Category: Music Awards

April 8 . Issue #138

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date April 8, 2022

Embrace the changes in your life. Release what you no longer need and welcome the seeds of new experiences.

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. This is the place to check-in and check out what I’ve been up to during the week. This week it’s mostly music with a dash of animated feature films and documentaries.

The featured photo is a collage of some of the fantastic illustrations created by Joshua Miller for my new children’s book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time For Friends.

1. The Grammy Awards – the biggest music awards show took place on Sunday. Jon Batiste, one of my favourite New Orleans jazz musicians came away loaded down with awards.

Other musicians who came out with Grammy hardware, are Esmeralda Spalding, Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Jazmine Sullivan to name but a few.

2. I have inherited a chromatic harmonica from one of my students. He can’t play it anymore and apparently never played it that much. I spent 2 hours taking it apart and cleaning it up with a quality disinfectant, it’s in great shape.

I have purchased a songbook, The Easy Jazz Standards Fake Book: 100 Songs in the Key of C.

3. The acclaimed Canadian conductor Boris Brott died tragically on Tuesday, the victim of a hit and run in Hamilton, Ontario. Rest in Power Maestro Brott.

All-day Wednesday tributes for Maestro Brott poured in to my radio station, the radio station I listen to in my Grey Highlands location Classical.Fm broadcasting out of Collingwood. On, on 102.9, the FM dial.

4. I’m back to teaching, in class and in the park. Great fun! My in class session was with a private student and we worked on Jo-do and Iai-do, short staff and Japanese sword.

The park training was for children, mother nature intervened and we ended up in a small studio/dojo managed by one of the participant’s parents. Basic martial arts training, mostly Shotokan karate techniques.

5. I watched the animated feature film Encanto this week and I thought it was awesome. Incredible animation, vibrant colours, wonderful characterization and an excellent soundtrack. Check out the behind the scenes video I share in the link above.

The show reminds me of a Broadway play, the timing, the staging and the singing are all reminiscent of something you might see on Broadway.

If you are looking for a great children’s book check out one of my books, including my new children’s early reader chapter book, now available at Indigo/Chapters Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

Or one of my other children’s picture books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve. Or you may enjoy Samba in Brazil or the Brazilian/Portuguese version Samba no Brasil.

All of my books are now available and on sale at BookShop.org, (only U.S. shipping) plus you will support local bookstores with your online purchase.

I am hard at work on the next children’s book and would be eternally grateful if you could buy me a coffee. All donations are gladly accepted at my Kofi.com/pauly page.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.

Music Awards Reading Writing

March 19 . Issue #82

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date March 19, 2021

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. This week celebrating the Grammy awards, outstanding individuals, one year of COVID19 and more …

1. The Grammy’s happened this week and some great artists were given recognition for outstanding achievements. My main listening pleasure revolves around the blues, jazz, R&B, World and Classical music, of course, that’s mostly out of the limelight.

And the winner is; Complete Winners and Nomination list.

2. My listening pleasure; checking out the winners including, Chick Corea, James Taylor and Kurt Elling featuring Danilo Pèrez.

3. This weeks film discoveries, a documentary on Norman Lear, fantastic and enlightening.

Stan and Ollie, an enjoyable look at a couple of comedians who were well before their time.

And a biopic, starring Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice, centres on his pivotal work in a sensational case as an NAACP lawyer.

4. Sunday, March 15, 2020, was the first official day of lockdown for me. My work at the community centre, teaching karate was cancelled, all public gatherings were cancelled.

A year later, I’ve learned to adapt. Virtual karate – teaching children from the safety of home. Physical distancing and wearing a mask when venturing outdoors.

The bottom line for me has been to maintain a positive outlook. To keep busy and to keep going.

5. This week I started reading The Art of Happiness, A Handbook For Living by the Dalai Lama and Dr. Howard Cutler.

My afternoon reading when chance permits is Spirit Dance, a Sci-Fi e-book by Douglas Smith.

Thank you for sharing my week.

If you are looking for a fun children’s book check out one of my books. Samba on a Snowy Day, Samba em um Dia de Neve or my new book, Samba in Brazil.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.

Baking Music Awards Nature

August 28 . Issue #53

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date August 28, 2020

A Week In My Life

August 28 . Issue #53

My weekly newsletter that gives you 5 personal interests that I share with you.

This week I look at an outdoor school setup, listen to NEA Jazz Masters, partake in some baking and more…

Here are the five things I found interesting this week and I want to share with you all.

1. Outdoor nature school, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) is starting a new program. I want to get involved and help kids connect with nature. Perhaps I could take my pop-up karate in the park and develop a dojo in the woods.

2. My listening pleasure this week, the 2020 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert – I watched it live, it’s still available as a rebroadcast and free.

3. Prior to the pandemic, I was teaching karate at a Montessori school, an afterschool karate program for children. Well, they want me back in a limited capacity. Decisions, decisions. Your C.D.C Back To School Decisions Guide.

4. I am re-reading a fun book about a cat named Polar Bear. The Best Cat Ever by Cleveland Armory. And Seven Guitars by August Wilson is also on my to-read list. A screenplay and winner of the New York drama critics circle award for best play.

5. Can you save money by baking your own bread? How about baking a walnut banana bread? This week I baked bread, fantastic Italian style pane (bread). The best Calabrese bread that I have tasted and I share the recipe. I also made this amazing banana loaf from a recipe by Tina Turbin and I’ve been enjoying it all week. Goes great with my morning espresso.

Thanks for reading, if you think someone you know would like my newsletter please share it with them. If you’re looking for a great children’s book check what Readers’ Favorites reviewers say about my book, Samba on a Snowy Day.

Please consider a contribution to our next book project by buying me a coffee, swing by Ko-fi.com. Every coffee helps out during these challenging times.

Check out my blog, follow the link, sign in. Get the weekly newsletter in your inbox, no spam I promise.

Tags Banana Bread, CDC, Italian Bread, NEA, TRCA