Award-winning songwriter and author Michael Neale honed his craft at Evangel

Evangel grads Michael and Leah Neale celebrate his Dove Award for the 2012 Worship Song of the Year.

Most young musicians dream of being able to record their own songs, even if they are only enjoyed by family and friends. But being a national-award-winning recording artist takes life to a whole new level.

“When your art has impacted a lot of people, it’s a very uplifting experience,” says Dove Award winner Michael Neale, a 1994 graduate of Evangel University.

In 2012 Neale and co-writer Krissy Nordhoff won the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for Worship Song of the Year for their song “Your Great Name.”

Neale started writing songs at Evangel, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in music, with an emphasis in vocal performance and composition.

“Evangel is a fantastic environment to spread your wings,” Neale says. “I am grateful they allowed me to learn and solidify my calling.”

As a student, Neale joined Evangel’s highly acclaimed music ensemble, Frontline. The group toured the country performing in youth conferences, churches and other venues.

Upon graduation, he moved to Nashville with fellow Frontline member Devin Webb. They soon signed a recording contract with Liquid Disc Records, and one year later they debuted as Neale & Webb with their first CD, At the Cross. The pair traveled together for five years.

“Songwriters are storytellers,” says Neale. “I’m really excited to teach the next generation about creating art and culture.”

In September 2012, Thomas-Nelson published his first novel, The River, a CBA best-selling book about a man struggling with memories from the past and a future that will force him to face those same memories.

Neale divides his time among leading worship in churches, writing, recording and being a featured teacher at conferences around the country.

In between his travels, he serves on the team of worship leaders at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he lives with his wife and their three children.

— By Kelsey Reinhard, a senior journalism major from Quincy, Illinois

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Stage and screen superstar and author Julie Andrews appears at Fairfield University Bookstore signing with co-author and daughter Emma Walton Hamilton

3 p.m., Thursday, February 7, 2013

One of the most recognized and beloved figures in the world of entertainment, Julie Andrews, and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, will make a special appearance at the Fairfield University Bookstore in downtown Fairfield, CT, at 3 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, autographing copies of their latest children's book, "The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart" (Little Brown).

There will be a limited number of books available for signing. Beginning at 9 a.m., on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, the Fairfield University Bookstore will begin issuing tickets to the event to those purchasing "The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart." One ticket per book will be issued. The Fairfield University Bookstore is located at 1499 Post Road, in Fairfield, CT. Store hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Call (203) 255-7756, or visit www.fairfieldbooks.bkstr.com.

With "The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart," Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton present another charming adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling Very Fairy Princess series, which follows the adventures of Geraldine, a fairy princess. Gerry may not look like your average fairy princess because of her skinned knees and sneakers, but she is. In "The Very Fairy Princess Follow Her Heart," with illustrations by Christine Davenier, it's Valentine's Day, Gerry's favorite day of the year, and she must find the perfect Very Fairy Princess way to celebrate what makes each of her friends sparkle.

Julie Andrew's dedication to children has been steadfast throughout her career. She began writing books for young readers over thirty-five years ago, and her first two novels - "Mandy" and "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles" - remain in print and in high demand. Her other books include the Little Bo series and a collection of picture books, novels and early readers co-authored with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. Her memoir, "Home," was #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In the world of entertainment, Julie Andrews is an international star, best known for her performances in "The Sound of Music," "Mary Poppins," and "The Princess Diaries." Her legendary career encompasses the Broadway and London stages, blockbuster Hollywood films, award-winning television shows, multiple album releases and concert tours, and, of course, her bestselling children's books. In 2000, she was honored with the title of Dame Julie Andrews by Queen Elizabeth II for lifetime achievements in the arts and humanities. Her many other honors include being named "One of the 100 Greatest Britons" by the British Broadcasting Corporation, serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations' UNIFEM program, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, ambassadorships for literacy programs for the American Library Association, and a prestigious Kennedy Center honor.

Emma Walton Hamilton is an author, editor, and arts educator. She and her mother have coauthored many books for young readers, including the Very Fairy Princess series, the Dumpy the Dump Truck series (illustrated by her father, Tony Walton), "The Great American Mousical," "Thanks to You: Wisdom from Mother to Child" (another #1 New York Times bestseller), and "Simeon's Gift," which was also adapted for the stage. Their first anthology, "Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies," was a New York Times bestseller, and the mother-daughter's audio recording went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children. A second poetry collection, "Julie Andrews' Treasury for all Seasons: Poems and Songs to Celebrate the Year," arrives in October 2013. An arts and literacy advocate, Ms. Hamilton also wrote "Raising Bookworms: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment," which won a Parent's Choice Gold Medal. She is one of the founders of Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor and is currently a faculty member of Stony Brook Southhampton's MFA Program in Writing and Literature. She is also the Editorial Director of the Julie Andrews Collection, a publishing program dedicated to producing quality books for young readers that nurture the imagination and celebrate a sense of wonder.

For more information on The Very Fairy Princess series and the Julie Andrews Collection, visit www.theveryfairyprincess.com or www.julieandrewscollection.com.

The Fairfield University Bookstore, located at 1499 Post Road in the center of Fairfield, CT, serves not only the needs of the university community but also the greater Town of Fairfield and region and serves as a place for the university to offer its resources and educational programs to the entire community in a downtown setting. Operated by Follett, Inc., the Fairfield University Bookstore features titles from bestseller lists, University textbooks, magazines, technology peripherals and supplies, athletic wear and emblematic items of Fairfield University and regional high schools, clothing, novelty and gift items, and a wide choice of convenience and stationery items, gifts and accessories. A variety of merchandise, including textbooks, apparel, and other items can be purchased online at www.fairfield.edu/bookstore.

Media Contact: Mike Horyczun, (203) 254-4000 ext. 2647, mhoryczun@fairfield.edu

Posted on January 25, 2013

Vol. 45, No. 160

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Styrofoam Cup King to Acclaimed Author

Academy of Art University’s School of Animation & Visual Effects graduate Cheeming Boey has not only earned himself the title of the Styrofoam Cup King of the illustration world for his alchemy on disposable Styrofoam cups, but now is an acclaimed author.
Cheeming captures all the confusion, angst, humor and more, of life as a child in his maiden literary effort, When I Was a Kid. It’s a book about “nothing yet everything…” Cheeming explained. The book was inspired by my blog, which I encourage all artists to read if they’re unsure about working for themselves or for a company. The struggles are littered all over the blog which is a documentation of my day-to-day, every day for the past six years.”This book meanders through childhood musings and a journal of the US-based animator’s life growing up in Malaysia and Singapore. “When I Was a Kid is a book about growing up. It is a mix of lies parents tell you, about self discoveries and sibling rivalries. It is a child’s secret that was never meant to be published. The book is guaranteed to be your personal time machine,” Cheeming said.
Cheeming credits the Academy’s industry standard equipment with preparing him for the job market, but also most importantly acknowledges the extracurricular animation projects he collaborated on with fellow classmates. Animation students at the Academy took it upon themselves to lean and gain as much animation experience as early as they could, in order to be best equipped for the job market they knew awaited them. And with the help of School of Animation instructor Randy McCrimmon, these efforts have proven successful.
Cheeming’s advice to students is to let them know that the difference between having dreams and making them your reality is simply going for it. “If you want to be the best, look around you and work harder than the hardest working person you know. Remember to market yourself because you can draw the best portrait, but no one will know of you if you just sit home and draw,” said Cheeming. So put yourself out there and follow your dreams.

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