AlphaOmegaNews – Media

“Little Praise Party started as a collection of songs for my local church to use,” says Yancy. “It’s been amazing to see how God has used those songs in churches and homes around the world.”

Taste and See, the fourth release in the popular worship music series for young children, will be available on CD and DVD, featuring 15 easy-to-sing songs (plus two bonus tracks exclusively available at iTunes). The Little Praise Party series is available online and in Christian bookstores everywhere via Elevate Entertainment and Syntax Distribution. For church and classroom use, there is also a Church DVD available that includes all 15 songs plus the soundtracks, mp4 files and a group viewing license.

“Hearing children sing God’s praises never gets old,” says Yancy. “And it gives me chills hearing their sweet little voices sing their love to the Lord. Music is a powerful thing. It’s an important tool that we have to use in our homes and churches to plant Biblical truth in the hearts of kids. It’s the very reason we started making Little Praise Party music.”

Yancy’s Little Praise Party series engages kids from the very start with non-stop sing-along fun for the entire family. In addition to CDs, each project in the series has a companion DVD filled with exciting animation with on-screen lyrics to help visualize the words and stories portrayed within the songs. The popular Little Praise Party app, available in both iOS & Android formats, features new videos each month in English and Spanish.

“I introduced my kids to Little Praise Party, from Yancy, and it’s really adorable listening to them sing their songs,” said recording artist Jaci Velasquez. “As a mom, my hope and my prayer is that everything that I’m putting into my kids is positive and good and encouraging and hopeful. Because whatever goes in, comes out.”

“We need to begin the process of passing on our faith and Christian values to our children at an early age,” says Yancy. “We really can’t start too soon. My heart and prayer is that this generation would Taste and See that the Lord is good.”

For more than a decade, Yancy has been making music for Christian music fans of all ages. As a songwriter, she has penned songs with Third Day frontman Mac Powell, wrote the Jaci Velasquez hit “Something Beautiful” and Avalon’s chart-topping “I Don’t Want To Go.” As an artist, Yancy has released radio-friendly pop/rock albums and multiple projects for kids and young adults, while sharing the stage with Michael W. Smith, Newsboys, Plumb and many more. Yancy also pens a monthly column for KidzMatter Magazine, and has written and produced the music and videos for Standard Publishing’s Vacation Bible School curriculum since 2012, reaching over 1,000,000 kids each year.

For more information, visit www.yancynotnancy.com.

Pre-Order Little Praise Party: Taste and See at iTunes: http://syntax.cr/1zUynZF

“Walk into most any pediatric healthcare setting and one thing is universal – patients are usually glued to some kind of electronic device,” says Chemo Duck founder Lu Sipos. Her son, 12 year-old Gabe Sipos, is no different. Except now, 10 years after spending countless hours in clinics and the hospital during his treatment of rhabdosarcoma, he had an idea.

“It was such a fun experience coming up with all the different ideas and aspects for the games,” said Gabe. “I sort of knew what types of games I thought kids would like and how I wanted the whole thing to look.”

Talk Like a Duck, Exercise Wheel, Touch and Learn, Call from Chemo Duck, Hospital Bingo and Mix and Match are all interactive activities geared toward keeping kids engaged while providing teaching opportunities.

“I really like the idea that in order to move ahead in the games, you have to earn a coin to unlock the next level,” said Gabe. “It makes you want to keep playing. I do think kids will like it. I know I would’ve liked to have had something like that when I was in treatment.”

Phil Earnest, the app designer, was impressed with Gabe’s vision for the apps. “One of the coolest things about this project was hearing from Gabe what he wanted and working with him on the different elements. It was neat knowing that his dream was becoming a reality, that what he envisioned was coming to life. It was a great feeling to be a part of that.”

The app, Chemo Duck’s first, is an additional way for the non-profit to impact the lives of pediatric cancer patients. And as Lu quickly discovered while doing research for the app, the market was ripe for such a product.

“I searched for an app to both entertain and educate kids living with cancer but couldn’t find one,” says Lu. “When I mentioned this to Gabe, his face lit up. He was thrilled to develop one. He has really found his place within the foundation. He has a way to give back. Helping others is a simple way to bring us fulfillment. But seeing Gabe’s passion about this, it’s the start of a next chapter for Chemo Duck.”

To download the app go to apple.com/itunes and search for “chemo duck.”

ABOUT GABE’S CHEMO DUCK PROGRAM
Gabe’s Chemo Duck Program is a program of the Nashville-based nonprofit organization, Gabe’s My Heart, which was established in 2004 to provide education and comfort to children living with cancer through medical play using therapeutic tools. The goal of the program is to enable hospital staff and parents to prepare children for chemotherapy treatment and eliminate the fear of the unknown. Chemo Duck is a stuffed yellow duck dressed in blue hospital scrubs with a bandana around its head, a chemotherapy port on its chest and an immobilizer on his arm. In a gentle, age-appropriate manner, children learn what to expect during cancer treatment and have a friend to share the experience. In turn, children can use Chemo Duck to help friends, siblings and classmates to understand and empathize with their experience. For more information, visit www.chemoduck.org.