Shao-yun Yang challenges assumptions that the cultural and socioeconomic watershed of the Tang-Song transition (800–1127 CE) was marked by a xenophobic or nationalist hardening of ethnocultural boundaries in response to growing foreign threats. In that period, reinterpretations of Chineseness and its supposed antithesis, “barbarism,” were not straightforward products of political change but had their own developmental logic based in two interrelated intellectual shifts among the literati elite: the emergence of Confucian ideological and intellectual orthodoxy and the rise of neo-Confucian (daoxue) philosophy. New discourses emphasized the fluidity of the Chinese-barbarian dichotomy, subverting the centrality of cultural or ritual practices to Chinese identity and redefining the essence of Chinese civilization and its purported superiority. The key issues at stake concerned the acceptability of intellectual pluralism in a Chinese society and the importance of Confucian moral values to the integrity and continuity of the Chinese state. Through close reading of the contexts and changing geopolitical realities in which new interpretations of identity emerged, this intellectual history engages with ongoing debates over relevance of the concepts of culture, nation, and ethnicity to premodern China.

Anyone who's gotten so mad they could scream, or let out a mellow sigh of relief, knows that the voice is a powerful tool for releasing emotions. In this beautifully written guide, singer and teacher Shawna Carol shows how to harness the power of the voice as a means of self-expression and spiritual growth. Using her SpiritSong method, Carol encourages you to sing-whether or not you have what is commonly considered a "good voice." Stripping away the mystique, fear, and perfectionism that so often surround singing, she begins with simple breathing exercises and builds to simple toning, followed by more complete songs. The goal is a feeling of openness, connection, and freedom that comes from self-expression. The singing itself can be done with or without words, alone or in a group. Whether or not you can read music, or even carry a tune, The Way of Song illuminates a sure path to reconnecting with the joy and the power of singing.

Kids will read and sing along as feelings come to life in The Story of My Feelings. Growing up is a tough job, and it is important to embrace laughing, sighing, crying, and yelling. Fun and engaging illustrations by Caroline Jayne Church accompany the lyrics and add a vibrancy to the CD. You know you'll feel better after you read and sing The Story of My Feelings!

"Embedded in my soul forever." A time-travel adventure powered by the mysterious musical forces that connect two women across time through their cello. The two gifted composers are transposed into each other's world and find their souls have somehow intertwined. In 2018, an aspiring young cellist dreams of joining the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. But after a crushing rejection, a new hope emerges in the form of a long lost music score from her dying grandmother in Scotland. In Book I of the Song for a Lost Kingdom series, Adeena Stuart plays this music on the oldest surviving cello made in the United Kingdom, and she's connected to another woman from the past, Katharine Carnegie. Katharine living in 18th century Scotland is also a cellist and a composer. Their connection is augmented by the love of the same man doomed to die after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In Book II, James Drummond fights alongside Prince Charles Edward Stuart in the 1746 Jacobite uprising. Though their cause is doomed, and James is destined to die shortly after the Battle of Culloden, Adeena's determination to save him never wavers. Left behind in the present, Adeena's friends and families are equally determined to return her to 2019 before the expanding growth in her head becomes fatal. But even they are deceived by the truth of what is about to unfold. In Book III, the final instalment of the series, Adeena and Katharine Carnegie search for the music that neither can complete on their own. Finding themselves living three centuries apart and each assuming the identity of the other, they must overcome their own unique challenges, all the while hiding the truth of who they really are from those around them. The box set is specially priced and also includes the Prequel to the series plus bonus goodies such as the sheet music and lyrics to three original songs featured in the books. (Song for a Lost Kingdom, The Heart Beats in Time and A Foolish Man). Other bonus features include character profiles and a forward by series editor Lara Clouden. The Song for a Lost Kingdom boxset includes: Book I: Music is Not Bound by Time Book II: Love Never Surrenders Book III: The Heart Beats in Time The Prequel: A Kingdom is Lost, A Song is Born. Get swept away in this historical time-slip fantasy-adventure powered by classical music that refuses to be bound by time - and an impossible love that defies the tragic fate already determined by history.

Washington Post national arts reporter Geoff Edgers takes a deep dive into the story behind “Walk This Way,” Aerosmith and Run-DMC's legendary, groundbreaking mashup that forever changed music. The early 1980s were an exciting time for music. Hair metal bands were selling out stadiums, while clubs and house parties in New York City had spawned a new genre of music. At the time, though, hip hop's reach was limited, an art form largely ignored by mainstream radio deejays and the rock-obsessed MTV network. But in 1986, the music world was irrevocably changed when Run-DMC covered Aerosmith's hit “Walk This Way” in the first rock-hip hop collaboration. Others had tried melding styles. This was different, as a pair of iconic arena rockers and the young kings of hip hop shared a studio and started a revolution. The result: Something totally new and instantly popular. Most importantly, "Walk This Way" would be the first rap song to be played on mainstream rock radio. In Walk This Way, Geoff Edgers sets the scene for this unlikely union of rockers and MCs, a mashup that both revived Aerosmith and catapulted hip hop into the mainstream. He tracks the paths of the main artists—Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Joseph “Run” Simmons, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels—along with other major players on the scene across their lives and careers, illustrating the long road to the revolutionary marriage of rock and hip hop. Deeply researched and written in cinematic style, this music history is a must-read for fans of hip hop, rock, and everything in between.

'Jana Chan has produced a wonderfully lush and atmospheric odyssey of survival against all odds' Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other 'A strong picaresque element powers this saga' Daily Mail 'Michelle Jana Chan brings a world of equal peril and possibility to life with her rich, radiant prose' Tatler 'A beautifully told tale with fascinating historical insight' Vanity Fair Song is just a boy when he sets out from Lishui village in China. Brimming with courage and ambition, he leaves behind his impoverished broken family, hoping he’ll make his fortune and return home. Chasing tales of sugarcane, rubber and gold, Song embarks upon a perilous voyage across the oceans to the British colony of Guiana, but once there he discovers riches are not so easy to come by and he is forced into labouring as an indentured plantation worker. This is only the beginning of Song’s remarkable life, but as he finds himself between places and between peoples, and increasingly aware that the circumstances of birth carry more weight than accomplishments or good deeds, Song fears he may live as an outsider forever. This beautifully written and evocative story spans nearly half a century and half the globe, and though it is set in another century, Song’s story of emigration and the quest for an opportunity to improve his life is timeless.

"Music is the second most important thing," I say. That was something my mother would always say. We've stopped saying it out loud, but I think it all the same. The most important thing is love. From the author of the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling If He Had Been With Me comes a captivating novel about navigating—and protecting—the loves and friendships that sustain us. Ramona fell for Sam the moment she met him. It was like she had known him forever. He's one of the few constants in her life, and their friendship is just too important to risk for a kiss. Though she really wants to kiss him... Sam loves Ramona, but he would never expect her to feel the same way-she's too quirky and cool for someone like him. Still, they complement each other perfectly, both as best friends and as a band. Then they meet Tom. Tom makes music too, and he's the band's missing piece. The three quickly become inseparable. Except Ramona's falling in love with Tom. But she hasn't fallen out of love with Sam either. How can she be true to her feelings and herself without losing the very relationships that make her heart sing? This Song is (Not) for You is perfect for readers looking for: Contemporary teen romance books Unputdownable & bingeworthy novels Complex emotional YA stories Novels that explore monogamy, polyamory, and asexuality Characters with a passion for music Performance art