In the story of the great lyric poet Simonides, Mary Renault brings alive a time in Greece when tyrants kept an unsteady rule and poetry, music, and royal patronage combined to produce a flowering of the arts. Born into a stern farming family on the island of Keos, Simonides escapes his harsh childhood through a lucky apprenticeship with a renowned Ionian singer. As they travel through 5th century B.C. Greece, Simonides learns not only how to play the kithara and compose poetry, but also how to navigate the shifting alliances surrounding his rich patrons. He is witness to the Persian invasion of Ionia, to the decadent reign of the Samian pirate king Polykrates, and to the fall of the Pisistratids in the Athenian court. Along the way, he encounters artists, statesmen, athletes, thinkers, and lovers, including the likes of Pythagoras and Aischylos. Using the singer's unique perspective, Renault combines her vibrant imagination and her formidable knowledge of history to establish a sweeping, resilient vision of a golden century.

Vocal Training for Praise Singers is a training manual for Christian vocalists of all kinds. Worship leaders, choir directors and members, and Christian artists will all benefit from such practical tools as the 85 voice exercises, (with downloadable audio tracks), discussion of vocal anatomy and health issues and a primer on reading music. Richly complimented with scripture and personal experience, all sections include helpful graphics and are supported with examples from traditional and contemporary Christian music. What Readers are Saying: Here you will find a humble, vulnerable, experience-informed guide to all things having to do with leading or participating in contemporary worship, from musical notation, to vocal technique and health, to group dynamics, to spiritual counsel. Thank you, Julie, for gleaning from your years of experience as a singer, worship leader, and follower of Jesus to assemble this spiritually sensitive guide for your fellow servants of God. -Kenneth Bozeman, Professor Emeritus http: //www.kenbozeman.com Kinscheck has produced here an almost encyclopedic guide to everything pertaining to vocal excellence. Her love for God and the church bleeds off of these pages. I commend this work for anyone who sings in a worship team or choir, has ambition to sing for a living, or just wants to improve their singing technique to glorify God in the congregation. -Dave Eastman Minister and Author https: //www.lifechangingworship.com/video-lessons/ Julie Kinscheck, Assistant Professor at Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, is a Christian artist, songwriter, worship leader, wife, Mom of teen twins and disciple of Jesus. Raised in Ithaca, NY, she holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music and studied classical music at Oberlin Conservatory. Her Masters of Vocal Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College is expected in 2022. She has released four full length albums, gigs regularly, and runs a private voice studio in Billerica, MA. Please visit www.julieksings.com

In the story of the great lyric poet Simonides, Mary Renault brings alive a time in Greece when tyrants kept an unsteady rule and poetry, music, and royal patronage combined to produce a flowering of the arts. Born into a stern farming family on the island of Keos, Simonides escapes his harsh childhood through a lucky apprenticeship with a renowned Ionian singer. As they travel through 5th century B.C. Greece, Simonides learns not only how to play the kithara and compose poetry, but also how to navigate the shifting alliances surrounding his rich patrons. He is witness to the Persian invasion of Ionia, to the decadent reign of the Samian pirate king Polykrates, and to the fall of the Pisistratids in the Athenian court. Along the way, he encounters artists, statesmen, athletes, thinkers, and lovers, including the likes of Pythagoras and Aischylos. Using the singer's unique perspective, Renault combines her vibrant imagination and her formidable knowledge of history to establish a sweeping, resilient vision of a golden century.

Growing as a Prophetic Singer addresses practical issues of the heart and offers instruction on how to grow vocally and how to develop in the Word. This informative, and approachable resource is for any singer or worship leader who is involved, or who desires to be involved, with a house of prayer or a church worship team.

Far too often, life’s challenges and questions cause people to fight feelings of doubt and despair, as they search endlessly for hope. In Singing in the Dark, Ginny Owens introduces the reader to powerful ways of drawing closer to God and how the elements of music, prayer, and lament offer rich, vibrant, and joyful communion with Him, especially on the darkest days. Ginny has gained a unique life perspective, as she has lived without sight since age three. She brings rich, biblical teaching that will encourage readers and compel them to dig deep into the beautiful songs, prayers, and poetry of Scripture—the same words through which the people of the Bible flourished in impossible circumstances. Singing in the Dark includes reflection and journaling prompts at the end of each chapter.

To perform well in today's highly competitive world where technical skills have been advanced to an unprecedented degree, a singer must be able to handle incredible pressure within the performing arena; his or her ability to deal with this stress will often determine whether he or she will succeed. Why, then, do singers with less technical skill sometimes out-perform stars? Why do some stars suddenly stop performing? What is that mysterious factor that makes an electric performance? Consistent, competent performances do not depend solely upon superior vocal skills, nor are they a matter of luck. On the contrary, the best performances result from a combination of mental attitude, concrete performing skills, and excellent technical skills in that order. Yet most singers have never had the opportunity to acquire the essential skills that make for a successful career.Written as a self-help manual for singers at all levels of expertise, Power Performance for Singers is designed to teach performing artists, and especially singers, how to experience elite performance at their level. The skills outlined in this book will help singers use what they have, to enjoy their voices during performance, and to perform consistently to the best of their present ability.

Feminism, Appalachian culture, and country music: three threads beautifully woven into one in Marianne Worthington's poetry collection The Girl Singer. The poet grew up in urban Appalachia, listening to country and folk music and letting it live within her. The speakers in The Girl Singer offer lyrical celebrations of the women who performed that music and recite their stories anew. The girl singer is also the poet—one who traces loss through turning seasons, monitors the patterns of neighborhood wildlife, and creates a sisterhood for singing old songs in new ways. The Girl Singer is part family history, part music, and part nature walk. Worthington's attentive eye and heart are reflected in the starkly striking and painful images she paints in the poems. Every poem, whether describing a connection with Appalachian wildlife, retelling the lyrics of a classic country tune, reflecting on the speaker's bloodline, or giving voice to famous musical figures of the past, strikes a powerful chord.