In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Sheet Music Series

Sounds of a Better World

Sounds of a Better World = small voices calling is a series of songs focusing on children. It examines their world and how small steps can be made to improve it.

When this journey began for me almost five years ago, I was very disturbed to learn of various incidents around the world where children were subjected to adverse conditions. I began to wonder how they could possibly develop into caring, responsible adults, with such hardship defining their childhood.

As I read more and explored our attitudes as a society toward children, I began to feel that we (as Dr. Martin Luther King said) "must ask ourselves how responsible we are for the well-being of others". Do we have the courage to feel responsible? What ideals do we strive for? How can we find innovative ways in which the personal and social problems of childhood can be overcome? Can music be utilized as a potential bridge to reach out and address these issues?

What I have come to understand is that we must send the best part of ourselves into the future through our children. If we want society to evolve, we need to understand the importance of childhood, and how vital our role should be in doing whatever we can to nuture every child. We should all be aware of our powerful influence on their minds. Through this incredible journey that Sounds of a Better World has taken me on, I hope to have somehow addressed these issues and to have embraced the joy that children can bring into this world. - Jim Papoulis

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Displaying 1-8 of 8 items.

Jim Papoulis : Dance with Me to My Heart

This is a piece about discovering the power of our own voices, and letting them dance - setting ourselves free, exploring and learning to let go of preconceived notions of how we should be or should think.

Composer: Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis : Dance With Me To My Heart

Arranger: Jim Papoulis | Composer: Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis : Feel Your Spirit Sing

Commissioned for the AGO National Convention in 2014, this piece is about embracing the diverse character of the human voice and exploring the sounds and the emotions those sounds can suggest. With percussion and an alternate organ part is included in the back of the octavo for occasions when an organ is available.

Composer: Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis : Feel Your Spirit Sing

Arranger: Jim Papoulis | Composer: Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis : Sih'r Khalaq

Sih'r Khalaq explores the world of Arabic rhythm, textures, and style in the interest of global fusion. The phrase sih'r khalaq describes the kind of magic that exists in art - magic that transforms and grows, and permeates the soul. It literally means creative magic. Duration: Ca. 3 minutes

Composer: Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis : Sihr Halac

Arranger: Jim Papoulis | Composer: Jim Papoulis

Jim Papoulis : Sililiza (Hear Me)

Composer Jim Papoulis has created an energetic and uplifting work that fuses the rhythms from African, American and Latin cultures, and uses a text primarily in Swahili interspersed with phrases in Spanish. Supported by shaker, Djembe and agogo bell, the middle section has the feel of a real celebration with layers of spoken word that lead us to the understanding: listen, hear, stand strong. Duration: ca. 3:15. Performed by Young People's Chorus of NYC, Francisco Núñez, conductor.

Composer: Jim Papoulis