The Sound Of Hope

Since ancient times, music has demonstrated the incomparable ability to touch and resonate with the human spirit as a tool for communication, emotional expression, and as a medium of cultural identity. During World War II, Nazi leadership recognized the power of music and chose to harness it with malevolence, using its power to push their own agenda and systematically stripping it away from the Jewish people and other populations they sought to disempower. But music also emerged as a counterpoint to this hate, withstanding Nazi attempts to exploit or silence it. Artistic expression triumphed under oppressive regimes elsewhere as well, including the horrific siege of Leningrad and in Japanese internment camps in the Pacific. The oppressed stubbornly clung to music, wherever and however they could, to preserve their culture, to uplift the human spirit and to triumph over oppression, even amid incredible tragedy and suffering. This volume draws together the musical connections and individual stories from this tragic time through scholarly literature, diaries, letters, memoirs, compositions, and art pieces. Collectively, they bear witness to the power of music and offer a reminder to humanity of the imperative each faces to not only remember, but to prevent another such cataclysm.

There is more to listening than just hearing. A miraculous process that begins in the womb, learning to communicate is a vital part of expressing oneself and of understanding and interacting with the world. A child’s ability to listen well affects every aspect of his or her life. But for some 1.5 million children in the United States who have normal hearing and intelligence, communication and language are blocked. Words are jumbled and distorted. These children have a hard time following directions and become frustrated in trying to make themselves understood, which often leads to unruly behavior, poor school performance, social isolation, and low self-esteem. Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) affects the brain’s ability to accurately process the sounds of speech, which in turn impedes the ability to communicate. Experts are just beginning to unlock the mystery of this confounding condition. As a result, APD is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. But hope is here. Now veteran speech-language pathologist Lois Kam Heymann offers the first practical guide to help parents dramatically improve the listening and language skills of their children, whether they have a diagnosed auditory processing disorder, slow language development—or simply need practice listening. Inside this reassuring, action-oriented book you’ll find • easy-to-identify milestones to help parents pinpoint challenges that may arise during each stage of their child’s development from birth to age eight • the tools and checklists needed to assist parents in recognizing APD early • tips to distinguish APD from other listening/learning disorders, including ADD, ADHD, LPD, and PDD • methods to encourage a child’s natural listening abilities through books, stories, nursery rhymes, songs, lullabies, toys, and games • home techniques to hone a child’s auditory processing—whether he or she has severe APD limitations or just needs to build listening “muscles” • specific suggestions on how to improve a child’s listening skills outside the home—at school, during after-school activities, even when at a restaurant • an analysis of traditional classroom settings and effective ways parents can advocate for better sound quality • guidelines for finding the right professionals to work with your child With hands-on ways for improving a child’s ability to listen to instructions, process information, and follow directions, parents can turn simple activities into powerful listening lessons in only minutes a day. The bottom line: Learning how to listen in our noisy, complicated world is the key to a happy and engaged child.

When children are kept in the dark regarding their origins, nobody wins Only rarely does a memoir come along that taps into the heart of the human condition. The Sound of Hope is such a story, told by Anne Bauer, an adoptee who cannot forget that she had another life and another family before being adopted. Much of Anne's childhood was spent wondering about her other mother. She desperately wanted to know where she was, what she looked like and most importantly, why she placed her for adoption. Living in the closed adoption system, her questions were met with a wall of silence. This aura of secrecy only intensified Anne's quest to eventually discover her own story. Faced with anger and contempt, secrets and revelations, Anne sets out to uncover the truth. This powerful memoir traverses family and relationships and carries the unforgettable message that nobody should be cut off from their origins.

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, during the Jim Crow era, my parents were uneducated, hard workers with good common sense. Neither advanced beyond elementary school, but they had hope for a better life for us. They knew how to work and survive during hard times. My mother quit school after the third grade because her mother died when she was eight years old. She had to take care of her younger siblings. She talked about the difficulties she experienced, especially being a child herself. Alcohol was first in life for my father. It was ahead of family needs. Alcohol seemed to remove him from his state of oppression. He went to church only on special occasions because he believed more emphasis was placed on taking care of the pastor than worshiping God. Our parents drilled into us how we were to behave when out from under their care. They knew they had to prepare us for what we may be faced with daily in that era. My father emphasized avoiding trouble and keeping away from troublemakers. He spoke this more to my brothers than me and my sisters. He didn't talk much, but; we knew he felt responsible for anything that happened in our family. Helping each other was a way of life. No one looked to the government for help when things got tough. Material things weren't an issue because we didn't hold any. Our values were within the family. We gain strength and support from each other. I am not ashamed of the way I was raised. I don't hold any hate toward anyone for the things we didn't have or places we weren't allowed to go. I take it all as a learning experience because it helped shape my life and make me the person I am today. It also gave me strength and confidence in facing the important issues of today. We were faced with many challenges growing up. It strengthened us and made us proud to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Often, I dreamed and wondered what the rest of the world was like and how different it was from the small city where we lived. We hadn't traveled far from home. Royston, Georgia, My Mother's hometown, is about seventy miles from where we lived. My imagination would run wild seeing people, places, and things. I was consumed by my hopes and dreams. Years after my hopes and dreams had subsided, the unthinkable happened. An opportunity for travel. "How cool is that?" We lived in China, Nigeria, Canada, France, England, Northern Ireland, and visited many other parts of the world. I have talked about the many difficulties we have experienced, but we evolved and benefitted to get where we are today. We didn't mind working to have something. We didn't expect something for nothing. My father would say, "Beware of someone willing to give you something for anything, nothing is free. It will cost you something." Individual struggles have been a part of our lives since the beginning of time. They should not cause us to take life or destroy anyone's property. Evil and hate cause destruction. We've come a long way and still have a way to go. Our past helps plan better for the future. It would help us all to try and show more love and respect for each other and do what we can to make our world a better place to live. You will get a glimpse of our living experiences in China and Nigeria.

“This debut has it all: music, books, aliens, adventure, resistance, queerness, and a bold heroine tying it all together. ”—Ms. Magazine Can a girl who risks her life for books and an Ilori who loves pop music work together to save humanity? When a rebel librarian meets an Ilori commander… Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the death of one-third of the world’s population. Today, seventeen-year-old Ellie Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. All art, books and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When young Ilori commander Morris finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. But Morris isn’t a typical Ilori…and Ellie and her books might be the key to a desperate rebellion of his own. “The Sound of Stars is a marvelous genre-bending debut." —The Nerd Daily “The Sound of Stars is a stunning exploration of the comforts that make us human and the horrors that challenge our humanity.”—K. Ancrum, author of The Wicker King "This book has everything! Aliens set on conquering earth! A determined heroine with a hidden stash of books! And the power of music and stories to give those with every reason to hate the power to love. Who could want anything more?"—Joelle Charbonneau, New York Times bestselling author of The Testing and Verify “An absolute must-read for everyone.” —Book Riot “Dow's debut is a testament to hope and the power of art.” —Buzzfeed Also by Alechia Dow: The Kindred

Release the sound of freedom over your life! No problem you face is too big or too small for Jesus to step in and solve! The Good News of the Gospel is that the power to set captives free is available to you, right now. Jenny Weaver struggled with many deep issues such as cutting, witchcraft, rebellion, self-hatred, rejection, sexual brokenness, drug addiction, violence, and even homelessness, but Jesus stepped in and set her freefrom every single stronghold and bondage! Now Jenny wants to show you how simple it is to walk in the freedom that your heart longs for. In The Sound of Freedom, you will receive the keys to: Receive and maintain your breakthrough miracle Break the cycle of up and down living Access a deeper, more satisfying relationship with God Saturate your atmosphere in the breaker anointing Sing prophetically to the Lord and release sounds from Heaven Discover and activate the different sounds of deliverance Identify and break the roots of strongholds Access the breakthrough power that Jesus purchased at the cross, and release its supernatural sound over every bondage, stronghold and impossibility you are facing today!

The New York Times bestselling author of the Tradd Street novels explores a Southern family’s buried history, which will change the life of the woman who unearths it, secret by shattering secret. Two years after the death of her husband, Merritt Heyward receives unexpected news—Cal’s family home in Beaufort, South Carolina, bequeathed by his reclusive grandmother, now belongs to Merritt. In Beaufort, the secrets of Cal’s unspoken-of past reside among the pluff mud and jasmine of the ancestral Heyward home on the Bluff. This unknown legacy, now Merritt’s, will change and define her as she navigates her new life—a life complicated by the arrival of her too young stepmother and ten-year-old half brother. Soon, in this house of strangers, Merritt is forced into unraveling the Heyward family past as she faces her own fears and finds the healing she needs in the salt air of the Lowcountry.

Anna and her family have only one hope left to escape certain doom. It’s 1936 and life is becoming dangerous for the Jews of Krakow. As incidents of violence and persecution increase day by day, Anna begs her father to leave Poland, but he insists it’s impossible. How could he give up his position as an acclaimed clarinetist in the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra? When Anna and her father barely escape from a group of violent thugs, it becomes clear that the family must leave. But how? There seems to be only one possibility. Bronislaw Huberman, a world-renowned violinist, is auditioning Jewish musicians for a new orchestra in Palestine. If accepted, they and their families will receive exit visas. Anna and her grandmother boldly write to Huberman asking him to give Anna’s father an audition, but will that be enough to save them? This poignant story is based on real events in pre-war Poland and Palestine. After saving seven hundred Jews and their families, Huberman went on to establish what later became the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Against an ominous background of the impending Holocaust in Europe and the first Arab-Israeli war, The Sound of Freedom still manages to remind the reader of the goodness in the world.