Well, This is Nice...Reviews!

Sometimes the Universe sees you need a little boost and just sends you a present. Don't you love it when that happens? Recently the Earth Mama CDs got these unexpected great reviews for Midwest Book Reviews, a specialty house that refers media materials to libraries and schools. 

Reviewer's Bookwatch: July 2016
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

Andrea's Bookshelf

Rouse House Music
PO Box 450, Independence, VA 24348
www.earthmama.org

Joyce "EarthMama" Rouse has created a grand variety of music albums over the course of decades, all with the common themes of promoting eco-literacy and good stewardship, appreciation for nature's splendor, the manifold joys of love and kindness, and everyday nobility in thoughts and actions (such as the moral principle encapsulated in the song "Only Take What You Need"). Her music is a treasure the whole family can enjoy, and makes excellent addition to school and public library CD collections. A selection of her uplifting, ecology-themed music albums include "A Sense of Place" ($14.99 CD/$9.99 MP3), "Pay Attention" ($15.00 CD/$9.99 MP3), "Around the World" ($14.97 CD/$9.99 MP3), "Love Large" ($15.00 CD/$11.00 MP3), "Grass Roots!" ($15.00 CD/$9.00 MP3), and "Under the Rainbow" ($15.00 CD/$9.00 MP3).
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/jul_16.htm#andrea


Andrea Kay
Reviewer

Library Bookwatch: July 2016
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

The Multimedia Shelf

Virginia Beauty: A Love Song for the Commonwealth
Joyce Johnson Rouse
Rouse House Music
PO Box 450, Independence, VA 24348
www.earthmama.org
$12.00 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

Since Virginia has no official state song, composer Joyce Johnson Rouse (a.k.a. "EarthMama") created Virginia Beauty: A Love Song for the Commonwealth as a tribute to Virginia's natural beauty, hardworking people, and rich history. A medley of expert musicians perform Virginia Beauty in standard, bluegrass, abbreviated, and instrumental versions. Virginia Beauty is also enriched with bonus materials; when the CD inserted into a computer, the user gains access to printable documents and suggestions for using the song in performance and education. Highly recommended! The audio tracks are "Long Version", "Bluegrass Version - Featuring Dale Ann Bradley", "Short Version", and "Instrumental Track".
 http://www.midwestbookreview.com/lbw/jul_16.htm#Multimedia


Children's Bookwatch: June 2016
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

The Holiday Shelf

Christmas Heart
Joyce Johnson Rouse
Rouse House Music
PO Box 450, Independence, VA 24348
www.earthmama.org
$15.00 CD / $10.00 MP3 cdbaby.com

Joyce "EarthMama" Rouse presents Christmas Heart, a holiday-themed music CD for the whole family. Some of the songs have religious themes that celebrate God's love and the birth of Jesus Christ; all are shining with the universal joy and camaraderie of the season. An included lyric booklet makes Christmas Heart ideal for sharing and singing aloud, especially at Christmas caroling or parties. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Christmas Heart" (3:18), "Close To The Earth" (4:26), "Baby Child, Baby King" (2:34), "The Angel Tree" (3:49), "First Christmas Waltz" (3:27), "Christmas Candles" (2:52), "Quaker Christmas Medley" (5:03), "For Christmas" (3:25), "Fear Not (in the Stile Nacht)" (5:20), and "Green Christmas" (4:57).
 http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/jul_16.htm#Holiday


Full reviews here:

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/jul_16.htm#andrea

If You Need a Chair— Act Locally for stronger communities

IF YOU NEED A CHAIR BY JOYCE ROUSE 

Happy Chairmaker by Todd Price ©2013 Original oil painting. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This song is on my CD  “A Sense of Place” by Earth Mama. One of the main themes of the album is to honor whatever place you chose to live in. I love our local farmers market and meeting the people who grow our food.  As we discover more local products, I have greater respect for the artisans, growers, crafters, and creators of useful items we have right here in my community. And probably in yours! I wanted this song to have a global musical feel and honor many cultures, with humor, fun rhymes and places to sing along with “la la la” syllables.  I hope people will get up and dance around and sing harmony when they hear this song. And perhaps inspire people to make stronger communities by shopping for locally made goods. Maybe it will even promote supporting local music...  La La La La LA!

For music and lyrics click here: If You Need a Chair

This was first posted on the Children's music network blog in september 2015. reposted here with their permission

All That's Gold, A Sense of Place, track 5

Three of the songs on A Sense of Place were recorded at Watershed Recording in Nashville and feature a cast of mighty fine pickers I don't get to work with often. Right is Bryan Sutton, IBMA multiyear best guitar winner. Below, are
Wanda and Mark Burchfield, gifted players and studio owners.

All That's Gold, Heaven Down Below and Ribbon of Stone  all carry the sound of rural southern Appalachian music. This is the place I have called home for many years.  Though I am a child of the prairie, I am now deeply rooted here, in the Blue Ridge mountains, where the local music scene is rich with the heritage and culture of the region.  These three songs reflect the musical sound of southern Appalachia.

 All That's Gold Does Not Glitter—who said that first? Probably some Biblical sage or perhaps Shakespeare.  I remember reading it on a Christmas card quoting Tolkien back in high school.  It nagged at me as a song title until my buddy and frequent co-writer, Lindy Gravelle and I decided to tackle it as a song. Our hope was to make it sound like an old gospel chestnut.  Note the stunning background vocal (with bluegrass swoop) by Kim Parent, fiddle embraces by Wanda Burchfield,
steady bass by Mark Burchfield and fit-like-a-glove guitar and mando by Bryan Sutton.

Sound clip, listentrack 5

WHY is there a Reggae song for kids about Local Foods and Local Economy on A Sense of Place?

Lettering by Todd Price

A Sense of Place, by Earth Mama

1.  Because Kids are our future and our responsibility. (And they are fun to sing with and make great volunteers at my shows!)













 2. Cause kids are so danged cute, smart and fascinating that they deserve to be part of this whole Local Foods and Local Economy movement. Who better to carry the message of Live Local and Love Where You Are Planted!

This baby crawled up the aisle at St Catharine's College (KY) chapel while I sang The Compost Song (Let It Rot). He jumped into my arms and cooed and gurgled along on the last 2 verses.
What a show stealer!







 3. Because THAT song— If You Need a Chair—whined and complained like a child begging to go to the circus to be on THIS CD, not wait until the next  youthful release.

4. Because it is soon to be a Picture Book, illustrated and hand lettered by noted artist, Todd Price.

Wait til you see the page with the Tamaleologist!

Peace and all good things, Joyce

A Sense of Place and "wisdom of one place"

The following article by Fred First captures much of my own concern about our current lack of knowledge about what lives and breathes around us.  Thank you, Fred, for letting me share your work.


Wisdom of Nature: Children and Nature, Fred First


Find something unique about your own Place on the Planet today.

Coming next: 
WHY a children's reggae song about local foods and local economy on
      A Sense of Place  ?
              Blessings,
                           Joyce

cosmos and black eyed Susans 

To An Oriole, A Sense of Place, Track 2

Baltimore Oriole, Wikipedia

The lyrics for To An Oriole is a poem sent to me by a fellow Earth Literacy grad, Bruce Allen, from St Mary-of-the-Woods College, IN. Bruce is also a weekend farmer, birder, and all around good guy.
He sent me the verse, telling me it was his all-time favorite poem and wondered if I might set it to music. He had several of my CDs and asked if I could provide a suitable melody for the words written over a century ago by Edgar Fawcett.

I am always reluctant to take on this kind of a project for several reasons. First, it is hard to live up to others' expectations of what a melody might be for a favorite verse.  Secondly, it can be a copyright nightmare if you do not have a direct relationship with the co-writer.  Clearly, the long deceased Mr. Fawcett, would not be able to protest my adoption of his succinct verse about he ethereal wonder of his favorite bird. My research showed the writings he had authored had all aged into the Public Domain.  I was encouraged to continue.

So I spent some hours at the piano noodling with steps and jumps of melody possibilities until his words began to speak to me with their own cadence, with pauses and lilting questions. The words themselves took command and TOLD me how to write the melody.  Thank you, Bruce.  Thank you, Mr. Fawcett.   And thank you, Beautiful Oriole.

Listening Clip, Track 2