Happy Presidents Day – today, we bring inspiration and celebration of a young artist and then go deeper into the gray.  A bit of history about Presidents Day and a reminder of the 80s tunes from The Wedding Singer.  Finally, a fresh update on Music Notes to start the week. 

From a 12-year-old chess champion to an 11-year-old artist, the youth are “shouting” hard in 2023.  A story from 1440 that took us to Nice News, another website we had not seen before – we were introduced to Andres Valencia, an artist who has had his work shown at the Chase Contemporary galleries and Art Miami.

What does it look like when you can show the details of your emotions in vibrant colors and bold designs.  Here is what Valencia does after hearing news reports on the war in Ukraine.

The story goes on to show Valencia doing his thing and getting fans' notice across the states.  Much of the proceeds from the sale of his work has been donated to charity; what is not to love about this kid or the future!

The NYT did a Saturday profile on Lisa LaFlamme, who was let go from her job as the anchor of CTV, Canada's largest private television network.  The story talks about LaFlamme, who stopped dying her hair when the salons closed during the Pandemic.  The details are frustrating as despite so much progress, reports like this one hit too often.  Those in control pre-determine the shallow foundation of their audience.  Worse yet, LaFlamme wasn't asking for the spotlight, and it makes you wonder who calculated the blowback from this and determined it was an acceptable risk?  LaFlamme will be speaking at Dress for Success, an organization that provides women with professional clothing for free. 

Upon further reflection, the history surrounding President's Day appears less evident than one would think.  According to an article in The Bulwark, President's Day may have started in the 1700s as a celebration of General George Washington.  After Washington retired and Adams became the 2nd President of the United States, the celebration of Washington continued, and Abigail Adams was unhappy about it.

Presidents Day was signed into law in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson, although even when it was inked, it was called ”Washington’s Birthday.”  

A movie about the 80s released in the late 90s, with great music and hairdos, will turn 25 years old this year.  Consequence takes us back to the Adam Sandler comedy and the music we love to remember a different day.  In the 80s, acid wash denim and colored leather jackets, some with tassels, were the best accessories for our big hair. 

[Music Notes]

Hunted.

Click on the Apple Music image to listen to the song on Apple Music or on the Spotify Image to listen to Spotify.

Thank you for spending a few minutes with us. Here’s one for the road!

With A Shout newsletter is written by Johnny Christian with the support of a thousand idea bits and the help of many people.

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