Remember when I wrote about picking up a theme song and your theme song keeps pushing you forward and keeps you excited or makes you smile and happy? Well, to be able to play that “theme song” or any other music, you will need some speakers, right?

I tend to get new music only to my iPhone and thus the most convenient speakers are the ones I can attach easily to my iPhone. I love the look of the new chicBuds Fauvette Speakers that come in three cute colors. You can use them with your phone, laptop, MP3 player etc. For $34.99 the chicBuds Fauvette bird shaped speaker let’s you listen your music and they make a cute decoration in your desk too!

Even Ally McBeal Had A Theme Song…

Do you remember Ally McBeal..? It was one of my favorite TV shows on the late 90′s and it was sadly missed when we moved to Germany. I loved how my mother-in-law would videotape the shows and send a VHS to me and it was one of the only TV shows we watched in English the entire time we lived in Germany.

Anyways.. music was such an integral part of the show, and Ally had a “theme song” that would play in her head when she needed some encouragement. She was adviced by her therapist Dr Clark, played by the brilliant Tracey Ullman, to pick a theme song, something that you can play in your head that you’ll feel better. Watch the scene below..

What’s Your Theme Song..?

When is the last time you’ve had a theme song?
Do you have a theme song that you play in your head over and over again?
A song that lifts you up, gets you through the bad times and motivates you to move forward?
A song that you play when you celebrate life?

Gosh, while there have been many “theme songs” in my life, I don’t think I’ve had one for a while. And it’s a shame. In fact, I haven’t given music enough thought at all lately, it’s whatever junk the radio plays when I carpool the kids and only time of the year I usually update my tunes is right on the edge of the ski season so I have fresh music for fresh snow. I think I need another high-impact activity with music in my life, because music can do so much, it truly inspires, takes us through tough times and celebrates the good times. And it certainly can change your life when your theme song keeps pushing you forward and working towards your dreams.

Theme Song That Changed My Life…

Ok, don’t laugh, I’m opening up here.. One of the theme songs in my life has been Ultra Nate’s Free.

It came out in 1997, and it was a big year for me to really figure out what I wanted from my life. I broke up with a long time boyfriend that year (we had been together on and off for 5 years, he was a jerk, that I thought I could cure), I swore never try to live my life trying to please other people anymore, and I wanted to be free to do what I wanted to do. One of the big decisions I made that year was to put my mechanical engineering studies on hold in Finland, and move to Germany, where serendipity stepped into my life and so did my husband. A few months later I took even a bigger leap of faith, trusted what my heart said and felt and moved to the United States, and never looked back.

The lyrics of my theme song made me sad looking back in my life, but excited about the future. The song made me want to dance, it made me smile when I needed it the most. It celebrated with me, it told me again and again that I had to live my life and do what I wanted to do.

And I did.
And look where it took me.

Ultra Nate: Free lyrics

Where did we go wrong
Where did we lose our faith
My brother is in need
But can he depend on me
Do you think if one of you tried
Maybe you could find
A better friend than any other
If you gave more than you took
Life could be so good
Come on and try
Now’s the time

Bridge when you’re down and you’re
Feeling bad
Everybody has left you sad
Feels like no one will pull you through
It’s your life whatcha gonna do
Make that change let’s start today
Get outta bed get on your way
Don’t be scared your dreams right there
You want it reach for it

Add Music!

Hey, it may not be Mozart nor Shakespeare, but music and lyrics can have a bigger impact in your life than you think of. I recently joined Spotify and I am planning on sharing my music finds and listening more what others are listening, and giving music a bigger place in my life again. What kind of pat does music play in your life?

Diane Birch’s debut CD Bible Belt comes out on June 2nd, but I had the pleasure to receive an advance copy and also to meet Diane in a private concert in SXSW in Austin, TX, where Diane performed to all of us Elevenmoms.

I love love love her music. Soulful, deep, hint of sadness, but the kind of sadness that you know will have a happy ending. Please read my friend Lindsay’s review of the Bible Belt CD, she is the Rock & Roll Mama, and knows so much more about music than me, and frankly I just can not add a thing what she already said about Diane, expect that I love love love her music.

Thanks to Lindsay I also heard that Diane’s single Rise Up is the free downloadable at iTunes this week. Download the free single Rise Up from iTunes and then check out how you can win an iPod Nano at Rock & Roll Mama’s blog.

Thanks to One2One Network I’m always in the know of the music news. I was sent the Ballas Hough Band CD for a review and if the names Ballas and Hough ring a bell – you are right, they are the Dancing With The Stars dancers Mark Ballas and Derek Hough. They are the lead vocals and play guitar in the Ballas Hough Band. In addition to the Dancing with the Stars dancers Ballas and Hough, the band consists of Harry Sullivan on Drums, Sam Marder on Bass and Emily Grace as Vocals/ Keyboards/Piano.

Their debut CD is already a winner, the CD made it to the Top 100 Billboard Charts after being out only for a few weeks. The two DWTS dancers are used to winning, Derek won the Dancing with the Stars with Brooke Burke last season and Mark won in season 6 with Kristi Yamaguchi. I love their attitude to take it all and do it all – these two young men are so living the Skimbaco Lifestyle, living life to the fullest and I think are great examples of how hard work will pay off.

The BHB CD is easy listening pop, that both me and my kids like. In fact it’s one of those rare CDs we all agree on listening. The music is pop/dance and makes us want to dance and it’s perfect car music to keep the daily car pool fun and kiddos and mommy jammin’. One of my favorites is Underwater though, little blue with great melody and makes me want to cuddle under blanket. Over all the CD has a nice variety of music, and it’s really impressive that the young members of the band wrote the music themselves.

I think Ballas Hough Band is here to stay and I’m hoping they will go on tour once the Dancing with the Stars season is over, because with the boys’ dance experience, and music talent, I could almost bet Ballas Hough Band is the next Big Touring Band everyone wants to go see. The only question I have… what will happen to DWTS when BHB will be touring the world and no longer dancing in the show?

You can also find them at Facebook and MySpace.

92Y Tribeca is a 92nd Street Y’s exciting new arts and entertainment venue offering variety of entertainment for the whole family. I just heard about their B.Y.O.K. (Bring Your Own Kid) series, and I’m so excited about taking kids to see The Jimmies on Sunday (March 8th at 11 AM).

If you haven’t heard of The Jimmies yet, check them out, and listen to their song Taddy in the below video. I love the tunes, lyrics are fun, and music that both my kids and me like to listen. I’ll get you a full scoop of The Jimmies after we see them live this weekend or you can already download a few of their tunes on the go.

Nathan Pacheco, Leslie Mills, Yanni, Ender Thomas, Chloe

Yanni Voices isn’t your mother’s Yanni.

The musical phenomenon Yanni teamed up with four talented vocalists, Nathan Pacheco, Leslie Mills, Ender Thomas and Chloe and gave them his music and let them create beautiful lyrics for his beloved music. Now this group, Yanni Voices, can be seen on tour and on PBS. The Yanni Voices tour officially starts on April 4th and continues touring around the nation and Canada until July.

Ender Thomas, me and Nathan Pacheco

I had two very unique opportunities earlier this month. I met two of the Yanni Voices singers in Nashville, at the BlissDom conference. The bloggers of the conference were able to ask questions from Ender Thomas and Nathan Pacheco and two lucky women even got serenaded happy birthday by them!

I also was invited to preview Yanni Voices’ upcoming tour in New York City last week. The short premier was amazing! The city of New York and its lights on the evening sky as a backdrop, Yanni and his grand piano on the stage – and the vocalists and their amazing voices. The music and the voices of these talented singers gave me goosebumps, I was an instant fan! I can’t wait that Yanni and these four brilliant vocalists will come again to New York for their official concert in early May. (Who wants to come with me?)

The good news is that you can enjoy Yanni Voices at your own home – as soon as starting on March 2nd. Yanni Voices Special on PBS starts airing next week. The Yanni Voices Live from the Forum in Acapulco gives you the opportunity to enjoy the show even before the tour starts. Check your local listings to see the show times.

If you watch the Yanni Voices PBS Special, will you come back here and let me know what you thought of it..? I hope you like it as much as I know I will.

Also: see the tour dates.

Photos: Yanni.com

My sincere thanks to One2One Network for the opportunity to see Yanni Voices Premiere.

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! Here are my Top 5 Last Minute Gift Ideas!

1. SAVE MONEY & GIVE MUSIC
My number one gift idea this year is to give music – it’s so easy to download some new music for his/hers iPod or MP3 player and make it something to enjoy beyond Valentine’s Day. And when the songs at iTunes go for 99 cents and start at 79 cents at Amazon, you can go far with ten bucks. Amazon also has a few songs you can download for free, the best suited for Valentine’s Day is Let’s Get It On by Marvin Gaye.

Check out: He’s Just Not That Into You Soundtrack & Hoodie Giveaway

2. GO ALL THE WAY: GIVE AN IPOD AND MUSIC
Get the iPhone or the iPod Touch and fill that with love songs or music he/she will love… Romantic, caring, but high tech and something your Valentine will appreciate for a long time.

Check out: iPod Touch Giveaway

3. MAKE IT EASY & GET GORGEOUS FLOWERS (with free delivery)
1-800-flowers offers a great variety of Valentine flower arrangements. Order now and SAVE $14.99 on select bouquets from the Exclusive Valentine’s collection. Use Promotion Code FREELUV at checkout and they’ll pay the $14.99 service fee. Easy and it always works!

4. MOVIES & DINNER (at home)
Two movies I would love to see this Valentine’s Day weekend are He’s Just Not That Into You and Confessions of a Shopaholic, and I would like to finish the night at a local Italian restaurant for Eggplant Parmigiana and wine. But I’m opting for a cheaper alternative and staying home instead; I’ll rent Nights in Rodanthe and cook spaghetti. If you’re not into cooking – you might want to call your local Pizza Hut to deliver their new lasagna for $14.99 (and it’s such a big portion that kids will eat from it too).

Check out: He’s Just Not That Into You Soundtrack & Hoodie Giveaway

5. COUPONS
Really, they work. You know your spouse the best, give coupons that she/he’ll appreciate the most. It can be simple everyday things like “Filling your car’s tank” (many women hate going to gas station), “washing dishes for month” or “cooking dinner” or cutesy “breakfast in bed” or “day on the beach”. Or go more intimate and offer “sensual massage” or “fantasy sex night” – or why not “quickie in a closet” to add some spice. And let’s not kid anyone here, I don’t know a single man who would not like to have a few coupons for a few good old BJs. The coupon ideas are free, and the best is that you can give coupons of something you’ll like too.