The goal of Spreading Good News is for readers to:
GET INSPIRED and/or GET MOTIVATED and/or GET INFORMED and/or GET AWE-STRUCK and/or GET A BREAK FROM ALL THE NEGATIVE NEWS and to tell readers about our good, short books and our online store.
CLICK THE “FOLLOW” BUTTON ABOVE TO RECEIVE AN E-MAIL ALERT FOR EACH NEW, DAILY POST!!
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CONSTANT QUOTE
IT’S BETTER TO DIE CHASING A DREAM NEVER CAUGHT THAN TO DIE NEVER HAVING CHASED THE DREAM. ~ Joyce Fields
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REAL CHAMPIONS STAND TALL WHEN LIFE IS GOOD—OR BAD. ~ Joyce Fields
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Dear Bully: A Collection of Poems about Bullying opens a child’s heart to the pain and horror of bullying. Written from the perspectives of the bullied, the parent of the bullied, the sibling of the bully, and the bully him or herself. For 5th graders and above.
Joyce is reading six poems from the book at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3sdKM-yl2M. And please leave a comment!!
Order today for all the children you know and love. . .http://www.GoodShortBooks.com!
THE ANTI-BULLYING PLEDGE
It’s FREE and available at http://www.GoodShortBooks.com! A useful and very effective tool against bullying.
Gives kids something to live up to–their own pledge!
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ANNOUNCING A NEW BOOK!! My Simple Quotes to Live By. This book contains 169 original quotes on 90 pages.
It’s available at http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Quotes-Live-Joyce-Fields/dp/1466318562/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344234589&sr=1-1&keywords=my+simple+quotes+to+live+by
The “Constant Quote” (above) was chosen to appear in the 2013 Women’s Advantage Shared Wisdom Calendar that is available at http://www.womansadvantage.biz/prod_cat.php
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TODAY’S BLOG
We all should know more about the contributions that African-Americans have made in the fields of science and medicine, as well as art, music, the written word, sports, and just-everyday life.
“Black History Month,” (February) is over, but I will continue Spreading Good News about Black History on what I will call “Black History Tuesday.”
I hope you enjoy this piece!
BLACK HISTORY TUESDAY: Francis Johnson, First African American Published Composer
Source: The Internet
Francis Johnson, musician, composer, and bandmaster, was born in 1792 in Martinique in the West Indies and immigrated to Philadelphia in 1809 at the age of 17. By that point, he had already mastered the keyed bugle and the violin. By his early 20s he was building a reputation as a bandleader in Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania.
Johnson gained greater popularity after music publisher George Willig published his Collection of New Cotillions in 1817. This was the first instance of a black band leader having his musical compositions published. By 1818, 26-year-old Johnson had become a leading dance band conductor for Philadelphia’s high society. During the 1820s, Johnson’s band performed at the city’s most popular dance venues at schools, private parties, and balls. Prominent military regiments like the Washington Guards Company Three Band and the State and the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry also hired Johnson’s ensemble. He personalized his performances by experimenting with different instrumentations, strings, and winds.
During his prolific career, Johnson composed over 200 musical arrangements in various styles, including cotillions, operatic airs, ballads, quadrilles, patriotic marches, quicksteps, and other forms of ballroom music.
Besides serving the musical taste of the white public, Johnson also performed spirituals at African American churches in Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. One of his most memorable musical performances occurred in 1841 when he collaborated with Morris Brown, Jr., one of the leading black ministers of the era, to perform Haydn’s Creation at the First African Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Johnson’s band also shared the spotlight with other black bands in Philadelphia, including those led by James Hemmenway and Isaac Hazzard. Nonetheless his was the most popular black band of the era.
Besides having the distinction of being the first black American composer to have his arrangements published as sheet music, Johnson was also the first African American bandleader to conduct public concerts, and, in 1837, he led the first American ensemble to perform before Queen Victoria in England. Johnson was also the first black musician to perform in integrated musical events in the United States, and the first musician to introduce keyed brass instruments to American bands. Johnson left numerous manuscript and piano transcriptions.
Francis Johnson died in 1844 in Philadelphia after a lengthy illness at the age of 52.
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NOTE FROM JOYCE: If you enjoyed and/or learned from this blog, please leave a comment and send the link to others. Thanks!!
If you’re interested in reading all about “My Breast Cancer Journey,” those posts start with post #334.
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~ Joyce Fields
ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS FROM JOYCE FIELDS
Joyce is an author who has written seven books. If you enjoy this blog, you will, undoubtedly, enjoy all her books. Her sister, Anita, is also an author.
BE INSPIRED! You can read about and order their books AND order merchandise from their online store at this link (or click the “BE INSPIRED!” button above):
https://lineofserenity.wordpress.com/get-more-inspiration/
Thanks for your interest AND support!!
Contact Joyce at goodshortbooks@yahoo.com.
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SOME OF JOYCE’S FAVORITE BLOGS
I visit these blogs and leave comments regularly. I think you will enjoy them all!
http://www.lenasledgeblog.com Books, reviews, give-aways, interviews.
http://living4bliss.com Believing Life Is Set up for Success (BLISS)
http://goss-coaching.com/author/gosscoaching A professional writer and wellness coach helping people connect thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and action to create optimal health and a vibrant life.
http://www.thebirkineffect.com Musings of a “want it all” 21st century woman.
http://www.thesweetsensations.com A baking, entertainment, and lifestyle blog. Fantastic recipes and food photography, too!
http://www.pennilessparenting.com A rich life on minimum wage. Plus fabulous, healthful recipes!
http://www.rumpydog.com I’m a dog with a unique perspective on human life.
http://www.davidkanigan.com/ Lead.Learn.Live. David Kanigan: Inspiration, Ideas & Information.
http://callingoftheheart.wordpress.com Spirituality, Psychology, and Political.
http://www.petedenton.wordpress.com Writer of short stories, Flash fiction, and some scripts.
Lineofserenity's Blog 
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Thanks, Jenice!! You can click the “Follow” button in the upper left of my blog to get an e-mail each time I post.
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Thank you, Magdalen!! You can click the “Follow” button in the upper left of my blog to get an e-mail each time I post.
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Thank you, Gigi!! You can click the “Follow” button in the upper left of my blog to get an e-mail each time I post.