Rapid Evolution!

Things are rapidly evolving in my life and in my business right now and it's pretty difficult to keep everything updated right now! I'll try to keep this short...

I touched on this in my previous blog post - I released a series of videos about the making of my new children's picture book and I can't tell you how enjoyable these videos were to create! It has been a thrill to see the characters coming to life on the pages! From the first few pencil sketches to finalising them in ink and then in colour, it has been wonderful to see their development. In the video series, I take you on a short journey on how the characters for my new children's picture book, Billy Joins the Circus, were created. You will see original pencil sketches, inked and coloured illustrations of the characters. Plus you will hear the soundtrack from the music audiobook! This cute series is entertaining for kids, grown-ups and everyone who loves art and illustrations.

 Check out the YouTube playlist here: The Making of a Picture Book.

 

This month, I have a BIG Christmas surprise announcement, a super fun Christmas sing-along song for little ones to enjoy and a Christmas message from me to end the year! Make sure you have subscribed on YouTube so you don't miss any of my festive videos!

My life is about to change in accordance with this "surprise" and I can't wait to see where it goes! I'm feeling really great right now, buzzing around here, there and everywhere and somehow managing to fit tennis practice in at my club again!

This month is going to be so much fun...

 ♥ Anna-Christina

Woman On A Mission

This is it! After what seemed like forever, admittedly it's only been about three months, I am finally back in the game! Over the last few weeks, I've been growing my workouts to the point where I'm now feeling pretty good!

The best part of getting my body back on track, is that now, finally I can run again, and you know what that means...

Tennis Time!!! :-)

My schedule of yoga, body conditioning, weight training, jogging, rowing, and ballet has really paid off! Now, I have to say, it hasn't been easy and even though I have days when I find exercising invigorating, most often I've found I had to force myself to do it!

I've only been running three laps around my local park! I'm not trying to lose weight, even though I've gained well over a stone in weight, I actually love my new curvier figure, but running is not something I particularly enjoy! On the days when I've been running, I have almost felt sick at the end!

My thought in these moments has been, 'Remember, this is for tennis'! 😆

Anyway, last weekend I finally made it back on the court and it was AMAZING!

All the workout pain, see the torture equipment in the background, has been well worth it as I found my tennis ability wasn't half as bad as I thought it would be! Don't get me wrong, I was definitely rusty and cardio fitness is still an issue for me but overall, it went a lot better than I thought it would! It also helped that my tennis partner hasn't played without me, so he was rusty too lol!

I'm just so grateful to have my life back on track...

Throughout this period, I've been ridiculously busy with my company, Music Audio Stories! There's simply too many things to write in this blog post so instead, I'll just direct you to the website at musicaudiostories.com so you can see all the cool stuff that has been going on there!

I will however, tell you that I've just finished a video series on how I created my children's picture book which you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaaPyS97ZiM&list=PLhtHjyeLaQXmuIzl2K1Hsrlko84Ormypr

I loved creating this series and yes, this does mean that my picture book is coming out soon! I'm sooooooo excited I can't even tell you!!!

♥ Anna-Christina

 

The Woes of Broken Toes

Well, I'm not going to lie, it's been a very tough Summer for me and part of that has been due to breaking a bone in my toe! As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I felt that there had been little support from my GP, or the hospital during the recovery process. I had an appointment for another X-Ray and an information PDF from my GP but by this time, I was no longer concerned about the bone and it as all a bit too late!

Anyway, since then, I have been surprised, yet again, at how slow progress has been! I'm a very active person with a lot of energy and this broken bone business has really taken its toll, not just on my foot, but on my whole fitness level. Believe it or not, I still can't walk properly and I definitely can't walk fast! This means that I can't run and that means, no tennis! Urggggrrrraaaaahhhhh!!! And so the uphill battle of restoring my body to full health has already begun...

I don't know how other people have managed to restore their bodies after such injuries but for me, I have employed a schedule of yoga, body conditioning, gentle weight training, walking, rowing, and ballet! Two of the things that has bothered me the most, which I realise are actually the least important things, were losing my flexibility and not being able to point my foot!

I know you're probably sitting there thinking, silly girl, so trivial... but these two things are very important to dancers and even ex-dancers! I'm extremely tapped into my body and to experience it feeling like the rusty tin man from the Wizard of OZ, makes me feel horrible! My toe affected my ability to stretch properly, so this is something I am determined to get back as soon as possible!

The stiffness in my foot has restricted me from being able to point my foot, another ballet dancer thing! The thing about my feet is that I wasn't blessed with natural big arched ballet feet! When I was little, my ballet teachers made me stick my toes under my bed and push my knees down to the ground, in order to force the arch in my feet. I suppose they may use a different technique nowadays but that's how it was done in my day. It worked and funny enough my feet were photographed for a ballet book with Dame Darcey Bussell, which is ironic indeed!

Through my healing journey, I realised how much I take my body's health for granted and how arrogant I have been, thinking that I could just take my boot off and expect my body to be back to normal in two weeks! Being a person who always looks for the silver-lining, this has been a tough lesson in patience, if nothing else!

What I can say, is that if you have broken a bone, and are going through the healing period, brace yourself... it will be a long recovery time but you WILL recover and when you do, you will appreciate your body and all the things it allows you to do, so much more!

Run, climb trees, play sports, dance, while you can!

♥ Anna-Christina

Baby Steps

Learning to walk again... After breaking a bone in my toe, six weeks ago, it has finally healed! Or has it?

Now, there are one or two things you need to bare in mind when you read this blog post! Point one, I missed my 3/4 week checkup because my attention has been on another extremely ill family member, and point two, I also missed the physiotherapy that would have followed this checkup! I thought after six weeks, I would take the boot off, walk and be back playing tennis by the end of this month. But no!!!

My foot feels like a dead foot!!! It's swollen, still has bruising, and the skin is hypersensitive! Having said that, this week, I did walk again for the first time in my comfy beach sandals, using one crutch as an aid. This walking business is harder than I thought...

I tried to find some help online regarding walking again after breaking a toe but I didn't find anything really helpful and no one at the hospital had told me anything about what happens after the six week healing period! I did receive a letter with an X-Ray appointment for Monday 20th September but I figured by then, it would all be over! I realised, I would have to just deal with this as best as I could on my own!

I was amazed to discover that my body had completely adapted to the leg height difference caused by the boot! Two weeks ago, I was forced to walk to and from the hospital a lot, after I had been resting for three weeks, and I have to say, I was in agony, especially with my back. But by the second week, my body had adjusted and I found I could get around on my crutches pretty fast! Now, life without my boot feels all wrong!

I began doing yoga again at home and made a conscious effort to place my feet flat on the mat whenever I could in an effort to desensitize my foot. I'm trying to get the blood flowing by pointing and flexing my feet, rubbing my toes gently, and circling my ankles. It's very uncomfortable and my toes feel like they're cramping often! As well as this unexpected dead foot surprise, I was shocked to see how out of shape the rest of my body had become in the process too!

As well as working on my foot, I need to get cracking on my fitness and strength again and to be honest, it all feels a bit like an upward battle right now! :-(

As this week has gone on and I have been trying to walk more, the muscles in my foot have become very sore and my ankle is pretty swollen! I suppose this is from the strain of trying to walk again after such a long time in my safe and secure boot... I can't really roll through my foot, and I haven't dared to put my full weight on it yet, but have instead, relied on a rather strange flat-footed shuffle-style walk! Oh boy, if only you guys could see what has become of me lol!

Anyway, my sweet friend told me to just take baby steps and I'll be back doing pirouettes in no time at all! I sure do hope so!

Love your feet...

♥ Anna-Christina

Bone Breaking Bass

I can confirm, the Bass broke my toe! It happened in rehearsal last week, when the strap came off as I was putting the bass on at the start of rehearsal! In a split second, it fell bang smack on my right big toe and broke a bone! Of course I didn't realise that a bone had been broken at first and although I saw stars, I continued with rehearsal as normal (the show must go on), occasional bum notes played here and there due to surges of pain during songs! I have no idea how I got through this rehearsal and I even managed to drive home but at around 6pm that evening, my toe, including the joint and top of my foot, had swollen up black, blue, green, and red and I was in complete agony! When I say agony, I mean 10/10 pain!

I didn't go to hospital as I thought the pain would ease up over the weekend but by Sunday, I knew this was more than just a serve bruise! I headed to hospital (with one crutch and a walking stick) on Monday to get an X-Ray! I was seen pretty quickly but the wait for the results seemed endless. At one point, the fire alarm went off and everyone had to leave the hospital. A nurse put me in a wheelchair and wheeled me outside and left me in the middle of the pavement! God, I felt so embarrassed sitting there like a lemon!

Another lady began to complain about pain in her foot (four other people were there with some sort of right foot problem) so I offered her my wheelchair! Partly because I'm nice, partly because I was so uncomfortable sitting in the middle of the pavement! I lent myself up against a post outside of the hospital on one leg like a pelican! 🦩

Shortly after this, we were all called back in and finally, I saw the doctor, who confirmed I have a tuft fracture! She gave me some equipment and instructions and I was off, with two crutches and a new boot! (the Comfrey I brought myself) The boot alone was worth the five hour wait as getting around was instantly easier. It has been a tough week! The pain has been much worse than I thought it would be and other parts of my body have started to ache due to lack of mobility and the strain of using crutches!

Although I've had my share of injuries and other horrific health issues to deal with, I've got to say this broken bone business is right up there in terms of pain!!! Anyway, I made a promise to myself that I will handle this injury with positivity, grace and minimum swearing lol!

 

What were rehearsals for? My first gig since last year March! Just before lockdown last year, I recorded Bass on the new David Ryder Prangley album, Vampire Deluxe! The album came out on the 4^th July on Bandcamp. I'm super proud to have contributed Bass and the occasional backing vocal on the album as it's a fantastic record! To celebrate the release of the album, a gig is scheduled for Sunday 15th August at the Lexington. I was greatly looking forward to this show but due to what has happened, I will not be able to perform at this one!

I've found that bad things that have happened to me in the past, have always been for my highest good, and I understood that almost immediately on point of tragic event. I guess this one could be an effort on the part of the Universe to get me to stop and rest! This year, has been an amazing year so far for Music Audio Stories but I have to be honest and admit, it has also been the most hectic and gruelling one for me! There have been many times throughout this year when I have felt completely overwhelmed and exhausted but somehow, I have the resilience to persist and carry on! This is the life of an entrepreneur and a business owner, we all feel these emotions!

My ability to keep going is partly due to the wonderful support network I have of family members and loyal friends who stick by me no matter what. That, and the fact that I love what I do and have a tremendous amount of belief in it! I have such big plans and dreams for my company and I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity to build my own empire.

But for now, I can't walk! 😅

I've made a weekly positive healing plan. This week's plan consisted of resting, meditation, Yoga in bed (yes, that is a thing), eating tasty food (cakes and cookies included), movies, reading, watching the Olympics, and listening to YouTube videos and podcasts on various topics...

I'll keep you updated on my progress now that I suddenly have lots of time on my hands!

Bass players beware...

♥ Anna-Christina

The Bass that broke my toe! I'll be back...

Launched Today!

I'm soooooooo happy to announce my new Summer video series and Summer Bundle Sale launch today! Woohooooo! It's all happening... May I present my Chris the Caterpillar Video Series - a magical Storytime and a wonderful series of activity videos for kids, with classical music, sounds, visuals, drawing, and lots of flowery fun!

Join me for a Storytime like you've never seen before, today on YouTube! Your little ones will love my magical Music Audio Story, 'Chris the Caterpillar', and the fun activity videos to follow. First of all, make sure you have subscribed to the Music Audio Stories YouTube Channel and hit the notification bell so you don't miss any of my fun new videos for children in this series! Then share this event with anyone you know who has children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and anyone who loves storytelling!
My video series includes:

•     Seeing and hearing my music audiobook, 'Chris the Caterpillar', for the first time online
•     Taking part in a super listening and visual game
•     Learning fun facts about caterpillars
•     Drawing with me and finding out how to get involved in my creative world
•     Meeting Chris the caterpillar, the fairy, and the flowers from the story
•     A video series conclusion by me
  
  I will be creating a Playlist so that all of the activities are linked together at the end of the series. Subscribe to the channel and hit the notification bell to make sure you don't miss any of my activity videos in the weeks to follow!
  
  Here are some things you can do to prepare for the series...
  

1. Get my new Digital Summer Bundle, now on sale! Download the music audiobook, interactive activity, and cute printables to go with the story here: etsy.com/summer-bundle
   
   
2. Prepare some colour pencils, crayons, or felt tips, and a piece of paper (or use the printable from my Digital Summer Bundle)
   

Let me entertain your children with delightful music, sounds, visuals, and fun activities for the next few weeks! This is going to be magical! Go grab your magic wand!

♥ Anna-Christina

PS. I have Rock'n'Roll news but I will post that in another blog post as there is already a lot of info in this one! ;-)

 

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/musicaudiostories

Website: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/​​
Storytime: http://storytimewithannachristina.com/​​

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Subscribe to get a free audiobook here: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/#subscribe​

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/musicaudiostory​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicaudios...​
Storytime with Anna Christina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com​​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicaudiost...​

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Want to open your own Etsy shop? Use this link to get 40 free listings: https://etsy.me/3oK9XRH​

Phase Two!

After all the weeks of planning, scriptwriting, filming, editing and creating, I can't believe the March of the Ants video series is now in full swing! I was thrilled when my first ever Storytime video hit over 100 YouTube views in less than a week! 😍 YouTube doesn't allow comments on kid's videos but I received lovely messages from parents telling me how much their little ones enjoyed watching the video! With cute illustrations, (by my awesome illustrator, Jenika Ioffreda) sounds, music, and animations, the video keeps little ones engaged throughout! If you missed it, check it out here...

I can't even tell you how difficult filming this Storytime video was! 😅 But at the same time, thoroughly enjoyable! Because there is so much going on in this music audiobook, I had to film it like a music video. It was difficult but so much fun!

I've now entered into what I call, Phase Two, of my YouTube journey... Kid's activity videos!

When I began my YouTube journey, I racked my brain on how I could translate my Storytime online because it covers so many things. I had to create a plan on how I could incorporate all aspects, and so I decided to make a video series! The second video in this series is my super listening and visual game! Listening is a crucial skill for young children to acquire. It's one of the basic building blocks of language and communication and, particularly in the early years of education. Listening is the main feature of my Storytime!

I found I could include even more things in the video format, such as helping children with reading skills too! In my Listening and Visual Game, I have included sound effects, music parts, cute illustrations, and animations! Children will hear the sounds of instruments in the orchestra, taken from my soundtrack, and learn the name of each instrument. Plus, hear my cool sound effects in the story! Check it out here...

Just to keep you updated, my March of the Ants video series includes:

• Seeing and hearing my music audiobook, 'March of the Ants', for the first time online
• Taking part in a super listening and visual game
• Learning fun facts about ants
• Drawing with me and finding out how to get involved in my creative world
• Meeting Sid the ant and the other characters from my story

Don't forget to Download my freebies to get March of the Ants and the interactive activities to go with the story and make sure you have subscribed to the Music Audio Stories YouTube channel and hit the notification bell so you don't miss any of my fun new videos!

Oh and here's another new video...

Gosh, can you keep up?
I can't lol!

♥ Anna-Christina

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/musicaudiostories

Website: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/​​
Storytime: http://storytimewithannachristina.com/​​

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Subscribe to get a free audiobook here: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/#subscribe​

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/musicaudiostory​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicaudios...​
Storytime with Anna Christina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com​​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicaudiost...​

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Want to open your own Etsy shop? Use this link to get 40 free listings: https://etsy.me/3oK9XRH​

Storytime with Anna Christina Online!

Finally, I am ready to deliver my unique Storytime online! May I present my uniquely entertaining Storytime and delightful series of activity videos for kids, with music, sounds, visuals, drawing, and lots of fun!

Join me for a Storytime like you've never seen before, on Saturday 15th May! Your little ones will love my exciting Music Audio Story, 'March of the Ants', and the fun activity videos to follow.

First of all, make sure you have subscribed to the Music Audio Stories YouTube channel and hit the notification bell so you don't miss any of my fun new videos for children in this series!

Then share this event with anyone you know who has children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and anyone who loves storytelling!

I have introduced the YouTube community to Music Audio Stories and Storytime with Anna Christina! Now it's time for me to turn my attention to the little ones... In my new video series, children will enjoy my unique music Storytime, as have many children over the last few years at schools, nurseries, libraries, and workshops all over London. My video series includes:

• Seeing and hearing my music audiobook, 'March of the Ants', for the first time online
• Taking part in a super listening and visual game
• Learning fun facts about ants
• Drawing with me and finding out how to get involved in my creative world
• Meeting Sid the ant and the other characters from the story

There will be five fun videos for children to enjoy! Here are some things you can do to prepare for the series:

• Download my freebies! Get the audiobook and the interactive activities to go with the story
• Prepare some colour pencils, crayons, or felt tips, and a piece of paper (or use the printable from my freebies)

I will be creating a Playlist so that all of the activities are linked together at the end of the series.

Visit the Music Audio Stories YouTube Channel on Saturday 15th May to see my first Storytime video!

Subscribe to the channel and hit the notification bell to make sure you don't miss any of my activity videos in the weeks to follow!

Let me entertain your children with delightful music, sounds, visuals, and fun activities for the next few weeks! This is going to be so much fun!

Woohooooooo! See you soon!

♥ Anna-Christina

 

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/musicaudiostories

Website: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/​​
Storytime: http://storytimewithannachristina.com/​​

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Subscribe to get a free audiobook here: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/#subscribe​

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/musicaudiostory​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicaudios...​
Storytime with Anna Christina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com​​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicaudiost...​

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Want to open your own Etsy shop? Use this link to get 40 free listings: https://etsy.me/3oK9XRH​

The adventure continues!

Greetings all! Things are still pretty hectic and the workload hasn't eased as yet! However, I feel I am making huge progress!

I recently celebrated the end of my first five-part YouTube video series! I still can't believe I'm a YouTuber! After a bumpy start, I began to enjoy the process and although I have much to learn and improve upon, I'm excited to see where this adventure goes! I also hit 100 YouTube subscribers which is awesome and seems to have happened so quickly!

In case you missed it, my first video series was a five-part series about Music Audio Stories. The videos were about how I started the company, how I began writing music audiobooks, and various other things.

If you missed any of these videos, I created a Playlist on YouTube here Introduction to Music Audio Stories.

New Video Series

I'm soooooo excited to announce the launch of my new five-part video series, Storytime - The Beginning! Throughout April, I will be releasing a new video, every Saturday morning! This series is all about my Storytime. I felt it was important to introduce my Storytime before I release my first Storytime video! It's all so exciting!

So, without further ado, here is the first video in my new series! The beginning...

 

There are many moving parts to Music Audio Stories! I've had to carve out my own path as no one is doing what I am doing and it's definitely a challenge to spin all my plates, but a challenge I love!

Huge thank you to everyone who is supporting me and my channel! I have received some lovely messages about my videos and I am so happy that they are being enjoyed! I have BIG plans for my channel so make sure you have subscribed here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MusicAudioStories​​​​ and hit that notification bell, so you don't miss any of my new videos!

I'm blazing my own trail... This is only the beginning!

♥ Anna-Christina

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/musicaudiostories

Website: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/​​
Storytime: http://storytimewithannachristina.com/​​

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Subscribe to get a free audiobook here: http://www.musicaudiostories.com/#subscribe​

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/musicaudiostory​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicaudios...​
Storytime with Anna Christina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com​​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/musicaudiost...​

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Want to open your own Etsy shop? Use this link to get 40 free listings: https://etsy.me/3oK9XRH​

Hello World!

Hi everyone! So much has happened already this year, I don't quite know what piece of news to begin with! Most of you that follow me, know what a multitasking master I am but I have to say, so far, this year, I have never had to juggle so many tasks at once! I've never worked as hard as I am right now. In fact, I am so busy, that I've had to start getting up at 5am, just to get through my daily list and end my day at a reasonable time! Can you believe that!!! 🤣

I am not sure if this level of work will be sustainable long term however, I'm pretty sure that things will calm down once I find my stride in certain tasks. I'm doing quite a few new things, which I have to learn on the job, and I'm hoping that in time, I will find more effective and quicker ways of working!

So here's some news...

I am now a YouTuber!

Every Saturday, I have been releasing a new video on the Music Audio Stories YouTube channel and the whole experience has been so much fun! I have to admit, it wasn't plain sailing creating my first few videos! Designing my set, choosing the right lights, angles, editing program, music, and words, took me weeks to get right. And then, I will tell you, just between us... many, many, many takes were filmed!

I was surprised how difficult it actually was! Especially as I have been a performer for all of my life, I didn't think it would be so hard for me! But sitting down, in front of a camera, and speaking to the world, is a different skill altogether! However, the more videos filmed, the more relaxed I've become. By the time the last video was shot, I was off script and nailing it in one or two takes! I do laugh a lot during the filming of my videos though!

Some of the videos on this channel will be for kid's but there will be plenty of videos for parents and videos that other musicians and composers may find interesting too! You can look forward to sample videos of all my audiobooks and products, two five-part video series of introduction videos by me, and my first Storytime videos! Plus behind-the-scenes videos and lots of other fun videos to entertain little ones at home!

Make sure you subscribe and hit the notification bell, so you don't miss any of my fun new videos and follow my journey on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/storytimewithannachristina/

 

Music Audio Stories

The new Music Audio Stories website has been a hit and I have received great feedback from everyone which is lovely! Did anyone notice that it's actually two websites working as one? The Storytime website has its own domain! I've never seen two websites intertwined like this before so I'm very pleased with how well it's working! My new Etsy shop is doing amazing too! I've already made sales and have had some awesome 5 Star product reviews! Check it out here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MusicAudioStories.

 

New Recordings

I'm excited to announce the release of my new audiobook series, Storytime with Anna Christina Volume One! My newly mastered recordings feature new cover artwork and introductions by me. These stories have been tailored for children aged 3+ and cover a number of topics and values. 

From teaching children not to litter in a fun and simple way, to the enjoyment of hearing the sounds of unusual instruments, there's something in this set of audios for every child! Each of the audiobooks in this series will have its own interactive activities and videos, which I will be releasing throughout the year.

Other recording news... Due to being so ridiculously busy with Music Audio Stories, I have not been able to dive into my recording studio work, however, I can tell you that I have started production on a new piano piece! :-) More on this later...

I hope you are all finding creative ways to keep positive in these strange and difficult times! I'm doing my best to bring smiles all around but I may not to able to post in this blog as often as I would like to from now on! Make sure you are following Music Audio Stories so you don't miss my exciting news!

 Twitter: @musicaudiostory

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MusicAudioStories 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicaudiostories/

See you on YouTube...

♥ Anna-Christina