Memories: A Musical Adventure by Pedro González Arbona

If you found your way to this post you must be a fan of the music of Pedro González Arbona, or film music in general. In my last post about Pedro’s latest CD, Memories, I gave my readers a glimpse into the making of his CD. In this post, I am taking you on a musical adventure of the sound, movement, and artistic beauty that these songs entail. (Click on any of the song names in this post to sample or purchase the song through Amazon.)

Memories: A Musical Adventure

Have you ever noticed when you watch the beginning of a film how the music fills the theater as the name of the movie, main actors, director and key production personnel appear on the screen? It is a glimpse into the music to come. Often it is blending of some of the songs for that movie, or maybe a medley like an overture in a musical.

Memories starts in the same way with track 1, aptly named “Opening Titles.” It is a large and extravagant piece that showcases Pedro’s musical talent and ability to draw the audience into the songs (or scenes) that follow.

Track 2 is one of Pedro’s most beautiful compositions, “The Great Beauty.” What can I say about a song whose title sums up the music that it portrays? Delicate, soothing, and distinctive notes from the piano, oboe, harp, and building up to the addition of some mellow horns. Yes, it is a great beauty! (Select the song title on the media player on the right sidebar to hear this song in full.)

I first heard this beauty a few months before the screening of Pedro’s new movie, Tempting Fate. I was already privy to his submitted work on the Tempting Fate soundtrack. This piece seemed to take his work to an even higher level. Yes, his work is (was) destined for the big screen.

There are several other songs on this CD that are soft songs that would accompany slow or romantic movie scenes. Some songs may lend themselves to a sad scene with strings accentuating the mood.

Which mood is really up to the listener. They are all magical. Included in this variety are “Memories,” “Dreams,” “The Crime,” “Ordinary Lives” (listen on the music player in the right sidebar), “Green View,” “Autumn,” and “Learning from Life.”

Memories contains several songs geared more on the dramatic side. “Chaos” sounds like a scene right out of a drama or suspense film. Riveting music that builds and takes you along with the action, glued to the music and the movie, awaiting the finale.

Another large song is “Flying.” This song reminds me of a patriotic piece or something maybe in a war movie. It takes me back to movies from years ago. I can envision an old black and white movie playing as the victory is won in a waging battle.

“Epic” is a song meant for a dramatic or suspenseful scene as the music builds. The music (and the scene) end with a slow fade. If action movies are your favorite genre, then “Action Theme” will be the song for you. This song was used by KevStel, producer of Tempting Fate, in a short trailer alert for the movie, but was not on the soundtrack released in February 2015. Watch the video below to check out how they used this dramatic music.

The last song on the CD is a sentimental favorite of mine, “Kalinda.” This is Pedro’s first song that was composed for a movie. It dates back to February 2013 when he first started to experiment with adding strings and other instruments to his piano compositions. It was used as the trailer music for Thirst for Love, a Spanish short film directed by Chani Bas. Check out the video below to watch the trailer and listen to “Kalinda.”

Hear it for Yourself

Memories is really music for the movie that is yet to be written. It is from the movie in Pedro’s mind. In time, some of these songs may accompany a movie in a theater near you. Until then, please support Pedro’s music dreams by purchasing his CD, reviewing the music online, and liking his professional Facebook page, Pedro González Arbona, composer.

Want a copy for yourself? Here’s the purchase links and methods to listen to his music:

Digital Downloads

Streaming

Or purchase the physical CD through my site.

For more information about Pedro González Arbona and his music, visit pgarbona.com. Stay tuned for more updates on Pedro’s musical career and breaking news about the premiere of Tempting Fate across Nigeria and Ghana in July.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on June 24, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in My Spanish Connection, Pedro's Musical Pursuits

Tagged CD Baby, iTunes, KevStel Group, Memories, movie composing, music, music projects, My Spanish Connection, Pedro Gonzalez Arbona, piano compositions, Spotify, Tempting Fate

Posted by ardisanelson on June 24, 2015

https://ardisanelson.com/2015/06/24/memories-musical-adventure-by-pedro-gonzalez-arbona/

Being First: A Graduation Legacy

Last week a class of 115 students proudly walked across the stage of our church auditorium to receive their diplomas from a new high school in Washington State. My son was one of these students in the first graduating class of Nikola Tesla STEM High School. Naturally it was a proud moment for family and friends in attendance as well as the faculty and staff.

Being first, the administration had the opportunity to create a graduation ceremony that was unique and fitting to this academic community of STEM scholars. The evening had many memorable highlights and surprises.

What it Means to be First

One of the surprises was an essay penned by each of the graduating seniors to the prompt: “What it Means to be First.” Their essays were alphabetically listed in the program in the order that they would later walk across the stage to accept their diplomas. It warmed my heart to read my son’s essay while waiting for the ceremony to start.

“Being first can mean going before others into the unknown but can also mean to claim a reward for your efforts. Being first to graduate from STEM fits both of these definitions. While I specifically am not the first, I am among them; the entire graduating class is the first. We will be the first to claim our reward from the school for the years of work we put into our education and the first to leave this school and begin our lives as adults. Our teachers will be the first to watch us go and the first to be proud for the students they invested years of their lives into. Our parents will be first to say goodbye as they help us prepare for what lies beyond high school. And we shall be the first to be grateful for all of these investments of time and energy as we remember the time we spent here for the rest of our lives.”

My son later shared that he easily wrote that essay as an in-class English assignment. That was significant because many times during the school year he struggled to get a start on his writing assignments. He would stare at the blank page for long periods of time. This short essay was a gift to read and re-read knowing that it marked a breakthrough in his writing, and possibly his ADHD barriers to creatively express himself.

STEM Yearbook

Graduation Speeches that Inspired

Graduations are full of speeches intended to inspire students as they start on their next level of education or venture out into the world. These speeches were no exception.

We heard from the Superintendent of the school district. As a writer, I thoroughly enjoyed her speech as she compared their journey to chapters in a book and identified the students as authors of their stories.

Student speeches followed. A pair of students spoke on the phases and milestones that this first class journeyed through to get to this point: school construction, developing clubs and extracurricular activities, defining internship opportunities, naming of the school, and more. That was followed by two more student addresses.

The second speaker creatively wove famous quotes from 50 other historical speeches and famous movies. He quoted Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I have a Dream speech. He cheered on the graduates exclaiming: “Live long and prosper” and “May the force be with you.” The audience broke into bursts of laughter throughout. It was highly entertaining.

Below is a short video clip of a few graduation highlights created by the Lake Washington School District.

As much as I enjoyed those speeches, it was the faculty address by my son’s English teacher that meant the most to me. Throughout her speech she wove the theme of the “Odyssey” by Homer, an ancient Greek poem about Odysseus’ journey home after the fall of Troy. (The senior class chose to read this because they entered STEM starting with their sophomore year and missed reading it as freshman.)

It wasn’t the story that she told, but the examples she shared of memorable student moments that again hit an accord with me. That was because his teacher anonymously shared something my son did in class.

A Compassionate Heart

Several weeks prior, to celebrate this teacher’s birthday, she held a Poetry Café. Students were asked to bring in a favorite poem or one that they wrote and to share it with the class. That night at the dinner table, our son told us about that day and what he did—heeding to his heart.

At the graduation ceremony, his teacher got choked up when she spoke these words to the audience:

“A quiet student stood in 3^rd period, a student not many had heard from. This was in a Poetry Café. When the student stood, he stated I don’t have a poem I just want to tell you how much you mean to me.”

I felt the tears start to well up inside me too—proud Mama tears.

This teacher made a difference in my son’s life. English was not his favorite subject, but English was his favorite class while at STEM. She was his favorite teacher all three years and made English interesting to him. When she signed his yearbook days before, she said he always made her smile and referenced the Poetry Café. She wrote that my son worked so hard and she was extremely proud of him.

On the eve of graduation I sent her an email telling her too how much she meant to my son. She encouraged him throughout his high school struggles with his ADHD and instilled confidence in him. She believed in him.

Then a few days ago I made one final stop at the school to see this teacher and give her a personalized copy of my book, Journeys to Mother Love. We talked about the Poetry Café again. She went on to share that one female student in the class told the teacher several times how touched she was by what my son said and that it made her cry (like it did the teacher).

My son has that way about him—kind, compassionate, and caring. Someday a young woman will look past his shy demeanor, connect with him on more than a surface level, and sparks will fly, but not yet.

His teacher and I parted ways with a hug and tears welling up in our eyes. Oh, to be a teacher and collect those special memories—knowing that they made a difference in a student’s life.

A School with a Heart

Back to the graduation…following the faculty address by my son’s English teacher, the student’s ceremoniously walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. With a small group of graduates, they were able to add another memorable highlight to the ceremony. There wasn’t one person who shook the hand of each student or even a rotation of teachers handing out diplomas. Somehow they arranged it so that students received their diplomas from a teacher of their choice. He proudly smiled for the photographer and received his diploma from his English teacher.

Before the customary switching of the tassel from one side of the mortar board hat to the other, another surprise awaited the parents of these fine graduates. They had each written their parents a thank you note (another English assignment). They were challenged to quickly find their parents in the crowd, give them the note, and return to their seats. (You can’t do that in a large high school!) More tears were shed in reading our son’s hand written note thanking us for our understanding of all he went through to complete high school and that he was grateful for how he was raised.

For the last three years of my son’s life, he forged a path of firsts with the other students at this school. In a world that is continually more and more focused on ‘likes,’ attention on achievements, and social media presence, it’s nice to see that my son has his head in the right place…and that is in his heart.

I’m proud that is the legacy he left Nikola Tesla STEM High School.

Congratulations STEM Class of 2015 Graduates! And thank you teachers and faculty for making STEM a school with a heart.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on June 19, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Identity, Relationships & Family

Tagged ADD/ADHD, celebrations, family, following your dreams, graduation, gratitude, identity, Journeys to Mother Love, leaving a legacy, saying goodbye

Posted by ardisanelson on June 19, 2015

https://ardisanelson.com/2015/06/19/being-first-graduation-legacy/

The Graduation Road Less Traveled

Today is a bittersweet day for me and my family. My youngest child will be walking across the stage and receiving his high school diploma. What is so significant to me about this is how he got to this place and time—all of the obstacles he overcame, and how he did it his way.

My son forged his own path to graduation. It wasn’t the same journey as his brother four years earlier, or the way that I had envisioned it over the years.

Like the ending line in the famous poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost, my son took the road less traveled. And in so doing, he was a pioneer of the spirit.

My son, a pioneer of the spirit.

Following in his Brother’s Footsteps

In parenting our only other child, his older brother, we got caught up in the competitive race for the coveted prize of his attendance at one of the best engineering schools in the country. Thankfully God had other plans.

Being our first born child, we didn’t know what to expect. When we noticed his giftedness at a very early age, we sought and were granted a waiver to put him in Kindergarten a year earlier than his peers. He ended up settling into the gifted program and taking a rigorous AP and honors course load throughout school. Those choices led him to a few different schools in the district, not our neighborhood school.

When our youngest child entered the school system, we made the tough decision to place him in the elementary school where his brother attended. He also followed his brother into the same extracurricular activities: baseball, piano, and chess. He eventually dropped out of those and developed his love for music by playing the flute, saxophone, and drums.

Baseball brothers

At a chess tournament

At the family piano

Once his brother went on to junior high, my youngest son switched schools and attended the school in our neighborhood. It wasn’t long after that we noticed his school difficulties surface. I was not overly concerned, but couldn’t help but wonder, is there something else going on here? It was unfair to compare him to his older brother, and I thought his occasional struggles were more ‘normal.’ Things got worse for him in junior high.

When it came time to go to high school, we decided to check out several of the high schools in the district. He wasn’t interested in the high school his brother attended. The large high school that most students in the neighborhood attended didn’t excite him either.

We attributed some of his school problems with lack of motivation. So we felt it would be better for him to be in a school with smaller classes and a learning environment that more closely matched his interests. A new school had opened up in the district and was accepting students on a lottery basis. This school was specifically geared to a STEM based education (Science Technology Engineering & Mathematics). Living in the high tech corridor of the Seattle Eastside, this was a magnet for local kids, as was proven by the standing room only audience at the information night for this new school.

School Pioneers

Our son was accepted into the STEM school and started in the fall. It was also at this time that the school district was converting middle schools to junior high schools and all high schools to a 4-year format. The STEM school was launched with incoming freshmen and sophomore classes. My son would be in the first graduating class of the school—the class of 2015!

An educational pioneer and future graduate in the class of 2015 at his 2002 pre-school graduation.

These new students were educational pioneers in the district and had to endure some growing pains in the process. For example, while the school building was still under construction the first semester, the school was co-located on the campus of the big neighborhood high school.

It was hard for the students and the school community to define its own culture and identity. With the school half completed, after the Christmas holiday break, the students and faculty moved into their brand new campus and started to create their own academic community.

The course load was rigorous, much like the academic classes that his brother took in high school. From our earliest meetings with the school administration, we and other parents were assured there would be other less rigorous class options for students. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. My son struggled to make it through the first quarter of his sophomore year. We heard stories of kids dropping out of the school and returning to their neighborhood high schools.

Despite my son’s recent diagnosis with ADHD, he wanted to be at this school, and was determined to make it work. There were times along the journey that we had conversations about transferring to another school.

It was a painful decision for all of us. When does the parent have the final say? How do you know what is best for your child? Each time he came back to his desire to stay, accepting that it would be a challenge.

During a recent conversation with my son about his tenure at this school, I asked him if he had to do it all over again what he would do. He acknowledged that going to his neighborhood high school would’ve been a lot easier for him. But he didn’t miss a beat in saying that the STEM school was good for his character development. He wasn’t wrapped up in his GPA or the college competition. He was content that he graduated, made good friends, and was learning more about his abilities.

A Graduation Homecoming

I’m not going to apologize for using my blog to publish a bit about the story of my son’s journey to graduation. I see it as a major milestone in his life. My husband and I are both proud of him, like any parent is of their graduating senior. It is particularly poignant to me because it feels like a joint effort. I know many of my friends and family have prayed for him and us during his high school years. Those prayers made a difference in getting us to this point. (Thank you! You know who you are!)

What I haven’t lost sight of in the process is where his graduation ceremony will take place tonight. It’s not at the school. They don’t have the space for this type of event. The graduation will be held at our church. It was in this same church that my son learned about Jesus, accepted Christ as His Savior, was baptized, and has attended all his life.

Our family’s church, where graduation will take place.

Church baptism, May 2007.

It adds to the bittersweet nature of the event for me. And it serves as a reminder that the Lord has been at my son’s side the entire time.

My son is a Pioneer.

He is a STEM Scholar.

He is unique, gifted, and talented in many ways.

He found his own way. He took the road less traveled to do it. To quote Robert Frost again:

…and that has made all the difference.

I’m grateful he did. Congratulations Son!

My son, the flutist, taking the road less traveled.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on June 10, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Identity, Relationships & Family

Tagged adapting to change, celebrations, college, encouragement, family, following your dreams, God's timing, graduation, gratitude, identity, letting go

Posted by ardisanelson on June 10, 2015

https://ardisanelson.com/2015/06/10/graduation-road-less-traveled/

Parenting a Teen with ADHD ~ The Journey toward Graduation

Maybe you think ADHD is just a label and isn’t even a real diagnosis. I fell into that category myself in the past, have struggled with it for years, and didn’t really chose to learn how to live with it. My denial was great.

Being diagnosed with ADHD is a life-altering event and commonly leads to an identity crisis that can be devastating to adults. (I’ve lived through that as well.)

What is on my heart about this today is to write a bit about the journey and the challenges we have faced in our home with a teen who has ADHD. Maybe in doing so others will seek treatment for themselves or someone in their family. And maybe it will garner more empathy for those who have ADHD.

I haven’t written much about this because of my own personal struggles with it. At times it feels like a curse. However, as I’ve come alongside my son, I’ve learned to give myself grace and accept him in his struggles as well. My son agreed to my writing this post, and helped me with it as well. Out of respect for his privacy, I won’t use his name (although he didn’t mind if I did).

Living with ADHD in High School

We’ve been in the home stretch in our house for the last few weeks. You know the feeling—the end of the school year rush—late nights working on final projects—preparing for exams—writing papers—band concerts. The pressure mounted.

It is this way at the end of every semester in our home, not just the school year.

This year is worse because my youngest child is graduating from high school. Much of the time it feels like my husband and I are also in high school with him. We remind him of his school commitments. We regularly check in on his day at school and check-up on his assignments too. It’s been a lot of work—the total opposite of his older brother.

My son graduates in a few days. And I felt guilty because until now, it’s been hard for me to get excited. Don’t get me wrong…I couldn’t be more proud of him and what he has accomplished. As a parent of a child with a learning disability, it’s been tough to watch his struggle.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD at the start of high school and we’ve been challenged with how to help him ever since. He has been through alternative health care regiments, altered his diet, taken supplements, done energy and body work, and completed brain training classes. I’ve also sought counseling support for the emotional ups and downs in our family and for my own psycho-education.

We didn’t try medication until we ran out of other options and had lost all hope. The medication has helped to a moderate degree, but it isn’t the panacea that it is made out to be. As they say in ADHD circles, and I’ve come to learn in my own ADHD struggles, “pills don’t teach skills.” So this summer, we are planning to work through Smart but Scattered, a book designed to help with executive functioning skills.

A Journey to Diagnosis

Although very intelligent, my son’s grades started to suffer in junior high school. It was at that time that we started to seriously consider he had ADHD. But there were unmistakable clues years before.

He doesn’t have the physical hyperactivity that lots of ADHD boys have early on in grade school. He is a quiet sort of young man, who is easily distracted and can’t seem to pay attention to his teachers. It wasn’t really noticeable when he was young, but I bet if you asked his teachers, they probably would’ve said he had it. Unfortunately that was part of the problem. Those teachers couldn’t or wouldn’t tell us because it is against the school district policy.

When we finally took him in for testing in the summer before his 10^th grade year in school, I had to make copies of my son’s report cards all the way back to Kindergarten. (It was a good thing that I scrapbook and had all of those documents organized!) The doctor reviewed her findings with us and pointed out patterns that we hadn’t previously noticed in the life skills areas of his report cards. There it was as plain as day, clues that he was not fitting in with the other kids, having problems working in groups, and being slow to engage in class. We had no idea until she connected the dots for us.

But my son knew. Before going into his first appointment, I sat in the car and talked with him about the possibility of a diagnosis of ADHD. He calmly said, “Mom, I know I have it.”

“You do!” I said with surprise. “How do you know that?”

“Because I know people who have it, and I noticed they have some of the same problems.”

We proceeded to have a heart to heart about it, followed by prayer before going in to see the doctor. One thing I’m still grateful for is the continued ability to talk at a heart level about it.

Unfortunately the medication that was prescribed by that doctor created intense headaches and other symptoms that just made matters worse for him. We tried other health care options again, until finally settling on a different type of medication for him (and me).

Another thing we learned is that it is a long process to find the right medication and dosage for each patient.

Becoming an Advocate

Getting the official diagnosis started us on a new journey of advocating for our son in school. We had friends who had been down this road before. I listened to their stories, took their advice, and sought their prayers. All the while this was going on, we went down the road of seeking accommodations at his school.

Even with the support of friends, I wasn’t prepared for the battle that laid ahead for my son. It started with trying to get a Guidance Team meeting with the school. These meetings included the school psychologist, my son’s guidance counselor, the special education teacher, his teachers, and the principal. Our first meeting with this team was six weeks into the school year. By this time, he was already treading water to stay afloat in some classes.

Quoting an email I received from the school psychologist back in 2012, the purpose of the Guidance Team meeting was “to determine to what extent, if any, the diagnosed condition may create a disability, and if there is a disability as a result of the diagnosed condition, does that disability create a substantial limitation for the student which would then have us consider if he is eligible for any type of support plan.”

The phrase “substantial limitation” was underlined by the school psychologist, not me. That phrase came to be the basis for an uphill battle for the entire school year. My heart ached for my son as the minimal accommodations he received didn’t help release the pressure he felt to try and keep up with his assignments. It wasn’t until the middle of his junior year that significant accommodations finally made a difference for him, allowing him to get passing grades in his hardest subjects.

I personally attribute that to the change in the school psychologist. The new psychologist understood my son’s disability and was sympathetic to his cause. At one point in time, when I was losing hope again, I reached out to her. Her openness to anonymously sharing the experiences of other students with ADHD led us back to medication for my son, and ultimately a plan that got him to this point in his high school career.

You know your kids better than anyone, so advocate, advocate, advocate for them.

Finishing Well

In a few days, my son will receive his hard earned high school diploma. His diploma not only represents an academic milestone, it represents to a large degree the building up of his character.

We are looking forward to celebrating. It is a celebration of his perseverance and his ability to integrate and learn more about himself—his strengths and his weaknesses.

My son will have ADHD for the rest of his life. My hope and prayer is that this journey through high school has prepared him to advocate for his needs and to embrace his ADHD as a part of his unique giftedness.

I know I have learned a lot through these years as well. I faced my own mothering deficiencies, was stretched outside of my comfort zone, and experienced valuable lessons in trusting God. My son has helped me to be a better parent and to work through my own struggles with ADHD.

We did it together.

I’m proud he finished well.

Congratulations Son!

Want more information about ADHD, check out any of the resources below:

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on June 6, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Identity, Relationships & Family

Tagged adapting to change, ADD/ADHD, ADHD medication, diploma, educational accommodations, graduation, homework, life's challenges, parent advocate, parenting, struggle, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on June 6, 2015

https://ardisanelson.com/2015/06/06/parenting-teen-with-adhd-graduation-journey/

Making “Memories,” a CD by Pedro González Arbona

My desk and my mind are cleared of the clutter and busyness of life. The most amazing music is engulfing me, stirring my senses, and begging me to share its beauty and my joy with the world.

What am I listening too? It is the new CD by my favorite musical protégé and composer, Pedro González Arbona. Memories is Pedro’s latest foray into the music and film scoring business.

Pedro’s Musical Background

In the three years since Introducing Pedro González Arbona, his debut album, was released, Pedro’s music has grown by leaps and bounds. His first album was a collection of his earliest solo piano compositions performed on a Steinway Concert grand piano in a recording studio in Seattle. It was a gift for his 18^th birthday while visiting from Madrid. It was a monumental day for us both.

I’ve written a lot about Pedro’s love for music and how it was nurtured and inspired at an early age by cinema. Now his work has matured and blossomed into full orchestral music that rivals the likes of other famous film composers that he admires, like John Williams (Star Wars), Hans Zimmer (most recently Interstellar), and Alexandre Desplat, winner for Best Original Score for The Grand Budapest Hotel at this year’s Academy Awards.

I don’t say this to boast, although it is hard for me to be impartial. I say this because, at Pedro’s request, I’ve been immersing myself in various film scores over these last few years as well. I hear the similarities and have been captivated by Pedro’s music. Not just listening to it, but also as I witnessed it on the big screen at the VIP screening of his movie Tempting Fate, last July in Houston.

Pedro knows music!

Making Memories, the CD

While I was in Madrid last fall, Pedro and I met over dinner one night to discuss his next CD project. On another night in Madrid, he played one of his newest songs for me, “Opening Titles.” He was fully engaged in the music, as if conducting the orchestra with an invisible baton. This was Pedro’s first orchestrated piece, complete with pages and pages of sheet music. Watching his delight in the final cut of this piece, and immersing myself in the music, was one of my best memories while on this trip to Spain.

A proud moment in Madrid: “Opening Titles” plays through Pedro’s sound system as he reviews the sheet music.

Although we collaborated in the production of the CD, it is truly his project from start to finish. He designed the album cover, titled the album, and naturally, composed the music. I brought his vision to completion by working in America with our music distributor, CD Baby. They make worldwide sales and distribution via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other internet music sites easy for any artist.

Pedro’s album cover design (above) conjures up feelings of old time movies, before the age of digital technology, with strips of film negatives pinned to a clothesline. Which scenes will make the final cut of the movie? Which songs will make the final cut of the CD?

Selecting the Songs

It was a difficult process to select the final 14 songs for this CD. The music was mostly composed over the last year during a period of prolific musical and artistic inspiration. I received some of the songs along his composing process. I’ve collected a large archive of his music over the past four years from his various film and internet projects or impromptu personal musical inspirations.

Some of the pieces included on the CD were composed for the Tempting Fate film, but didn’t make it to the final cut of the movie. As I’ve come to learn, it is just part of the film composing process. It gives Pedro the opportunity to showcase them on his CDs or use on other projects. (The soundtrack to Tempting Fate is available on Amazon.)

Pedro also collaborated with orchestrators (credited as ‘featuring’ in the track titles) to provide the professional sound quality and feel to his music. The final 14 songs showcase the variety of Pedro’s music composing ability.

The easiest way for me to describe this album is to say that even though it was not written for a specific movie or movie scenes, it is just like a soundtrack. The songs conjure up a wide breadth of emotions that are commonly experienced in a movie: romance, suspense, action, drama, mystery. You’ll be hooked after the first song! I certainly was.

So in my next post about Memories, I will take you on a behind the scenes musical adventure through his latest album. Until then, you can preview one of my favorite songs “The Great Beauty” on Soundcloud or by selecting the song on the media player in the right sidebar on this page.

For more information about Pedro González Arbona and his music, visit pgarbona.com. Memories is available for your immediate listening pleasure through any of the links below:

iTunes
Amazon
CD Baby
Or purchase the physical CD through my site

You can show your support for this young artist’s music career by liking his page on Facebook, Pedro González Arbona, composer.

1 Comment

by ardisanelson on May 21, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in My Spanish Connection, Pedro's Musical Pursuits

Tagged Alexandre Desplat, CD Baby, following your dreams, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Memories, movie composing, music, music projects, My Spanish Connection, Pedro Gonzalez Arbona, piano compositions, Spain, Spotify, Tempting Fate

Posted by ardisanelson on May 21, 2015

https://ardisanelson.com/2015/05/21/making-memories-cd-pedro-gonzalez-arbona/

A Mother’s Day Gift for my Sons & my Readers

The last time I saw my mother alive was five years ago over Mother’s Day weekend. As I wrote in “Walking My Mother Home,” my story in Journeys to Mother Love, these trips back home were instrumental to my healing.

My First Manuscript

That story is very sacred to me. The writing was covered in prayer by my closest friends. It was written through tears of joy.

“Walking My Mother Home” was my first manuscript submitted to a publisher. I was nervous about sharing it with the world. Only a select few ever read the submitted manuscript. And it wasn’t until Cathy Lawton, the publisher at Cladach Publishing, notified me that they accepted my story that I even read it again myself.

Toasting the acceptance of my manuscript with a friend, January 2012.

In 2012, while the book was still being edited, I decided to give the manuscript and an accompanying letter as a gift to my sons for Mother’s Day. I had a heartfelt conversation with them after my mother’s passing the year before, and tried to explain the significance of what happened to me. Now with the imminent publishing of the story for the whole world to see, it was time to give them some more personal insight into my healing and my journey to mother love.

A Gift to my Sons

Dear Boys,

As Mother’s Day approached this week, I’ve been reminded many times that the last time I saw my mother alive was on Mother’s Day 2010. A lot has happened in our lives in the two years since then…

Since you are males, you will probably never understand the bond between a mother and daughter. But you will marry one day and will have to understand and be caring with your own wife and the relationship that she has with her mother. I hope and pray that I can have a loving relationship with my daughters-in-law too.

As you know, I didn’t have a close relationship with my mother, not so much by choice, but by natural consequence because of her mental illness. As my mother neared the end of her life though, God made it very clear to me that I needed closure and restoration with our relationship. The attached manuscript is that story.

What I hope and pray you will see in this story is the same thing I want others to see—how following God’s will for our lives, through the good and the bad, leads to amazing blessings. I want you to embrace opportunities when God wants to use you. It won’t be easy. But that is where the biggest blessings come into play—when we are stretched beyond our comfort zone and have to rely on Him. He shows up when we lean on Him. We just have to trust Him.

So as I start on my writing journey, I wanted you to know that is exactly what I am doing. I am trusting that God is behind this and that He will use it.

I love you both dearly. I hope and pray that when you look back at your lives that you will remember that legacy that I want to leave for you. I want you to trust God and follow Him all the days of your life.

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

With all my love,
Mom

With my sons on the Seattle waterfront, Mother’s Day 2012.

Paying the Gift Forward

If you already own a copy of Journeys to Mother Love, I’m sure you will agree that mothers of all ages can relate to these stories. If don’t own the book, you can purchase an autographed copy here.

May your Mother’s Day be filled with blessings and hope from the Creator of motherly love, our Heavenly Father.

The Last Time I Saw my Mother Alive

Mother’s Day 2020 marks the 10^th anniversary of the last time I saw my mother alive. As I approach this anniversary and invite God into my healing and memories of this day, I am struck by the circumstances surrounding that trip back home to Illinois.

Mom & me, first visit back home, November 2009.

Prompted to Visit one Last Time

As I wrote in “Walking my Mother Home,” my story in Journeys to Mother Love, the decision to visit my 79-year-old mother was a difficult one for me. I kept her at arms-length for most of my adult life due to her mental illness. The Lord had prompted me in later years to restore that relationship.

I hadn’t seen her on Mother’s Day for decades. Her stroke ten months prior left her paralyzed and unable to speak. She had been on hospice for the last six of those months. The waiting seemed endless to me as my mind would drift to my mother’s suffering 2,000 miles away.

Out of the blue in April 2010 I got a call from a nurse at my mother’s nursing home. Mom had bruising on her right leg. It was either a sign of a worsening internal medical condition or uncharacteristically rough treatment by the nursing home staff. An investigation was underway to determine the cause. Either way, the answer was not going to be welcome news.

That call was the catalyst that sent me on my journey home to see my mother for the last time.

Not Quite What I Expected

When I arrived at the nursing home to see my Mom on Mother’s Day weekend, I wasn’t prepared to deal with the amount of decline in her medical condition. The easiest way to describe what I experienced on that visit is to share an email I sent to a pastor at my church after my return.

“Thanks for asking about my mom. The best I can say about her is that she is stable. They are trying to keep her comfortable and free of pain. Her leg is immobilized and will never heal. They only get her out of bed once a day now—instead of twice—if at all. She mostly refuses to be fed and is hooked up to a feeding tube. She’s had that since November, but when I was there then I was able to at least feed her.

It was extremely difficult. I didn’t realize how much she had deteriorated. She said my name once. One of the highlights of my trip was being able to take her only living sibling (a sister) to see her. While my 50^th birthday in November was an amazing day with her, Mother’s Day was quite the opposite. I’m unsure why God nudged me to go, but I know I gave her some happiness for a brief time.”

My aunt praying for my mother.

Joy and Sorrow

I remember one of the fun things I was able to share with her on this trip was my change of hair color. My own health condition had improved (chemical sensitivity) and I could color my hair again with a natural hair product. The last time she saw me my hair was salt and pepper (shades of gray). This time my hair was a vibrant red, not much dissimilar to her own hair color that I remembered from my youth. I know it pleased her (and my aunt) to see it.

I left her with two physical gifts for Mother’s Day. One was a bracelet, and the other was a 10-bead bracelet type rosary known as a decade, to replace the lost rosary I gave her on a previous visit. They weren’t much, but I wanted to leave her with a small memento of my love and our time together.

A teary goodbye, May 2010.

Saying goodbye on this trip was much harder than before. My siblings and I had such a beautiful visit and parting farewell with her on our last visit. I didn’t understand why God would allow her to suffer like this. Leaving then in December 2009, I thought her time was imminent. Now on this Mother’s Day in 2010, I just wanted it all to end—not for me, but for her.

“Please Lord, let her pass peacefully in her sleep and don’t prolong this any longer,” I prayed as I walked through the hallways of the nursing home on my way to the car. The next time I would walk these corridors would be to meet staff to plan her memorial service after she passed away nine months later.

Beauty from Ashes

My prayer wasn’t really answered as I had hoped. God did orchestrate a beautiful passing for her though. My brother Glen and his wife were by her side. I was able to pray over her through the phone. She felt my love as she left this earth, and she had it with her those long months as she waited for the Lord to take her home.

When I returned back to Illinois to bury my mother in February 2011, the staff at the nursing home gave me her personal affects. After residing there for seven years, my mother barely owned anything, and there was nothing of intrinsic value. One trinket that did make it home with me was the bracelet I bought her for Mother’s Day. It now resides on my dresser inside the prayer box that holds some of her remains.

The bracelet is tarnished and broken, similar to how I felt throughout much of my life. But on that day in February 2011, I felt peace and joy. Her passing helped me to see that she didn’t leave me a legacy of mental illness as I feared, but one of hope and healing. That is what I treasure on Mother’s Day and every day since her passing. God restored beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:3) and turned my mourning into gladness (Jeremiah 31:13).

5 Comments

by ardisanelson on April 30, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Identity, Relationships & Family

Tagged forgiveness, gifts, grieving our losses, healing, identity, Journeys to Mother Love, leaving a legacy, letting go, mother love, Mother's Day, obedience, perseverance, prayer, saying goodbye, serving others, trusting God

Posted by ardisanelson on April 30, 2015

https://ardisanelson.com/2015/04/30/last-time-i-saw-my-mother-alive/

A Letter to Mom

In honor of my new friend Verna Hill Simms’ 94th birthday today, I’m sharing a post she recently wrote on the “Journeys to Mother Love” blog.

Verna writes letters to her deceased mother as well, and is where I first heard of this practice. May her letter to her mother brighten your day and rekindle the connection you have with your mother, physically on earth or in spirit above.

Happy Birthday, Verna! Sending hugs and prayers to you and your family. ~ Ardis

Journeys To Mother Love

Dear Mom,
I am writing your birthday letter early this year. I have so much to tell you, and it can’t wait until June. The sad news is Dee had a stroke. I couldn’t talk her into taking better care of her health. She is improving every day. I know how fond you were of her—your first grandchild. I appreciate how much you helped me when she was born 73 years ago.
Now, the good news. Remember I told you I was writing a historical novel? It is finished and accepted by Rockinghorse Publishing, and printed! I bet you would love it. Do you think that is an odd name for a publishing company? I do, but it is easy to remember. Water Under the Bridge is a work of fiction, but a lot of it mirrors our life when we lived in Claypool, Arizona. I tell about the time…

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Celebrating the Sound of Music’s 50th Anniversary

The 50^th anniversary of the Sound of Music was recently marked with lots of fanfare: tributes, release of a 50^th Anniversary 5-disk DVD/Blu-ray collection, television programs, and special viewings of the movie in Hollywood, and across America. I was lucky enough to attend one of the special viewings locally last weekend with some women from my church group.

SOM cast

This is not the first time I’ve written about my favorite musical and probably won’t be the last either. It has a lot of sentimental significance to me, having first seen it as a young child in 1965, and is another connection that I have with my Spanish family. When I told Pedro, my Spanish host son, film aficionado, and movie composer himself, that I was going to see the Sound of Music, he relayed that he and his friends wished they could also attend such an event. Unfortunately, no special viewings were planned in Spain.

Recent Media Attention

I’ve been following along with the Sound of Music media attention the past few months. First was the Sound of Music tribute medley sung by Lady Gaga at the Academy Awards Ceremony on February 22. Did you know that Lady Gaga practiced for six months prior to that performance so she could sing it in the same key as Julie Andrews? They met for the first time when they embraced on stage at the Oscars.

Andrews-Lady Gaga-Oscars

Then on March 18, the ABC Television Network aired, The Untold Story of the Sound of Music. In this program Diane Sawyer and Julie Andrews, 79, toured Salzburg, Austria and sites from the movie. The show was a treasure trove of behind the scenes stories and Julie Andrews’ memories of filming the movie.

Photo credit: Ida Mae Astute/ABC via Getty Images

Me and 7.3 million other viewers were glued to the television set that night. My favorite seen from the show was when Julie Andrews recreated the famous wedding march at the Salzburg Cathedral (starting at 6 minutes in the video below).

I’ve never been to Salzburg, but I have been in numerous Cathedrals in Spain in recent years. It reminded me of those grand Cathedrals, making that scene come more alive for me than ever before. The scenes with the Alps towering over Salzburg also reminded me of my time in the French Alps last fall. Priceless!

Then on March 26 in Hollywood, CA, the Turner Classic Movies: TCM Film Festival kicked off when Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer reunited to introduce the opening-night screening of the Sound of Music. They have been good friends for years, but he hadn’t embraced his role in the movie until recently.

Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, 50 years later, opening night at the TCM Film Festival.

Popularity of the Sound of Music

Here’s some background and historical context behind the musical’s popularity:

The Sound of Music is the third highest grossing motion picture in the United States and the most successful movie musical of all time.
In 1966, at the 38^th annual Academy Awards, the Sound of Music won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture.
The soundtrack to the Sound of Music peaked at Number 1 on the Billboard charts on November 13, 1965, edging out HELP! by the Beatles.
Salzburg has only 150,000 people live there, but attracts 6.5 million tourists annually, most in search of reliving the scenes from the movie. (A bucket list item for me too!)

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Those numbers don’t lie. So what’s the big deal about the Sound of Music? Why does it resonate with so many of us? Why does it resonate worldwide?

Here’s what I think:

The Sound of Music portrays a message of hope, sacrifice, courage, love, and faith. It’s a movie about following your heart and standing up for what you believe. It is interspersed with a powerful message of trusting God and His timing. It’s the classic triumph of good over evil—with the added bonus of a love story. Plus it’s a real-life story with songs that compel us to ‘sing once more’ (a line from the song “The Sound of Music”).

Both of the main characters had strong convictions. Captain von Trapp, played by Christopher Plummer, was loyal to his country. However when he was ordered to serve as a military officer for the Third Reich, he and his family fled his beloved Austria, leaving their home and possessions behind.

Maria, played by Julie Andrews, brought her cheerful disposition and Christian beliefs into the von Trapp home as a governess, the 12^th in a long line of successors. She had to face her fears as she left the Abbey to follow God’s will in this new position. She stayed true to her religious and moral convictions in caring for the children despite Captain von Trapp’s attempt to run the house like a military compound. That meant no play time for the children. They were to march around the grounds for recreation. Maria brought music and laughter back to the home, and melted the Captain’s heart in the process. She was not meant to be a nun, but her identity in Christ was strong and led her to serve in His Kingdom in other ways.

Maria would never be a nun.

Captain Von Trapp

Publicity still, 1965

Spanish Appeal

When Pedro entered our home and our lives in the summer of 2010, music in general, and the Sound of Music specifically, was one of the ways that our friendship was bridged across cultural, language, and geographical barriers. It was the universal language of music that connected us. So I recently asked Pedro more about the significance of the musical to him and how it is regarded in Spain.

Pedro’s first time viewing the movie was when he was about four years old. Due to the global popularity of the movie, his parents owned it, and he watched it at home with them. The movie was translated into Spanish, which means that the songs were also dubbed with Spanish lyrics. The Spanish version of the movie is Sonrisas y Lagrimas. In English, that literally translates to Smiles and Tears.

SOM Spanish The musical is a favorite of Spanish children. Pedro’s nieces learned “Do Re Mi” in school. That led to my delightful experience singing the song with them while on holiday on Mallorca, Spain with his family in the summer of 2013.

The first time Pedro saw a live performance of the Sound of Music was when we took him to the musical theater in the Bavarian themed town of Leavenworth, Washington. It was there, surrounded by the Cascade Mountains, that he watched the musical for the first time in English. It was a gift for his 17^th birthday.

SOM Leavenworth

Naturally, Pedro’s love for movie soundtracks was also nurtured by this great movie at an early age. That led to his playing many of the songs to the musical in our home that first summer. Like music brought life back to Captain von Trapp, the summer of 2010 was the summer that music brought me back to life too. I still have original recordings of Pedro’s impromptu practice sessions on the piano. (Muchas gracias, Pedro!)

Our Girls’ Night Out Movie Experience

I wish I could say that the theater was packed as my friends and I watched the special viewing of the Sound of Music. I had expected to see a large crowd. I think the 70 degree whether outside, a rare phenomenon for April in Seattle, had something to do with it. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable outing with friends.

One woman had never seen the movie before. I asked her about her observations, as an objective viewer. My friend was surprised to learn that it was a true story. She also had heard some of the songs before, but now had meaning to put to them. There were a lot of surprising twists to the movie for her, including thinking that the movie ended when the Captain and Maria wed.

Overall, it was an enjoyable movie-going experience. Having seen the movie on the big screen last year at the Sound of Music Sing-a-Long, I think I was a bit spoiled having watched it so recently. I wanted to sing at this event too, but that would’ve ruined the experience for everyone else. So in that regard, it wasn’t the big sentimental teary experience that I thought I might have.

It has renewed my love for the musical again. I’m still singing the songs around the house and in my mind because “My Favorite Things” isn’t just a song in the movie. The Sound of Music really is one of my favorite things.

Are you a fan of the Sound of Music? When was the first time you saw the musical? I’d love to hear your Sound of Music memory in the comments below.

Andrews & Plummer, 2015 (Photo credit: vanityfair.com)

The actors who played the Von Trapp children, 2015 (Photo credit: vanityfair.com)

A Love Letter to God

I’m a big proponent of letter writing—for healing, for building relationship, for encouragement, for love, and for getting in touch with one’s heart. I’ve shared several sample letters to family here or on my publisher’s blog like A Letter to My Mom, A Letter on Leaving the Nest, or most recently Keeping Our Loved Ones’ Memories Alive.

This post involves a different slant to the letter writing therapeutic tool that I recommend. It is for our spiritual growth.

A Delicate Balancing Act in Recovery

In a women’s recovery group that I co-lead, an assignment was recently given to write a thank you letter to God. The Step Study group was at the mid-point in the 4^th Step, where we “make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

As you can imagine Step 4 is a painful process. We are unearthing and writing down the ugly things we’ve done or what’s been done to us in the past. Scary, yet freeing stuff—and not for the faint of heart—which is why we do it in the structured community of a Step Study group.

The thank you letter to God was assigned to help participant’s look beyond the pain of the past and to see the good side—to assist in balancing the good with the bad. I was so touched by one woman’s letter that I asked for her permission to share it with my readers.

It is really poetic. So please read it slowly, like a poem, and let the words gently stir your heart.

A Love Letter to God

“Dear Beyond-belief loving and merciful Lover of my soul,

Words cannot express the magnitude of the blessings you have heaped upon me—and that doesn’t even account for the blessings for which I am oblivious about. I am left in awe!

Me, a worm, with my ugly sin and unworthiness—yet You purchased me with the blood of Your only begotten Son—so that I may be a daughter of the King of the Universe, to live where the streets are made of gold, the gates are pearly, and precious stones abound. And I even have a crown, a special name, which is engraved in the palm of Your hand and You rejoice over me with singing…

How can it be that lowly me would be accepted as an heir in Your kingdom?

Truly, eternity is not long enough to thank you for the perfect plan of salvation, the undeserving grace, mercy, love and forgiveness.

Forever in the care of Your loving and gentle arms,
Me”

Lovely, isn’t it? Where do words like this—words of deep gratitude and awe—come from? Truly they were Holy Spirit inspired.

Thankful in all Circumstances

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we are commanded to “give thanks in all circumstances.” It is not an easy thing to do. We have to choose to do it despite how we feel. It is taking our act of faith to a higher level, and thereby allowing God to work more freely in our lives.

1-thessalonians-5-18

When was the last time you thanked God for the blessings in your life?

When was the last time you thanked Him for the simple pleasures?

For the miracles?

Or for the hardships? (Especially the hardships?)

You don’t have to be in a recovery program (like Celebrate Recovery) or working through the 12 Steps to exercise your will to be thankful in all circumstances.

Take some quiet time today or one day this week to let the Holy Spirit move you to write a love letter to God. You’ll be amazed by the gifted writer that is hiding inside your soul.

Thank you Ruth for letting me share your letter. May it inspire others to see the love of our Heavenly Father in their lives.

5 Comments

by ardisanelson on April 17, 2015 • Permalink

Posted in Faith & Hope, Healing & Recovery

Tagged 12 step, Celebrate Recovery, Christianity, encouragement, gifts, God, gratitude, healing, hope, letter writing, love, recovery

Posted by ardisanelson on April 17, 2015

https://ardisanelson.com/2015/04/17/love-letter-god/

WELCOME to my site!

I'm an author, writer, speaker, mentor & mom. I've struggled to find my voice all my life as I lived in the shadows of a mother with mental illness. Thankfully that was not the legacy that she handed down to me. It took a lot of recovery and deep healing work to rise above it.

I am thankful to God for Making Me Bold in the process. Now I use my writing and speaking voice to help others on their journey to turn healing into hope.
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