” ―Economist**In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively introduction to one of America's premier art forms. He tells us what to listen for in a performance and includes a guide to ...