 Hello Everyone, I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Recently, an old friend reached out to me to say hello. He and his wife lived here in the D.C. area about 10 years ago, before moving to Canada. Now they have two young girls, just as I have two young girls along with my son. If was good to hear from him, and he happened to say something at the end of his message that actually inspired this new MTSTPBlog song. He said, “it’s always nice to talk with someone else trying to put beauty into the world.” A few days later, here is a brand new song entitled “More Beauty.” “Less negativity, less hateful energy, Less put a little more beauty out into the world…” – “More Beauty” by Rise-Ascend Also, I have two wonderful special features for you today. These songs come from the great Stevie Wonder! Not too long ago, I sat down and listened to Stevie’s classic album “Songs In The Key of Life.” As I sat in front of my laptop, absolutely blown away, I reflected on the fact that Stevie made this amazing album before my parents even brought me into this world. Well, of course, the album is full of innovative and beautiful songs. Here are just two: “Love’s In Need of Love Today” and “As.” Enjoy! Kind Regards, Rise *Image licensing provided by Unsplash.
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 Good morning Everyone! I hope you are all doing great, and ready for a wonderful weekend. Here is a brand new MTSTPBlog song entitled “Clearing Away the Fog.” “They only say that you descend from the animals, So they can keep your heart and mind in a cage…” “Clear away the fog, you’ve been led so wrong, Good people, you can from the heavens, And there is hope for us all…” – “Clearing Away the Fog” by Rise-Ascend As special features, I hope you all enjoy a performance of the old-time fiddle song “Glory In The Meetinghouse,” performed by Rayna Gellert, and “Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23: II. Adagio”, performed by Hélène Grimaud. Kind regards, Rise *Image licensing provided by Unsplash.  Hello Everyone, I hope you are all doing well today.
I would like to take a moment to share with you a recent email exchange I had with one of the online music promotion companies that I have been working with over the course of the last 3 months. First of all, I want to make it very clear that I have great respect and appreciation for this very reputable online music promotion company, and the entire team that I have had the pleasure of working with. Out of that respect, appreciation and protection of privacy, I have completely redacted the conversation. However, because I think it is also important that my fans and supporters have some insight into, and understanding of, the challenges and difficulties I face as an artist (and have faced ever since I decided to make music that helps to stop the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and expose the human rights atrocities of the Chinese Communist Party), I would like to share the following email exchange. I think people who enjoy my music should be aware of these challenges, as well as the pressure, pinch or quagmire that companies I work with often feel, when attempting to promote my music in the digital space. *PLEASE NOTE: While drafting this blog post, I did receive a follow-up email from this online music promotion company, with good news. So please read through to the end. An Online Music Promotion Company: “Thanks for sending your song 'In The Storm'. We appreciate you choosing us for your promotion needs; however due to the lyric "..., have been deceived by the Chinese Communist Party, what a dreadful storm [they’re in]", we are unable to promote this song. We do not promote any songs that specifically campaign for/against any politician or political party. We do feel it is important for our clients to voice their opinion on social justice or political/politically based issues, however we do have to be clear that we are not able to promote song(s) with specific messages about a political campaign, politician, or political party. We would still love to promote a different song from you in order to fulfill the promotion credit if you’d like. Please respond with your song link to this email and we will review promptly.” – An Online Music Promotion Service Rise-Ascend’s Response: “Good afternoon, [BLANK] and the [BLANK] Team. Thank you very much for providing an update regarding the promotion of my song “In The Storm.” However, it is now internationally well known that the Chinese Communist Party is an extremely egregious offender of human rights abuses, committed against its own people. As I have explained previously, my music, in a tasteful and compassionate – yet direct and truthful way, exposes some of the atrocities currently being committed by the Chinese Communist Party. To imply, in the same message, that your company will not promote an artist’s song that directly addresses human rights abuses committed by the Chinese Communist Party, yet you state that your company, “feel[s] it is important for our clients to voice their opinion on social justice or political/politically based issues,” is so sad, to say the least. These songs of mine speak for: The persecuted Uyghur Muslim women in China’s far-western region of Xinjiang, who are subjected to forced abortions in labor camps; The peaceful, young freedom fighters in Hong Kong who are being 'disappeared' and taken into custody under the National Security Law; and The Falun Gong practitioners in China who have been murdered, and their internal organs sold on the Chinese black market. These are all crimes being committed by the Chinese Communist Party that I speak about in my songs. Of course, I completely understand that the tech companies (YouTube/Google) that [BLANK] does business with on a daily basis, are making it extremely difficult to promote music like mine. However, for the voiceless people, like the ones I mentioned above, who feel hopelessly oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, I must keep these songs at the forefront of my promotional efforts. Therefore, I cannot, with a clear conscience, continue to spend my promotional dollars with the [BLANK] company – though I do deeply and sincerely appreciate everything the team has done, in a short period of time, to help take my music promotion to the next level. To All, thank you for everything, and kind regards. Rise” – Rise-Ascend An Online Music Promotion Company: “After further review, we will be able to promote your song 'In The Storm'.” – An Online Music Promotion Service Rise-Ascend’s Response: “Thank you.”  Hello Everyone, I hope you are all doing very well today. Here is a new MTSTPBlog song for you entitled “Keep It Light.” “Keep it light, And shine your goodness all around” – “Keep It Light” by Rise-Ascend As special features, below, you can hear Anna Kokkonen’s beautiful new song “Sateenkestävää.” In addition, you will find a video of Larry Campbell recording a traditional Scottish song called "Flowers of the Forest." Make sure you watch the entire video, because the musical magic starts to really happen around 2:13. I hope you all enjoy! Kind regards, Rise *Image licensing provided by Unsplash.  Hello Everyone, I hope you are all doing very well this evening. Tonight at 8:00pm EST, I will be premiering my latest MTSTPBlog song entitled “In The Storm.” As the situation continues to deteriorate in China, my heart goes out to the many innocent people there, who have been terribly deceived for decades by communism, and the vicious Chinese Communist regime. “In China, there were dark clouds in June, snow flurrying, Flood waters arise, people worrying…” – “In The Storm” by Rise-Ascend As a special feature, here is a beautiful performance by Toumani Diabaté, a world-renowned Malian kora player, and his talented son Sidiki. I hope you all enjoy. Kind regards, Rise  Good morning Everyone, I hope you are all doing well, and enjoying the weekend. Here is another brand new MTSTPBlog song entitled “I Shed A Little Tear,” premiering at 8:00am, Saturday morning. “Please excuse me as I pour my heart out, Over the chords of this song…” – “I Shed A Little Tear” by Rise-Ascend I shed a little tear. However, this special feature from Deep End Sessions, of Hermanos Herrera - performing El Siquisiri, makes me smile. Check out the video below. I hope you all enjoy. Kind regards, Rise *Image licensing provided by Unsplash.  Good morning Everyone, I hope you are all enjoying a great and productive week. Here is a brand new MTSTPBlog song for you entitled “Old Town on the Hill,” premiering on Thursday morning, at 8:00am EST. “You’ve been there through the centuries, So many memories, And so much love, Old town on the hill…” – “Old Town on the Hill” by Rise-Ascend As a special feature, here is a beautiful song performed by our friend Nemo. Read what Nemo has to say about the song "Cetiri Crna Konja" (Four Black Horses), and check it out below: “We would spend almost every summer in Dalmatia, Croatia when I was a kid. It is a place of an immense beauty and charm. Deep blue and clear Adriatic sea is a gem of this world. This song "Cetiri Crna Konja" (Four Black Horses) from Mladen Biocina is one of my mom and dad's favorites so I decided to evoke some good childhood memories.” – Nemo I hope you all enjoy. Kind regards, Rise *Image licensing provided by Unsplash.  Good morning Everyone! I hope you are all doing well, and enjoying your Saturday morning. Here is a brand new MTSTPBlog song for you entitled “A Beautiful Morning,” premiering at 8:00am EST this morning. “Time will tell, That the good will prevail, In the morning sunlight…” – “A Beautiful Morning” by Rise-Ascend As a special feature, I want to share this short video of traditional Appalachian fiddler Charlie Acuff. When I first came across this short story about Mr. Acuff, certain characteristics about him fondly reminded me of both of my, now deceased, grandfathers – his charming charisma, and his sense of preserving tradition. I hope you all enjoy. Kind regards, Rise *Image licensing provided by Unsplash.  Hello Everyone, I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful summer weekend. Here is a new MTSTP Blog song for you that I will be premiering Monday, August 3, 2020 at 7:00 PM EST. The song is entitled “Listen to Your Heart & Listen with Your Heart.” “If you listen with your heart, Surely, you will hear the Great Law…” – “Listen to Your Heart & Listen with Your Heart.” I hope you all come back around premiere time and enjoy the new song. Kind regards, Rise *Image licensing provided by Unsplash. |
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