All posts by Avellina Balestri

Emotional Depth and Imaginary Heights: Fantasy and Sci-Fi Stories that Teach us ho...

June 24, 2016

In any genre or medium, it is my heart-felt belief that the worth of a story is dependent upon how much that story can reveal about our own souls, and, ultimately, how much it can reveal to us about the nature of love. Even in a roundabout way, or by [...]

by Avellina Balestri

A Cat of a Different Coat: Spirituality, Storytelling, and the Music of Karliene

May 11, 2016

Among my favorite independent artists on Youtube is a Scotswoman named Karliene. An unabashedly enthusiastic pop culture fangirl, most of her covers and compositions are inspired by geek fandoms such as Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, [...]

by Avellina Balestri

A Promise Lives: The Musical Moods of Middle-Earth

May 3, 2016

The musical score behind Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy is intricately multifaceted to match the proportions of its epic tale. The plot, based on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, is full of deep complexity, wondrous romance, and [...]

by Avellina Balestri

Our Love Must Make Us Strong: The Music of Loreena McKennitt

April 19, 2016

It all started one Christmas as I rummaged through the CD racks at the library, in search of Christmas music different than the usual run-of-the-mill. I had several gigs lined up for the season and planned on singing “Coventry Carol,” so when I [...]

by Avellina Balestri