Q: Please briefly introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your family.

My name is Teresa Smith. I’m a singer, vocal instructor and homeschooling mother of eight. I’m married to my wonderful husband David who is a music producer for many Catholic recording artists. Also, I happen to sing the theme song, “Blooming”, for the Catholic Moments podcast.

Q: Please give us an overview of the “Gregorian Chant for Kids” project? How did it get started?

Gregorian Chant for Kids is a CD recording designed to introduce children (and families unfamiliar with Chant) to Gregorian Chant. It is unique in that it is performed exclusively by children rather than by adults. Along with the CD, we also offer download-able .pdf files of simplified notation and phonetic pronunciation of the Latin to make it easier to learn.

The idea came about when David was working with a Catholic recording artist at the studio, helping with production on her Gregorian Chant CD in 2008. David and I were both struck with the beauty and the sacred and reverent “other-worldliness” of the chants while working on that CD. After those recording sessions were completed, David and I were driving this artist back to the airport and we were having a conversation about our kids and how they love to sing. During the conversation, this artist briefly said something like “you ought to consider making a chant CD with your kids”, or something to that effect. David and I thought it was an interesting idea but nothing really registered. However, after a few weeks, and like most decisions in our life, during our time in adoration, David and I noticed the idea kept coming back to us. Soon we began to feel urgency about following through with the idea. We knew the idea would fit in well with our homeschooling activities whether anyone else would be interested in the CD or not, helping to meet our music requirements in their education. We also noticed that there was nothing else being made available by any other home school curriculum that taught children how to sing chants. We noticed most recordings were sung by adults or poorly recorded too. We felt that children would learn best by hearing voices most like their own.

Q: Who are the kids involved in the CD and how did they learn to sing Gregorian Chant?

The children involved are our own children: Nate, Patrick, Brian and Regina. We have two older teens whose voices just don’t sound like children’s anymore! And we have two younger boys too young to sing. We taught them chant simply by taking time everyday to sit down, as you would in a music class, going over the pronunciation and practicing the melodies in sections. Once we had a whole chant completed, we’d take them to our recording studio (which is attached to our home) and record that chant. Then we’d start the process over for the next chant. Finally, David adds the organ parts and mixes everything. It took about 3 months to get everything recorded but the kids loved it. Plus, we just consider it a part of the home schooling curriculum and they kids love being able to sing the chants at the Latin Mass.

Q: What is your goal for the project?

First, we feel that God’s calling for us in this project and future chant projects is to provide an accessible musical resource that families use to introduce their children to this beautiful musical treasury of the Church so that it does not become lost. We want families to know that is possible for their children to learn chant – and that children truly enjoy it!

Second, we love being able to provide a recording that is so unique with the children’s voices. Listeners have said over and over that it is so beautiful and angelic to hear the chants being sung by children’s voices. Very soothing and prayerful.

Q: What type of reaction have you received to the CD?

The reactions to the CD range from strong to ecstatic. As I mentioned above, many people tell us they don’t use the CD to teach children; they just love it for listening pleasure. The comment we hear most often is that they imagine angels singing sounds like.

Q: What do the kids think about having their own CD?

They are genuinely excited and very proud of it because they weren’t sure they could do it when we first began. Also, we can tell they feel a real sense of accomplishment when they see David packaging and shipping out a large order of the CD’s to distributors like Catholic Heritage Curricula, who have made the CD a part of their curriculum. They often talk about all of the hard work they put into it.

Q: Do you have plans for future “Chant for Kids” CDs?

Yes, we are currently working on Volume 2. Plus, we will be making teaching DVD’s for Volumes 1 and 2 that include little music lessons for each chant to provide even more help for families to teach their children Gregorian chant. We will keep producing volumes until we run out of chants or until all our children reach puberty and their voices change! Also, we are working on a CD/DVD for teaching children how to sing the older, pre-Vatican II, English language hymns of the Church.

Q: How can readers order the CD and find more information about Chant for Kids?

People can get more information on our website: www.ChantforKids.com

Q: Are there any closing thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?

I would just like to encourage families to introduce themselves to Gregorian chant. It is well worth the effort because they’ll be learning a singularly Catholic, beautiful and reverent musical treasure of our Church. At the same time I would encourage anyone who simply would love to be soothed and their faith inspired to buy Gregorian Chant for Kids!

I hope you enjoy the following video of the Smith family singing Gregorian Chant for Kids and that you’ll check out www.ChantforKids.com and consider sharing Gregorian Chant with the special children in your life!

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Etextbook Teaching Strategies from Ave Maria Press on Vimeo.

This week, I’m asking the question “Who’s on your support team?”  Who can you call when you have a sick child, a late night at the office, or a sudden emergency that requires backup?  If you don’t have anyone in mind, can we brainstorm together about how you might assemble a few friends or neighbors who can “be there” when you need extra hands?  Let’s talk about it!

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Copyright 2010 Lisa M. Hendey

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If you’re blessed enough to have Catholic Charities in your hometown, PLEASE support it!

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Josh writes:

In the heart of “1000 Journals” I’d like to send out 5 blank journals into the Catholic community. The holder of the journal has the special opportunity to share their faith with other Catholics in words, art, or whatever other way the spirit moves them. When the holder of the journal has created an entry page, he now has the obligation of passing it onto another faithful person, with the hopes that the journals will one day be completed and returned to me. When I have received a completed journal, I will share the journal pages, in both picture and video form, online so that others can enjoy. I have titled the project “One Voice, One Church.”

With the funds, I plan to purchase five really nice journals and items to make them unique and set them apart from just any ordinary journal. Each journal will have specific guidelines and directions on how the current holder can keep the community updated on the specific journal’s whereabouts. Also, some of the funds may go toward the shipping of the journals to different parts of the World (Japan, Canada, and opposite sides of the United States). Be assured that if we go above and beyond the goal of $125, that the extra funds will go towards better journals or perhaps we could up the number of journals that we send out. But, if we do not reach the goal, then the project fails and we all go back to our boring lives ; )

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/710603221/one-voice-one-church-5-journals

Ultimately, I hope that people have fun with this project and that we will be inspired by one another, and by the gifts that God has given us!

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Short film on Catholic Faith could win you big trip to World Youth Day 2011

Goodness Reigns sponsors film contest

LOUISVILLE, Aug. 17—One year from now, Goodness Reigns will send teen and young adult filmmakers to Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day 2011 as part of its “Share the Story” short film contest.

“Goodness Reigns: Share the Story” fuses the imagination of youth and young adults with the art of filmmaking to produce short films about the Catholic Faith. The organization is sponsoring a free short-film contest on the Catholic Faith that will award all-inclusive travel packages to 22 youths, young adults and adults.

Films should be no more than seven minutes in length and pertain to one of four categories:

• Church history (including Bible stories and lives of the saints);
• Sacraments of the Church;
• Church teachings;
• Present-day missionary spirit of an individual or ministry of the Church.

The global contest offers awards in three divisions.

Individual Category Awards (Open to anyone age 14 and up)

One winner will be selected from each of the above categories. The winner and one guest/parent will receive free travel packages to World Youth Day 2011; or winners unable to travel may choose to receive video equipment packages each valued at $4,000.

The High School Class or Youth Group Award

One group of teens and chaperones (up to 10 people) will be selected from all entrants to receive free travel packages to WYD 2011; or the group may select a video equipment package worth up to $15,000.

Young Adult Group Award (Ages 18-30)

One group of four young adults will be selected from all entrants to receive free travel packages to WYD 2011; or they may select a video equipment package worth up to $8,000.

Contest winners choosing to attend World Youth Day 2011 will travel with Youth in Europe (www.YouthInEurope.com).

Registration for the contest is free! To register and to find out about submission details, visit www.GoodnessReigns.com. The deadline for film submissions is Jan. 10, 2011.

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But we need your help – please visit the website and place your vote for the winner.  You’ll meet some incredible priests and may even want to share their stories on your blogs!  The voting deadline is July 15, so hear over now to cast your ballot.

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Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.

For years, I’ve been thankful for my online friendship with talented author and all around great guy Tim Bete.  Tim wrote me recently to share the good news about a project he is working on.  ThankfulHome.tv is the kind of project that makes the best possible use of the Internet to inspire, to help build community, and to make a difference in the world.  Please read the following information, shared by Tim, and check out ThankfulHome.tv. Great work Tim!

ThankfulHome.tv Helps People Express Gratitude for Homes, Share Stories of Difficult Housing Experiences

As part of National NeighborWorks Week (June 5-12, 2010), St. Mary Development Corporation has launched ThankfulHome.tv, a Web site with the motto: “Be thankful for your home. Help others find a decent place to live.”

ThankfulHome.tv allows people to share their stories about housing issues by submitting short videos. Visitors to the site can share why they are thankful for their homes or talk about a difficult housing situation they’ve faced (e.g., homelessness, unsafe conditions.) By connecting people who have decent housing with those who don’t, ThankfulHome.tv hopes new innovative solutions to housing issues will emerge.

When a video is posted on the site, ThankfulHome.tv sends the person who submitted it a free “Thankful for my home” wristband. Most videos submitted will be posted. Details about the free wristbands can be found at www.ThankfulHome.tv.

St. Mary Development Corporation (www.StMaryDevelopment.org) is southwest Ohio’s largest non-profit provider of high-quality, affordable housing. Over the past 21 years, they’ve created more than 2,400 housing units and prevented more than 950 foreclosures. St. Mary Development has been a chartered member of NeighborWorks since 1999.

NeighborWorks America (www.nw.org) creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. Since 1991, they have assisted nearly 1.2 million low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of their success is achieved through their support of the NeighborWorks network of more than 235 community development organizations working in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

During National NeighborWorks Week (June 5-12, 2010), local NeighborWorks organizations mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers, businesspeople, neighbors, friends, and civic leaders in a week of neighborhood change and awareness.

For more information about ThankfulHome.tv, contact Tim Bete (Communication Director, St. Mary Development Corporation; Editor, ThankfulHome.tv) at Tim@ThankfulHome.tv

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