Category: Writing

March 18 . Issue #135

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date March 18, 2022

“Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. Don’t be afraid, just play the music.” Charlie Parker

1. My ‘Kindle Creativity‘ workshop at the East Gwillimbury Public Library, was a success. A great March Break event for the children. And I have another draft for a story. A little girl, a big dog and a grand adventure in space – the final frontier.

I created characters from everything imaginable. Oh, and I had my trusty harmonica in my pocket and that became a character (Harmony) in a story based on the library’s theme for their Write On event, Out of This World.

Once a few characters were created, the next step was to get creative with our opening introduction to our stories. Using exactly 10 words, the participants set the reading hook with their introductory sentence.

2. World Storytelling Day is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling. It is celebrated every year on the March equinox, on March 20. Register here, it’s free and it will be available online till March 22.

This year my friends at Settle Stories are hosting award-winning storyteller Ursula Holden Gill. Lost and Found is the theme of World Storytelling Day 2022.

What have you lost since the pandemic started? What have you found?

For me, the loss of community gatherings, the loss of in-person martial arts teaching and training with groups of people. That is the biggest loss. What I have found is great respect for time, solace and nature. During the pandemic, I have created this weekly journal. I have written and published 4 books.

3. My normal routine for listening to special musical artists is on the anniversary of their birth. This week I was drawn into the anniversary of the passing of Charlie Parker. Bird, as he was known, passed away on March 12, 1955.

Charlie Parker, Bird, or Yardbird, was and remains one of the biggest influencers in jazz. I don’t think there is a saxophonist who hasn’t been influenced by his inventive playing.

From Rudresh Mahanthappa: ‘While we bask in the brilliance of Bird and his forward-thinking and groundbreaking concepts and ideas, let’s not forget that one of Parker’s greatest assets was his dedication to perfecting his craft.’

4. My reading took me to visit the place where Tai Ji Chaun comes from, with a wonderful guide, Chungliang “Al” Huang and his book Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain: The Essence of Tai Ji Chaun.

I felt motivated to practice my Tai-Ji Chaun with a sense of freedom in my movements.

5. My eye candy this week ‘Turning Red‘ from Pixar animation studios and director, Oscar winner, Domee Shi. This is a brilliant film that had me rolling with laughter. Highly recommended.

Thanks for reading, if you think someone you know would like to read my newsletter please share it with them.

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.

I’m super pumped to be in the top 100 in Children’s Books over at Amazon.com.

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.

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

Children's Activities Reading Writing

March 4 . Issue #133

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date March 4, 2022

‘It takes courage to grow up
and become who you really are.’ E. E. Cummings

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. This is a place for me to share with you 5 points of interest. Things that caught my eye or my ear and brought me some enjoyment.

1. This week, celebrating World Book Day, March 3 this year, a charity event held annually in the United Kingdom and Ireland on the first Thursday in March.

My route into the celebration was by way of Settle Stories. I enjoyed a story by master storyteller Katrice Horsely. She told The Story of Anansi. The Anansi tales are believed to have originated in the Ashanti people in Ghana.

If you get a chance check the link above, the story is available until March 17, there are other engaging events for you and your children.

2. It was the birthday of tenor great, saxophonist Dexter Gordon on February 27 and I spent time listening to his album Go, a Blue Note release featuring Sonny Clark, Butch Warren and Billy Higgins, recorded on August 27, 1962.

Dexter Gordon has such an amazing tone. I find it soothing and soulful, his phrasing flows like a master vocalist making every note soar.

3. My eye candy, spawned from my ear candy I continued my fascination with Dexter Gordon. Watching Round Midnight the 1986 film by Bertrand Tavernier starring Dexter Gordon.

An Oscar winner for Herbie Hancock winning Original Score for “Round Midnight”.

4. Social media is an amazing thing, in the past if you lost touch with somebody you likely would not find them again. This week I reached out to somebody who really changed my life.

When I was very young, a teenager, I was drumming but not playing in an organized band. Occasionally I would jam with some folks. The drummer for one of the bands I sat in with was leaving Toronto with his family, relocating to Vancouver.

The leader of the group that he played with asked if I would play on a regular basis. I joined the band and it wasn’t long before our trio was playing gigs, including bars and clubs.

That fellow who split to Vancouver is James McRae, currently a professional musician, and I only reconnected with him because he mentioned in his EPK the guitarist that I played with, Ed McDonald, the leader of the band Snowaxe.

It was fantastic reconnecting by e-mail, reminiscing about the past and learning about our shared interests. I hope we can connect in person in the near future.

5. Some friends who publish a quarterly Zine for the SMK martial arts community were looking for content. I volunteered to provide a humorous short story. A story about the adventures of an old martial arts master who travels around the country giving seminars.

I call the story: Man of the Everglades: My Travels with a Master, check the link to read part 1. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading, if you think someone you know would like to read my newsletter please share it with them.

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 Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

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

Music Reading Writing

December 10.Newsletter 121

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date December 10, 2021

Ram Dass tells of a student who went to a Zen master.
“What can you tell me about death?” the student asked.
“Nothing,” the other replied. “I’m a Zen master. Not a dead Zen master.”– Stephan Rechtschaffen –

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. A place for me to share with you five things that gave me some joy, hope, happiness or simply caught my eye. This week celebrating Brubeck, Schumacher, books and more…

1. Dave Brubeck, the west coast, cool jazz pianist celebrated a birthday this week. December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012, a life well-lived, I saw him perform in 2011 at the Toronto Jazz Festival. He sounded great at 91 years of age and he still had an amazing vitality. This week I celebrated his birthday by revisiting some wonderful concerts and great records. One of my favourites is Time Out – The Dave Brubeck Quartet.

That old saying about the apple and the tree holds true when it comes to the offspring of Dave Brubeck. His children carry on the musical legacy. I enjoyed listening to the Brubeck Brothers Quartet as they paid tribute to their father.

2. My eye candy this week, watching a documentary about one of the best Formula 1 race car drivers, Michael Schumacher. The film simply titled Schumacher is the only film endorsed by the Schumacher family.

3. My reading list for 2021 – The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell, Fight Night by Miriam Toews, The Pull of The Stars by Emma Donoghue, Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci and The Everyday Hero Manifesto by Robin Sharma. Just a few of the books that I have either read or am eager to read over the holidays.

4. Author Michael A. Singer puts it perfectly in his book The Untethered Soul: Let’s say you’re living life without the thought of death, and the Angel of Death comes to you and says, “Come, it’s time to go.” You say, “But no. You’re supposed to give me a warning so I can decide what I want to do with my last week.” How do you suppose the Angel of death would react. “What – I gave you 52 weeks and what did you do?”

So I agree that the Angel of Death is our best teacher – sharing, celebrating, giving thanks and having gratitude for the time that we have.

I mention this as a loved one is dealing with a pet who is on its last legs. There is never an easy way to deal with the pain associated with having to say goodbye to a beloved pet. There are some great resources to let you know when to let go.

5. People often ask me about writing. How do ideas come to you and how do you find creativity, they ask? The practice of writing takes practice.

The more you do it the better you get or at least the easier it becomes. And once you can get into a routine it’s just like any other routine. You set a time, make up a schedule and you practice. Be it martial arts, exercise, music, art as in sketching or writing.

I write 3 or 4 hundred words every day. Some of these words will turn into stories and some will just be for my journal. Journaling is what motivates creativity. So get writing!

Thank you for reading. If you think someone you know would enjoy my newsletter please share it with them. If you are looking for a great children’s book check out my new book, Samba in Brazil; Paperback version, on sale for a limited time. And the Portuguese version, Samba no Brasil, now available as a set.

Or one of my other books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve.

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