{"id":5785,"date":"2013-11-11T10:11:56","date_gmt":"2013-11-11T15:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/blissblog\/?p=5785"},"modified":"2013-11-11T10:11:56","modified_gmt":"2013-11-11T15:11:56","slug":"a-cup-of-kindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2013\/11\/a-cup-of-kindness.html","title":{"rendered":"A Cup Of Kindness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"acupofkindness\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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The first festive notes of\u00a0 the holiday classic Deck The Halls has a calypso sway as it opens the wreath decorated door into the latest release by multi-instrumentalist Justin Solonynka. A Cup of Kindness re-imagines holiday favorites that warm the heart. Solonynka was born to be a musician, it seems since he has been immersed in melody and harmony most of his life. In collaboration with many talented performers, he has been a staple in the Philadelphia area for years. A Renaissance Man, he is also a math teacher and the father of a toddler.<\/p>\n

Baby It’s Cold Outside is a modern re-make of the Frank Loesser invitation to remain cozy in the midst of a wild storm, sung by\u00a0Justin\u00a0 and his wife Courtney Gable. What is particularly charming about it, is that it substitutes “maybe just a cup of tea more,” for “maybe just a drink or two more.” \u00a0and “maybe just a song or two more,” for “maybe just a cigarette more.”\u00a0 and has a segment when she tells him that his attempt at seduction is “creepy.”<\/p>\n

Pennywhistle led \u00a0Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring lofts the listener to spiritual heights.<\/p>\n

Christmas Time Is Here would do Charlie Brown and his buddies proud, as I could envision them skating on a frozen pond.<\/p>\n

By far, my favorite piece is the cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s ode to love as deep as snowdrifts,\u00a0 Song For A Winter’s Night sung by Courtney, as Justin provides the instrumentation.<\/p>\n

Piano driven Good King Wenceslas begins simply and then ripples with evidence of Justin’s virtuosity. Not surprising, since he has been playing, according to his website when he could “barely reach the keys”.<\/p>\n

Honoring the holiday of Hanukkah, the melodica is the primary instrument on Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages), with tiny piano sounds highlighting it. Wondered if it belongs to his adorable little daughter Lily who will likely not escape the delicious fate of being a musician like her mommy and daddy.<\/p>\n

The aforementioned little angel’s gurgles are the lead in to\u00a0What Child Is This? which then incorporates various musical styles; \u00a0a hallmark of Justin’s creations.<\/p>\n

In The Bleak Midwinter had me imagining the blessing of being around a fireplace, bundled in a blanket,\u00a0sipping chai.<\/p>\n

Courtney’s lovely, lively \u00a0uptempo\u00a0voice invites Rocking Around The Christmas Tree.<\/p>\n

The First Nowell is a simple piano piece\u00a0that has\u00a0a subtle jazzy feel to it, with xylophone highlights that bring to mind twinkling rainbow hued lights.<\/p>\n

Bluegrass\u00a0and New Orleans jazz \u00a0tinged Jingle Bells showcases the next generation of family talent as Lily chirps the opening line and calls out enthusiastically to close it out.<\/p>\n

Oh Come All Ye Faithful has a\u00a0keyboard in church sound that had me want to get up and dance, and then completes with drum flourish.<\/p>\n

The sweet sounds of Auld Lang Syne from which the title of the CD emerges (“We’ll drink a cup of kindness..”) has a Will Ackerman\u00a0 (the founder of Windham Hill Records) feel to it as it wisps away the old year and welcomes the new.<\/p>\n

A Cup of Kindness is a beautiful beckoning to a holiday toast. The CD is the perfect accompaniment to wrapping gifts, celebrating with friends and family, or \u00a0listening to in the car as you go ‘over the river and through the woods’ to whomever you visit.<\/p>\n

www.justinsolonynka.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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  The first festive notes of\u00a0 the holiday classic Deck The Halls has a calypso sway as it opens the wreath decorated door into the latest release by multi-instrumentalist Justin Solonynka. A Cup of Kindness re-imagines holiday favorites that warm the heart. Solonynka was born to be a musician, it seems since he has been…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":233,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1246,94,49,1176,14,54,15,9,376,16,32],"tags":[3484,3489,1172,3485,3488,1173,1658,64,3486,3487],"class_list":["post-5785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bliss","category-faith","category-family","category-friendship","category-holidays","category-how-to-invite-bliss","category-interfaith","category-living-their-bliss","category-music","category-music-review","category-my-personal-bliss","category-sharing-their-bliss","tag-a-cup-of-kindness","tag-charlie-brown","tag-christmas","tag-courtney-gable","tag-gordon-lightfoot","tag-hanukkah","tag-justin-solonynka","tag-philadelphia","tag-will-ackerman","tag-windham-hill-records"],"yoast_head":"\nA Cup Of Kindness - The Bliss Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2013\/11\/a-cup-of-kindness.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Cup Of Kindness - The Bliss Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  The first festive notes of\u00a0 the holiday classic Deck The Halls has a calypso sway as it opens the wreath decorated door into the latest release by multi-instrumentalist Justin Solonynka. 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She has also contributed to several anthologies and personal growth books. Edie has interviewed such notables as Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer, Debbie Ford, don Miguel Ruiz, don Miguel Ruiz, Jr. Marianne Williamson, Grover Washington, Jr. Noah Levine, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Weaver, Ben and Jerry and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She calls herself an Opti-mystic who sees the world through the eyes of possibility. 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