Author: Brian Ward
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135370036
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 712
Book Description
Brian Ward is Lecturer in American History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne .; This book is intended for american studies, American history postwar social and cultural history, political history, Black history, Race and Ethnic studies and Cultural studies together with the general trade music.
Just My Soul Responding
Author: Brian Ward
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135370036
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 712
Book Description
Brian Ward is Lecturer in American History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne .; This book is intended for american studies, American history postwar social and cultural history, political history, Black history, Race and Ethnic studies and Cultural studies together with the general trade music.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135370036
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 712
Book Description
Brian Ward is Lecturer in American History at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne .; This book is intended for american studies, American history postwar social and cultural history, political history, Black history, Race and Ethnic studies and Cultural studies together with the general trade music.
The Soul Rhythm Guitar Book
Author: STUART. ALEXANDER RYAN (JOSEPH.)
Publisher: WWW.Fundamental-Changes.com
ISBN: 9781789332247
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 80
Book Description
Are you ready to master the Soul rhythm guitar skills that defined three generations? Discover where Gospel meets R&B Soul is one of the most important skills any guitarist can master. It's an essential genre that combines the best elements of Gospel, R&B and Jazz into the dance music that fuelled Motown, Atlantic and Stax records. In fact, Soul is still one of the most influential styles inspiring today's cutting-edge guitarists like Mark Lettieri and Cory Wong. The pioneers of Soul guitar carved out a unique style that combined well-crafted guitar parts with immense rhythm and groove. Learning these Soul guitar parts will not only make you an excellent rhythm player, it'll show you how the guitar should function in any tight band. The Soul Rhythm Guitar Book Playing like an authentic Soul guitarist means reaching for new voicings and learning how to sit perfectly in your band. Fortunately, Soul guitar maestro Stuart Ryan is here to show you how. Soul Guitar Skills You'll Master - Effective three-note chord shapes that will cut through a band mix - Essential "Drop 2" chords up and down the neck - The essential chord progressions of Soul, Pop, Funk and Motown - How to use richer 9th, 11th and 13 chords appropriately The Art of Soul Guitar Groove No guitarist gets hired just for their chord knowledge - you've got develop great feel and groove too. The Soul Rhythm Guitar Book teaches you the art of great chord phrasing and how to lock-in seamlessly with the band... In fact, you'll become the complete in the pocket guitarist player using space and syncopation to build the groove. Hooks and Fills Session guitar pro Stuart Ryan also gives you a wealth of chord embellishment tricks and techniques to spice up your rhythm parts. You'll master the iconic techniques of Soul guitar pioneers such as Steve Cropper, Cornell Dupree, Wah Wah Watson and Jimmy Nolan (James Brown) who have played on thousands of hits and billions of streams. Bring it on Home Along with over 120 musical examples, all your new skills are brought together in four original Soul tracks you can learn, along with complete backing tracks. In these pages you'll discover everything you need to become the complete Soul musician - from the essential chord voicings and groove of Soul, the 3rds and 6ths melodies of Steve Cropper, right through to the Funking rhythmic stylings of Jimmy Nolan. It's time to Get Ready, Move on Up, and become the ultimate Soul Man (or Woman!) with The Soul Rhythm Guitar Book. Buy It Now
Publisher: WWW.Fundamental-Changes.com
ISBN: 9781789332247
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 80
Book Description
Are you ready to master the Soul rhythm guitar skills that defined three generations? Discover where Gospel meets R&B Soul is one of the most important skills any guitarist can master. It's an essential genre that combines the best elements of Gospel, R&B and Jazz into the dance music that fuelled Motown, Atlantic and Stax records. In fact, Soul is still one of the most influential styles inspiring today's cutting-edge guitarists like Mark Lettieri and Cory Wong. The pioneers of Soul guitar carved out a unique style that combined well-crafted guitar parts with immense rhythm and groove. Learning these Soul guitar parts will not only make you an excellent rhythm player, it'll show you how the guitar should function in any tight band. The Soul Rhythm Guitar Book Playing like an authentic Soul guitarist means reaching for new voicings and learning how to sit perfectly in your band. Fortunately, Soul guitar maestro Stuart Ryan is here to show you how. Soul Guitar Skills You'll Master - Effective three-note chord shapes that will cut through a band mix - Essential "Drop 2" chords up and down the neck - The essential chord progressions of Soul, Pop, Funk and Motown - How to use richer 9th, 11th and 13 chords appropriately The Art of Soul Guitar Groove No guitarist gets hired just for their chord knowledge - you've got develop great feel and groove too. The Soul Rhythm Guitar Book teaches you the art of great chord phrasing and how to lock-in seamlessly with the band... In fact, you'll become the complete in the pocket guitarist player using space and syncopation to build the groove. Hooks and Fills Session guitar pro Stuart Ryan also gives you a wealth of chord embellishment tricks and techniques to spice up your rhythm parts. You'll master the iconic techniques of Soul guitar pioneers such as Steve Cropper, Cornell Dupree, Wah Wah Watson and Jimmy Nolan (James Brown) who have played on thousands of hits and billions of streams. Bring it on Home Along with over 120 musical examples, all your new skills are brought together in four original Soul tracks you can learn, along with complete backing tracks. In these pages you'll discover everything you need to become the complete Soul musician - from the essential chord voicings and groove of Soul, the 3rds and 6ths melodies of Steve Cropper, right through to the Funking rhythmic stylings of Jimmy Nolan. It's time to Get Ready, Move on Up, and become the ultimate Soul Man (or Woman!) with The Soul Rhythm Guitar Book. Buy It Now
Spiritual Rhythm
Author: Mark Buchanan
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 031041329X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 343
Book Description
"Abide in me," Jesus tells us, "and you will bear much fruit." Yet too often we forget that fruit needs different seasons in order to grow. We measure our spiritual maturity by how much we do rather than how we are responding to our current spiritual season. In Spiritual Rhythm, Mark Buchanan replaces our spirituality of busyness with a spirituality of abiding. Sometimes we are busy, sometimes still, sometimes pushing with all we've got, sometimes waiting. This model of the spiritual life measures and produces growth by asking: Are we living in rhythm with the season we are in? With the lyrical writing for which he is known, Mark invites us to respond to every season of the heart, whether we are flourishing and fruitful, stark and dismal, or cool and windy. In comparing spiritual rhythms to the seasons of the year, he shows us what to expect from each season and how embracing the seasons causes our spiritual lives to prosper. As he draws on the powerful words of Scripture, Mark explores what activities are suitable or necessary in each season--and what activities are useless or even harmful in that season. Throughout the book, Mark weaves together stories of young and old, men and women, families, couples, and individuals who are in or have been through a particular season of the heart. As Mark writes, "I pray that this book meets you in whatever season you're in, and prepares you for whatever seasons await. I pray that it helps you find your voice, your stride, your rhythm, in season or out. Mostly, I pray that you, with or without my help, find Christ wherever you are. And that, even more, you discover that wherever you are, he's found you."
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN: 031041329X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 343
Book Description
"Abide in me," Jesus tells us, "and you will bear much fruit." Yet too often we forget that fruit needs different seasons in order to grow. We measure our spiritual maturity by how much we do rather than how we are responding to our current spiritual season. In Spiritual Rhythm, Mark Buchanan replaces our spirituality of busyness with a spirituality of abiding. Sometimes we are busy, sometimes still, sometimes pushing with all we've got, sometimes waiting. This model of the spiritual life measures and produces growth by asking: Are we living in rhythm with the season we are in? With the lyrical writing for which he is known, Mark invites us to respond to every season of the heart, whether we are flourishing and fruitful, stark and dismal, or cool and windy. In comparing spiritual rhythms to the seasons of the year, he shows us what to expect from each season and how embracing the seasons causes our spiritual lives to prosper. As he draws on the powerful words of Scripture, Mark explores what activities are suitable or necessary in each season--and what activities are useless or even harmful in that season. Throughout the book, Mark weaves together stories of young and old, men and women, families, couples, and individuals who are in or have been through a particular season of the heart. As Mark writes, "I pray that this book meets you in whatever season you're in, and prepares you for whatever seasons await. I pray that it helps you find your voice, your stride, your rhythm, in season or out. Mostly, I pray that you, with or without my help, find Christ wherever you are. And that, even more, you discover that wherever you are, he's found you."
Then Sings My Soul Special Edition
Author: Robert J. Morgan
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400336406
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
In this special seasonal edition, bestselling author Robert J. Morgan shares the incredible stories behind traditional holiday hymns of faith, including Christmas, Easter, and more. Is there a festive season of the year that is complete without one of your favorite hymns? Not only do hymns connect you to great memories, but they also reveal the faith of those who lived throughout history. As Robert Morgan explored the stories behind some of the best-loved hymns, he found fascinating accounts of tribulations, triumphs, struggles, and hope—ordinary people who connected with God in amazing ways, sharing their experiences through song. Included inside this special edition are: 150 devotional-style stories with the words and music to each hymn Includes hymns for holidays including Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and more Jagged edged paper, giving it a classic feel Includes a complete hymn index by title, first line, and songwriter Perfect for use as a daily devotional, teaching illustration, or for song leaders and music ministers Discover the inspiration behind your favorite hymns. Find new favorites as you relate to the people whose walk of faith led them to write these classic songs of praise. Share these stories with your family, friends, and church, and find more depth and meaning as you worship God through song.
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 1400336406
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 321
Book Description
In this special seasonal edition, bestselling author Robert J. Morgan shares the incredible stories behind traditional holiday hymns of faith, including Christmas, Easter, and more. Is there a festive season of the year that is complete without one of your favorite hymns? Not only do hymns connect you to great memories, but they also reveal the faith of those who lived throughout history. As Robert Morgan explored the stories behind some of the best-loved hymns, he found fascinating accounts of tribulations, triumphs, struggles, and hope—ordinary people who connected with God in amazing ways, sharing their experiences through song. Included inside this special edition are: 150 devotional-style stories with the words and music to each hymn Includes hymns for holidays including Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and more Jagged edged paper, giving it a classic feel Includes a complete hymn index by title, first line, and songwriter Perfect for use as a daily devotional, teaching illustration, or for song leaders and music ministers Discover the inspiration behind your favorite hymns. Find new favorites as you relate to the people whose walk of faith led them to write these classic songs of praise. Share these stories with your family, friends, and church, and find more depth and meaning as you worship God through song.
Honky Tonk Angel
Author: Ellis Nassour
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
ISBN: 1569764425
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 382
Book Description
Earthy, sexy, and vivacious, the life of beloved country singer, Patsy Cline, who soared from obscurity to international fame to tragic death in just thirty short years, is explored in colorful and poignant detail. An innovator?and even a hell-raiser?Cline broke all the boys' club barriers of Nashville's music business in the 1950s and brought a new Nashville sound to the nation with her pop hits and torch ballads like ?Walking After Midnight," ?I Fall to Pieces? and "Crazy." She is the subject of a major Hollywood movie and countless articles, and her albums are still selling 45 years after her death. Ellis Nassour was the very first to write about Cline and did so with the cooperation of the stars who knew and loved her?including Jimmy Dean, Jan Howard, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Dottie West, and Faron Young. He was the only writer to interview Cline's mother and husbands. This updated edition features not only a complete discography and a host of never-before-published photographs, but includes an afterword that details controversial claims about her birth, the battle between Cline's siblings for her possessions, the amazing influence Cline had on a new generation of singers and, in Cline's own words from letters to a devoted friend, her excitement as her career soared to new heights and her marriage descended to new depths.
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
ISBN: 1569764425
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 382
Book Description
Earthy, sexy, and vivacious, the life of beloved country singer, Patsy Cline, who soared from obscurity to international fame to tragic death in just thirty short years, is explored in colorful and poignant detail. An innovator?and even a hell-raiser?Cline broke all the boys' club barriers of Nashville's music business in the 1950s and brought a new Nashville sound to the nation with her pop hits and torch ballads like ?Walking After Midnight," ?I Fall to Pieces? and "Crazy." She is the subject of a major Hollywood movie and countless articles, and her albums are still selling 45 years after her death. Ellis Nassour was the very first to write about Cline and did so with the cooperation of the stars who knew and loved her?including Jimmy Dean, Jan Howard, Brenda Lee, Loretta Lynn, Roger Miller, Dottie West, and Faron Young. He was the only writer to interview Cline's mother and husbands. This updated edition features not only a complete discography and a host of never-before-published photographs, but includes an afterword that details controversial claims about her birth, the battle between Cline's siblings for her possessions, the amazing influence Cline had on a new generation of singers and, in Cline's own words from letters to a devoted friend, her excitement as her career soared to new heights and her marriage descended to new depths.
Survival Guide for the Soul
Author: Ken Shigematsu
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310535336
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
WINNER OF THE WORD GUILD 2019 CHRISTIAN LIVING BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD "The pages you are about to read may feel like a literal rescue." —Ann Voskamp, New York Times Bestselling author Survival Guide for the Soul is a profound spiritual exploration of God's love—a love that many of us understand intellectually without fully grasping or relying on in our day-to-day experiences—a love that fills our sails with joy and frees us to truly flourish. Many of us are driven by an ambition to accomplish something big outside ourselves. On all sides, we're pressured to achieve—professionally, socially, financially. Even when we're aware of this pressure, it can be hard to escape the vicious circles of accomplishment, frustration, and spiritual burn-out. Drawing on a wide range of sources from Scripture to church history to psychology and modern neuroscience—as well as deeply personal stories from his own life—Ken Shigematsu, recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, vividly demonstrates how the gospel redeems our desires and reorders our lives. Pastor Shigematsu offers fresh perspective on how certain spiritual practices help orient our lives so that our souls can flourish in the midst of a demanding, competitive society. And he concludes with a liberating and counter-cultural definition of true greatness. If you long to experience a deeper relationship with Christ within the daily pressures to succeed, Survival Guide for the Soul is packed with biblical wisdom and a godly approach to transcend the human tendency to define ourselves by our productivity and success. "Loaded with practical insights and encouraging thoughts, every reader will benefit from Ken's work." —Max Lucado, New York Times Bestselling author
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310535336
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
WINNER OF THE WORD GUILD 2019 CHRISTIAN LIVING BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD "The pages you are about to read may feel like a literal rescue." —Ann Voskamp, New York Times Bestselling author Survival Guide for the Soul is a profound spiritual exploration of God's love—a love that many of us understand intellectually without fully grasping or relying on in our day-to-day experiences—a love that fills our sails with joy and frees us to truly flourish. Many of us are driven by an ambition to accomplish something big outside ourselves. On all sides, we're pressured to achieve—professionally, socially, financially. Even when we're aware of this pressure, it can be hard to escape the vicious circles of accomplishment, frustration, and spiritual burn-out. Drawing on a wide range of sources from Scripture to church history to psychology and modern neuroscience—as well as deeply personal stories from his own life—Ken Shigematsu, recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, BC, vividly demonstrates how the gospel redeems our desires and reorders our lives. Pastor Shigematsu offers fresh perspective on how certain spiritual practices help orient our lives so that our souls can flourish in the midst of a demanding, competitive society. And he concludes with a liberating and counter-cultural definition of true greatness. If you long to experience a deeper relationship with Christ within the daily pressures to succeed, Survival Guide for the Soul is packed with biblical wisdom and a godly approach to transcend the human tendency to define ourselves by our productivity and success. "Loaded with practical insights and encouraging thoughts, every reader will benefit from Ken's work." —Max Lucado, New York Times Bestselling author
The Meaning of Soul
Author: Emily J. Lordi
Publisher: Duke University Press
ISBN: 1478012242
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 147
Book Description
In The Meaning of Soul, Emily J. Lordi proposes a new understanding of this famously elusive concept. In the 1960s, Lordi argues, soul came to signify a cultural belief in black resilience, which was enacted through musical practices—inventive cover versions, falsetto vocals, ad-libs, and false endings. Through these soul techniques, artists such as Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, and Minnie Riperton performed virtuosic survivorship and thus helped to galvanize black communities in an era of peril and promise. Their soul legacies were later reanimated by such stars as Prince, Solange Knowles, and Flying Lotus. Breaking with prior understandings of soul as a vague masculinist political formation tethered to the Black Power movement, Lordi offers a vision of soul that foregrounds the intricacies of musical craft, the complex personal and social meanings of the music, the dynamic movement of soul across time, and the leading role played by black women in this musical-intellectual tradition.
Publisher: Duke University Press
ISBN: 1478012242
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 147
Book Description
In The Meaning of Soul, Emily J. Lordi proposes a new understanding of this famously elusive concept. In the 1960s, Lordi argues, soul came to signify a cultural belief in black resilience, which was enacted through musical practices—inventive cover versions, falsetto vocals, ad-libs, and false endings. Through these soul techniques, artists such as Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, and Minnie Riperton performed virtuosic survivorship and thus helped to galvanize black communities in an era of peril and promise. Their soul legacies were later reanimated by such stars as Prince, Solange Knowles, and Flying Lotus. Breaking with prior understandings of soul as a vague masculinist political formation tethered to the Black Power movement, Lordi offers a vision of soul that foregrounds the intricacies of musical craft, the complex personal and social meanings of the music, the dynamic movement of soul across time, and the leading role played by black women in this musical-intellectual tradition.
Transformational Speaking
Author: Gail Larsen
Publisher: Celestial Arts
ISBN: 080415189X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
You can change the world—one audience at a time! Today's challenging times call for passionate visionaries who are authentic and articulate communicators. Speaking coach and consultant Gail Larsen presents a proven program that liberates the "speaker within" and transforms even the reluctant orator into an agent of change. While most books on public speaking focus on polishing your presentation and overcoming fear, Larsen's holistic blend of spirit and logic goes far beyond the standard format, making TRANSFORMATIONAL SPEAKING a must-read for even the most seasoned speechmakers. With her uniquely inspirational approach, Larsen reaches out to those who want to make a genuine difference in our world by changing minds through touching hearts. TRANSFORMATIONAL SPEAKING offers insightful advice on everything from defining your message and refining your delivery, to managing the dynamics of a room, handling logistics like a pro, and building a connection with an audience of any size. Larsen has helped business executives and entrepreneurs, community and social change leaders, and healers and life coaches become active movers and shakers through the power of effective communication.
Publisher: Celestial Arts
ISBN: 080415189X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 210
Book Description
You can change the world—one audience at a time! Today's challenging times call for passionate visionaries who are authentic and articulate communicators. Speaking coach and consultant Gail Larsen presents a proven program that liberates the "speaker within" and transforms even the reluctant orator into an agent of change. While most books on public speaking focus on polishing your presentation and overcoming fear, Larsen's holistic blend of spirit and logic goes far beyond the standard format, making TRANSFORMATIONAL SPEAKING a must-read for even the most seasoned speechmakers. With her uniquely inspirational approach, Larsen reaches out to those who want to make a genuine difference in our world by changing minds through touching hearts. TRANSFORMATIONAL SPEAKING offers insightful advice on everything from defining your message and refining your delivery, to managing the dynamics of a room, handling logistics like a pro, and building a connection with an audience of any size. Larsen has helped business executives and entrepreneurs, community and social change leaders, and healers and life coaches become active movers and shakers through the power of effective communication.
The Rhythm of Compassion
Author: Gail Straub
Publisher: Journey Editions
ISBN: 9780963032737
Category : Caring
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
This heartfelt guide provides practical exercises for readers to achieve the delicate balance between care of self and service to others.
Publisher: Journey Editions
ISBN: 9780963032737
Category : Caring
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
This heartfelt guide provides practical exercises for readers to achieve the delicate balance between care of self and service to others.
Soul Serenade
Author: Rashod Ollison
Publisher: Beacon Press
ISBN: 0807088978
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
A coming-of-age memoir about a young boy in rural Arkansas who searches for himself and his distant father through soul music Growing up in rural Arkansas, young Rashod Ollison turned to music to make sense of his life. The dysfunction, sadness, and steely resilience of his family and neighbors was reflected in the R&B songs that played on 45s in smoky rooms. Steeped in the sounds, the smells, the salty language of rural Arkansas in the 1980s, Soul Serenade is the memoir of a pop music critic whose love for soul music was fostered by his father, Raymond. Drafted into the Vietnam War as a teenager, Raymond returned a changed man, “dead on the inside.” After his parents’ volatile marriage ended in divorce, Rashod was haunted by the memory of his itinerant father and his mama’s long forgotten “sunshine smile.” For six-year-old Rashod, his father’s record collection—the music of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, and others—provided solace, coherence, and escape. Moving nine times during his childhood, Rashod constantly adjusted to new schools and homes with his two sisters, Dusa and Reagan, and his mother, Dianne. Resilient and tough, while also being distant and punitive, she worked multiple jobs, striving “to make ends wave at each other if they couldn’t meet.” He spent time with his acerbic mother’s mother, Mama Teacake, and her family’s living-out-loud ways, which clashed with his father’s family—religious, discreet, and appropriate—where Rashod gravitated to Big Mama and Paw Paw, his father’s parents. Becoming aware of his same-sex attraction, Rashod felt further isolated and alone but was encouraged by mentors in the community who fostered his intelligence and talent. He became transformed through discovering the writing of Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni, and other literary greats, and these books, along with the soulful sounds of the 1970s and 80s, enabled him to thrive in spite of the instability and harshness of his childhood. In textured and evocative language, and peppered with unexpected humor, Soul Serenade is an original and captivating coming-of-age story set to an original beat.
Publisher: Beacon Press
ISBN: 0807088978
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
A coming-of-age memoir about a young boy in rural Arkansas who searches for himself and his distant father through soul music Growing up in rural Arkansas, young Rashod Ollison turned to music to make sense of his life. The dysfunction, sadness, and steely resilience of his family and neighbors was reflected in the R&B songs that played on 45s in smoky rooms. Steeped in the sounds, the smells, the salty language of rural Arkansas in the 1980s, Soul Serenade is the memoir of a pop music critic whose love for soul music was fostered by his father, Raymond. Drafted into the Vietnam War as a teenager, Raymond returned a changed man, “dead on the inside.” After his parents’ volatile marriage ended in divorce, Rashod was haunted by the memory of his itinerant father and his mama’s long forgotten “sunshine smile.” For six-year-old Rashod, his father’s record collection—the music of Aretha Franklin, Bobby Womack, Al Green, and others—provided solace, coherence, and escape. Moving nine times during his childhood, Rashod constantly adjusted to new schools and homes with his two sisters, Dusa and Reagan, and his mother, Dianne. Resilient and tough, while also being distant and punitive, she worked multiple jobs, striving “to make ends wave at each other if they couldn’t meet.” He spent time with his acerbic mother’s mother, Mama Teacake, and her family’s living-out-loud ways, which clashed with his father’s family—religious, discreet, and appropriate—where Rashod gravitated to Big Mama and Paw Paw, his father’s parents. Becoming aware of his same-sex attraction, Rashod felt further isolated and alone but was encouraged by mentors in the community who fostered his intelligence and talent. He became transformed through discovering the writing of Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni, and other literary greats, and these books, along with the soulful sounds of the 1970s and 80s, enabled him to thrive in spite of the instability and harshness of his childhood. In textured and evocative language, and peppered with unexpected humor, Soul Serenade is an original and captivating coming-of-age story set to an original beat.