Bob Schneider Moonlight Tour

Join the Kessler Theater for a special performance from Bob Schneider and the Tosca String Quartet. Schneider, an Austin staple will be showcasing some of his favorite Holiday songs along with a few of his own - perfect for kicking-off the Season. For this magical evening, Schneider will bring with him a horn and string section, jazz drums and stand-up bass. The singer/songwriter has won 24 Austin Music Awards and has earned critical praise plus a strong live music following.

2 shows on December 1st 6:30 and 9:00 pm CLICK HERE to buy tickets!

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Christian Music Gets a New Voice

Rebekah Maddux El-Hakam

The music world has a new angel working on spreading her wings. Houstonian Rebekah Maddux El-Hakam has been a Contemporary Worship Leader at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church for quite sometime all the while writing her own songs and music, being a wife and a mother of 4.

“You don't always have to know what you want to be when you're in college, for me it was just being a mom and being happy in Houston then ...and then....God gave me music.”

Rebekah has been a singer since she was a tiny girl with her mother remarking at her album release party,

 

“She would sing all of the time when she was a young girl, I am so proud of her today.”

She was literally made for this moment. The more songs that she shared in worship folks would keep coming up to her after service asking how they could get these songs, how could they could share them. Part of the encouragement was that people didn't know they were her songs. People would say these tunes had been stuck in their heads all week; they would Google the lyrics and not be able to find them. It was clear she was meant to make an album. But how do you do that? How do you even make an album? Where do you start? God! That is where! So after much prayer and soul searching Rebekah and her family started this journey.

Music is an expensive industry if you want to do it correctly and El-Hakam wasn’t about to take on the load of something so special and not give it the proper attention and effort it deserved. She researched studios, producers, mastering, mass disk production, sales, cover art, photography, marketing materials, you name it she became an expert or found the best to do it with her. Putting a budget together she then turned to her friends, family, church family and strangers to help fund this new and exciting project. She turned to a funding website so folks could chip in no matter where in the world they lived. She had this to say about this process, 

“These are hard times but when you get enough people that care and believe that it can happen it will. And at $15 or so a pop, the price of a CD, and a ton of support you can accomplish anything.”

She put the project on KickStarter.

While working on the funding El-Hakam was knee deep in the search for a producer. Seems a difficult task since she wasn’t even sure which city she would record the album in, Nashville or Houston. Ultimately she knew she needed to get out of her daily life to be able to really buckle down and make a great album. After finding the perfect producer in Marshall Altman (http://marshallaltman.com/) it seemed Nashville was the place to be. With the support of one of the most amazing husbands on the planet and both sets of parents their parents stepping up to take care of the four little people the beginning of this dream could finally happen.

Needless to say, the project fully funded and is in the top twenty-five of highest funded indie albums on KickStarter to date. When God gives you a dream He makes sure you can do it.  So now it’s off to promote this new worship album so keep an eye out for Rebekah Maddux El-Hakam at your church or have your worship leader get in touch with her and bring her to your church. It will be an experience you won’t soon forget.

Visit www.RebekahME.com for more information about Rebekah.

Radiant You is available on iTunes  The album is mastered for iTunes. The highest quality of mastering an album can get!

Will be on CCLI, Christian Copyright Licensing International, soon so if you’re a worship leader you will soon be able to use her songs for your church services.

Also look for Rebekah to be featured as the “New Artist to Watch” on www.NewReleaseTuesday.com this November.

Designer Ming Wang Helps Design a New Day with NewDay Services Luncheon

Local non-profit agency, NewDay Services held their annual luncheon and fashion show to help benefit families and children in need. Paige McCoy Smith of Good Morning Texas emceed the event, as title sponsor Ming Wang showcased thirty looks from their Spring/Summer 2013 collection. Mayor Betsey Price was one of our fabulous models, and Rosie Moncrief was spotted at the luncheon showing her support for a great cause.

The 250 guests mingled and sipped champaign at the reception as they participated in the silent auction. Products were donated from multiple companies and included items such as roundtrip tickets from Southwest Airlines, admission tickets to Disneyland, tickets to Dallas Cowboys games, a luxury Botkier handbag, and many more.

Since 1997, NewDay Services has been providing assistance through Family Law Center and Juvenile Justice Center of Tarrant County. NewDay has identified families and children impacted by disruptions such as divorce, separation, abuse, and neglect.

Founded in 1986, Grapevine based designer Ming Wang has been known for its versatile collections catered to the busy woman looking to balance style and functionality. The brand has gained a loyal following for its ability to translate seasonal color trends into timeless statement pieces and refined basics for women of all body types. Designed to work seamlessly with a woman’s existing wardrobe, Ming Wang focuses on quality, fit, and creating garments that are made to last.  With every piece being wrinkle-free, machine washable, fade-resistant, and travel friendly, sophisticated style has never been easier.

“Throughout my life, I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by the love and support of my family.  However, I’ve realized this is not the reality for others in our community.  Having built a family business, I know the importance of a stable and nurturing environment in order to prosper.  This is the very reason why I’m so passionate about NewDay Services; an organization that supports distressed families and equips both parents and children with the emotional support and education they need to overcome hardships and become successful.” – Ming Wang

Texas Ren Fest has Left the Past Behind

The Texas Renaissance Festival, the nation's largest and most acclaimed festival of its kind, and His Royal Highness The King announce the release of the Royal App, available for Android and iPhone users. Festival fans will find a variety of features designed to help them enjoy all of the offerings of The Kingdom during the 38th annual season.

Before guests journey to the Texas Renaissance Festival, they can now plan their day ahead of time by downloading the Royal App and browsing all the options the festival has to offer this year. While reviewing the array of festival activities and feasting, users can save their favorite choices to the My Trip feature, which will show each item saved, their location, description and time they occur. 

On the Royal App, guests can find a map of the festival grounds, entertainment schedule and a complete list of shoppes and vendors. Craving a turkey leg? By using the search bar in the Royal App's Food section users can find where they are being sold, as well as any other food, beverage or restaurant. The Royal App also allows users to search and locate their favorite rides and games.  

This festival season, guests need not worry about separating from their group. Users of the Royal App can utilize the handy Friend Finder, where they can create and join groups that will show the location of each member. With the Friend Finder guests can keep a close eye on that new pirate matey of theirs and make sure he or she doesn't beat them to the Sea Devil Tavern and steal all their booty!

Another great feature found on the Royal App is the GPS locator. This feature allows users to save the location of their "horse and carriage" in the parking lot or their campground site. Gone are the days of aimlessly wandering, wondering where your car or family is located.  

The app is available now and free to download on both iPhone and Android devices, just search: Texas Renaissance Festival MyPark App. For more information about the Texas Renaissance Festival, please visit www.texrenfest.com. 

About Texas Renaissance Festival: The Texas Renaissance Festival is the Nation's largest and most acclaimed Renaissance theme park where the sights, sounds, tastes and beauty of the 16th Century come alive for eight magically-themed weekends. The Texas Renaissance Festival welcomes nearly half a million guests annually and features nearly 500 costumed performers on 17 stages; 400 shoppes including international food purveyors, unique artisans, merchants and craft vendors; human-powered rides; an abundance of strolling performers and the Royal Finale at dusk.  The Festival received the 2010 and 2011 Merchant Circle "Circle of Excellence" award and was recognized by H Texas Magazine as the "Best Alternative Wedding Location" in the 2012 Best of H Texas issue. The Festival is held Saturdays, Sundays and Thanksgiving Friday. The Texas Renaissance Festival is located 50 miles northwest of Houston on more than 55 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds on FM 1774, between Magnolia and Plantersville, Texas. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.texrenfest.com, follow us on Facebook and Twitter or download our mobile app for iPhone and Android devices.

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ARTIST VS. ARCHITECT DEBUTS IN DALLAS

Hobbes Vincent StagMark your schedules, DISHIES! This is going to be a good one! Inspired by the ingenuity of today’s artistic and design professionals, Artist vs. Architect will be coming to Dallas this fall as the first-annual one-of-a-kind art competition and silent auction benefiting Dwell with Dignity. Set to take place on Saturday, November 3, 2012 from 7 - 11 p.m. on the 19^th Floor of the historic Saint Paul Place, Artist vs. Architect will serve as a platform to celebrate the creativity of the modern world of design and architecture.  

Focusing on a central theme in support of the heartbeat of the chosen beneficiary, Dwell with Dignity, each contestant chosen for Artist vs. Architect will showcase works reflecting their mission to “Escape Poverty.” Proceeds from the silent auction will benefit Dwell with Dignity and go towards supporting local artistic and design professionals. The competing piece will be reviewed by a selected panel of judges and attendees, including Bijan Youssefzadeh, Program Director; the University of Texas at Arlington; Diane Cheatham of Urban Reserve; Janice Myers of Samuel Lynne Galleries; Jim Wilson of Goddard Investment Group; Nicole Horn of ArtCon; William Noble of William Noble Rare Jewels, ARCHITEXAS, and O'Brien Architects

Sergio Garcia - Trike24 carefully chosen contestants highlighting 12 of Dallas’ top architecture firms and artistic talent will each showcase their work for a chance to win the title of “Dallas’ Best Artist” and “Dallas’ Best Architect”. There will be additional surprise awards given throughout the evening. Carefully curated by both the Artist vs. Architect team and Nicole and Scott Horn of ArtCon, current artistic contestants include: members of the local non-profit and artist collective ArtLoveMagic; Carlos Cazares; Hobbes Vincent; Jamie Lyn Spires of Breakthrough Artistry; Mark Neimi; Michael Mauldin; Rolando Diaz; Sean Springer; Sergio Garcia and VET. Current architectural design contestants for Artist vs. Architect include: Good Fulton & Farrell, GSR Andrade Architects, HKS, Corgan's Interiors studio, M2 Studio, OFFICIAL and Page Southerland Page.

Live entertainment and live interpretive art will be performed and created by David Rodriguez, on behalf of ArtLoveMagic; JD Miller, on behalf of Samuel Lynne Galleries; and Robb Conover.

Honorary guests for the first-annual Artist vs. Architect competition include Veletta Forsythe Lill, Executive Director, Dallas Arts District; Vel Hawes Jr., AIA Dallas and Lisa Robison, Founder and President, Dwell with Dignity.

Registration for Artist vs. Architect is 100 USD in advance and 125 USD at the door. Additional group packaging items are available. For more information or to register for Artist vs. Architect, please visit http://www.artistvsarchitect.com/ or our ticket link, http://artistvsarchitect.eventbrite.com/. Complimentary refreshments and catering will be available for all ticket holders.

Founded by Interior Designer Lisa Robison in 2009, Dwell with Dignity is a non-profit group of Interior Designers and volunteers dedicated to creating soothing, inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty. By providing and installing home interiors for families, their mission is to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design, one household at a time. Dwell with Dignity strives to create inspiring homes, with the labor of dedicated volunteers and generosity of dedicated donors, and educates those in need on

simple, creative ways to bring good design into their homes. Dwell with Dignity strongly believes that good design can truly improve one’s quality of life. For more information on Dwell with Dignity, please visit http://www.dwellwithdignity.org/.