The Piano Guys say "It's Gonna Be Okay"

2016 has certainly been a rough year for world events and culture. In May 2016 my home country of the Philippines was surprised and shocked when Rodrigo Duterte (aka captain murderfest) was elected President of the Philippines. In July, Alfie's home country, the UK, was surprised and shocked when its citizens voted for Brexit. Then just a week ago, the USA was surprised and shocked when its citizens voted to elect Donald Trump as President of the United States. And don't even get me started on all the pop culture legends -- David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Gene Wilder, Muhammad Ali, Alan Rickman to name just a few -- passing on!

I doubt if The Piano Guys knew all that would happen when they first started collaborating on their latest album, Uncharted -- but its release on October 28 could not have come at a better time. It's as though they knew that we would need the healing touch of their music to uplift us and inspire us to keep going, even in a world gone topsy-turvy. They have a magical way of blending the classical sounds of cello and piano with contemporary hits to make beautiful music that every generation can relate to.

I can't get over how perfect the name of their album is, not just for the music itself but for the present time. The Piano Guys became famous with their videos, and three of the videos for this album were shot in literally "Uncharted" (at least for them) territory -- Scotland, Mexico, and Jordan. The music is "Uncharted" in the sense that they've combined so many different styles, from pop music icons Justin Timberlake, Adele, Coldplay to modern composers John Williams and Hans Zimmer to classical composers Mozart and Handel.

I've listed Uncharted's song list below. To be honest, I could listen to any of those songs again and again, because The Piano Guys are one of my favorite musical groups, but I have a special fondness for Pirates of the Caribbean, Fight Song/Amazing Grace, and the Jungle Book medley.

• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Can’t Stop The Feeling
• Indiana Jones and The Arabian Nights
• Okay
• Celloopa
• Holding On
• Tour de France
• Uncharted
• Fight Song/Amazing Grace
• Sky Full of Stars
• Hello/Lacrimosa
• Jungle Book/Sarabande

Finally, I can't publish this review without mentioning the tragedy that befell The Piano Guys just a few days before the release of Uncharted. Pianist Jon Schmidt's 20 year-old daughter Annie went missing, and after weeks of frantic searching, her remains were found at the bottom of a cliff. I can't even imagine what Jon and his family are going through. Every time I listen to Uncharted, I think of Annie and her dad and mom and the rest of the Piano Guys family. Somehow it makes the album even more meaningful. When I listen to "It's Gonna Be Okay" or "Amazing Grace", I imagine telling Jon and his family the same thing. I think a lot of people are listening to Uncharted and thinking the same thing.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Uncharted to facilitate my review The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Make your Valentine's Heart Beat Faster with Logitech Ultimate Ears

Still looking for a Valentine's Day present for your loved one?  How about something that will make him or her dance with joy: a Ultimate Ears (UE) portable speaker from Logitech!  UE speakers are truly the ultimate -- in sound, in portability, in quality.  With a UE MEGABOOM, UE BOOM, or UE MINI BOOM, you can take the party everywhere you go.

Logitech sent me a UE BOOM unit to review, and I didn't need any more than a day to decide that it's a keeper. The gorgeous design, fun colors, (I chose red and black, but it comes in a variety of fashionable colors), and great sound make it the perfect present for anyone who loves to listen and dance to music with friends.

The UE BOOM comes with a cool, hi-tech-looking cylindrical case, which houses everything you need -- the speaker, a connecting USB cable, and a charging plug.  The cable and plug slot nicely at the top and bottom, which makes it super easy to pack for travel.

The UE BOOM is just over 7 inches long, and about 2 and a half inches in diameter. You can easily hold it in the palm of your hand.  That portability came in really handy today, when I brought the UE BOOM to school with me today. I was able to carry it around, connect it to my phone via Bluetooth, and play music for the kids at lunchtime. The music came out loud and clear during our lunchtime dance party, and the kids loved it! It was perfect to take out into the middle of the field, where the school's regular speaker system can't reach.

One of the best things about UE speakers is that you can pair them up!  That's right, you use UE's Double Up feature to pair one UE speaker with a second, and control both of them right from your phone or tablet.  You can combine the two speakers to amplify volume, or you can use the pair as stereo speakers to get left and right stereo sound.  You can Double UP your UE BOOM with another UE BOOM, with a UE MEGABOOM (if you are running version 7x or 8x of the UE software), or with a UE MINIBOOM (if you are running version 5x or 6x of the UE software).

I actually own 2 UE MINIBOOM speakers, which Double Up nicely with each other, but I wanted to try Doubling Up one of the UE MINIBOOM speakers with my new UE BOOM speaker.  It was easy as pie -- just open the UE BOOM app, connect your UE BOOM, then select the Double UP option and add your second speaker (in my case, the UE MINIBOOM).  I haven't found any other wireless speaker that can connect two units at once via Bluetooth, and I think it's a fantastic feature.

Speaking of features, Double Up is just the beginning. Here's a list of UE BOOM features that I love:

• Its 360-degree wireless speaker  blasts loud, insanely good sound in every direction. 
• Whether you  stand it up in either direction or lay it down, it gives off amazing sound.
• It has a 50-ft Bluetooth® wireless range so you're not shackled to your speaker.
• Ultra-fast micro USB charging means you don't have to wait long to get the party started.
• Its 15-hour rechargeable battery means you can throw a marathon party.
• Its water and stain resistant (always great when you have kids!)

UE BOOM is just one of three options that Logitech offers for great wireless portable sound. If you want even more sound, you can go one step up with the UE MEGABOOM. If you prefer even more portability, check out the tiny but powerful UE MINIBOOM (read my review of the UE MINIBOOM!).

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information (in italics) is provided by the featured company/product. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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The Piano Guys releases their 4th album, Wonders

I've always regretted quitting piano lessons when I was younger, but at the time, I was fed up. I hated practicing because I wasn't inspired to play any of the pieces I was learning. I never heard any of the songs I loved played on the piano, or on any classical instrument, for that matter.

That's why I'm so grateful to The Piano Guys for inspiring my sons and helping them love music.  3Po discovered them a couple of years ago on YouTube, and their covers of popular songs made him want to play the cello.  He and Jammy were taking piano lessons at the time, and the Piano Guys' rendition of Vince Guaraldi's Linus and Lucy inspired them to learn the piece on their own!

The Piano Guys are a group of four musical artists -- a pianist, a cellist, a songwriter, and a video producer -- that have taken YouTube by storm with their creative videos and their classical arrangements of pop music. Their videos are amazing.  My boys love watching the Cello Wars (Star Wars Parody) video, where Steven Sharp Nelson wields a cello bow like a lightsaber.  My favorite video is Kung Fu Panda, where Jon Schmidt actually plays a grand piano on the Great Wall of China!  The scenery in all their videos are beautiful, but I love watching Jon and Steve's faces as they play.  Their love of music shines so clearly.  They sound even better than they look.  I could listen to their arrangements of Without  You, Titanium, Let It Go, The Cello Song, and Home, again and again. I adore the sound of the cello and piano together.  Their music lifts my soul.

I was over the moon when I was invited to review their latest CD, Wonders.  I've already bought a few of the songs on the album, but it was great to be able to listen to all of it! 3Po has been playing the cell

Here's the Wonders track list.  My favorites are Don't You Worry Child, Home, Kung Fu Piano, and Let It Go, but every song is great. I can't wait for the day when 3Po (on cello) and Jammy (on piano) can play these pieces for me!

1. Ants Marching / Ode to Joy
2. Batman Evolution
3. Because of You
4. Don't You Worry Child (feat. Shweta Subram)
5. Fathers' Eyes
6. Home
7. Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends
8. Let It Go
9. The Mission / How Great Thou Art
10. Pictures at an Exhibition
11. Story of My Life
12. Summer Jam



About Wonders
New York, NY – What began as an experiment and then exploded into an Internet phenomenon has now evolved into an incredible success story. The Piano Guys, four talented dads from Utah, have climbed the Great Wall of China for their craft, landed atop Billboard charts, sold out tour dates around the world, accrued a massive social media following and scored YouTube viewership at 500 million views. Now on October 7, The Piano Guys will release their fourth studio album entitled Wonders (Portrait/Sony Music Masterworks).

Wonders, a nod to the “Wonders of the World,” at which they intend to film music videos, features successful single/video releases from the past year such as, “Let It Go,” “Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends,” “Don’t You Worry Child,” and “Story of my Life.” It also includes new songs with strong familiarity – “Batman Evolution” (The Piano Guys’ take on various Batman themes over the years), a mash-up that incorporates melodies from Dave Matthews Band’s huge hit “Ants Marching / Beethoven Ode to Joy,” and Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” – as well as some original compositions by The Piano Guys. Their previous albums – The Piano Guys and The Piano Guys 2 – continue to claim the top positions on Billboard’s Classical and New Age album charts since their release.



Disclosure: I received a sample CD to review. Album info (in italics) was provided by Sony Music.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Disney Frozen: The Songs CD review and giveaway

It has been almost a year since the movie was released, but Disney's Frozen shows no signs of stopping! It's the fifth highest grossing film of all time and the highest grossing animated film, earning more than $1.27 billion globally. Every household with kids under age 10 has seen the movie, and I'm sure that the most popular Halloween costumes this year are going to involve Anna, Elsa, Sven, Olaf, and Kristoff.

Frozen's soundtrack is just as successful as the movie -- it's the top-selling album of 2014 and spent 33 consecutive weeks in the top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, including 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1. It is certified triple Platinum, selling more than 3.2 million units (over 6.2 million units worldwide!) and over 8.4 million tracks.  We bought the soundtrack soon after we saw the movie, and it has played countless times since then -- well, mostly the songs, anyway.  The soundtrack has quite a few instrumentals and demo versions that die hard music fans will love (my favorite is Coronation Day!), even though the kids may never listen to those tracks.

If you haven't bought the soundtrack yet, you'll be happy to know that Walt Disney Records will be releasing a special version of the soundtrack on September 30th!  Frozen: The Songs features all 10 songs from the Oscar-winning film at a special low price ($9.99 compared to $13.00 for the full soundtrack).  This is perfect for kids who only want to sing the songs and may not be interested in the instrumentals or the demo versions. What's more, this version includes a sticker sheet and a poster!  There will also be a Spanish language version (Frozen Canciones de Una Aventura Congelada) and a vinyl edition.  Here are some photos of the review CD that Walt Disney Records sent me:

Isn't the CD pretty?

The CD includes a sticker sheet with 4 triangular stickers featuring 4 of Frozen's most popular catchphrases / song titles.

If, for some inexplicable reason, you STILL don't know the lyrics to the songs, the CD includes a beautiful lyrics sheet.

The lyrics sheet folds out to a 13"x18" sheet, and on the other side there is a great Frozen poster!

Here's the track list:

1. Frozen Heart
2. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
3. For the First Time in Forever
4. Love Is an Open Door
5. Let It Go
6. Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People
7. In Summer
8. For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)
9. Fixer Upper
10. Let It Go (Demi Lovato Version)

Win a Frozen CD

TWO lucky Bonggamom Finds readers will win a copy of Frozen: The Songs CD!

Required Entry 

Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite Frozen song.

Extra Entries For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.). 

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry) 

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry) 

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry) 

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry): I entered the Frozen: The Songs giveaway! Ends October 3 at http://ow.ly/C1G18 #enmnetwork #disneymusic

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day) 

Win a Frozen: The Songs CD, w/ special poster & stickers! Enter by 10/3 on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/C1G18  #enmnetwork #disneymusic

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join) 

The Rules This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on October 3, 2014; I will draw 2 winners at random, on October 4 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Sample and giveaway prize were provided by Walt Disney Music via ENMNetwork. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Take your music from Solo to Social with Flips Audio headphones

My kids love listening to music when they do their homework, but when you have 3 kids, each with their own playlists, that doesn't always work.  Good headphones are always a nice thing to have -- and it's even better when those headphones double as HP speakers when they want to share their tunes with their friends!  Flips Audio are the first heaphones that transform from regular heaphones to HD speakers.  I recently received a pair to review, and I give them an A+!

At first glance, they seem like your run-of-the-mill premium headphones:  sleek design, comfy cushioned ear cups, great sound quality.

But wait!  You can flip the ear cups to face outwards, and all of a sudden, you have a pair of HD speakers that deliver great amp'd-up sound, NOT the tinny sound you'd get if you were to take your headphones off and crank up the volume to maximum.  It's the first of its kind -- you can listen to your tunes by yourself, then take your headphones off and share your tunes with everyone around you.  Whether you listen alone or out loud, you'll enjoy the highest audio quality!

When you're done, the headphones fold up nicely into a zippered case.  The case is a super lightweight fabric shell that keeps the headphones from getting scratched or beat up or broken, so you don't have to suffer the pain and frustration of spending for a replacement after it's accidentally knocked off the coffee table!

Best of all, at $120 MSRP (and I've seen them on sale for less than $100 at Wal-Mart!), Flips Headphones don't cost an arm and a leg like many high quality audio heaphones.


Disclosure:  I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Tracks AIR Wireless Headphones by SOL Republic

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know that one of my pet hi-tech peeves is tangled cords.  The OCD in me cannot stand the sight of ugly tangled cords, much less have the patience to untangle them!  I'm forever looking for gadgets and workarounds to keep them neatly wound and bound.

Wake up, Bonggamom!  It's the 21st century!  Maybe the answer isn't the perfect cord winder.  Maybe I need to think outside the box... or beyond the cord.  In other words, why have a cord at all?  We're in the age of Bluetooth and wireless, after all!

Enter SOL Republic, one of the hottest audio brands around. They make amazing performance headphones that look as good as they sound.  And even though they've partnered with musicians like and DJs like Deadmau5 and Steve Aoki, their products are relatively affordable (nothing over $250, most in the $100-$200 range).  Last year they introduced the Tracks Air, a set of wireless on-ear headphones that will spoil you for anything else.  SOL Republic sent me a pair of Tracks Air, and they are the perfect way for this overstressed mom to get away when I don't have the time or money for a getaway!  Just give me a comfy sofa (or bathtub filled with scented bubbles), some chocolate, a good book (or an iPad to browse the web), and Tracks Air, and I can be in my own world for hours....

My new Tracks Air headphones aren't just great when I'm relaxing, they're great when I'm busy.  Since it's wireless, you're not tethered to your music device.  You can leave it on a nearby table or shelf, and you have your hands free to cook, fold laundry, garden, wash your car, practice archery, or do whatever you want to do.  You can even vacuum the living room if that's what you love to do -- and even if you hate vacuuming, the music might help you hate it just a little bit less!

The headphones are super comfy -- each speaker is nicely padded, and you can slide the speakers up and down the headband to fit your head size.  Since these headphones are wireless, you need to charge them before you can use them, but a full charge can last as long as 15 hours.  The sound they deliver is wonderful.

The unit includes a left and right speaker (I wish there were a bigger "L" and "R" printed on the inside of the headphones so it was easier to tell right from left, and up from down!), a headband, a cable with an inline microphone (if you don't want to use it as a wirelessly), and a USB cable for charging (just the cable, though, no charger). I may never go back to tangled wires again!

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Sing Into Spring Giveaway from Walt Disney Records

Spring break is upon us, and you know what that means: road trips!  I'm taking the kids on lots of mini day trips around the area, then they get a special treat the week after, when we all drive down to Anaheim for the Disney Social Media Moms conference!  And what better way to get into the Mickey Mouse spirit than by playing Disney songs on the drive down?

I've been listening to Disney tunes all my life, and I started collecting Disney cd's in my 20's.  I have quite a few of the classics, and in the years since my kids were born, we've amassed a decent collection!  They are great to put on during kids' parties and playdates, and the kids like to listen to them while they chill out at home.  I also have a Disney running playlist on my phone with my favorite upbeat Disney tunes to inspire me while I run!

To celebrate spring, Walt Disney Records (via Entertainment New Media Network) sent me a gift pack of four great Disney cds:  the Teen Beach Movie soundtrack, the Frozen soundtrack, the Austin & Ally (tv series) soundtrack, and Disney Channel Play It Loud, a compilation of some of the Disney Channel's most popular tunes.  We don't own any of these CDs (except Frozen, I had to buy that right after watching the movie), and the kids love Teen Beach Movie and Austin & Ally, so we were really excited to receive them.  Our drive down to Disneyland is approximately 6 hours, but with these CDs the magic and excitement will start as soon as we pull out of our driveway!

Win a set of Disney CDs

One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a set of Disney CDs filled with tunes for preschoolers!

• Doc McStuffins soundtrack
• DJ Shuffle
• Jake and the Neverland Pirates / Yo Ho Matey
• Frozen soundtrack

One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a set of Disney CDs filled with tunes for kids and tweens!

• Austin & Ally: Turn It Up soundtrack
• Disney Channel: Play it Loud
• Teen Beach Movie soundtrack
• Frozen soundtrack

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share your favorite Disney tune.  Please indicate in your comment whether you would like to receive the preschool pack or the tween pack!

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the Walt Disney Records giveaway! http://ow.ly/vayMt

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)

Enter to win a set of Disney music CDs! 2 winners: 1 for preschool CDs, 1 for tweens! Giveaway ends 4/9 @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/vayMt

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on April 9, 2014; I will draw a winner at random, on April 10 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.


Disclosure:I received a set of cds from Walt Disney Records (via Entertainment New Media Network) and two extra sets of cds to give away.. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Introducing the Disney Digital Music Store

I received a Disney digital music gift card

For Disney music lovers like me, finding our favorite songs was a bit like a scavenger hunt.  Record stores like Tower or Virgin (remember those?) had a specialty section, but it was pretty sparse, so I had to resort to mail-order catalogs or cd-of-the-months clubs.

Then came e-commerce, and all of a sudden we had the opposite problem.  Search for "Disney" on Amazon music, and you'll get over 8,000 results.  Who has the time to sift through all of that?

At last, there's a great middle ground: the Disney digital music store.  It has Disney's vast collection of contemporary hits and timeless classics for fans to download -- but it's properly organized so you can find what you're looking for.  We're not just talking about every single soundtrack of every single movie or television show Disney has ever made (although that's all there!).  Here are some of the kinds of music you'll find:

• Popular songs featured on Radio Disney, Disney Junior and The Disney Channel

• Read along storybooks featuring favorite Disney tales like Up, Snow White, The Lion King, and so many more

• Sing along karaoke versions of your favorite Disney songs

• Christmas themed songs

• Baby Einstein music for playtime, naptime, travel and more for the littlest classical music fans!

• Disney songs in Spanish

• Music from the Disney theme parks:  the soundtrack to California Screamin', the Haunted Mansion, Soarin' over California, the Golden Horseshoe Review and other beloved attractions.

They have every Disney song you can think of, and many you never knew existed (Disney Princess lullabies?  The Broadway recording of Mary Poppins?  A remix version of Pirates of the Caribbean?  Check, check and check!).   Of course, it's Disney, so all the music is family-friendly and you can feel safe letting your child browse around the site.

You can pay for your Disney music downloads via credit card, or buy a Disney music gift cards, with face values of $15, $25 or a custom amount. They are available at Disney resorts and retailers like Wal-Mart, Staples, Kroger and Safeway.

Just one more note:  The Disney music store is not mobile compatible, and I have not been able to access the Disney music store on my iPad, so you'll have to download the music on your PC or Mac computer (it downloads in mp3 format) and transfer it to your phone or tablet yourself.



Disclosure: I received a Disney Digital Music gift card via Child's Play Communications as compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Born This Way Ball: Sharing every Monsterrific Moment with Skype

Holy Mother Monster!  I attended Lady Gaga's Born This Way Ball concert last night at the HP Pavilion San Jose, and it was the best big pop concert I've attended in over a decade.  Actually, it's the *only* big pop concert (i.e. huge venue, big production numbers with dancers, costume changes, sets, etc. versus smaller venues and musicians/singers rocking out with their bands) I've attended in over a decade!

It has been over a decade since I attended a big pop concert, so the biggest change I noticed at the concert were the number of people taking photos and videos -- it seems like everyone was holding up a smartphone or digital camera!  Thank goodness for modern technology!

Lady Gaga was in San Jose for one night only and the place was packed to the rafters, so naturally those of us lucky enough to attend the concert took every opportunity to celebrate and share our experience.   Fortunately, Skype, one of the Born This Way Ball concert sponsors, has come up with tons of ways to share every moment with family and friends!  If you're planning to watch Born This Way Ball (check out tour dates and locations, through March 2013), make sure you read all about it below:

Skype mobile app
Everyone knows that Skype is great for staying in touch with friends and family.  We have family across both oceans (my family is in the Philippines and Alfie's family is in the UK), so we are big fans of Skype!  With Skype, Alfie's parents can see my kids wearing the new pajamas that they were given for Christmas, and Jammy can greet my dad Happy Birthday by playing Happy Birthday on the keyboard as they watch.

And with the Skype mobile app, you don't have to limit yourself to telling your friends how amazing Lady Gaga is -- you can show them.  You can send photos, videos and IMs (great for coordinating concert meetups with friends) from the Born This Way Ball, or any other concert, for free.  You can share pictures and photos with multiple people at the same time, so you spend more time watching the concert and less time scrolling through your contacts list.


Skype blue carpet
Skype's blue carpet area is a great place to get that all-important "I Was There" photo because it has a great backdrop (featuring the Born This Way Ball poster) and the lighting is good.  Just hand your camera to the Skype representative and strike your best pose! If you forgot your camera or if you're saving the battery to take lots of photos and videos during the show, don't worry. The Skype rep will take a photo for you, and instantly send it right to your smartphone via Skype file sharing -- so make sure you've downloaded the Skype app to your phone and created a Skype account!

Skype video booth
Who doesn't love hamming it up with friends at a photo booth?  For the Born This Way Ball, Skype has gone one step further by providing a video booth where concertgoers can leave a video message for Lady Gaga.  You can check out some of the videos fans have made on the Skypeball website for each show on the tour.

After leaving a video message, the video booth also takes 4 photos and prints them out for you as a fun souvenir.  You can even download your photos and video from the Skypeball website using the unique code printed on your keepsake photo.

Skype reporter
At every show, look for the roaming Skype reporter!  You'll get the chance to show off your monsterrific outfit for the cameras, and a chance to get upgrades to the Monster Pit, which is the area right in front of the stage.  You'll be close enough almost to touch Lady Gaga -- or at least close enough to throw a jean jacket onto the stage -- hopefully Lady Gaga will pick it up and wear it (which happened twice at our concert)!

Even if you won't get the chance to attend, you can still share in the excitement and keep up with what's going on at the concert via Skype's social media channels.  You might even be able to win a prize or two, including tickets to a future Born This Way Ball show!

Twitter
Follow @SkypeEvents on Twitter and keep an eye out for the #SkypeShare hashtag on concert nights; you'll get up-to-the-minute updates and get a chance to submit questions to Lady Gaga for her live pre-show group video call!

Tumblr
Check out photos and videos of the show on Skype's Tumblr account.

Pinterest
Enter the Skype Blue Carpet Pinterest Sweepstakes for the chance to win a Skype Prize Pack which includes a Skype Mobile Camera Lens, Skype Phone skin, Skype T-shirt and Skype phone credits and more. To enter, just repin any image from Skype's BTWBall Pinterest board.

SkypeBall Sweepstakes
Skype is giving away concert tickets to watch the Born This Way Ball, and to be Skype's official blue carpet reporter at one of the shows!  You can enter both sweepstakes at the SkypeBall website.



Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets to the Born This Way Ball and access to the Skype Suite for myself and my family, courtesy of Skype.  I was not required to write, nor was I compensated for, this post.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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KIDZ BOP Ultimate Hits releases May 8

Last year I wrote out a list of forty things I'd like to do before I turn forty. The big date is coming up in May, and I've still got quite a few items left unchecked, but completing item #34 -- add 10 or more new songs to my running playlist -- turned out to be a breeze. Thanks to Alfie's subscription to Rolling Stone magazine, to Glee and to The Pea's newfound interest in pop music, I'm discovering great new songs all the time.

On May 8, KIDZ BOP is releasing their Ultimate Hits collection cd, and they sent me an advance copy to review. Needless to say, my kids love it; they don't call it Ultimate Hits for nothing! What's more surprising is that I do, too. I love all the songs, and remarkably, I didn't find any of the vocals annoying. The songs sound like good covers of the originals, not like a recording of your neighbor's high-pitched child singing at a recital or block party. I would definitely listen to these songs again-- see, my running playlist is growing and growing!

Here's the complete track listing:
1. Tik Tok
2. Dynamite
3. California Gurls
4. I Gotta Feeling
5. Billionaire
6. Party In The USA
7. Break Your Heart
8. Hey Soul Sister
9. DJ Got Us Falling In Love
10. Fire Burning
11. You Belong With Me
12. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
13. Fireflies


How's that for a Dynamite song list? Everyone knows and loves these songs, so I Gotta Feeling your kids will be want to get their hands on it! It's sure to get everyone's Fire Burning and make everyone want to Party in the USA. Best of all, you don't need to be a Billionaire to afford it, since it costs only $13.98. Tik Tok, Tik Tok, the countdown clock is ticking to May 8! (now, how's that for the longest pun ever?)


Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of the cd to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Celebrate St. Paddy's Day on Slacker Radio (giveaway)

What goes with green beer and corned beef? Why, a rousing Irish tune, of course! The only problem is, I'm about as Irish as chopsticks, so I wouldn't know where to look for good Irish music. In fact, I've been on the hunt for some toe-tapping Irish music for quite a while now. The only album I've managed to discover is Irish Heartbeat by Van Morrison and the Chieftains -- but that's all about to chance, thanks to Slacker Radio. They have a St. Patrick's Day Channel that features the best of Irish music, past and present, hand selected by the Flogging Molly band. Through this channel, Flogging Molly has shared the songs they love with Slacker listeners, along with commentary on the tracks that have inspired and influenced them the most.

It only took me three songs to fall in love with this channel, and with Slacker Radio. I first listened to the traditional I'll Tell Me Ma by The Young Dubliners, and loved it. I loved their next song even more: Follow Me Up to Carlow, also by The Young Dubliners. This one was definitely a modern song with strong Irish roots. I love the way the song fuses the modern electric guitar, fiddles and drums -- I can easily imagine people headbanging right alongside another group of people doing the Irish stepdance! Then I heard Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly, and my enchantment was complete. What a great station! And what a great idea, asking an Irish band to curate a St. Paddy's Day station :) I'm listening to the station now -- it's playing Up Against the Buachalawns, by my original favorite Irish band, The Chieftains. I always knew I had good taste, and the fact that The Chieftains are featured on this station is proof :)

Tune in to Slacker's St. Patrick's Day channel from now until March 17, then keep it playing all day -- it's all you need to get into the spirit of the holiday, and the easiest way to get your St. Paddy's Day party guests in a festive mood!



About Slacker's St. Paddy's Day channel
Slacker, Inc. today launched St. Patrick’s Day Radio in celebration of the upcoming holiday. Hand-programmed and hosted by members of the iconic band Flogging Molly, this free station pays tribute to Irish music spanning the decades.

St. Patrick’s Day Radio on Slacker is the perfect soundtrack for St. Paddy’s Day celebrations. Hundreds of hand-selected tracks are accompanied by exclusive commentary from members of Flogging Molly. Bands and artists featured on St. Patrick’s Day Radio include Sharon Shannon, Christy Moore, The Dubliners and Dropkick Murphys.

St. Patrick's Day Radio can be found in Slacker's Seasonal station category or via this direct link: http://www.slacker.com/station/st-patricks-day


Win a trial subscription to Slacker Radio's premium services
Feeling the luck of the Irish? Slacker Radio is giving three lucky Bonggamom Finds readers the chance to try out their premium subscription services!

* 1 reader will receive a three-month subscription to Slacker Premium
* 2 readers will each receive a one-month subscriptions to Slacker Radio Plus


Required Entry
Head on over to Slacker Radio's St. Patrick's Day channel, enjoy listening to their songs, then leave a comment on this post with a song or artist featured on that channel that you enjoyed. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.


Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Blog about this giveaway, making sure you include a link to the giveaway in your blog post (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):

I entered the St. Patrick's Day Slacker Radio giveaway! http://ow.ly/9C8ZI

4) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day until March 17 (max 6 extra entries):
The perfect St. Paddy's Day soundtrack: St. Patrick's Day Radio channel on @SlackerRadio ! Jig along at http://ow.ly/9BUlG #stpatricksday


5) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):

Want to try out @SlackerRadio? Win free 1-month & 2-month subscriptions at @bonggafinds: http://ow.ly/9C8ZI

6) Join any other open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 extra entry per giveaway you've joined)



The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on March 27, 2012; I will draw 3 winners at random on March 28 and post their names after they confirm acceptance. Winners are responsible for any additional costs should they wish to continue their Slacker Radio subscriptions. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!



Disclosure: Slacker Radio has provided me with a temporary subscription to Slacker Premium for review purposes. Thanks to Slacker Radio for providing the giveaway prizes. Product/service information is provided by Slacker Radio and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Mickey's Soundsational Parade at the Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort has a new catchphrase to describe all the new things going on there this summer: Soundsational. Having recently been there, seen it, and done that, I think Soundsational is a pretty apt description, and nowhere more so than their new summer parade. It's called -- what else -- Mickey's Soundsational Parade.

I happen to think that parades are one of the best things about Disney's parks. They are something you can't get anywhere else, and they are one of the reasons that people are happy to pay the higher cost of admission to a Disney theme park. Their parades are like mini mobile musicals, and you'd have to pay at least $20 to see a show like that at your local concert venue!

I'm actually amazed -- thankful, but amazed -- that Disneyland actually goes through the trouble and expense to put on new parades year after year, because families would probably continue to line the sidewalks of Main Street an hour before parade time even if it was exactly the same parade. Fortunately for the grownups, Disneyland does put on new parades all the time, and I think Mickey's Soundsational Parade is the most interesting and enjoyable of all the parades I've seen since we took the kids to Disneyland for the first time in 2008. Here's why:

1) They start the parade with a syncopated drumline! These guys are amazing. I loved hearing their crisp, catchy, complicated rhythms.

2) In this parade, the music takes center stage, and we get to hear some of Disney's most beloved music instead of parade tune composed especially for the parade that nobody can sing to. Each of the 9 main floats is themed on a movie with a distinct musical style -- Caribbean (Little Mermaid), jazz (The Princess and the Frog), Samba ("Tres Amigos"), African (Lion King), etc... People can actually sing to favorites like "Under the Sea", "Chim-Chimenee", and everyone's favorite "Mickey Mouse Club" (M-I-C-K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E!).

3) The floats are amazing! They are whimsical and colorful, and best of all, they really reflect the musical theme. A lot of the floats were shaped like drums, or tambourines or cymbals. My hands-down favorite float was Princess Tiana's riverboat. Check out how the smokestack looks like a flute:

I was rather perplexed that they chose to end the parade with Mary Poppins, instead of having a great big finale float with Mickey on it (Mickey was actually the first float of the parade), but Mary Poppins is one of my favorite classic Disney movies -- I still know all the lyrics to the songs -- so I can't complain too much. Besides, the moving merry-go-round horses were the coolest things ever.


The Princess float was beautiful, and I'm sure all the little princesses in the crowd loved it, but I wish it had reflected the parade's musical theme a bit more.

I had the opportunity to speak with John Addis, the parade director and Steve Davison, the creative director, who shared some fun facts about Mickey's Soundsational Parade with me:

* Mickey's Soundsational Parade has 9 themed floats

* There are 11 chimney sweeps in the parade

* There are 97 performers in the parade, but the directors hired 180 in total (since they can't perform 7 days a week!), not to mention the choreographers, drivers, props people, sound people and more.

* In January, over 1000 people auditioned to perform in the parade, and rehearsals started in March.

* Look closely at each of the parade floats; there are lots of hidden paper character sculptures on them! For example, on Tiana's float, there is a character that doesn't really belong because he or she is from another movie. Do you know which character it is?

Mickey's Soundsational Parade will be strutting and stepping its way down Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A. all summer until September 5.



For more photos of the parade and of Disney's Soundsational Summer, check out my photo set on Flickr!

Soundsational Summer at the Disneyland Resort , a set on Flickr.

Disclosure: I received a media invitation to attend the opening of Star Tours and other events. Transportation, lodging and park tickets were provided by Disneyland Resort Public Relations. I was not obligated to blog about my experiences at the event. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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