Anyone who creates has some sort of influence that has stuck with them from childhood. Game developers remember their first time playing DOOM or Super Mario Bros. Musicians recall their first time hearing Beethoven or Tchaikovsky or U2 or Ludacris. Writers look back to any book they picked up from their local library’s kids section.
I remember five distinct pieces of media – two books, two book series, and a video game – that have stuck with me to this day and have influenced much of the characters in my personal canon. I’ll share those with you now.
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne (1992-present)
I love that Mary Pope Osborne is still writing the Magic Tree House series. My nephews and nieces have read the newer books in the series while I have fond memories of the first ones. If you went to elementary school in America, chances are that you read the Magic Tree House books as well, and maybe you loved them as much as I did. But for the uninitiated:
Jack and Annie Smith are two kids living in the quiet town of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania (which doesn’t exist, although you can replace it with just about anywhere in Pennsylvania.) One day, they discover a tree house in their backyard which is operated by Morgan le Fay, the enchantress from Arthurian legend. The treehouse is full of magic books, and every time the kids open a book, the treehouse takes them inside the book’s world. Often, Morgan – and later on Merlin – will leave clues hidden in these books to get the kids to solve a mystery.
The Magic Tree House series still goes strong today because it’s a masterpiece of children’s literature. It mixes history with fantasy, fun and danger, and kid-friendly simplicity with more complex themes from throughout the literary and historical canon. I like to consider the series as the base that shaped my imagination; the other pieces of media on this list more fully shaped my specific interests, but without Magic Tree House, there’s nothing.
Ghost Twins by Dian Curtis Regan (1994-1995)
As I explained in my post about the imaginary friends, the Ghost Twins series influenced Robbie and Beka Stevenson, two of my oldest characters. Regan’s books follow Robbie and Beka Zuffel, twins who drowned in Kickingbird Lake fifty years before the series begins. The lake becomes part of a resort, and as visitors start to frequent the site, Robbie, Beka, and their ghost dog Thatch get involved in all sorts of hijinks.
Ghost Twins was the first piece of media that really stuck with me. I clung on to the supernatural tones, mostly because I read the books during a formative time in my life where I started to wonder what happened to people when they died. The idea of ghosts moving around in the shadows and causing all sorts of trouble interested me, and so I started to write more about paranormal events and dark fantasy. You’re going to notice that the other books on this list follow this theme. I credit my fourth and fifth grade teachers for this.
Stonewords by Pamela Louise Conrad (1990)
With all due respect to Ms. Conrad, Stonewords absolutely messed me up.
Stonewords introduces readers to Zoe and Zoe Louise, two best friends who have grown up together since childhood. Zoe lives with her grandparents, while Zoe Louise is a ghost who has haunted the house for over a hundred years. Zoe and Zoe Louise can visit each other’s worlds through the unused back stairs in the house, and as Zoe grows up and learns more about her friend’s demise, she becomes obsessed with finding out how to save Zoe Louise. But both of them fear that if Zoe meddles in the past, she’ll destroy the friendship that they have in the present.
This book got me into the ramifications of time travel, as well as the idea of everyday objects or liminal spaces acting as portals to other times and dimensions. It was also the first young adult novel that I read with well-crafted female characters. Not only are Zoe and Zoe Louise major protagonists, but Zoe’s mom and grandma each have developed backstories and personalities that make them feel like much more than supporting characters.
The reason that this story messed me up is because it went hard with the gruesome details. No spoilers, but there’s a part where Zoe is watching the ghost of Zoe Louise kind of deteriorate in front of her, and I’d be a goddamned liar if I said that didn’t give me nightmares for a week.
Much like I did with Ghost Twins, I borrowed Zoe from Stonewords and crafted her into a new character for my own canon. She shares a tiny bit of the backstory – no dad, messed-up mom, grew up living with her grandparents – but other than that, she’s totally different. She didn’t have a ghost friend growing up, but I can neither confirm nor deny that she had an imaginary friend.
Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn (1994)
I read Time for Andrew at the same time that I read Stonewords. This was because my fifth grade teacher was trying to introduce us to the idea of synthesis essays, and she figured that the books were similar enough that we would get the idea of how to write a good paper. I loved both of these books so much that I got an A+ on the assignment, but I got in trouble because I read ahead of the rest of the class. (I don’t actually remember what grade I got, but the getting in trouble definitely happened. I was a bright kid! Sue me.)
Time for Andrew follows Drew, your average mid-Nineties middle-class soft boy, who’s visiting his great-aunt for the summer. During his stay, he receives a visit from Andrew, a more aggressive kid who has materialized in the present from 1910 and is technically Drew’s great-great-uncle. Andrew is dying of diphtheria, so Drew agrees to switch places so that Andrew can get better through modern medicine. For a time, Drew explores 1910 and learns about the past, his family, and the trials of growing up at the turn of the century. Andrew, meanwhile, reaps the benefits that the 1990s have to offer. Of course, Drew wants to return to his own life, but Andrew’s not going to go back to the old times without some sort of price.
This book stuck with me because it had similar themes to Ghost Twins and Stonewords, which I already loved. But it also played with the theme of alternate selves, another concept which has wormed its way into some of my writing. This also messed me up a little bit; I started to wonder if the people we meet are really from this timeline or if they’ve switched places with folks from different times or universes. I also started to think about the idea of a multiverse, or at least the fickleness of our universe. If Andrew and Drew didn’t switch back, what would have happened to Drew’s family? Would the whole world have become different? Would – could – such a thing happen in the real world?
Anyway, it freaked me the hell out. While I didn’t borrow any characters from Time For Andrew, it got me into reading more YA and adult historical fiction. I already had an interest in historical fiction from reading the Magic Tree House series, but Time For Andrew acted as a bridge between the kids’ section and the adult section of the library.
Eagle Eye Mysteries (1993)
Back in the 1990s, Electronic Arts (known today as the infamous EA) spun off their children’s software division into EA*Kids and published all sorts of DOS games for a younger audience. One of these games was Stormfront Studios’ Eagle Eye Mysteries, a point-and-click whodunnit game with dozens of different mysteries for kids to solve. (Old gamers will recognize Stormfront Studios as the developers of famous pioneer MMORPG Neverwinter Nights, the early 3-D fantasy adventure Stronghold, and of course, Tony La Russa Baseball.)
Eagle Eye Mysteries featured Jennifer and Jake Eagle, two kids from the fictional suburb of Richview who ran their own private investigation business out of a treehouse in their backyard. (Man, the Nineties really was all about treehouses, huh?) It was one of the first games to feature full voice acting, which was huge because the game featured so many challenges and all sorts of different characters. It made the game that much more immersive, and at a time with limited technology, that was a massive feat to pull off.
From Eagle Eye Mysteries, I learned how to worldbuild. Richview wasn’t a big place, but it felt like one because of the characters and places featured in all of the Eagles’ mysteries. So much goes into creating even the smallest of towns, and before playing the game I had no idea how much detail went into developing a location to make it feel real. I also learned how to build suspense, as while the mysteries featured in the game weren’t terribly complex, they were written in such a way that really made you wonder who actually did the dang thing.
The game influenced my writing in that my earliest stuff featured a lot of sibling pairs, many of whom are still part of my character canon to this day (Monica and Lee Marrows, Robbie and Beka, Jimmy and Adrianne Finkle). But it would also sneak back into my writing later on, as I developed Mallory McAllister into a mystery-solver who runs her own agency out of her old house in Brooklyn.
Wrap it up
So that’s a little dip into the media influences from my childhood. I don’t think it’s strange at all that these works about solving crimes and ghosts and time travel and death have stuck with me more than, say, Sesame Street or Mister Rogers. But then again, I was a weird and curious kid. I went to the library to look through the periodicals. I would spend my time reading through translation dictionaries. By the time they started teaching us about sex in school, I knew everything already because I’d often sneak into the romance section of the local Barnes & Noble. And folks, I’m happy to say that I still managed to turn out as a well-adjusted, totally normal adult with no messed-up traits whatsoever.


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Tamora Pierce made sure I could never fall out of love with the fantasy genre. My cousin introduced me to her books when I was twelve and bought me the first two as a gift. Though skeptical at first, I quickly fell in love with The Song of the Lioness series and its protagonist Alanna of Trebond. By the time I read Lioness Rampant, the last book in the series, I was hooked and desperate for more. As it turned out, I was in luck. Tamora Pierce is a very prolific author. Next I read the Protector of the Small series, featuring Keladry of Mindelan. In Song of the Lioness, I found something I had never seen or read before. In Alanna and the other female characters that surrounded her, I found characters that not only fought and took names, but were also shockingly unladylike, deeply flawed, and to the adolescent me, strangely self-interested. Perhaps only in Brian Jacques’ Redwall series with the likes of Cregga Roseyes and others had I encountered female characters who got to be impulsive and selfish, without being easily disliked. Even then, most of those characters ended up mellowing in the end or suffering some form of consequence for their disposition. Pierce’s heroines, though, were short-tempered, fearful, reckless, haughty, naïve, and a laundry list of other characteristics on top of being brave, dignified, intelligent, tough, kind, and protective, and for the most part, they stayed that way. To use another word, they felt human.
I could go on for quite some time about Pierce’s world building skills, but I only fell in love with that aspect of her writing in retrospect. The diversity of her characters, in nearly all manners is what made me realize, even as a preteen and teenager, that I’d be buying these books for my kids and reading them into adulthood. Perhaps it was because I led a comparable sheltered life to other kids, but I had never encountered an LGBT character in a book before, let alone in one about fantasy. I had also only encountered characters of color in two other fantasy series before, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Jenny Nimmo’s Charlie Bone series, to be specific. Never before had I encountered characters of color in high fantasy before, where non-white characters could exist alongside knights, lords, and ladies. The Tortall Universe had Kebibi Ahuda, Buriram Tourakom, Dovasary and Saraiyu Balitang, and others. The Circle Universe had Daja Kisubo and Evumeimei Dingzai, among others. All these people, whom it seemed so strange and thrilling in fantasy novels, had roles and did things by their own motivation! They didn’t just serve the purpose of some other character or serve as side props to the story. These characters showed me that there was a place for me in fantasy. There was a place for my dark skin, braids, and big hair in my favorite genre. In the same way that I latched onto Daja Kisubo, a metal and fire-magic wielding black girl, I’m sure other readers were able to latch onto other characters and hold them close to their hearts.
The characters felt real to me, as diverse and humanly flawed as they were, but so did the details of their lives. Tamora Pierce writes high fantastic, focused, precise character driven stories. This is by no means unique to her writing, but she takes time to include the incidentals that so many adolescent girls care about. Her attendance to these issues only make her stories and her characters more compelling, as they have to deal not only with the fates of their friends and their realms, but also the seemingly insignificant things that affect the day-to-day lives of girls and women all over the world.
Nearly all her female characters at some point have to make provisions for their monthlies, something so simple and routine but so often overlooked in fantasy fiction. For Alanna of Trebond, a girl posing as a boy, this becomes a bit of a plot point in her first story. Beka Cooper, heroine of the Provost’s Dog series, seeks tea to soothe her cramps and sorts out fantasy birth control. Keladry of Mindelan suffers the mortification of receiving the sex-talk from her commanding knight. These heroines deal nurse crushes, personal vanities, ruin nice dresses, and a host of other things, and they still take names in the midst of it all. They didn’t have to be divorced from the little pieces of life that popped up in order to function as role models and leaders. They get to deal with the same things adolescents across the world deal with and still lead the day.
The heroines of Tamora Pierce’s novels present real and heartfelt representations of girls as they grow up and grow into themselves. They’re flawed human beings who come from many walks of life and many different persuasions. As they move through their respective adventures, they learn both to use their flaws to their advantage and also grow and help others grow as people. Unlike so many other heroines, they don’t tag along to help some hero along. They don’t have to hide life’s normal, everyday happenings in order to succeed. They’re people, plain and simple, and they live their own stories.


It is the dream of every online slots player to hit the big jackpot. To do this, most times players will go on a surf hunt to find which online casinos have the best slot machines. Since the online casino industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, most times players will find what they are looking for. However, not all casinos will offer high payouts, and we can’t promise to give you a definitive list of the best paying online slots either. What we will do, however, is tell you how you can get the maximum payout from the slots you currently play.
Every online slot game is different from any other one. The options are different, especially considering if you are playing in an online environment. In a live casino, you have to move from one slot machine to another. Online slots are a different thing altogether. All it takes to switch is to go to the casino’s main page and select the slot that you wish to play. By this setting, it figures that every game will vary, and the payout will also be different. That said there are still ways to ensure that you get the most out of the slot you are playing.
If you do happen to come across an online slot that offers a high payout, make sure that you play the lines correctly. The traditional slots that offer a single line pay will often payout the most cash to players who bet on maximum credits. For such slots, the big pot is only accessible if you bet max credits.
The multi-line online slots, on the other hand, will rarely reward you for betting max. The best way to get the maximum payout on such slots is to play every line. Play every line and read the bonus information beforehand. Some bonuses will require a minimum bet to activate a combination. If you are unable to play every line and bet the minimum per line, then you should change your bet denomination.
Online slots with the highest payout percentages often are those with paytables that are huge from the bottom up. It’s common for some slots to offer huge jackpots, but very often the rest of the paytable is left to its own devices. If you are going to spend your time on a particular slot game, then go for one that has spread its winnings consistently on the paytable. For such paytables, if you do get lucky and hit it big, you will go home a very happy camper. If it doesn’t happen to be your day, then you can rest assured that you’ll still go home with a little something for your efforts.
Use the above tips to ensure that you get the maximum payout every time you play online slots. If you do want to get serious about it, you can contact the casino support staff about the payout percentages. While not every casino will proudly display that information, they are required to keep track of it at all times, for all slots.


The soundtrack of a movie sets the tone, establishing how a production is remembered. Sometimes, it becomes more successful than the actual movie while more often than not, we can’t recall the music from something we viewed. It has been proven that whereas poor video quality can be overlooked, poor audio quality is almost always unforgivable.
It is important to use a stand-alone microphone while filming. Camera microphones provide low-quality audio and will have a negative impact on what you’re presenting. Visuals can be edited and adjusted, but modest audio will ruin your production. When videos are watched, sound effects and background music often go unnoticed: This means that the quality is superior and the person who worked on the sound did an excellent job selecting and synchronizing visual accompaniments. A good engineer is often responsible for superior quality.
Music may determine if viewers receive your message or become immersed in what they’re seeing. In contrast, it can be distracting and give off a message that’s unintentional. Poor music selection makes a video undesirable while a better choice can captivate an audience and promote resonation. Sometimes, songs and musicians are used to help market and promote a movie, but the music may not necessarily be featured in the film. Instead, it’s used for branding and building interest and excitement for its debut. For example, The Hunger Games soundtrack was star-studded and featured “Safe & Sound,” a chart-topping single by Taylor Swift. While the song was composed for the soundtrack, it wasn’t incorporated into the movie.
This central component is what you’ll probably notice more when you’re watching an action movie. If you’re watching something that’s calm like a scene at a park, a lot of audio will go unnoticed.
Dialogue isn’t always perfect when recorded on set, so actors return to the studio and re-record their lines. Scenes intended to trigger emotion require pristine discourse accompanied by the right music or sound when incorporated.
The audio in your production is even more important than your visuals. It’s imperative, whether you’re doing a corporate video for your company, an independent movie or an interview, that your audio is presented in the best quality.


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In addition to the lighting products for film, television, video and still photography, lighting kits, projector kits and accessories for sale, we also offer a lighting design service including studio design and audio visual lighting design as well as lighting equipment for hire from a large rental stock for the UK market. We also hold lighting seminars, workshops and other educational events.


I definitely intended to write more about music on here than I have done. So here’s to better intentions this year, and to the best music of the last 12 months.
Here’s a spotify playlist, though I’d recommend clicking the video links too ‘cos some of them are rather good.
A late-album highlight on a disappointingly uneven new National record, ‘Dark Side Of The Gym’ is a gorgeous, woozy winner, reminiscent of older classics like ‘The Geese Of Beverley Road’ or ‘Lucky You’. A tremulous keyboard leads us in, and like most of the best National songs it sounds gently, dangerously inebriated, a fragile man making grandiose promises that he can’t keep. “I have dreams of anonymous castrati singing to us from the trees” is a wonderfully oblique Berninger-ian line, melting into “I have dreams of a first man and first lady singing to us from the sea,” which conjures a weird, timely and emotive image of a dignified, departing presidential couple (ahem) sailing off into the distance.
Having made her name with an album of sun-flecked country-rock in 2016, Julia Jacklin returned with a EP which demonstrates a clear maturation of her songwriting. ‘Eastwick’ is her best song yet, opening with a striking, sad, witty line about ways of coping with bereavement (“I don’t want my father’s ashes scattered over stranger’s couches”) and evolving from a slow folk jam into an incandescent fuzz-rock finale.
Not a Savage Garden cover, but just about as brazenly pop as that would have been, Fever Ray’s first song in 8 years was an alt-pop banger entirely unprecedented in the context of the project’s previous output (but much more akin to The Knife’s most radio-friendly moments). Both playful (“Hey, remember me? I’ve been busy working like crazy”) and unexpectedly profane (just… listen to it, you’ll see), it’s a terrific track, absurdly catchy and yet deceptively complex in its insistent, syncopated melody.
Michelle Zaumer’s second album as Japanese Breakfast was as eclectic as it was intense, encompassing driving motorik-rock, Grimes-tinged synth-pop, lush chamber pop and, on ‘The Body Is A Blade’, pristine Pacific Northwest indie-rock. Its nuanced existentialism is framed through a reflection of the life of her late mother, and the song’s arpeggiated riff builds to a bubbling climax of synth reminiscent of Grandaddy’s ‘The Crystal Lake’. Zauner is a wonderful songwriter, capable of being very funny (see ‘Boyish’ highlight “I can’t get you off my mind / I can’t get you off in general”) but also quite devastating (“Try your best to slowly withdraw,” she repeats here).
The four Perfume Genius albums have all been so tonally different, and ‘Wreath’ epitomises the atmosphere of No Shape perfectly – an ecstatic, almost transcendent sense of acceptance, sharp-edged with the knowledge of what it took to get there. It’s a four-minute symphony of catharsis, and yet the joy is tempered even here – “I want to hover with no shape” is, quite literally, about wanting to leave the stifling confines of one’s body. The excellent video, comprised of submitted footage of fans dancing to ‘Wreath’, neatly captures the essence of the song and of Mike Hadreas’ music: just be you, even when that seems like a hard thing to do.
Michigan emo band Swordfish released their debut album Rodia this year, and it’s a strong opening statement – they’ve got an instinctive feel for the aesthetics and dynamics of the genre, not just packing in the emotion but also understanding that emo can and totally should be fun. ‘Trenton Garage’ is the best example of the latter, with a sung-shouted caterwaul of a vocal, horns and a huge chorus packed into two delirious minutes; I’m not sure a line this year has made me inexplicably grin like the non-sequitur, “the last time that I saw you smile, I drove us to the SECRETARY OF STATE!”.
Picking up pretty much exactly where Sprained Ankle left off, ‘Appointments’ was the first taster of Julien Baker’s second album and it felt at once familiar and otherworldly. Glacial, heartbreaking and wracked with doubt and loathing, it’s stripped-back and simple and yet something that only Baker could write and deliver. The line which gives the song its title – “suggest that I talk to somebody again who knows how to help me get better / and till then I should just try not to miss any more appointments” – conveys so much, a gruelling battle to get from day to day.
Honing a sunny, tight, instantly recognisable sound that’s somewhere between 80s college rock, Flying Nun bands and turn-of-the-century Spoon, RBCF have already made a huge impression over the course of two EPs. ‘French Press’, the title track from their latest release, is perhaps their best song to date, with guitars that duel, sparkle, chime and interweave around the rhythm section’s taut groove. It’s strong lyrically, too, singer Fran Keaney using a poorly-connected international call to his brother to explore larger themes of interpersonal and geographical disconnection.
Katie Crutchfield’s Waxahatchee project continues to go from strength to strength. Her fourth album, Out In The Storm, streamlined her sound but is an out-and-out break-up record, and ‘Recite Remorse’ sits at the heart of the record both literally and thematically. Over big, spacious synths and a throbbing two-note bass line, she looks back at tainted memories and dissects what went wrong in painful detail. The second verse is so wonderfully, brutally honest about the two of them: “When we were new to each other in the city after dark / you were so condescending / you wrote me in, gave me a part / see, I always gravitate toward those who are unimpressed / I saw you as a conquest, I saw you as a big fish.”
Sydney’s Oslow are arguably the most promising emo band in Australia at the moment, and their first full length was a thing of rare beauty and intensity, influenced by (but not indebted to) both 90s bands like Braid and the fourth-wave likes of Title Fight and Turnover. They have nailed one of the best guitar sounds I’ve heard in a while – rich, thick and piercing – and ‘Everything, Etc.’ is a superb example of their craft, coming in like a flood but creating plenty of space for the guitar riffs and melodies to shine.
The World Is… have never been afraid to push hard at the boundaries of their scene and sound, and ‘Marine Tigers’, the first song to be released in advance of Always Foreign, made their ambition clear. Immense both in length and in the scope of its subject matter, it’s very much a reaction to the current climate of heightened xenophobia in their native United States. Singer David Bello was born to Puerto Rican and Lebanese parents, and the title ‘Marine Tigers’ comes from his father’s book about his experiences as a Puerto Rican immigrant in America. The song reflects on the experience of being “foreign”, but also rounds on prevalent ultra-capitalist, compassion-less values (“making money is a horrible and rotten institution”). Musically, it’s expansive and torrid, stalking in on a huge, forebording six-chord riff, taking in a quieter mid-section before burning out in a maelstrom of horns. Somehow, in the context of this song and of the wider world in 2017, the kindergarten-simple take home message (“There’s nothing wrong with kindness”) sounds profound and revelatory.
London producer and percussionist Georgia released ‘Feel It’ way back in the opening days of 2017, and if your New Year’s resolution was “have more fun” (and why wouldn’t it be?) then this was the song to soundtrack it. A certified banger, it sounds both like a lost radio smash from 2000 and bracingly futuristic. Georgia works otherworldly samples and harmonics over a twitchy beat, before layering thick, blaring synth chords over a fist-pumping chorus to blistering effect.
With his main band on hiatus, Modern Baseball co-frontman Jake Ewald spent most of 2017 on his intriguingly-named side-project. But far from being a distraction or an outlet for MoBo off-cuts, it’s proved to be a vehicle for some of Ewald’s strongest songwriting to date. It’s altogether more acoustic-driven and folk-tinged, though ‘104 Degrees’, from the excellent Motorcycle.jpg EP, is a propulsive exception. It describes a dream-like, fantastical relationship in fast-forward, not with broad brush-strokes but with tiny details that draw you deep into the lives of his characters: the girl “sitting on a bench in Baltimore and reading Murakami”, taking her coffee hot and black despite the heat, admitting to the fact that “counter-culture makes me tired”. The protagonist craves “dull domestication / free from pressure to pursue another love, another touch, another tired conversation” – which, fuck, is surely a perfect depiction of how empty and exhausting dating can feel. SBD’s output takes Ewald’s writing in exciting new directions; it’ll be a thrill to see where he goes next.
First appearing as a show-stealer on their split EP with Camp Cope, and then a few months later as track two on Cayetana’s second album, ‘Mesa’ is a surging pop-punk anthem – four simple chords, spiky vocals and buzzing chords. The lyrics may be on a downer about a relationship going badly (“We can only hurt ourselves for so long”) but Augusta Koch’s vocals are full of character and the song feels totally effervescent, a summer jam to blast out the windows on a drive to the coast.
It might not be the genre you’d most associated with protest music, but Muna use synth-pop as a powerful vehicle for a message of solidarity and empowerment that feels vital and necessary in the current climate, set against the backdrop of an increasingly divided world. It’s no surprise it’s struck a chord with a lot of people – a lot of the sentiments are familiar, they’re not afraid to use stock phrases, and yet juxtaposed to its shimmering synths and mighty beat they feel powerful, touching, and like the very different-sounding but similarly empathetic ‘Marine Tigers’, a little revelatory.
The sinuous synth-pop menace of ‘Los Ageless’ might be the latest entry in a bulky canon of songs about the artifice and darkness of L.A., but it’s also a terrific break-up song – “how can anybody have you and lose you, and not lose their mind too?” is a very good line that graduates to being absolutely perfect when Annie Clark howls it over the descending minor chords of the chorus. The lyrics conjure images of sadness, claustrophobia and death, but the aggressive throb of the backdrop makes it hard to do anything but flail like your life depends on it.
Melbourne’s finest had a lot to live up to after 2014’s Throw Me In The River – wall-to-wall emotional punk-pop bangers, one of my favourite records – but More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me picked up the baton seamlessly. It’s every bit as anthemic and deals with a lot of the same themes (mental health, growing up, distance), but viewed through the prism of singer Wil Wagner’s turbulent relationship with Camp Cope singer Georgia Maq. ‘Birthdays’ comes early in the piece, a genuinely optimistic song about the start of something, and for all their angst the Smithies are really fucking good at optimism. “Spent the morning cleaning my room in the hope you’d ask to see it soon,” Wagner opens, charmingly relatable, and when he sings, “All I want occupying my mind, is ‘what’s the highest thing we can climb before sunrise?'” it’s pretty exhilarating. The positivity is fragile but persistent, even when he foreshadows the bad parts (“I’ll be intense and I’ll be too much”) or gets way ahead of himself (“I don’t mean to put the pressure on / but you’re gonna like my dad, I know you’ll love my mum”). It’s a feel-good song that feels all the better for all of the bad stuff that comes before and after.
Allison Crutchfield’s solo debut feels sonically a long way from the Pixies-meets-punk-pop squall of her former band Swearin’, but her innate sense for hooks and incisive, cutting lyrics remains firmly in place. The girl who once yelled the magnificent kiss-off, “I hope you like Kenosha so much you stay there”, has probably grown up a bit, but over an excellent pitch-shifting keyboard hook and sunny chords she’s still emotionally and geographically displaced. “I keep confusing love and nostalgia”, she admits, and ‘I Don’t Ever Wanna Leave California’ is, as much as anything, is about how places become inseparable from the memories that are entangled with them.
Sylvan Esso’s ‘What Now’ frequently hit heights that placed it among the finest electro-pop of the last few years; like Purity Ring’s ‘Fineshrine’ or Chvrches’ ‘Recover’, ‘Die Young’ manages to be an absolutely huge tune without ever leaving mid-tempo. It’s not as dramatic as the former or as emotive as the latter, but its strength comes from its playfulness – the verse ducks and hides around jittery bass and wispy synths, the chorus is hooky and garish, and there’s a terrific delayed-gratification fake-out at 2:15. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics about meeting someone who makes growing old seem semi-alright suit it perfectly: “I had a plan, you ruined it completely,” sings Amelia Meath, sounding somewhere between put-out and relieved.
At End Of The Road Festival in 2016, Kevin Drew made a speech in which he pretty much announced that Broken Social Scene were coming back to save the world from despair. It sounded just a little grandiose, but less than a year later the band almost lived up to it with the very appropriately-named Hug Of Thunder, a fierce, politico-personal and often beautiful album, easily their best since 2002’s You Forgot It In People. Feist takes the lead on the title track and centrepiece, a gorgeous, bluesy, bass-heavy jam which unfurls over five hazy minutes. Her stream-of-consciousness vocal, which seems like a string of disparate memories, reveals much more than it initially suggests; “certain times in our lives come to take up more space than others” is quietly profound, and while it’s often oblique and hard to decipher, the song as a whole feels optimistic and supportive at a difficult time. It ends with a fragmented memory of watching soldiers train at a military base, the imagery capturing both sturdy reassurance and implicit violence.
It doesn’t seem so long ago that emo and indie-rock were considered antitheses of each other – one earnest and high-strung, the other restrained and ironic, or so the stereotypes would have you believe. In truth it was never quite like that, but nonetheless the convergence of the two genres in the last few years has been unexpected and incredibly rewarding. Sinai Vessel’s Brokenlegged and its opening track ‘Looseleaf’ provide an excellent example of the obliteration of that divide – jangly, driving guitar rock, melodically exquisite, structurally dextrous without ever losing its intensity or momentum. It’s probably most similar to the Hotelier’s recent output – it certainly shares their musical DNA and dense, existential lyrical preoccupations – but you can trace it back to Wolf Parade, Modest Mouse and even R.E.M. too.
The most technicolour track on the most technicolour Mount Kimbie album, ‘Blue Train Lines’ is a remarkable piece of music – its synths splitting the difference between jarringly dissonant and sweetly melancholic, the flickering beat gathering momentum like an intercity train pulling out of the city into the fields, and a memorable, excoriating vocal turn from King Krule which endows the song with a wild-eyed intensity and instability. The lyrics aren’t really important here; it’s more the way he delivers them, an unholy mix of New Orleans jazz singer, south London troubador and untamed bluegrass howl. It’s an exciting creative pairing and makes for a relentless, runaway train of a track.
Throughout the stages of their evolution from the self-styled “tweecore” kids of their debut to the far more nuanced (albeit sex-football-and-death-fixated) band they are now, Los Campesinos! have never been afraid to put the pop in indie-pop. This has never been more apparent than on their latest, Sick Scenes, on which arguably the two best songs (‘Got Stendhal’s’ and the mid-tempo post-Brexit despair of ‘A Slow, Slow Death’) almost remove indie from the equation entirely. With its melancholy synths and plangent chords, ‘Got Stendhal’s’ feels like it could have fit neatly on the soundtrack to a turn-of-the-millennium romantic drama – not an insult, honestly. It’s a heady mix of nostalgia, romantic failures (“I assembled former ghosts at a seance”), fatalism (“At least when we’re encased in concrete we’ll be safe”) and mild body dysmorphia (“Trusted hearts pumps blood around a monolith that lets me down”) – classic Los Camp!, in other words.
Thank god for Charli XCX. You just know that if Katy Perry or her ilk had tried to write or perform this song it would have been irritatingly coy or brash and charmless; in Charli’s hands it’s confident but self-effacing, unapologetically libidinous but totally endearing. “I wanted to flip the male gaze on its head,” she said about ‘Boys’ and its hilarious, star-studded video, and she does so with charm and alacrity. Over a warm, playful, bleepy beat, she sings with giddy excitement and amusing exaggeration about the boys in her life, before apologising to her pals for ignoring their messages with one of the best lines of the year: “I wish I had a better excuse / like, ‘I had to trash a hotel lobby’ . but I was busy thinking ’bout boys”, she grins, gleefully riffing on her own reputation.
Life Without Sound was a natural progression for Cloud Nothings, expanding on both the melodic punk-pop and aggressive noise-rock of the last two albums. The slacker-rock anthem ‘Enter Entirely’ is one of their best songs to date and surely set to be a staple of their set for years to come. It’s an excellent example of how to do a lot with a little; the mid-tempo groove and four chords remain unchanged, allowing all the variation to come from changes in dynamics and vocal melodies. The sunny vibes make Dylan Baldi’s trademark nihilism sound less biting than usual; even lines like “I’ve had a lot of time alone, disintegrating / watching all of the hours with a bottle of wine” sound – well, not positive, but at least close to a sort of reconciliation. The slower pace of the song allow space for some exhiliarating guitar-work in the second half; like most Cloud Nothings songs, it turns negative emotions into something weirdly, profoundly uplifting.
The first Alvvays record was a little mini-masterpiece of fuzzed-up, blissed-out indie-pop, by turns rapturous and melancholy, with singer/lyricist Molly Rankin capturing the twists and turns of city living, millennial angst and tentative romance with consummate wit and empathy. ‘In Undertow’, the majestic opening track on Antisocialites, picks up exactly where the first album left off; paint-stripping guitars blast out a sweet, ecstatic, feedback-laden melody while Rankin recounts the awkward, painful fade-out of a relationship. “You find a wave and try to hold on for as long as you can,” she sings – maybe a good idea if you’re a surfer, less so for the couple in this song, who “toss and turn in undertow”. The characters in Alvvays songs might frequently be doomed but they always feel close to home; you get the feeling they might be your friends if you lived in Toronto.
Everyone was dying around Sorority Noise vocalist Cam Boucher (on ‘Disappeared’, he tells us he “lost a basketball team to heaven” in a year), and from this place of grief and pain came You’re Not as ____ As You Think, their third full-length, on which every song deals in some way with this overwhelming loss and his own struggle to keep going. Opener “No Halo” is an extraordinary moment of catharsis; the two-chord throbbing headache of the verse explodes into a savage, blistering assault of a chorus, which lasts just six bars but feels cataclysmic. There might be catharsis but there are no easy answers and no sense of closure; ‘No Halo’ is just a harrowing howl of survivor’s guilt, of the inescapable feeling of somehow not having done enough.
‘God In Chicago’ hit me at a weird time. I was four days away from moving away from a place I wasn’t at all sure I wanted to leave, crashing at a friend’s house, on the brink of considerable adventure but at the same time feeling dislocated and profoundly uncertain about, well, almost everything. And while the characters in ‘God In Chicago’ have a very specific and very different story (it’s an archetypal Craig Finn tale of two people connecting over bereavement, an unplanned road trip and a very low-key drug deal), there was something about listening to this tiny, possibly pivotal but possibly tangential moment in their lives depicted with such tenderness that ripped the floor out from under me. It’s easily the best song Finn’s written in almost a decade, and while it plays out over sombre piano rather than a bar-room racket, it reminds me of why I fell in love with The Hold Steady in the first place. And god, the chorus, when it finally comes, is heavenly. It’s essentially a short story, and I’ll avoid spoilers, but it ends in medias res and you realise what the characters are feeling – that heavy, winded feeling of something special having just happened, and having no clue as to what, if anything, happens next. I guess maybe that’s where I was when I heard this song, too.
Lorde’s always been prematurely nostalgic. On her debut album – released at the age of 16 – she painted sepia-tinted eulogies to suburban twilight drives, house parties and young love, at an age where most people would only barely be discovering those things. Of course, Lorde isn’t most people, and the success of that excellent record propelled her into an entirely different world. The fear was that Melodrama, its long-awaited successor, would have lost the intimacy and charm that made Lorde’s music so special.
Turns out, of course, we had nothing to fear. And Melodrama‘s closing track, ‘Perfect Places’, epitomises the growth in both her songwriting and her range of emotions, but retains everything great – the breathless, tumbling pre-chorus, the glistening production and hooks, her gift for singing both within the moment and removed from it – and yes, that nostalgia. On a song about “graceless nights”, searching for bigger and truer things under club lights on heady summer nights, she can’t help but analyse what her and the people around her are doing. At the heart of the song, there’s “all of our heroes fading / now I can’t stand to be alone / let’s go to perfect places”. The contrast between Pure Heroine‘s closer (“we’re dancing in a world alone”) is striking – there are moments when we’re in a good place, and moments when we’re striving painfully hard for something better. Both are worth being in the moment for. And ‘Perfect Places’ should probably be the last track of the night at every nightclub, for all time.
Captivatingly beautiful and impossibly melancholy, ‘Smoke Signals’ hones in on an elusive mood somewhere between sadness, nostalgia and hope that few songs and almost no words can locate. Phoebe Bridgers gets there via fragments of memory, stolen glimpses of moments between people that say so much more than traditional narrative could have done. The backdrop is sublime, with circling guitar lines and sensual, delicate production which incorporates tiny snatches of strings, voices and found sounds to great effect. The lyrics carry it home, though: “One of your eyes is always half-shut / something happened when you were a kid / I didn’t know you then and I’ll never understand why it feels like I did” might not sound like a lot, but the way it draws you into Bridgers’ memories and leaves you wanting more of the story is remarkable. The imagery is great, too: walking around the reservoir, pelicans circling, “‘How Soon Is Now’ in an ’80s sedan”. The first time I heard ‘Smoke Signals’ was on a cross-country train, looking out at the fast-fading autumn dusk, after a weekend with friends I don’t see enough (read: almost all of them, these days). Maybe that was the best time to come upon it, because this song is for those contemplative moments, and it will make you feel so very, very connected to people and places you care about. And that’s no small achievement.


You are young, creative and have something to say? You like songwriting or producing your own music? You are inspired by this year's theme "Tomorrow Starts Today"? Then the Screaming Fields Song Contest is for you! Send us your song idea till June 17!
Why a Song Contest?
The Screaming Fields Song Contest aims to give young singer-songwriters, bands and bedroom producers the opportunity to showcase their creativity and share it with a larger audience. Each year, artists can submit their demos and song ideas on a specific theme and win the Screaming Fields Song Contest Package, enabling them to record their song idea, produce a music video and release their single. Former winners include: Maz, Æm, Francis of Delirium, Emily Grogan.
Screaming Fields Song Contest is organized by Rocklab, with the support of Ministère de la Culture, Film Fund Luxembourg, Sacem Luxembourg and Eldoradio.


Have you thought about your Halloween costume for this year yet? Some may think it’s too early, but if you’re already planning to get dressed up the Spirit of Halloween has you covered.
The Spirit of Halloween will be selling costumes inside the old Sears building on Main Street this Halloween, according to Building Inspector Jim DeCola.
“They’re going into the Sears building to sell their stuff, but its not a permanent thing,” he said.
The costume store is open now and will stay put until Nov. 4. Stop by to pick up your ghost and goblin costumes.
What are you going to dress up as this year? Let us know in the comments section below.


Highly addictive multi-player puzzle word game. Plays similar to the classic Connect Four game except you try to make four letter words to win. You may compete against the computer, or challenge a friend over your home or company network. Mace Software also maintains an internet AlphaConX game server to allow you to play against others using your internet connection.
This challenging and educational word game is a must have for all avid word gamers. Extremely configurable to allow fun for all levels. Pros will find the computer very tough to beat, while beginners can learn while enhancing their vocabulary skills. If you like word games, you should try the 15 day free trial version now.
AlphaConX is a free trial software application from the Other subcategory, part of the Games & Entertainment category.
The app is currently available in English and it was last updated on 2001-10-11. The program can be installed on Windows.
AlphaConX (version 1.1) has a file size of 11.71 MB and is available for download from our website.
Just click the green Download button above to start. Until now the program was downloaded 414 times.
We already checked that the download link to be safe, however for your own protection we recommend that you scan the downloaded software with your antivirus.


The premise that there is a “world's greatest musician” is absurd. There are so many different kinds of music in the world, and so many brilliant and accomplished practitioners of music, most of whom are unknown to us, that it would be impossible to make a convincing case for the primacy of just one player. However, it is an interesting mental exercise. When I think about my favorite musicians, a lot of names come to mind, many of them my good friends, but a few stand out in terms of importance to me. One is Jordi Savall, the Spanish-Catalan viola da gamba player who introduced to modern ears the music of Marin Marais and others who played the abandoned instrument. Another is Randal Bays, Seattle-area Irish fiddler who, after discovering Irish traditional music rather late in life, was soon lending guitar accompaniment to great fiddlers like James Kelly and Martin Hayes, and who went on to become one of the best players of Irish fiddle in the world. Yet another is Martin Simpson, the English guitar wizard who introduced me to open tunings and his signature “guitar frailing” technique, with which any clawhammer banjo tune may be perfectly imitated on guitar. These musicians and many others are truly great, but finally, my mind comes to rest on Ross Daly.
Ross is an Irishman whose parents were diplomats. He grew up all over the world, and studied music from an early age. As a young man, he traveled to Greece. He found the traditional music he encountered there captivating, and not unlike the Indian music he had already studied, with its modal basis and uneven time signatures. Greek music gives us the seven “modes”, or scales, of Western music, but it actually contains more than seven modes. It contains notes between notes that Western musicians might consider “out of tune”, but which are actually very precisely played micro tones. Greek music also often involves odd meters, in which the beats are grouped into twos and threes, using time signatures such as seven-eight, which sounds like “ONE-two, ONE-two, ONE-two-three”.
Ross studied very diligently, and mastered many instruments, including the Cretan lyra, a pear-shaped lap-fiddle with three main strings and many sympathetic strings, which is extremely difficult to play. Instead of pushing the strings down against the fingerboard with the pads of the fingers, as on the violin, the fingers rest beside the strings so that the strings are stopped by the large, smooth surfaces of the fingernails. The result is an eerie, haunting sound with rich sustain and expressive vibrato, reminiscent of the human voice. Ross also plays many plucked-string instruments, including rubab, an Afghani banjo; lauto, a Greek lute; setar, a Persian lute; and various Turkish lutes, called saz. He has mastered many forms of music from Greece, Turkey, and Iran, and has transcended these forms, developing a fusion that mixes traditional instruments and themes.
Ross has also become a prolific composer. His tunes evoke a mythic past, shrouded in Aegean mist, while remaining fresh and urgent, embodying the longing, love, and tear-wet sorrow of human existence. His compositions, like their traditional models, are melodically and rhythmically dense and complicated. Once Ross and his collaborators have established the musical territory of these compositions, they launch headlong into the open space of improvisation, soaring to ever-new heights of imagination and freedom, gliding among iridescent, melodious birds before plunging down through unknown stratospheres to dive with shimmering rhythmic fishes, and deeper, to the very darkest sub-marine trenches of music.
Daly has trained and mentored an entire generation of younger musicians from the around the world. When he started playing traditional music it was not popular among the youth of its native countries, many of whom were seduced by the “cool”, modern pop music of the West. The music of their grandfathers was seen as staid, boring and conservative. Ross Daly, an outsider, nurtured a new appreciation for some of the greatest musical traditions in the world, and brought his interpretation of those traditions to enthusiastic audiences who had never heard music like this before.
Ross Daly is now considered to be a national treasure in Greece. The government of Crete has provided him with a historic villa, which serves as a museum, housing his collection of hundreds of instruments. It is also the home of the “Labyrinth Music Workshop,” where musicians flock from every continent to attend master classes with top players and singers in pan-Near-eastern styles. Some of his famous protégées are Stelios Petrakis, the great lyra and lauto player from Crete; Bijhan Chemarani, Paris-born Iranian zarb master; and Sokratis Sinopoulis, player of the politici-lyra, from Athens. Ross Daly's accomplishments as a player, a composer and an ambassador of music are unparalleled by any other living person I can think of, and that's why, for my money, he is the greatest musician in the world.


Its been literally YEARS since I updated this journal!! Yikes!!
I thought I would just take the time to let you know I have a comic out there in stores right now!!
Its called "Hell Yeah" from Image comics. Its written by Joe Keatinge and drawn by myself. We have an amazing colorist on board as well, Jason Lewis.
Here is the official info on it:
THE LAST GENERATION OF HEROES IS HERE!
Twenty years ago, the first-ever superheroes debuted without warning and forever altered our global culture! Now, the generation born in their wake fight to claim their place in a world evolved beyond them! Written by Eisner & Harvey award-winner JOE KEATINGE and illustrated by ELEPHANTMEN and POPGUN's ANDRE SZYMANOWICZ, HELL YEAH combines the over-the-top excitement of the original Image Comics launch with modern, innovative storytelling. It all begins with a giant-sized first issue containing a full thirty-two pages of story with no ads for the regular price of just $2.99!
I hope next time you are in the store, you poke around in the Image comics section and check it out!


Sunday, December 4, 2022
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Santa Monica invites you to a Holiday Sing held at our Church on Sunday, December 4th at 1pm. There will be solos and duets performed by our Soloist Griffith Frank and Guest Soloist Charlotte Bashner, accompanied by our Organist Christina Hopkins. In addition, there will be an audience sing-along of Christmas songs from the Christian Science hymnals.
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Santa Monica
505 Arizona Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Feel free to invite family and friends to this festive event. We are looking forward to having you join us for this musical event with pastry and light refreshments in celebration of the joyous holiday season and power of the Christ, Truth.


Sometime in the late 17th century, the Bohemian composer Heinrich Biber (1644-1704) composed a series of 15 sonatas for accompanied violin. Known variously as the “Mystery Sonatas” or the “Rosary Sonatas,” each of the 15 sonatas in the collection corresponds to one of the mysteries in the life of Jesus and Mary that focused meditative devotion.
Baroque violinist Fiona Hughes, a former member of our parish and our choir, has in the past played some of these sonatas as Preludes or Postludes during services at All Saints. With colleagues in the ensemble Three Notched Road, she has recorded several of the sonatas, including the first, which musically imagines the event of the Annunciation.
I phoned Fiona at her home in Staunton and asked her when she first became aware of this remarkable body of music.
Here is Fiona Hughes’s interpretation of Biber’s Rosary Sonata, no. 1, “The Annunciation.” She is accompanied by Kevin Payne on theorbo and Joseph Gascho on harpsichord and organ. This recording is from Three Notch’d Road’s CD, Epiphany, which is available for purchase here.
There are numerous recordings of the entire set of Biber’s Mystery Sonatas. Until you have the occasion to purchase a copy (and support musicians in their wonderful vocation), you may listen to the performances by violinist Igor Ruhadze and the Ensemble Violini Capricciosi.


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American Art Marketing is proud to announce the first annual edition of the Berkshires Arts Festival Tanglewood in Lenox, MA.
About The Berkshires
Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and undeniably one of the most prestigious of all possible venues.
It has been 12 years since the first Berkshires Arts Festival had its resoundingly successful debut. For those of you familiar with the Berkshires and Tanglewood, you know that it is the cultural anchor of the Berkshires drawing over 350,000 visitors each summer not only offering a vast quantity of music, but also a vast range of musical forms and styles, all of it presented with a regard for artistic excellence that makes the festival unique.
This is a landmark opportunity. Just the mention of Tanglewood conjures visions of tens of thousands of music lovers filling the parking lots each weekend all summer long. This is our target audience. The visitors who attend Tanglewood concerts are the demographic that we are looking for.


Alan Wake was a triumph in videogaming. It had emotion, excellently written and performed dialogue, and also offered a new, twist on the horror genre. How does American Nightmare stack up?
As an Alan Wake fan, my expectations for this were quite high. The original had a compelling story that left me wanting more, and an uncompromising level of dread and tension that didn’t let up until the credits rolled.
So, is Alan Wake’s American Nightmare any good?
The answer is yes. If you liked the original.
AWAN is more of the same in terms of game play, with a few tweaks to the camera and a slight increase to the pacing of firefights with Taken. There are loads of guns to collect, which alter your play style significantly. You will want the enemy up close when you use a 12 gauge, but will want to whittle them down from a distance with the pistol. The new weapons allow for a more action oriented experience.
The light mechanic that worked so well in the previous game makes a return, so you will need to use light to destroy a Taken’s darkness shroud before you can dispatch it with whatever you have handy.
There isn’t as much tension in this entry to the series, but it’s obviously going for a different mood, with a grindhouse feel to the area and narrative as opposed to the claustrophobic environs of the first game.
The storyline is a little tricky to explain, but you should play Alan Wake before this if you want to make sense of it. Let’s just say it will have you confused at least once. I don’t want to spoil the game for anyone, so I’ll just say that this is more of a spin-off than a sequel.
A new feature outside of the story mode is arcade mode, which challenges you to stay alive for ten minutes against increasingly difficult enemies. Chain successful attacks and dodges together to earn multipliers to increase your rank on the leaderboard. This gets tricky as new enemy types come into play. Again, I don’t want to spoil anything here, so I won’t go into too much detail.
There’s a fair bit of replay value to be had if you like the game, too. Unlockable weapons, story snippets and flares all await the explorers amongst us. Add that on top of the lengthy 6-7 hour campaign, and you’ve got great value.
All in all, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare is an excellent game and easily worth the 1200 points. Get yourself a flashlight and get comfy. It’s going to be a long night.


“What a fantastic night you gave us! You really made the night and your music, song choices etc got everyone pumping. We’ve had lots and lots of comments about how great you all were. The kids are still talking about how you came around the pool and kept singing!!”
Alison February 2021
”Thanks for an amazing night! Talk of the family today was definitely how amazing you were and I know that often all people remember from a wedding is the food and music and I think we certainly nailed it with you guys!! You made the night and sorry you had to battle with the cold at the same time, you did amazing!! Can’t recommend you enough to others”
“Hi you incredible people!!!!
Holy shit – what a night it was on Friday…. you guys are absolutely incredible. When we booked the band for the wedding we deliberated over reviews, setlists, number of pieces etc etc, and it was Sam that chose you guys in the end. I fully agreed and we booked. 10months later, you not only lived up to expectation, but completely blew us out of the park!!!!! Seriously, i know you’d be good, but holy crap! We were (and everyone else) blown away!!!
Thank you again for being amazing and so accommodating!! Absolutely brilliant xxx”
Mel and Sam
“Thank you all so much for playing at our wedding in January. Our guests loved your performance and the song choices! You really made the evening an event to remember. We really appreciate you letting Tosh play in the band with you, it was a highlight of the evening.
Isabel and Tosh
“Thank you so much to Brightside for their awesome effort at our wedding the other weekend. You guys were amazing!!! Everyone has not stopped talking about how good you all were. Our guests were up dancing all night and having a great time. Was a fantastic song list as everyone got amongst it. Some very hoarse voices the next day!
I can’t recommend Brightside enough. You have been fantastic to deal with and all really professional.”
”Just wanted to send a message to thank you all so much for playing at our wedding on Friday. I had an amazing night and so did all our guests. You played at my sisters wedding and so I never considered any other band but was not disappointed. We had a lunch with our guests the following day, and everyone was raving about how much fun the night was with you guys playing. I’m looking forward to seeing you again for our friends wedding next January but might have to try to catch a gig before then. “
Hannah and Tom
“Thanks so much for the awesome atmosphere you created our dance floor got a pounding that’s for sure. We had such a good time- would definitely recommend you guys!”
Sarah and Damian
“Thanks so much you guys!!! We had an incredible time and the guests have raved about the awesome band… It was so good to see people of all ages on the D floor. You guys sure know how to channel the crowds mood. But in all seriousness, a gigantic thank you. We will definitely recommend you to anyone else looking for a fantastic band.”
Jane and Quentin
Where do I begin?! First of all thanks a million for completely taking care of the music from the ceremony right through to the reception. The entire band worked together to ensure that everything went smoothly. The range of music was a complete hit and the guests had nothing but positive feedback! The only downside was the time curfew because ourselves and the guests could have listened to Brightside all night long! Thanks again!!!!”
“Thanks so much you guys you rocked!! Also thanks for playing a lot longer than you were supposed to! Hope you had as much fun as we did. Everybody thought you were awesome! Cheers.’
“Firstly we wanted to say a huge thank you for playing at our wedding, you guys were truly amazing. We had so many comments on how good the music was and how great you guys sound! Even those who didn’t get up dancing were commenting on how much they enjoyed listening to the music so again thanks for creating such a great atmosphere.”
Amanda and Phill
“You guys are AMAZING! Best covers band I’ve ever seen & I knew from the first time I saw you perform that I HAD to have you at my Wedding! The fact that you learnt special songs for us was more than I expected and made the night even more special. I got comments all night from our guests about how great you were so I know I made the perfect choice. Thank you so much for giving us a night to remember,”
Amy & Tue


The #ReelFear Horror Contest Top 10 semi-finalist pitch videos have been revealed.
Vote for your favorite videos NOW through April 25 and help one project secure a spot in the Top 5 and get one step closer to winning $300,000 to bring their indie horror film to life. See the Top 10 semi-finalists here.
Thank you to all the frightfully talented creators who submitted to the contest! It was hard to pick just 10, but we greatly enjoyed viewing your entries.


The actress Elena Petrova thrilled more than 200 guests, gathered in Studio 5 club for the official premiere of Jordanka Gospodinova's poetry book "South Blood". The premiere started with a fiery passionate paso doble.
In the evening of St. Archangel Michael's day the guests had the pleasure of hearing some of the poems of "South Blood", read by Elena Petrova under the music of Orlin Tsvetanov's violin and Bisser Ivanov's guitar. The two musicians, who are also part of Lili Ivanova's band, had prepared entirely original music specifically for Jordanka Gospodinova's lyrics.
Studio 5 was decorated with the original covers' artwork, specifically painted by Alexandrina Karadjova, inspired by Jordanka's poems.
"I wish every woman to be able to take a part of that passion and craziness, that Jordanka gives us with her book. And to all the men - to find a woman of "south blood" in their lives." said Nadezhda Zaharieva, the book's editor.
Jordanka Gospodinova was dressed in original dress, collaborative work between Alexandrina Karadjova and the fashion designer Mariyana Panayotova (El Mari).
"South Blood" artwork: "A vine", "South blood", "Raised by the wind" © Alexandrina Karadjova - Acrista
Cover design and pre-press: © Alexander Grantcharov


Intrepid Theatre is a local theatre company, which produces the annual Victoria Fringe Festival and runs the Metro Theatre venue.
After volunteering in the 2004 festival box office, I volunteered my skills to design and develop a custom website based on the poster and brochure design each year from 2005 to 2014. I was also contracted to design and build the first website for their venue, the Metro Theatre, and later for the Intrepid Theatre organization itself.
Branding: Rayola Creative
“Thanks so much for making such a beautiful website for us! We really appreciate all your wonderful help at Fringe Fest time every year. Hope you caught some shows!”
with thanks from Janet, Sammie and the Intrepid Team, 2012


FirstMov - Watch American Hustle Online Free Megavideo Streaming Without Downloading| The acting was out of the park, the drama was real and heartfelt in a nuanced way, subtle yet pervasive throughout the film. I forgot I was watching a movie several times, the humor was not laugh out loud guffaw type humor, this humor was instead very human, but also very melancholy and often bittersweet, very much like life… I get this movie, it was like I was watching a movie reel of my own life that had some additional scenes and some different characters, but nevertheless, it was my life…I get this movie…I found it very entertaining, wasn’t bored once.
Watch American Hustle Online I love Amy Adams, she was gorgeous commanded the screen with her presence and beauty :) and Bradley Hot I don’t care was amazing as the cop that wanted fame :) all and all Lawrence was great as usual in their respected roles, I thought each had their screen time which was very pivotal part of the movie. yes there is a lot of dialogue you have to watch closely but it is a very well made skillful movie other actors such as Jeremy Renner worked great as well :) I like movies that deal with people and this movie did. two thumbs up for the director, the actors, I thought it was an amazing movie :) please see it if you like good movie watching, if you enjoy going dialogue, good sound track.
I think to truly appreciate this movie you have to had lived during the era it depicts and I think it does that very well. My wife and I are in our 50’s and found the movie quite realistic to that time They have made the scenes very authentic as well as the dress, mannerisms of the characters, and the music. It really took us back to our younger days. The ability to weave a little comedy in a movie such as this is what makes it so good. The ending was a true surprise and I never saw it coming. My wife loved it as well and we are even contemplating buying it on DVD when it comes out. A great film. Don’t pass this one by. You wont be disappointed!


Why go anywhere this summer when you have a pool in your backyard? Warmer days are here, which means it is the perfect time for a family pool party. Here are a few tips on the best pool accessories, decorations and snacks to liven up your summer.
The decor is the sprinkles on the cake of any pool party. They shape the atmosphere, so choose the pool accessories that fit your style! Here are a few fun suggestions:
Try hanging paper lanterns from trees, roof overhangs and gazebos or pergolas. Smaller lanterns can also be used for tables and string lanterns can be strung throughout the entire backyard.
Tiki torches give the ultimate tropical summer vibe. Install these around your seating area, at a safe distance, so no one gets burned. They will create a warm atmosphere — perfect for nighttime parties.
There is no pool party without inflatables! They are fun, relaxing and come in a variety of styles for both children and adults. Choose a chair lounger, flamingo or oversized doughnut. Have a few of each style on hand so your guests can choose their favourite type!
Balloons are a fun and easy way to amp up the decor! Hang some in your seating area or let them float in the pool.
Get creative with your table settings! Are you going for a beach theme? Decorate with mini palm trees, plants and seashell decorations.
If you are having a party after dark, bring out some candles or decorate the table with glow sticks!
Warm yourselves up after a nighttime swim with a fire pit. You and your family can sit around, play games and even roast marshmallows. It will make you feel like you are on a camping trip in the middle of your backyard.
The theme is the backbone of your party – it dictates decor, food, drinks, music and even costumes! Here are some ideas to get you started.
Two popular themes for kids are mermaids and pirates! One great way of incorporating these themes is through food. Instead of serving regular cookies, use frosting to create a mermaid’s tail or pirate’s hat. You can also buy napkins, balloons and inflatables that relate to your theme and let your kids choose the toys they want to display.
Tropical Beach Theme
Tiki torches, palm trees and coconuts — these all contribute to creating the best backyard tropical vacation. Serve some fun tropical dishes, like one of these 16 Hawaiian side dishes.
Under the Sea
Bring the ocean to your pool party! This theme is fun for both kids and adults. Serve some seafood, buy inflatables shaped like sea creatures and decorate your backyard with all things sea-related.
Some easy options for foods include any types of finger foods. You can keep a balance of healthy options and treats as well. Try serving a platter of fruit alongside sliders and shrimp tacos. Ice cream and popsicles are also great options for a hot summer’s day.
Turn your pool into an outdoor movie party with an inflatable movie screen. Float on your inflatables, put on your favourite film and munch on popcorn for the perfect family night.
One of the most fun games to play in the pool is volleyball. There are many volleyball nets you can choose from, take a look here and pick your favourite one. For more ideas, check out these 4 fun pool games you can try this summer.
Every party must have music! With a wireless floating pool speaker, you can listen to your favourite songs any time you are by the pool. Choose your favourite speaker and play your go-to summer playlist!
Essential pool party safety tips
Pool parties are more fun when you are staying safe. Here are some tips to follow:
- Always have at least one sober adult watching the kids
- Have a first-aid kit nearby
- Keep extra sunscreen on hand
- For support in the pool, use floatation devices labelled “Department of Transport Canada Approved” or “Canadian Coast Guard, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Approved.”
- If you are consuming alcohol, be sure to enjoy it away from and out of the pool and hot tub.
- Never swim while intoxicated
Even though you may be staying close to home this summer, you can still have the ultimate summer pool party. With the right themes, food and pool accessories, you are sure to have an enjoyable time. You can even customize the design of your pool even further to ensure you have your ideal atmosphere.


We offer beautiful holiday music sung a cappella in four-part harmony. Our repertoire ranges from the traditional carols of England, France and Germany to popular holiday songs from the 1940s to today. We generally perform dressed in traditional Victorian costume, though with advance notice, accommodations may be possible for other attire.
The Yuletide Carolers are available for private and corporate parties, holiday events, shopping malls, and outdoor venues. We can perform in formats from concert presentation to strolling or background entertainment. Tell us about your event, and we'll help find the perfect way to make it a special occasion.


Ringwood School’s drama department has been working in partnership with The National Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre to present a brand new play called ‘Flesh’ written by Rob Drummond as part of the National Theatre Connections Programme. With their help and guidance, Ringwood School’s cast and crew gave it their all and delivered a confident and engaging performance at the Alexandra Theatre in Bognor Regis on Friday 5 April.
Flesh by Rob Drummond, performed by Ringwood School
A group of teenagers wake up in a forest with no clue how they got there. They find themselves separated into two different teams but have no idea what game they are expected to play. With no food, no water and seemingly no chance of escape, it’s only a matter of time before things start to get drastic. But whose side are people on and how far will they go to survive?
Take a look behind the scenes as the drama team and students prepared for the show:


Music Camps & Workshops
Summer Woodwind Workshop 2023
weekly summer workshop
Please note that these camps may be at remote venues
Dates: May 30th – July 25th
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Ages: All ages welcome
Registration: Ms. Maria Picado | 407-777-0323
Get ready for a summer music adventure!
Our woodwind workshop for students offers the perfect opportunity for budding musicians to advance in saxophone, clarinet, and flute in a fun and supportive environment. Students will learn the basics of music theory, rhythm, and technique while also developing their own unique musical voice.
Throughout the workshop, students will have the opportunity to participate in a chamber ensemble performance, working collaboratively with other musicians to create beautiful music. They’ll also receive individualized attention from experienced instructors who will help them hone their skills and build confidence.
Whether your child is a beginner or has some experience, this workshop is the perfect opportunity for them to develop their musical talents and make new friends. So sign up today and let the music begin!


Katie Thurston, the new star of this season’s “Bachelorette,” is already winning viewers over as a fan favorite. The 30-year-old Washington native has made it known that she loves outdoorsy activities (and even took one of her dates fishing in this week’s episode), but that doesn’t mean she isn’t equally glamorous.
Following last week’s premiere, Thurston pulled out all the stops for her appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel.” Here, makeup artist and hairstylist Nora Doench explains how she achieved Thurston’s rose-worthy waves for the occasion.
- To prep hair, use #TEXTURIZA Spray before using a curling iron. This creates a little extra hold and bounce to the style.
- Using a 1½-inch curling iron, alternate the direction of the curls to get more texture and volume. After finishing the waves, I apply TEXTURIZA Finishing Foam throughout the hair with my fingers to loosen the curls a bit and to create extra hold, then brush through. This gives the hair a nice bounce.
- To finish, use MAXCONTROL Spray to diminish flyaways, spraying onto fingers and then smoothing the front part of the hair for sleekness.


As the Sydney skyline readies itself to be adorned with the vibrant hues of Holi, the Indian community in Sydney, along with friends from various backgrounds, prepares to celebrate one of the most anticipated festivals on the multicultural calendar. Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colours, is not just a celebration within the Indian diaspora but a significant event that brings together people from all walks of life in Sydney, symbolizing unity in diversity. This year, the festival promises an even more spectacular celebration on Monday, 25th March 2024, marking the triumph of good over evil and the heralding of spring.
The Essence of Holi
At its core, Holi commemorates the victory of good over evil, inspired by the legend of Prince Prahlad and his triumph over the wicked Holika. It is a time when the community gathers to forget grievances and indulge in fun, symbolized by the smearing of colours on each other. But beyond the play and laughter, Holi is a testament to the strength of faith, the joy of spring, and the importance of community bonds.
Celebrations in Sydney
In Sydney, Holi is more than just a day of colour play; it’s a festival that spans over several days, featuring an array of events across the city that showcase the rich tapestry of Indian culture through food, music, dance, and, of course, the iconic colour play. Here are some highlights of where you can immerse yourself in the festivities:
- The Madison Function Centre, Dural (9th March): Kickstart the celebrations with a ticketed event that blends traditional Holi colours with mouth-watering Indian cuisine and non-stop music. It’s a day event, so mark your calendars!
- Sydney Holi Festival, Bradfield Park, Milsons Point (16th and 17th March): Set against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this event brings a neon twist to the traditional colour play, along with multicultural performances and a range of food and drink stalls.
- Prince Alfred Park, Parramatta (17th March): Enjoy a free-entry day filled with colours, food, and cultural performances. A perfect setting for families looking for a fun and festive day out.
- Quakers Hill Festival of Colour (23rd March): Mihkelson Reserve in Quakers Hill transforms into a carnival of colour and culture, with food trucks, market stalls, and entertainment for all ages.
- Castle Hill Showground (24th March): A free-entry event that invites festival-goers to enjoy a day filled with colours, food, and lively entertainment.
- Blacktown Showground (24th March): This ticketed event promises a day packed with fun colour-throwing activities and a variety of food options to enjoy.
The Spirit of Holi
What sets Holi apart is its incredible power to bring communities together, transcending cultural and social barriers. In Sydney, the festival is a vibrant testament to the city’s multicultural spirit, allowing everyone to partake in the joyous celebrations. It’s a time when the streets of Sydney come alive with laughter, music, dance, and the air filled with colours, reminding us of the beauty in diversity and the strength of our shared humanity.
As we prepare to welcome Holi, let’s embrace the spirit of joy, renewal, and community. Whether you’re at Bradfield Park soaking in the neon lights or at Castle Hill enveloped in clouds of colour, the essence of Holi in Sydney is a vivid reminder of the joy that comes from coming together, celebrating each other’s cultures, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Happy Holi to all! May this festival of colours bring a palette of happiness, health, and prosperity into your lives.


Moonhauzen Animation Studio
Moonhauzen is a Ukrainian 3D animation studio that creates absorbing cartoon characters, commercials, and any 3D brand content you could ever imagine.
These guys are the biggest dreamers we’ve ever seen!
They want to create better worlds for brands and people with the help of absorbing 3D content, making our lives much less boring and much more fun.
Introductions are boring, let’s move to the most exciting part — a brand positioning we’ve created for this inspiring team!
We are here to unbore this world
We make big brands the biggest dreamers who inspire their audience to dream and change the world by creating content people watch as fascinating cartoons.
We’ve created a dynamic, playful logo that looks like a cartoon character with eyes and brows. Every logo block can look different, creating any mood we need.
Bright contrasting colors and contrasting fonts create an atmosphere of cartoon credits or movie posters.
We’ve added the signature visual elements to work with photos and videos, so any of Moonhauzen’s works can be easily recognized.
The studio has created many cartoon characters, so we use them for visual storytelling and create poster-like images.
Website. Exciting. Interactive. Inspiring.
We wanted to create a website that would fully absorb a visitor into some kind of Dreamland for brand managers. We needed to make everybody dream of getting the same fantastic animated content for their brand!
Here is a quick tour of the Dreamland we’ve created:
The main page with interactive animations and stories, engaging you to think of 3D as a wonderful alternative to casual video ads.
We’ve visualized the 3D video-making process to create expectations for those who’ve never worked with 3D.
Moonhauzen is people who work there, so we’ve created animated avatars for each team member and created an inspiring job page.
A template for cases makes any story an exciting journey through the content.
The website is still under construction, so let’s dream of the day when we’ll get a chance to experience all the magic we’ve created!
Art director, Illustrator


Join us for an evening filled with music from talented musicians and vocalists are blind or visually impaired. This event raises awareness and funds for Future In Sight. A variety of musical performances sure to entertain all ages! The evening will be a celebration of abilities.
Doors open at 6:45 pm. Showtime is 7:00 pm.
For more information, to buy tickets or to participate as a sponsor for this event, contact Sasha Clark at 603-224-4039 or email@example.com.


Headed to Las Vegas for the first time?
Can I please come with you? I’m a great guide! (And a decent craps player). No? Well ok then I will just put together a perfect Las Vegas itinerary for you!
But seriously – you’re in for an AMAZING trip. What I love about Las Vegas is that it can be anything that you want it to be. While most people head to Vegas to gamble and party like there’s no tomorrow, there’s also SO MUCH to do that is exactly the opposite. Incredible restaurants, terrific shopping, world-class shows and entertainment, and spas for days. So no matter what you’re up for – Las Vegas truly has something to offer for everyone.
I’m fortunate enough to live in Southern California, which is only a 4.5 hour drive from Vegas – so I’ve visited countless times over the years (even before I was 21…hi, Mom). This post is a roundup of all my favorite things in Vegas and the perfect Las Vegas itinerary for first time visitors! But first…
Before You Go to Las Vegas…
You’ll probably want to buy one of these! I won’t even ask for a cut of your winnings.
Where to stay for your first time in Las Vegas
- Both properties are well-located right in the center of the strip.
- Both have great on-site amenities including a spa, pool, restaurants, and shopping. So you can have an incredible trip and experience much of what Las Vegas has to offer without ever leaving your resort. You’ll thank me when you see how long the cab lines can get!
- Both hotels are relatively new, so the in-room technology is SUPER COOL (I won’t spoil the surprises). Vdara is also non-smoking, so if that’s important to you – Vdara is your spot.
Las Vegas Itinerary for First-Timers
There’s so many things to do in Vegas that just figuring out a game plan can be completely overwhelming. That is why I’ve pulled together all of my Vegas favorites into a 3-day Las Vegas itinerary for first timers.
Day 1: The Whistlestop Tour
Once you arrive, head out on foot to stroll the Strip. Bonus points if you decide to take a 3-foot-tall frozen drink with you. Check out some of the more interesting hotels on the Strip – either the New York New York, the Bellagio, or the pirate show at the Treasure Island.
View the Las Vegas Strip from Above
Grab pre-dinner drinks at the High Roller Ferris Wheel at the Linq for an amazing view of the Strip as the night lights come on. Having your own bartender will make for a pretty fun ferris wheel ride!
My Favorite Las Vegas Restaurant
For dinner, head to the nearby Paris hotel to hit up Mon Ami Gabi – my favorite restaurant in all of Las Vegas! If you can, try to sit outside so that you have a perfect view of the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel. After dinner, hit up a show (make sure you buy your tickets in advance) – I highly recommend Love, O, or Le Reve. Or there’s always Britney!
Day 2: Poolside Shenanigans, Shopping and Skydiving
Grab room service or a quick coffee breakfast so you have time to enjoy the entire day! Head out to the pool early to snag a pool chair and soak up the sun for a few hours. And I mean EARLY. Some of the pool chairs will get claimed with towels starting as early as 7am! As long as you’re out to claim a chair by around 10am – you should be fine.
Las Vegas Pool Options
When it comes to pools in Vegas, there’s two options: chill or party. Almost all resorts have a “chill” pool option – with plenty of lounge chairs, drinks on repeat, and a bit of a see-and-be-seen scene. If it’s in your budget, consider renting a poolside cabana where you’ll have a dedicated space for your group to gather, as well as plenty of shade. Cabanas are a great option for a bachelor/ette party – you can be as relaxed (or not!) as you want to.
If you’re looking for more of a poolside party scene, Las Vegas has some pretty incredible daytime pool parties that are more like clubs than they are pools – and they’re worth experiencing at least once – and more than that, if it’s your thing. If nothing else, the people-watching will be AMAZING. The best ones in my book are the Hard Rock Hotel’s Rehab (the original day club in Vegas and still going STRONG), Mandalay Bay’s Daylight or Tao Beach at the Venetian.
Day 2: Afternoon
For the afternoon, stroll through the shops in the Grand Canal and grab some gelato while you’re at it. The whole scene looks so much like Venice that you may feel like you can check that city off your bucket list! You can even take a gondola ride through the canal, complete with your very own singing gondolier (be on the lookout for marriage proposals!). If you’re still hungry post-gelato, a pizza at Otto’s is about as close as you can get to Italy without actually going there!
Zipline Through Las Vegas
If shopping isn’t your thing, spend the afternoon doing an activity that you can only do in Vegas. A few of my favorites are indoor skydiving or ziplining through Freemont Street. Head back to your hotel to put on your Saturday-night-finest, and then head out for the evening!
Secret Cocktail at the Chandelier Bar
Start your night with drinks at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan, a 3-story bar where you’re literally having drinks INSIDE a chandelier. While you’re there, you HAVE to try the secret cocktail that you won’t find on the menu – The Verbana. Talk about tingly.
Day 3: Burn off A Buffet Breakfast
This morning is the perfect time to indulge in one of Vega’s famous buffets. The buffets are EVERYWHERE – but there’s only a few that are worth the price tag. My favorites are The Buffet at The Bellagio, The Buffet at the Wynn, and the Bacchanal Buffet at Ceasar’s Palace.
Hiking at Red Rock Canyon
If you’re game post-breakfast, I highly recommend checking out the natural beauty in and around Las Vegas – the scenery is just stunning, even though it tends to be overshadowed by the Strip. Try either a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, or if you’d rather burn off that buffet, the hiking trails at Red Rock Canyon are unbelievably beautiful.
There You Have it – A Perfect Itinerary for Las Vegas First-Timers!
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Rhythm & Brews Music and Craft Beer Festival
May 4 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The Rhythm & Brews Music and Craft Beer Festival is one unforgettable day, complete with jams from local musicians and tastes of more than 50 of the most renowned breweries from San Diego County and other vibrant craft beer regions around the country. Known as the ‘Capital of Craft’, San Diego is the birthplace of some of our industry’s most respected brewers and home to more than 130 craft breweries. From Karl Strauss to Stone Brewing, America’s finest city has been brewing up high quality beers since the late 80s.


One of the best things about being a game designer is seeing the kids I test with get inspired to make their own games. Designing a game uses so many parts of your brain and can keep kids’ math, reading, writing, creative, and critical thinking skills sharp throughout the summer. Plus, it’s a ton of fun and can be a project that the whole family can enjoy. You could spread the steps out over the whole summer, dipping in and out as you’d like, or just follow them in one day or afternoon.
Step 1: Get Inspired
Pop some popcorn and play a few of your favorite games or borrow some new ones from your friends and neighbors. Try to play a variety of types of games and talk about the answers to these questions after you play:
*What kind of game is this?
*What makes this game fun?
*What is the theme of the game? Note that some games are “abstract” and do not have a theme.
*What are the components or pieces of the game?
*What role does luck have in the game?
*What kind of choices do players make in the game?
*How would you change this game to make it better?
Step 2: Decide on a Theme
There are a lot of ways to start making a board game, but, I think that starting with a theme is one of the easiest (especially for kids). The theme of your game is the story of your game. What is your game about? Work together to brainstorm a big list of themes that might make a fun board game. Keep it on your fridge so that you can capture ideas as your family has them. You can draw inspiration from the things you’re doing this summer, like a trip to the beach or a family reunion, or think of something outrageous and wacky like teddy bear ninjas searching for treasure. Sometimes it’s fun to create a game around a book your family is reading or something you know very well. My daughter’s latest game idea is called “The Very Messy Room,” which is about, you guessed it, her very messy bedroom. At the end of the week, pick your favorite theme.
Step 3: Decide on a Mechanic
What type of game are you going to make? Is it a card game, a roll-and-move game, an up-and-active game where you run around the room? What type of actions does the theme suggest? Would it make sense to move along a path? Or trade cards? In “The Very Messy Room,” for instance, I hope players will be picking things up. Are those cards on the table? Or items on a board? If the game is cooperative, you’ll need to decide on an antagonist or the person or thing you’re working against. You can use this list of mechanics to help you decide what type of game would best fit your theme.
Step 4: Talk About Your Concept
Now it’s time to work out the details of your game! The best games combine both strategy (meaningful decisions made by players to affect the outcome of the game) and luck, but you can certainly have a totally luck-based game. Decide on the answer to these questions and use a pencil and paper to sketch out the board, the cards, or other components in the game.
*What do you do on a turn? Are there different parts to a turn or is it just one action?
*What decisions will players have to make and when and how will they interact with each other?
*What are the components or pieces in the game?
*How does the game end and how do you win?
Step 5: Make a Prototype
Your first prototype of your game should be fast and easy. Use markers, paper, and existing pieces from other games. I’ll often go to the thrift store and buy games just to use the pieces or the board, which I cover in blank paper to make a new game. The prototype should be playable but not fancy since there will be plenty of things you’ll want to change after you play your game the first time. You don’t need to use thematic artwork, and you can ask your first testers to use their imaginations. For now, players can imagine that the movers from Sorry are teddy bears and that the beads from a broken necklace are jewels that the bears are collecting. Be sure to jot down a quick set of rules.
Step 6: Play Together!
Take the game for a test drive. Play as a family or with neighbors and friends. Don’t worry if the game doesn’t work like you thought it would -- early prototypes rarely, if ever, do! That’s what playtesting is for. Make notes when you play about what is good and what can be improved. Ask other players what they think.
Step 7: What’s Next?
Now it’s time to think and talk about what you’ve learned and make a plan. What was broken about the game? How would you fix it? How could you make it more fun? Does the game need to be shorter? Do the players not land on the spaces they need? Is there anything that’s confusing about the game? How could you make changes to improve the game? Once you feel good about your game, you can make a fancier version and spend more time on the board and pieces. You can make custom pieces from Sculpey or movers out of wooden pegs and paint. You can make sturdy, uniform card backs by printing them on full-sheet label paper and adhering them to the card fronts (printed on card stock). You can “laminate” your board with clear Contact paper.
Most of all, have fun and let your imaginations run wild. And if you create something you want to share, send me a picture at firstname.lastname@example.org!


Christmas Musical: “The Journey of Christmas”
Two Musical Performances in the Worship Center include:
- Saturday, December 15
- Sunday, December 16
Invite your friends and wear your fun festive Christmas sweaters to this “The Journey of Christmas” musical performance and afterwards stay for our Christmas Sampler! Bring a favorite treat to share! We are going to have a blast as we celebrate Jesus, the true gift of Christmas!
From the first song to the last song, both choirs and congregations will be taken on a journey through the arrival of the King of Kings, the Almighty, The Great I Am. The Journey of Christmas features sing-able arrangements of both time-honored and newly-created songs for the Christmas season.
A way station is a stopping point on a journey, or a temporary stage in a longer process. Mitchell Schuster is the somewhat reluctant inheritor of a small family gas station that is, as he says, at the intersection of nowhere and oblivion.
Although his suitcase is perpetually packed, he never seems to be able to escape from his struggling business to take a long-planned-always-postponed Christmas trip, much less start the life he is sure God had promised him. But as the years pass, Mitchell finds himself providing brief, but necessary, respite for various strangers on their own Christmas journeys: some need to get directions, some need to turn around and take a different route, others simply need a short rest. Spanning six decades, Mitchell learns that sometimes the greatest journey you can take is in helping others find the right road. In the process, you may arrive at a destination far different than the one originally sought: returning to the foot of a manger . . . and the heart of God.
Childcare will be available for birth through pre-kindergarten in the Children's Department.