The Bluebird Patch

THE EXPERT IN ANYTHING WAS ONCE A BEGINNER There’s little doubt that learning to play a musical instrument is great for developing brains. Learning a musical instrument is a superb opportunity for children to express themselves creatively while picking up a new skill. My son joined the school band during sixth grade and I love seeing how much this experience has changed him.  He now has less feelings of anxiety, has a greater control of his emotions and is more focused and attentive during his classes. His ability to memorize and remember information is off the roof. Is almost as if playing an instrument has all of the sudden optimized his brain. He loves music so much that he joined a second band (pep band) and guess who is always traveling back and forth making sure that is on time for the games or school concerts? Yep, me. High school awaits next year and he already made the commitment to join the marching band. He plays the flute, and normally...

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2014 AT 12:00P.M. ASO Presents welcomes Idina Menzel to Delta Classic Chastain on Friday, July 24, 2015 Idina Menzel Tickets Are the Perfect Holiday Gift! Her voice can be heard as Elsa in Disney’s global box office smash Frozen, in which she sings the film’s multi-platinum song “Let It Go.” She performed the song at the 86th Annual Academy Awards and the song went on to win the Oscar that night. Idina made history as the first person with both a Billboard Top 10 hit and a Tony Award for acting.    She currently stars as “Elizabeth” in the original Broadway production If/Then , by Pulitzer Prize-winning team Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Of her performance, New York Magazine affirmed “Idina Menzel sings beyond anyone’s idea of reasonable vocal or emotional limits. She blows the roof off of the theatre,” while Variety described her “tear-the-house-down voice and commanding personality.” Menzel received her...

Mmmm yeah! Austin is on the road with Fifth Harmony, The Vamps & Shawn Mendes and the high energy show will have you dancing, singing and screaming at the top of your lungs all night. At just 18 years old, singer/songwriter Austin Mahone is making his mark. Kicking off the year with an MTV VMA win for “Artist to Watch” and MTV EMA awards for, “Best Push Artist,” and “Artist on the Rise,” Mahone’s new album “The Secret” was released in May. Not only does he have a solid fan base, known as “Mahomies,” but the teen sensation is gaining a legion of loyal fans in the media as well.   He’s hot on the press trail, appearing in Details Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Wall Street Journal, Live! With Kelly & Michael, Today Show, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, E! News, Extra, The Insider, VH1, and MTV. Austin additionally has been featured on covers of J-14, Popstar!, M, Astro Girl, Quiz Fest and Twist. His previous hit singles, “What About Love” and “Ban...

Simon Invites Students and Families to Prepare for the New School Year with “ABC’s of Style” Event at Mall of Georgia August 16 Simon and Teen Vogue Introduce “Back-to-School Saturdays” with Special Offerings throughout August; Australian Pop Singer Cody Simpson to Serenade Shoppers BUFORD, Ga. — With the new school year fast approaching, Simon®, a global leader in retail real estate, and Teen Vogue , the number one source of fashion, beauty and pop-culture news for trendsetting teens, are hosting a series of back to school events at more than 80 shopping centers across the country to get young people prepped to head back to class. Mall of Georgia’s “ ABC’s of Style [SM]” festivities take place on Saturday, August 16 from 2-6 p.m. in the Village Amphitheatre, helping families have fun while shopping for seasonal must-haves.

If you have ever caught yourself in a downward spiral of negative self-talk about your body, don't feel bad, you are not alone. Negative self talk and body shaming if often the consequence of living in a  society  that reinforces self- condemning  attitudes. Body shaming not only happens to curvy girls, but skinny ones too. Same thing with height. People make fun of you if you are too tall, or too short.  Self - Acceptance  is the  first  step towards a happier life! Both men and women, often feel like their weight, intelligence, talents and personality fluctuates according to the numbers on a scale. Meghan Trainor new Summer jam, is full of body positivity. It teaches others that they can change how they feel about their body by changing their self-talk. Meghan's song inspire others to stop hating their body, and stop letting shame limit  their  life or hinder their potential.

  Save the date for Tunes from the Tombs, Historic Oakland Cemetery’s annual all-day music festival, 1-8 p.m. (gates open at noon), June 14, featuring musicians performing in and amongst Oakland’s extraordinary monuments, mausoleums and renowned gardens. Two main stages will host amplified artists, while buskers will perform on distinct vignette stages throughout the cemetery. From rock to folk, Americana to jazz and classical to everything in between, a variety of tunes will entice everyone to boogie down. Soothe your stomach as well as your soul with good eats from Atlanta food trucks, which will be on-site serving a variety of tasty festival fare.   OFFICIAL LINEUP: MailChimp Stage at Lion Square 6:45pm - Shawn Mullins 5:30pm - Mudcat 4:30pm - Tribute: A Celebration of the Allman Brothers 3:30pm - Secondhand Swagger 2:30pm - SG4 1:15pm – Myles Brown Creative Loafing North Public Grounds Stage 7pm - Derik Hultquist 6pm - Ghost Riders Car Club 5pm - Blacktop Rock...

ATLANTA (April 30, 2014) – Concerts in the Garden returns to Atlanta’s most popular outdoor music venue this summer for its 12th annual season. The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s exciting series, presented by SunTrust, features six great acts – all performed on the Great Lawn:  Creedence Clearwater Revisited - Friday, June 6 Indigo Girls - Friday, July 18 Indigo Girls - Saturday, July 19 Gavin DeGraw & Matt Nathanson - Friday, August 1 An Evening with Lyle Lovett & His Large Band - Friday, August 29 Keb’ Mo’ & Mavis Staples - Friday, September 19 Chris Isaak - Sunday, September 21  And look for more shows to be announced! Tickets are available through Ticket Alternative and at Garden admissions. Visit concertsinthegarden.org  for updates and details.  Gates open at 7 p.m., and shows begin at 8 p.m. (except for Chris Isaak, 7:30 p.m.). Parking is available for $7. Seating is general admission, and...

Young entertainer Ethan Bortnick takes his highly successful TV special on tour around the country this spring, with special guest Damian McGinty of Glee and Celtic Thunder! Also joining  Ethan  on stage will be the Harmony International Youth Chorus! Ethan  Bortnick, the youngest performer ever to headline his own concert tour, will bring his captivating new family music special LIVE to audiences around the country this spring on his 30-city concert tour. The young musical sensation, named one of Oprah’s “All Time Smartest, Most Talented Kids,” will be joined on the tour by special guest Damian McGinty of Glee and Celtic Thunder in a concert that highlights  Ethan ’s belief that music can truly connect people, and ultimately, change the world. Ethan  has seen firsthand the power of music to manifest global change. At only 13 years old, he has already harnessed the power of music around the world to raise more than $30 million...

  The Georgia Boy Choir and the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra will celebrate the 329th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach (March 21) with their first-ever collaboration on March 22 in Atlanta and March 23 in Roswell.  The concert, entitled Bach Birthday Bash, will feature choral and orchestral works performed on original instruments with boy’s voices, as conceived by the composer.  The concert will feature two of the most popular instrumental works of the 18th century, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and the Orchestral Suite No. 3 that includes the very familiar movement popularly known as “Air on the G String.”  The two ensembles will join forces for the Motet No. 3 in E Minor, Jesu, meine freude, BWV 227. The groups’ artistic directors, Julie Andrijeski and David R. White, will lead the groups in performances on Saturday, March 22 in Atlanta (7:30 p.m. at Peachtree United Methodist Church) and Sunday, March 23 in Roswell (4:00 p.m. at Roswell Presbyterian Church).

On Tuesday, May 28th, 35 members of the Georgia Boy Choir where invited to participate and be featured in a concert at Carnegie Hall, one of the most important and revered concert halls in the world. "It is a real honor for a choir only in our fourth season, to be asked to perform on this stage with all these great musicians," said artistic director and conductor David R. White. It shows that The Georgia Boy Choir is already being recognized as one of the finest boy choirs in the world, and we are proud to represent our great state in this way."  The choir also gave a solo performance and was featured in Mass of the Children by John Rutter, conducted by Eric Knapp. Before appearing at Carnegie Hall, the choir performed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. This immense structure is the largest gothic cathedral in the entire world. From one end to the other is more than the length of two football fields. Its massive weight is held up by 14 pillars ...

   Variety of Georgia Stages Talent Competition, Benefits Area Children in Need   Variety of Georgia , in its second annual teenage singing competition, will chose the top, not only vocalist, but star! Eligible youth across the state submitted videos of their best performances. After much deliberation and two rounds of preliminary judging by three musical industry veterans (Amanda Moore, Janet Wade, and Steve Clements), the top 10 finalists will take the stage this spring. Stars of Tomorrow hosts the final competition at The Fox Theatre on Sunday, March 17 at 4 p.m. with the Silent Auction beginning at 3 p.m. The showcase raises the curtain on the top 10 vocalists as they perform highly anticipated acts for an eager audience. Friends and family join show-business veterans and community influencers for an evening of fun, philanthropy and dream-chasing as Stars of Tomorrow crowns its champion.

  The Georgia Boy Choir is currently seeking boys ages 5-12 to audition to join the Choir for the remainder of the 2012-2013 season. Auditions will be held on January 12th at The Heiskell School, located at 3260 Northside Drive in Atlanta. Auditions are intentionally low-pressure. Each boy is asked to sing a song—any song he likes; it can be something as simple as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or even “Happy Birthday,” or something he has learned in school or church. We will then sing some musical phrases and ask him to repeat them, then play a few notes on the piano and ask him to respond. It is fairly simple and only takes a few minutes. No experience or preparedness is necessary. The audition is designed to allow us easily to discern a boy's natural ability.  If you are interested in having your son audition for the Georgia Boy Choir, click here or on the image below and if you know someone who has a son that may be interested in auditioni...