Bilbo’s Last Song is considered by many to be Tolkien’s epilogue to his classic work The Lord of the Rings. As Bilbo Baggins takes his final voyage to the Undying Lands, he must say goodbye to Middle-earth. Poignant and lyrical, the song is both a longing to set forth on his ultimate journey and a tender farewell to friends left behind. Pauline Baynes’s jewel-like illustrations lushly depict both this final voyage and scenes from The Hobbit, as Bilbo remembers his first journey while he prepares for his last.
From comic books to summer blockbusters, all people enjoy art in some form or another. However, few of us can effectively explain why certain books, movies, and songs resonate so profoundly within us. In Echoes of Eden, Jerram Barrs helps us identify the significance of artistic expression as it reflects the extraordinary creativity and unmatched beauty of the Creator God. Additionally, Barrs provides the key elements for evaluating and defining great art: (1) The glory of the original creation; (2) The tragedy of the curse of sin; (3) The hope of final redemption and renewal. These three qualifiers are then put to the test as Barrs investigates five of the world's most influential authors who serve as ideal case studies in the exploration of the foundations and significance of great art.
2014 RomCon Readers’ Crown Winner! Ha’ven Ha’darra is the Crown Prince for the Curizans, an advanced species known for their technology. They may not have the power to shift like the Valdier or the Sarafin but they have hidden powers of their own that they guard. Not even his best friends, Creon Reykill of the Valdier or Vox d’Rojah of the Sarafin, are aware of the powers he holds within his deadly frame. Ha’ven is happy to help out his Valdier friend when he calls. There are only two things that satisfy the restlessness inside him – a good fight and an even better evening with a hot, willing female. He has no desire to settle down like his two friends have. He enjoys having his freedom and the wide sample of females at his disposal. All of that changes when he catches a glimpse of the delicate beauty who looks through him as if he doesn’t even exist. His blood calls to her, his magic aches to meld with hers, but she blocks his every advance. Emma Watson’s life was perfect. Her love for music and dance let her escape the overwhelming shyness that she suffered from all her life. When she is invited to travel with a group to promote music and dance for children in South America, she believes it is the perfect chance to discover who she can really be. Everything changes when she is kidnapped by a powerful drug lord. Beaten and forced to watch the torture of other women, she withdrawals into the world she feels safest – the one inside herself. When she is rescued by creatures not of this world, they heal her physical wounds but cannot touch the ones deep inside her. She has given up on ever returning to her world and has little hope for the future. That is why she does not understand why one aggravating male suddenly won’t leave her alone. She wants nothing to do with men! They cause nothing but heartache and pain. She had been on the receiving end of their fists to know that! Why would she want one that could crush her with one hand? No woman has ever turned Ha’ven Ha’darra down and he isn’t about to accept his mate doing it. He will show her that not all men are the same, even if he has to kidnap her and take her to his world to do it. He plans to show her the power she has hidden deep inside her and open her heart to the love he has in his. Now, he just has a few extra problems to overcome. Her Valdier protectors have given him six months to change her mind about wanting to return to them, a traitor is trying to kill them both, and they have crashed on a remote moon. Can he unlock her magic in time to save their love or will the traitor, determined to kill them, destroy her before he can? A NY Times and USA Today bestselling author, the internationally acclaimed S.E. Smith presents a new story with her signature humor and unpredictable twists! Exciting adventure, hot romance, and iconic characters have won her a legion of fans. Over TWO MILLION books sold!
The musicological study of popular music has developed, particularly over the past twenty years, into an established aspect of the discipline. The academic community is now well placed to discuss exactly what is going on in any example of popular music and the theoretical foundation for such analytical work has also been laid, although there is as yet no general agreement over all the details of popular music theory. However, this focus on the what of musical detail has left largely untouched the larger question - so what? What are the consequences of such theorization and analysis? Scholars from outside musicology have often argued that too close a focus on musicological detail has left untouched what they consider to be more urgent questions related to reception and meaning. Scholars from inside musicology have responded by importing into musicological discussion various aspects of cultural theory. It is in that tradition that this book lies, although its focus is slightly different. What is missing from the field, at present, is a coherent development of the what into the so what of music theory and analysis into questions of interpretation and hermeneutics. It is that fundamental gap that this book seeks to fill. Allan F. Moore presents a study of recorded popular song, from the recordings of the 1920s through to the present day. Analysis and interpretation are treated as separable but interdependent approaches to song. Analytical theory is revisited, covering conventional domains such as harmony, melody and rhythm, but does not privilege these at the expense of domains such as texture, the soundbox, vocal tone, and lyrics. These latter areas are highly significant in the experience of many listeners, but are frequently ignored or poorly treated in analytical work. Moore continues by developing a range of hermeneutic strategies largely drawn from outside the field (strategies originating, in the most part, within psychology and philosophy) but still deeply r
"A new approach to teaching general music. This book is a collection of lesson plans and units that artfully blend music making with relevant issues of social justice. Particularly accessible to middle and high school classroom music teachers, the book includes a companion website with links to all of the music listening and videos. Student-centered lessons include discussion prompts, experiences with diverse genres and styles of music, and music making projects with an integration of technology that activate students' creativity and empathy. Unit topics-ranging from "War" to "Climate Change"-include cross-disciplinary lessons with the arts playing a central role. Well-researched introductory materials as well as "how-to" guides for topics, such as "composing in the classroom," enhance its practicality. This book is a resource, with ready-to-go lessons and classroom materials, offering music teachers a lens for engaging students in purposeful music making toward social justice"--
