https://youtu.be/65KRkG-iXMM This is a favorite theme from the Nickelodeon show Avatar: The Last Airbender. I didn't watch it as a kid, but I am enjoying it now. The sheet music for this quick cover can be found here: Avatar's Love Sheet Music The instrument in the video is called a kalimba, a modernized version of a traditional... Continue Reading →
As always, this book review is spoiler free, focusing on the characteristics of the book rather than the content of the plot. I just finished reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, book one in The Kingkiller Chonicles. The book is the first of a projected three, though book three has been in the... Continue Reading →
Free PDF sheet music for Mandalorian Theme arranged for advanced piano.
I don't typically mix my academic and creative lives on this site though it happens all the time in my day-to-day living. However, a publication is a publication, and writing is writing, so I feel justified in sharing this small success here. As of today my undergraduate thesis is published! In light of the publication,... Continue Reading →
Illustrator Bam Bofu and I joined forces on this children's book project, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I can't wait to share it with you! Here's the short blurb from Amazon: "Brothers Hershel, Leo, and Sammy are in for a surprise when they wake up one morning to the sound of... Continue Reading →
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NPhy0P_83A In light of the newest Disney rendition of The Lion King, I thought it would be fun to revisit this cover of "I Just Can't Wait to be King" from several years back. This arrangement is the only one I've ever used piano drumming in. (Skip to 1:11 if you want to see the piano... Continue Reading →
I watched you glide across the lake in a yellow kayak. Your braid trailed in the clear water. I half expected the kayak's prow to lift free and slide silently up into the sunlight. Next time, if it does, will you take me with you? My kayak is red. —M.M. Watercolor "Kayaking Along the Shoreline"... Continue Reading →
As always, this review is spoiler-free. Wrath of the Dragon King is book 2 of 5 of author Brandon Mull's Dragonwatch series. The series borrows from and continues the story of told in the Fablehaven books. It follows the story of siblings Kendra and Seth as they attempt to prevent a war with the dragons of... Continue Reading →
As always, this book review is spoiler-free! Book of a Thousand Days is a fairy tale novel by author Shannon Hale. It is based on the Brothers' Grimm story "Maid Maleen." I liked the story for a lot of reasons, but here are my thoughts: Fairy Tale Spirit—Shannon Hale has figured out the recipe for writing... Continue Reading →
Enjoy your choice. Just Be in time. This is the joy of missing out. —M.M. Note: JOMO was Word of the Day on dictionary.com Monday, May 13, 2019. It was defined as, "a feeling of contentment with one’s own pursuits and activities, without worrying over the possibility of missing out on what others may be... Continue Reading →
