23rd May 2008

The Magic of Think

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Janyse

Sometimes a set of circumstances works with the powers of the universe to put you in places where you should be. Today was one of those days. After the conclusion of this year’s Vancouver International Game Summit, I was going to head home, but as it was the beginning of rush hour, I tuned into our local traffic radio station to check out the condition of the drive home, and upon hearing about all the accidents and back-ups in said traffic, I decided to make a stop at the VIDfest happy hour over at the Granville Island Hotel and wait out the worst of it. I sat down at a table with Jodi Vetterl from SoftImage, and realized that Janyse Jaud was also seated at the table. I had the pleasure of meeting Janyse at the recent ELAN awards, so was happy to have a chance to catch up with her, and she has been a very busy lady, indeed.

For those of you who may not know who Janyse is, I’m sure that you will be familiar with the characters she has given voice to – Cymbeline from the Bratz movie; Pinky Pie and Scooter Sprite from My Little Pony; Sarah and Lee Kanker from Ed, Edd n Eddy to name but only a few roles from her extensive resume. Janyse is an amazing woman who has launched a new project utilizing her many talents for voice, song and music to help young children find courage, happiness and friendship. Inspired by her experience with the Make A Wish Foundation through her role on Ed, Edd n Eddy and four young children with life-threatening illnesses, Janyse says that “it was then that I decided to create music and lyrics that would emphasize the power of positive thinking and provide people with hope and possibilities. It’s not about who someone was or is; it’s about who they can become.”

The Magic of Think

Janyse’s new endeavour is The Magic of Think, a “multi-media project created to enhance children’s self-esteem through music, animation and games. Kids can chat, play, sing and discover the secret to confidence, happiness and friendship with the help of animated avatars. Kids can then enter the real world with stronger self-esteem and success.” I listened to the new CD during my drive home. Three times. Then I had Scott listen to it once I got home. We both agree that the songs are fun and well-suited to Janyse’s target audience of kids aged 3 to 6. I think that some of the songs on the CD would even appeal to kids a little older. In fact, by the time I had listened to the complete CD the first time, I was easily seeing a stage show in my mind – if any of you have seen Les Miserables on stage, I think you will easily be able to relate “This Day Is Mine” to the mood set by Cossette’s solo “Castle On A Cloud”.

As a parent, I would have had no qualms whatsoever about my children listening to Janyse’s music when they were younger. Everything from the music to the voices she gives her characters is positive, and her lyrics carry messages which kids today need to hear. In fact, I would have dearly loved to have had this CD when Mike was going through his Barney phase. Even though Barney’s message was supposed to be positive, his methods of delivery drove me crazy.

The Magic of Christmas

Janyse’s music is very easy on the senses, and it is no wonder that both this CD and her previous Christmas CD, The Magic of Christmas have received high recognition from the entertainment industry. Both of these CDs have been included in the gift bags at the Grammy Awards, the Oscars, and most recently for the performers on this year’s A Home For Christmas annual benefit show produced by Steven Spielberg and Henry Winkler. Both of Janyse’s CDs and related products are available for purchase through her website, where you can also listen to sample tracks from the albums.

Mike & JanyseJanyse is a very special lady, and I admire the path she has taken to support children and to help shape them into positive-thinking young people. She has even played a role in my son Mike’s life – by simply taking the time to talk to him about her voice-over career and then listening as he gave her a brief demonstration of one of his many characters. By taking the time to make him feel important, and by encouraging him along his chosen path, Janyse helped to give Mike the courage to take voice-over acting lessons and the confidence to begin searching out studios who may be looking for new talent. It is often a rare thing to find someone who is not only working to make our world a better place, but who practices it in all aspects of their life. Janyse is such a lady, and I wish her every success at VIDfest and with The Magic of Think – I will be looking forward to more news from her as this project moves forward.

Janyse Photo Credits: Magical Voice

Mike & Janyse at the ELANS: Scott White

Article Written by Tami Quiring with files from The Magic of Think press materials

This entry was posted on Friday, May 23rd, 2008 at 12:09 am and is filed under Editorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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