The Magic of Think

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Imagine, as a parent, helping your child form a robust and resilient identity and allowing your child to define his or her own values based on his or her own upbringing. Perhaps the gift that follows such acts is an individual with the ability to resist both the conditioning of modern marketing and majoritarian societies and the pressure of some peer groups that may not have his or her own best interests at heart. The Magic Of Think presents a host of artistic lessons designed to encourage our children to take solace and confidence from a remembrance of the uniqueness of their individuality. Singer/songwriter Janyse was inspired by her participation with the Make a Wish Foundation as a part of her role with the hit children’s show Ed, Edd and Eddy.

While listening to the CD, I was able to experience a rare aspect of personal nostalgia in the form of remembering the dreams of my youth, which seem to slip with every passing year. To become UN Secretary-General, write a world-renowned collection of poems, or simply “farm” alternative energy, you name it, the limits of my dreams were only confined by the breadth of my imagination. And I suspect the same is true of my nieces and nephews and of the millions of youngsters across the planet who are more familiar with being united with their peers than any other generation in human history.

Janyse seems to want to remind those adults charged with shaping and nurturing our inheritors that it is not simply the possibility of youth but the revitalized dreams of us who are farther down the path of life that must be cherished and continually maintained. The peppy and upbeat songs on The Magic Of Think deal with courage, friendship, and happiness. These are values and concepts that we, particularly in the Western world a la “the pursuit of happiness” or “the courage to be,” are invoked to cherish early on in our lives.

I will conclude with my personal favorite from the CD, it’s the fourth track entitled “Hero” and its most touching words are: “If I could be somebody, I know who I would be exactly... I would be the hero... find the hero inside.” True, noble wishes and a challenge to us all to ensure that youth strive to do good while remaining faithful to what is most true to them.

Written by: Brandon Copeland, May 29th 2010

Dreamers

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:01:00 +0000

By Janyse

Magical Voice Productions

Dreamers is a short and sweet, two-song demo. The tracks speak volumes in this brief introduction. The strongest point is Janyse herself. Janyse's a very talented pop vocalist. ABBA instantly came to mind as I heard her sing the first notes. She carries a certain sweetness, fun, and approachability that is both rare and welcomed. I would like to become better acquainted with the personality that matches and fuels this voice; the personality that is not very well expressed in this short demo. The weakest point is... well, the rest of it.

Holy shit, is it awful! Like many other women, Janyse is an above-the-line performer stuck in below-the-line composition. First of all, the lyrics are very simplistic and corny; they made me cringe and grit my teeth at their vapidity. They are perhaps better meant for children, sweating athletes popping squats at the gym, or obnoxious drunks dancing on tables at weddings. Secondly, Janyse's gifted vocal work makes the background music seem lazy in comparison. It's just terrible dance music with no originality or soul to spare. I imagine some basic dance tracks were hastily thrown behind her vocal track in order to put the spotlight focus on her, or as a suggestion as to how her voice could be used in future projects.

Janyse needs better lyrics to sing, interesting music composition, and more challenging pieces to meet her vocal skill. She could easily become a household name if she met a clever writer, experienced composer, and talented musicians to supplement her work. This demo is worth a listen in order to hear a future star's laughable beginning roots, a short burst of energy to fuel a frantic cardiovascular workout, or as a soundtrack to help exhaust a small child having a rambunctious sugar rush.

Written by: Jacquie Piasta, January 14th 2010