Drawing from a message he hears around the country from young singers, Jim Papoulis writes of the importance of nurturing and developing one's inner spirit and personality, as well as accepting others for

Kuwa Furaha is a song about joy. More specifically, it is about the simple and beautiful way that children have of showing and expressing their joy. Jim Papoulis is well known for his world music

With Gnothi Safton, composer Jim Papoulis raises the profile of Boomwhackers out of the elementary classroom and onto the concert stage. Including an original inspirational text that urges young

Another first-rate multicultural piece by Jim Papoulis! The composer's work with African choirs has introduced him to many people who, although facing extreme adversity, somehow maintain a joyous spirit

The Papoulis Foundation for Small Voices advocates for school music programs in many ways, with proceeds from sheet music sales of this piece going directly to the Music Changes the World project. This

The essence of this work, in a world of conflict and violence, is the need for a deep understanding that peace can come from all of us. After the opening phrase, "Look in the eyes of the children, feel the

"I ask for one day where I don't have to hear about pain, or life that's lost, I ask for one day where whispers of hope are alive inside my heart." These words, written by 5th graders in a writing workshop,

This energetic, uplifting work fuses the rhythms of African, American and Latin cultures, and uses a text primarily in Swahili but interspersed with phrases in Spanish. Supported by shaker, djembe and agogo

Sih'r Khalaq explores the world of Arabic rhythms, textures, and style in the interest of global fusion. The phrase "sih'r khalaq" describes the kind of magic that exists in art - magic that

Bernyanyi Bersama was written for the 2014 Saint Angela Children and Youth Choir Festival in Bandung, Indonesia. Using the theme of diversity in harmony, the language of Indonesia (Bahasa) is woven

This rhythmic, high-energy Latino-style piece lends itself to movement as it celebrates life. Using traditional Latino harmonies and rhythms, it also incorporates world music sounds. The a cappella sections

The essence of this piece gives reverence to the message that music is universal; as a language, as an art and as a part of who we are. "From a distance we sing, music is universal. We sing for joy, we live

In My Heart is a gentle look at the importance of knowing that the inside of a child's heart and mind is a safe and nurturing place. This is a sweet, innocent piece suitable for any age.

This piece uses half-empty Tic Tac boxes as percussion instruments to remind us that "all we have to do is listen and open our hearts to get along." The rhythm of the music and the "shakers" is infectious