Gospel

Words we sing in worship have great power to shape our beliefs and actions. This is the second collection of hymns by Jann Aldredge-Clanton with composer Larry E. Schultz. These hymns, like those in the first collection, will contribute to an expansive theology and an ethic of equality and justice in human relationships. Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice will empower people to take prophetic action on gender, race, interfaith cooperation, sexual orientation, ecology, and other social justice issues. These hymns include female and male divine images to support the foundational biblical truth that all people are created equally in the divine image (Genesis 1:27). Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice will instill belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation. The predominant themes of social justice, peace, liberation, care of creation, partnership in relationships, and unity in diversity come from the prophetic tradition in Scripture. This collection also includes hymns of lament and hymns that celebrate special occasions. Many of the hymns are appropriate for interfaith settings. Most of the hymns are set to widely known tunes, many with fresh arrangements.

Music has great power to touch the heart and change the world. Words we sing in worship shape our beliefs and actions. The inclusive songs in this collection will contribute to social justice, peace, equality, and expansive spiritual experience. This collection includes all new songs, most to widely-known tunes and some to new tunes. Many of the songs are appropriate for interfaith settings. A special feature of this new collection is the inclusion of multigenerational short songs for various parts of worship services, such as invocations and benedictions. The songs in this collection name Deity as female and male and more to support the foundational biblical truth that all people are created equally in the divine image (Genesis 1:27). Earth Transformed with Music! Inclusive Songs for Worship will instill belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation. The predominant themes of gender equality, racial equality, marriage equality, economic justice, care of creation, and peacemaking flow from the prophetic tradition in Scripture. This collection also includes songs for comfort, healing, celebration, and thanksgiving.

A unique tribute to often overlooked women who have left an indelible mark on Gospel Music—powerful talents who overcame racism and sexism to define the genre, establish its sound, and set the standard for good sangin’ for generations.Nothing in the world soothes the soul better than Gospel music. From the foot-stomping, hand-clapping melodies of yesterday to the head-bobbing, bass-thumping hits of today, Gospel music ignites the spirit and delivers the inspiration that takes us from the rough side of the mountain to the peak of God’s love and grace. That feeling of joy, peace, love, and contentment is amplified when it’s ringing through the voice of a sister who can SANG, Cheryl Wills reminds us. The remedy for a tough day at work can be alleviated with Mary Mary’s uplifting jam Shackles, the answer to your heart’s desires can be found in the harmonies of The Clark Sisters Name It, Claim It, and if you need a reminder of God’s love, there is nothing more timeless that Aretha Franklin’s stirring rendition of Amazing Grace.Some talented performers, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe have faded from history, while singers like Yolanda Adams are at the top of her game. During the twentieth century, Willie Mae Ford spent most of her life encouraging and uplifting Christians both in church and on stage and composed more than 100 Gospel songs, yet it was men like her co-writer, Thomas A. Dorsey, who received the accolades and fame. Many women in the Gospel music industry go unnoticed, unpaid, and under-appreciated for their contributions, yet it is these women who are often the bedrock for songwriting, arranging, directing, and developing singers. Cheryl Wills, the granddaughter of a Gospel singer, at last shines a spotlight on these spectacular women of song. The only book of its kind, Isn’t Her Grace Amazing! showcase the talents, gifts, and skills of women in the Gospel music industry. It celebrates these heroines, chronicles their journeys from the choir loft to the world’s largest stages, and reveals how they revolutionized this sacred music that is beloved worldwide. From the matriarchs of this movement to today’s chart-topping divas, Wills offers in-depth portraits of twenty-five amazing women of Gospel music—based on interviews and extensive research—behind-the-scenes stories of favorite gospel hits, and illuminates what makes each of them shine. 

From the classical violinist to the hip hop producer, creating music pays homage to principles of harmony. It is not just the sum of the musical parts that makes a song come alive, but how every part interacts with others to create more harmonies, enriched melodies, dynamic rhythms, and more interaction. Composers, engineers, producers and performing musicians constantly use the harmonic principles derived from basic acoustics every time they work through a piece. This book offers a deep analytical dive into the theories of harmonics. It explores many nontraditional approaches such as extended and hyperextended chords and it includes an explanation for the consonance of the elusive minor triad. The book also covers voicing and arranging from a vertical or harmonic perspective, a system of classifying the sonority of each chord, how extended chords impact the listener, and how the composer applies these principles.

“A biography that will send readers back to the music of Mavis and the Staple Singers with deepened appreciation and a renewed spirit of discovery” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)—from the acclaimed music journalist and author featured prominently in the new HBO documentary Mavis!<BR><BR>This is the untold story of living legend Mavis Staples—lead singer of the Staple Singers and a major figure in the music that shaped the civil rights era. One of the most enduring artists of popular music, Mavis and her talented family fused gospel, soul, folk, and rock to transcend racism and oppression through song. Honing her prodigious talent on the Southern gospel circuit of the 1950s, Mavis and the Staple Singers went on to sell more than 30 million records, with message-oriented soul music that became a soundtrack to the civil rights movement—inspiring Martin Luther King, Jr. himself.<BR> <BR>Critically acclaimed biographer and Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot cuts to the heart of Mavis Staples’s music, revealing the intimate stories of her sixty-year career. From her love affair with Bob Dylan, to her creative collaborations with Prince, to her recent revival alongside Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, this definitive account shows Mavis as you’ve never seen her before. I’ll Take You There was written with the complete cooperation of Mavis and her family. Readers will also hear from Prince, Bonnie Raitt, David Byrne, and many others whose lives have been influenced by Mavis’s talent.<BR> <BR>Filled with never-before-told stories, this fascinating biography illuminates a legendary singer and group during a historic period of change in America. “Ultimately, Kot depicts the endurance of Mavis Staples and her family’s music as an inspiration, a saga that takes us, like the song that inspired this book’s name, to a place where ain’t nobody crying” (The Washington Post).

Revised 2021 EditionHow to Play Gospel Music for Beginners book 2 is a supplement to How to Play Gospel Music for Beginners. This book has over 50 multi-level arrangements! Songs are written out exactly in the gospel piano style. This book is for the beginning to intermediate student. Makes learning fun for all ages!

Here are solid and exciting solutions to the challenges of running an effective school music program, suggestions on how to motivate students to grow as musicians, and ways to retain students. Musician and teacher Joseph Alsobrook explains how to meet the needs of music students while simultaneously enjoying a rewarding and meaningful career as a music educator. Offering his wisdom with hands-on suggestions for practical and creative teaching methods, Alsobrook shows teachers how to build a music program filled with dedicated students and backed by a loyal community.<BR>