Award-Winning Composers and World-Class Musicians Bring Three Tributes CD to Life
Immerse yourself in an emotional violin solo, get swept up by stunningly prestissimo strings, and experience the layered splendor of four hands on two pianos. Three Tributes is a music CD (with an accompanying booklet) featuring three breathtaking, original scores that would make a welcome addition to anyone’s collection of chamber orchestra music.
The CD features award-winning composers Kevin Puts, Andrea Clearfield and Gunther Schuller, along with a host of world-class performers. Three Tributes was commissioned by fellow musicians (and brothers) Robert and James Freeman as a way of honoring their family’s musical legacy, which spans three generations. Their parents, Henry and Florence Knope Freeman, were both children of musicians and graduated the Eastman School of Music in Rochester in 1930.
Both Robert and James Freeman studied piano and theory at Cambridge’s Longy School while graduating from Milton Academy, and studied performance during the summers at Tanglewood, Blue Hill and Marlboro. They went on to Harvard, where each graduated with honors, followed by travelling fellowships for study in Europe.
Robert took his Ph.D. in music history at Princeton and taught there for five years before moving to MIT, where he made tenure just before moving for 24 years to the directorship of the Eastman School — his parents’ alma mater — followed by two years as president of the New England Conservatory and six as dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.
James went straight from Harvard to Swarthmore College, where he taught and conducted for 37 years, served as departmental chair for 16 years and as Daniel Underhill Professor of Music. In 1988 he founded Philadelphia’s new music group Orchestra 2001, directing it until 2015 when he resigned to take on a new ensemble, Chamber Orchestra FIRST EDITIONS. In 1991 he was a Fulbright lecturer and conductor at the Moscow Conservatory, and has returned to Moscow many times since then to give concerts of new American music.
Both brothers have made lots of recordings, and have published their share of well-reviewed books and articles. When the idea arose to commission some original scores to honor their family legacy, Robert and James sought out music’s finest to bring their vision for Three Tributes to fruition.
Two of the composers featured on the CD have won the Pulitzer Prize. Kevin Puts is currently at work on an opera for the Metropolitan Opera. Andrea Clearfield, who took her DMA at Temple, is the founder of the Philadelphia Salon Concert Series, featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, world and electronic music, together with multimedia and spoken word arts. The late Gunther Schuller was one of the 20th Century’s music stars as composer, conductor, author and administrator. He was a great admirer of their father’s bass playing, and a good friend.
Robert and James hope that Three Tributes will inspire others to undertake similar projects. Neither of them is aware of any similar event in the history of music where two brothers from a family of professional musicians — spanning at least two generations before them — have commissioned significant works as a tribute to their parents and for future generations to enjoy.
Three Tributes CD Available at: https://www.innova.mu/albums/james-and-robert-freeman/three-tributes
Trish Stevens Teresa Hinojosa Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 832.569.5773 Direct 281.333.3507 Phone [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
True Story of Survival Opens Minds and Dialogues about Mental Health
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Mark Henick stood precariously on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass. The bridge spanned two realities and, for Henick, had become a symbol of escape — in one form or another. A voice behind him tried to help. A crowd gathered. Siren lights flashed in his peripheral vision. Surrounded but still alone, Henick let go.
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience from Mark Henick is a vital and triumphant story of perseverance and recovery by one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health
Henick’s near-death experience on the overpass that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.
So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount. So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience Publisher: HarperCollins Release Date: January 12, 2021 ISBN-10: 1443455032 ISBN-13: 978-1443455039 Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Audible and others
Trish Stevens Teresa Hinojosa Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 832.569.5773 Direct 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
Trish Stevens Claire Downing Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
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Code-At-Home Tech Toys Keep Girls Engaged, Away From Computer Screens, During COVID-19 School Closures
Are you looking for constructive ways to keep your children stimulated and engaged during the COVID-19 school shutdown? The line of groundbreaking toys from SmartGurlz Inc. uses an award-winning robotics platform to teach basic coding skills to girls as young as 6.
“Many girls’ toys lag behind in the development of spatial skills, hands-on problem solving skills, and confidence with coding and computer science,” explains SmartGurlz founder Sharmi Albrechtsen. “These are exactly the skills that SmartGurlz aims to develop.”
The SmartGurlz line of unique, interactive, self-balancing robots and dolls are controlled with the SugarCoded™ App than can be downloaded onto an IOS or android phone or tablet that once downloaded requires no Wi-Fi, just Bluetooth.
A full, step-by-step tutorial teaches basic coding strategies so young girls can maneuver the toys around obstacle courses of their own design. With several levels of learning and chal-lenges, the toy keeps kids occupied several hours a week for 4-6 months.
The company is also offering a free weekly webinar for parents and kids affected by COVID- 19 that includes getting started, tips and tricks, and weekly home assignments.
Girls playing with SmartGurlz products learn three key concepts:
Spatial Reasoning. Girls learn how to direct/orient their robots in new environments and in-terpret maps.
Computer Programming. Girls learn to program their robots using our kid-friendly coding App called SugarCodedTM.
Storytelling & Problem Solving. Girls learn to tell stories and solve missions via coding.
The SmartGurlz product line also includes an e-book series available through the App that focuses on the everyday adventures of four talented young women studying at the fictional New York Institute of Technology — N.I.T.
We’re all adjusting to a new normal. You can use this extra time at home to inspire the female tech leaders of tomorrow with toys that integrate the power of play with the power of technology.
SmartGurlz CEO Sharmi Albrechtsen is a robotics aficionado, educator, author and mom with a passion for closing the diversity gap in technology.
In 2015, Sharmi started SmartGurlz after becoming frustrated with the lack of STEM toys available for her daughter. The SmartGurlz flagship product, Siggy, was the first robotics product designed specifically for girls. More than 30,000 girls have been educated with SmartGurlz. SmartGurlz partners include BlackGirlsCode, Girl Scouts of America and Morrison Mentors.
SmartGurlz recently expanded its product line to include Smart Buddies (a joint-venture with Pitsco Education), which features a diverse set of characters suitable for both girls and boys, targeted towards schools.
Sharmi was recently given AdWeek’s Disruptor Award in Championing Gender Diversity in Advertising and Tech. She has also been named Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 by the Asian Chamber of Commerce as well as named a Morgan Stanley Multi-Cultural Innovation Lab fellow. Sharmi has been featured in Forbes, Huffington Post, Financial Times, Fox Business News, Fox and Friends and CNN. She is also a featured TEDx speaker.
Trish Stevens
Teresa Hinojosa
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
832.569.5773 Direct
281.333.3507 Phone
832.569.5539 Fax [email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
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Join The Adventure As Playful Puffins Encounter Fire And Ice
Summertime in Iceland means nearly 24 hours of glistening sunlight each day—perfect for lighting the way for adventurous little puffins. But when two puffin friends, Árni and Birta, embark upon a journey of exploration, an Icelandic Faery plays clever tricks on them, making their grand adventure take longer than expected. The extended darkness of September’s nightfall looms large on the horizon, and the pufflings must find their way home in a hurry.
Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice is the third installment in RA Anderson’s delightful Iceland: The Puffin Explorers Series, and this time around, Iceland’s natural wonders take center stage. Árni and Birta discover glaciers, volcanoes, natural energy, lava fields, waterfalls and some of the legendary folk of Iceland. But as nightfall draws closer, Árni’s parents must step up their frantic search for these two curious puffins to help guide them back to their burrows before dark. Will they succeed? Join the adventure to find out!
Although intended for children who have a love for all animals, birds and nature, adults will find that these books hold a unique type of travelogue, complete with fun facts and breath-taking photography shot by the author as she explored the beautiful country of Iceland.
Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice follows in the webbed footsteps of Puffins Take Flight and Puffins off the Beaten Path, the first two books in Anderson’s entertaining and educational Puffin Explorers Series.
Author RA Anderson is a wanderer who has lived all over, from California to Belize, and currently, home is a town called Rome, in Georgia that is!
A lifelong passion for creative writing and photography became her life. Her award-winning photographs have been featured in table books, magazines and front-page news, and her writing has been published in magazines, poetry books and children’s books. Her If Pets Could Talk series includes Cats, Dogs, Farm Animals and A Service Dog. Iceland: The Puffin Explorers Series is her newest children’s series. She also recently released a YA book, Girl Sailing Aboard the Western Star.
Three boys—her heart and soul—call her Mom. She and her husband are recent empty-nesters, leaving them more time to travel.
For more information, please visit ra-anderson.com, or connect with her on social media at https://www.facebook.com/raAndersonAuthor/; @aruthanne Instagram; @ra_anderson_author Instagram; or @aruthanne Twitter.
Puffins Encounter Fire & Ice
Publisher: My Favorite Books Publishing Company, LLC
Release Date: January 8, 2020
ISBN-10: 1950590097
ISBN-13: 978-1950590094
Available from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
Trish Stevens Kim Weiss Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] ascotmedia.com (800) 851-9100 Ext. 9212
Are You Raising Or Teaching A Bully? This enlightening children’s book shows that the key to creating a generation of kinder, more resilient kids is to stop the first bully they encounter—THEMSELVES!
Words have power. The words others say to us can either lift us as high as the clouds, or drop us down like a crashing plane. But what about the words we tell ourselves? What about that constantly running inner voice? In truth, what we say to ourselves impacts us even more than what others say to us.
“Pigtails are for babies!” she snarled at me. Her words hurt more than the time I broke my arm. I quickly untied my hair. I wore my hair down for the rest of the school year.
That was the first time I met the Big Bad Bully … She called me names like “fatty,” “piglet” and “ugly.” Things are worse now that I am in the 6th grade. Even when I don’t see her, I can always hear the whispers, the giggles, and the growls.
So goes the mesmerizing story of a young girl who grows up with a voice that ridicules and demeans her. In the end, we discover that her tormentor is staring back at her every day in the mirror.
Featuring stunning artwork–and small enough to fit in a backpack–this profound book is a tool for engaging children, young adolescents, parents, and caring adults about the impressions they make on themselves with their thoughts and self-talk. Included are powerful workbook exercises and resources for implementing healthy self-esteem habits that can last a lifetime.
About the Authors:
Jack Canfield is an award-winning speaker and an internationally recognized leader in personal development and peak performance strategies. As the co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® series, he’s taught millions of individuals his formulas for success. He is the author and co-author of more than 150 books (including 66 bestsellers) with more than 100 million copies in print in 47 languages around the world. His bestselling book, The Success Principles has been hailed as the new self-improvement classic.
Miriam Laundry is a sought-after speaker at schools nationwide. She is the author of I CAN Believe in Myself, I CAN Make a Difference, and I CAN Be Me. On an average year, she visits 100 schools speaking to 50,000 children. She set a Guinness World Record on May 7, 2014 for the largest online book discussion in a 24-hour period. More than 100,000 children and adults participated in this record with the purpose of promoting positive mental health. Her books have also received numerous book awards including a Mom’s Choice Award and a Readers Favorite International Award. Miriam was also awarded the 2014 Winspiration Award.
The Big, Bad Bully ISBN-13: 9780757323089 ISBN-10: 0757323081 On Sale: 10/29/2019 Hardcover 48 pages, Juvenile Fiction
Trish Stevens Anna Lee Simpson Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
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Unbullied: Book Offers A Better Way To Fight Back
Anti-bullying campaigns in schools and communities get a lot of press, so have all the bullies in the world simply stopped being bullies just because there’s a heightened awareness of the issue? Of course not. More needs to be done, and some of the answers may lie between the covers of Unbullied – 14 Techniques to Silence the Critics: Externally and Internally from anti-bullying advocate Kalyani Pardeshi.
After attending an anti-bullying workshop at her child’s school, Pardeshi was struck by the realization that most of the tactics being taught today are just as ineffective as they were years ago. She drew upon her own experiences to pen strategies that worked for her.
In her book, readers will discover simple, yet effective, techniques for overcoming the debilitating effects of bullying, while ending the fear of suffering in silence, the fear of feeling powerless and the fear that no one will believe you. The author shares easy to use, compelling tactics developed from years of being bullied herself.
In this book, readers will learn a series of powerful techniques: • The “somersault,” to turn name calling on its head • The “sure pumpkin,” to have the perfect retort instantly • The “flip the switch,” to overcome negative self-talk and thoughts • The “3 I’s and a T,” to let go of the anger and hurt • The “loudspeaker,” to be heard and taken seriously by those who can help
Additionally, exercises accompany each chapter to help readers hone their strategies along the way. Plus, Pardeshi includes a letter template to show readers how to communicate effectively with those who have the authority to help them.
While being a handy guide for teens, parents and educators alike, the techniques provided in this book can be applied to all forms of bullying: verbal, social, physical and cyberbullying.
A strong advocate against bullying, Kalyani Pardeshi connects with teenagers through a mutual enemy: Bullying. She openly shares her own experiences of bullying and overcoming the emotional scars left by it. In her own words, she says it is safe to say that wherever she went, bullying followed her, leaving her no choice but to develop skills to silence her bullies and build self-confidence. A short story of her experiences was published on more than 500 websites, including local news sites under internationally recognized authority brands like ABC, NBC and Fox news. She has been interviewed by Chris Burns from Burn It Up Coaching and by Trisha Malika Ghosh on Soulful Saturdays.
To learn more about the author, please visit https://kalyanipardeshi.wixsite.com/website or connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kalyanispeaks.
For the author’s compelling anti-bullying video, please visit https://www.facebook.com/kalyani.pardeshi/videos/10156784056031208/.
Unbullied – 14 Techniques to Silence the Critics: Externally and Internally Release Date: August 26, 2019 ISBN-10: 1079160361 ISBN-13: 978-1079160369 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Liz Chase Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
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New Generation Of Organically-Sourced, Cruelty Free Products Heal, Nourish, Protect
Are your antibacterial products delivering protection or poison? Many antibacterial gels and sprays ¬— like the kinds many children carry at school — contain synthetic alcohol derivatives that may cause allergic reactions and complications. Nadona International’s Ultimate Germ Shield is 100 percent organic; vegan; dairy-, gluten- and cruelty-free; contains NO alcohol or chemicals; and provides antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral protection. The eco-friendly, proprietary ingredients include sage, frankincense, basil seed, cinnamon, wormwood, cam-phor, aloe vera juice, eucalyptus and more.
Ultimate Germ Shield is ideal for anyone — parents, children, athletes, travelers, public ser-vice employees — interested in safe, effective germ protection. All of Nadona’s products are made with the highest quality organic ingredients that are globally sourced from quality-controlled suppliers.
“Our products contain only what is healing and nourishing to the whole body as well as the environment around us,” says company founder Nada Cory, whose passion for nutritional healing was fueled by an experience she had as a young mother. Cory’s son had become ill while on vacation, and a specially-infused tea prepared by their hostess provided immediate, profound relief. Going forward, Cory pursued an interest in herbology, believing fully in the power of herbal elixirs, teas and potions.
In addition to Ultimate Germ Shield, Nadona’s revolutionary products include:
• STC-15 — A whole food protein powder that nourishes the entire system and helps the body maintain a proper acid-alkaline balance. It is a complete source of essential and nonessential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Formulated for young and old; athletes and housewives; professionals on the go; weight conscious individuals; and everyone interested in rebuilding gut flora.
• ImmorLyt — This facial enhancer, serum and cream trio is for all types of skin, regard-less of gender, age and condition. Made for those seeking a safe product to rejuve-nate, nourish and give the skin the maximum nutritional value it craves.
Blended and overseen by a renowned botanist and holistic doctor practicing ancient Persian Medicine in its purest form, Nadona products promise results without harm to the individual or the planet.
Nadona International founder and President Nada Cory has been tending and harvesting herbs, vegetables and fruits as far back as she can remember. Raised by her maternal grandparents on a farmstead in beautiful Croatia, Cory has led a spiritual, holistic and meta-physical life. Her passion and calling to teach prevention and the understanding that “food is our medicine,” rings clear in her work, products, global affiliations and all she exemplifies. Cory celebrates the relationship we have with nature, which is crucial for our bodies to re-main vibrant and youthful.
Cory is a registered medical assistant, certified in Healing Dahn Hag Yoga, Reiki, Essential Oils/Raindrop Therapy, philanthropist, entrepreneur and a Dream Builder/Life Mastery Con-sultant. After the passing of her husband Joe in 2015, she founded the Joseph P. Cory Foundation in his memory. Its mission is to empower people and communities to achieve wellness and wellbeing through expertise, education and guidance.
For more information or to view the full line of Nadona products, visit [email protected], or connect with the company on Facebook at Nadona In-ternational LLC.
