Learning another language can have many benefits: cognitive, emotional, and social—and it doesn’t have to be the chore it used to be. Learning foreign words with no direct translation in English can help you identify and articulate experiences that you otherwise...
Great musicians can inspire students of music to improve their own playing and artistry. I experienced this myself in 2017 when, as a novice piano student, I went to see the world-renowned pianist Lang Lang on tour. I was awestruck by his technical skill, fluidity,...
You might think fantasy sports aren’t for you, especially if you’re not already a sports fan. But if you enjoy a challenge and want to sharpen your thinking skills, or even if you’ve just gone mad from months of lockdown, fantasy sports can be great fun. Among...
Taleeb Starkes, having grown up in a public housing project in Philadelphia, has unique insights into the problems plaguing black, inner-city communities. These insights, combined with a desire to share his message, led him to pen a #1 Amazon bestseller, Black Lies...
There are few things as wonderful to watch as musicians playing live and clearly loving every moment of it. A great musical performance, especially in an energetic genre like heavy metal, requires far more than just going on stage and playing a song. It’s a...
Many of us listen to music as we work, study, exercise, or read, and this can enhance our enjoyment of these activities. However, when I want to truly enjoy a song, especially an instrumental piece, I sit back and listen to it with my eyes closed. Focusing on the...
Are you ready for intelligent, benevolent comedy? Let me introduce you to Freaked Out with Tom Papa. So much comedy is cynical or mean spirited or just not funny. This one-hour routine from 2013 is a beautiful exception. Tom Papa: Freaked Out appeals to the...
“Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual; you have an obligation to be one.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. What is an individual? The Cambridge Dictionary gives us a few definitions, the first two being: “a single person or thing,...
The sight of an achievement [is] the greatest gift that a human being could offer to others. —Ayn Rand. This week for Soul-Fuel Friday, I’d like to share three powerful performances by Angelina Jordan. This thirteen-year-old Norwegian singer recently...