H20 and Puddle Jumper Media of the Month

June 2009:

14-year-old Jasmine released her first project on May 5, titled The Next Me in the midst of appearing on the free, tween-focused iShine Live tour.

Produced by her father and Kevan Cyka (Hilary Duff, Everlife), The Next Me features five tracks including the catchy “Make a Movie of It,” “Nothing Left to Say,” “Yeah” (made popular by Yolanda Adams), “Time2Shine” and the title track which encourages her peers to be a leader, not a follower.

“My music is about being who God made me to be and not falling back into the world’s standards,” says Jasmine. “It’s easy to find negative influences and do things we wouldn’t normally do. Kids struggle with it all the time. But some friends and I have a saying we try to live by: keep it holy. That’s my thing.”

Jasmine is joining forces with fellow young acts Mission Six, The Rubyz, Logan Charles, Jamie-Grace, Paige Armstrong and special guest performer Luke Benward for the 2009 spring iShine Live tour. iShine Live recently announced plans to partner with world-renowned philanthropic organizations Make-A-Wish Foundation ® and World Vision as well as allowing tweens to attend the spring 2009 tour free of charge. The tween tour is also partnering with American Heritage Girls. A complete list of tour dates is listed below.

Jasmine was born in 1994 to a close-knit family of strong Hispanic and Italian heritage just outside Los Angeles, California. For years, her father served professionally as a church music minister and brought his daughter onstage to sing when she was only three.

May 2009:

PJ Book of the Month: 

Learn more about this book at answersingenesis.org

 H20 CD of the month:

April:

PJ Dvd of the Month: Bible Songs by Cedarmont Kids

 

By daughter Ella loves the DVD Cedarmont puts out. Her and Hudson both are glued to the TV while Ella sings along with the kids in the video.  To Ella, her Bible songs beats Dora, Backyardagains, Diego, and even Little Einsteins!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow it’s been a long time since I’ve had an H20 CD of the month!

April’s is HIllsong Kids TELL THE WORLD

 

TELL THE WORLD is the latest live worship album from Hillsong Kids that will capture the heart of every child and encourage them to tell their world that Jesus lives!

TELL THE WORLD includes Hillsong favourites such as “My Redeemer Lives” and “Tell The World” plus fresh new songs written specifically for children that will cause them to see how great our God is.

TELL THE WORLD DVD features 3 episodes each with live worship songs for kids, memory verses, interactive teaching and real life kids’ stories! Special features include Sing-A-Long Option, learn the actions, and behind the scenes interviews

 

 

October:Group 1 Crew

 

With just one album, Group 1 Crew filled a big void in Christian music, and it didn’t take long for people to embrace that impressive self-titled debut. The trio scored radio recognition, a Dove award in the hip-hop album category, and a rapport with pop lovers who wanted something similar to tobyMac, but with more emphasis on the hip-hop than the rock.

Without missing a beat, Group 1 Crew is back bigger and bolder than before. Ordinary Dreamersexpounds on everything that made the eponymous disc a big hit: mad rap skills from emcees Manwell and Pablo, sensible pop vocals from Blanca, and top-notch production from Chris Stevens (tobyMac, Ayiesha Woods), among others.

Those looking to get their hip-hop fix, however, should look elsewhere: Ordinary Dreamers is a pop effort first, an urbanized hip-hop album second. Furthermore, at one point Manwell raps, “The word on the street is we’re the Fugees with a swing/The compliment is nice but we’re rapping Trinity.” That’s what G1C wants to get across first: that their focus is their faith, not a particular sound or style.

Not that the sound isn’t important. In fact, the quality of the tracks is so high, many of them are right on par with the best of today’s urban pop, from the Kanye-meets-Daft Punk of “Living the Life,” the crunk-ish “Movin’,” the dizzying, multi-part “Gimme That Funk,” and the summer-ready “Tonight.” These party-starters are tempered by experimentation, like the robotic “iContact,” the jazzy “I See You,” the underground “I Had a Dream,” and the club-friendly “Live Out Loud.”

Some curveballs are even stranger, like the soaring pop/rocker “Closer.” But then again, Blanca says she always wanted to be Mariah Carey growing up, so the song fits her stylistic inclinations like a glove, even if her emcee buddies are somewhat relegated to the background. If there’s one slight thumbs-down against the trio, it’s the occasional knack for saccharine melodies, patently noticeable in the Gwen Stefani-like “Change” and the Blanca-led “Our Time,” both of which are too cloying to stand a chance in modern pop playlists.

Other than that, Ordinary Dreamers establishes Group 1 Crew as the most exciting act in Christian urban pop right now. They’re the perfect example of three artists bringing their collective strengths to the table, remaining true to who they are, and maintaining a deft balance between faith, accessibility, and urban savvy.

 

August and September: MissionSix

The five young “super-musicians” that make up MISSION SIX range in age from 12-14, and reside in the small town of Evansville, Indiana. Noah (lead vocals, guitar), Issac (vocals, keys), Michael (vocals, bass), David (drums) and Anthony (lead guitar) are quick to point out that while there are only five band members, they have each decided to put God first in their lives, making him the official sixth member of the band. “There is so much happening in the world right now that takes our direction away from the most important basic things in life,” says Noah. “We want to help our generation regroup and enjoy life with fun music and simple energy.”