Love Everywhere

                It's amazing what happens when you look at the world through the lens of love.

It's almost here... don't you just love how culture today seems to jump from one Holiday to the next before you even have time to enjoy the present one? I mean geesh it's not even January 1st when you're walking down the aisles at your local Target Store and Bamm there it is: the Valentine's chocolate is staring you down (not that I mind chocolate staring me down anytime of the year). Seriously though... it's just seems totally out of hand these days.

Sometimes I'd like to write a giant memo to the media, pop culture and the retail marketplace. If I could I would say: Slow down, enjoy life. Live the moment you're "in" before you worry about planning (or shall I say helping people to plan) the "perfect" next one. So about those holidays, it's almost time for the one all about love... Valentine's Day. Are you ready?

Speaking of hearts mine is very happy these days. I am blessed to have had true love in my life for a long time now, so yes Valentine's Day makes my heart happy. However, my heart is bursting right now because I recently finished recording two brand new songs. They are special because they are my very first CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) songs and I can't wait to share them. I just submitted them to the copyright office. The new songs will soon be released to iTunes. Music videos are planned for spring, exact date coming soon so... stay tuned.

Why am I so excited about these songs? Because for my entire life I have loved to sing. Ever since I was a little kid, from the time I started to talk, and as long as I can remember, I have been getting lost in music. I was like a little Tina Turner (in the movie "What's Love got To Do With It") with the hairbrush in the mirror giving concerts in my bedroom, writing songs in my journal. After years of pursuing music for my own selfish reasons I came to a point where I turned it over to God with a desire to use my voice to be a blessing. To use every ounce of the gift he put in me to further his kingdom and touch people's hearts and minds for Christ.

Let's face it we are living in a crazy upside down world and it is just getting crazier by the day. Pop culture is completely saturated with icons, idols, symbols, and messages (both blatant and subliminal) that are the polar opposite of anything Godly. These things are even hidden in figures portrayed as good, light and positive. When in reality they are nothing but puppets of a much more sinister organization, a plan all designed to deceive and dumb down from the enemy. I find it sad to see people today, even people who call themselves Christians who believe in the Bible as the word of God, yet they are blind to what is going on around them. They watch and listen, as well as allow their kids to watch and listen to things in the pop culture world that are poisoning their minds.

Enter the antidote... you and me. We all have gifts and talents put into us by our creator. Gifts and talents to be used for his purpose to share the message of the gospel and counter the negative junk that is being pushed everywhere. So I for one have decided to use everything within me. Everything that I have to be the polar opposite of what is out there. To do good, and to be a light in a dark world. To help the hurting, love the lonely, lift the fallen, heal the broken and show the face of love that Jesus came to show us all.

Love can be everywhere when we all do something. There are opportunities all around us. There are hurting people, and animals who need to be rescued. We can all be a part of sprinkling love by using the gifts and talents we have to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Happy Valentine's!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Oh No Not Again

So I was getting ready the other day to head Upstate NY where I would be working on my new music video for, "I Don't Even Care" when I was shocked to read the latest news blurb.  It turns out, yet again in an unfortunate scenario a young and aspiring artist jumped to her death off the George Washington Bridge.  What's so awful about this is that she did it out of being "bullied" in the workplace.  She apparently also had a history of being bullied early on in both high school and while working as a model.

Now you might be wondering why Greek Girl is blogging about such a sad story.  Well, it's simple: I HATE BULLIES!

Here's my point:  Unless you have heard the song you wouldn't know, "I Don't Even Care" is written about this very issue.  In my own life I have faced bullies for as far back as I can remember.  It wasn't because I came from a lower income family or that I was the little "fat-kid", it was with my music.  Even now I face it with the know-it-all so-called "experts" and critics who say I am too old to have a music career, or that my political views are wrong and even that I am a Christian.  I mean what is this world coming too?

Take this girl who killed herself for instance.  Here she is trying to build a life in the Fashion Industry.  Meanwhile her colleagues are tearing at her and beating her up verbally so much that out of some twisted sense of revenge and self-pity she ended her life.  Why?  What is going on in our world that we are so obsessed with having to make other people feel bad about themselves in order to puff our own selves up?  What is it that we must despise people and treat them so poorly that they would do something such as kill themselves?

I know all too well what it's like to face these giants in life.   I am often faced with being unaccepted, mocked or ridiculed and I am not even in any major spot-light like the typical "celebrity".  It's for this reason I wrote this song and am now working with my husband to develop the music video.  It's with a passion I want the world to know it's not okay to bully people and for those who are being bullied they can stand up and they are not alone.

For whatever reason we as a society have gone in the wrong direction. On one hand we celebrate people because they can sing or dance, hit a ball or run the fastest and even have lists for the "100 Hottest" of whatever.  Meanwhile the media is out there doing everything they can to destroy the very people they are putting on a pedestal.  So it's a twisted web people have been indoctrinated into.  We praise those for superficial greatness then can't wait to tear them down.  Everyone is vying for the most attention and greatness.  Everywhere we turn there is another reality show promising to make "stars" out of anyone and everyone and that it doesn't take hard work to succeed.  Then we glamorize the demise and destruction of these same "stars" and like cannibals we feed off of and relish in the idea of watching someone fall and fail.

My question to you is, "when are we going to start turning the tables?"  When are we as a society ever going to wake up and realize we need to celebrate hard work and intelligence.  We are becoming a self-obsessed society that is focused on stardom and pick on and beat up on the "nerd" who will most-likely one day be your boss and write your paycheck.

God made us all with unique talents and unique abilities and unique looks.  Each of us is made special for our own purpose that God has for us to fulfill.  But because we live in a society full of celebrating the wrong kind of success most forget or lose track of what great things they can become and never know why God put them here in the first place.  We need more Doctors and Rocket Scientists not more Justin Bieber's or Kim Kardashian's.  On top of that the last thing we need is more Michael Vick's and cheaters like Lance Armstrong.

Now some of you may say "What about you Greek Girl? Aren't you chasing the same stardom?!?" But it's not the same thing.  I have been working as a singer and actor for many years.  It's not a pipe-dream or something I want to just "try out".  This is who I am and what I know God put me on this Earth to do.  To sing and perform as a positive role model, to be salt and light in this crazy messed up world.  This is why I am working tirelessly to win in the VeeWall Original Song Contest.  Winning will give me the chance to connect with more people and organizations in an effort to share my message.  It's the same message found in my song, "I Don't Even Care".  You can Click Here to read the entire story about me and what I want to do with my music career.  So, if you want to help me in making a difference and help me start a change in our society,  I would very much appreciate it.  Winning is far more than the prize money.  It is a tool I need to put my message out there and help maybe stop the next bullied person from taking their own life and making a positive difference in a world so full of hate.

Click Here To Vote For ava

Blessings, Love & Music~

Ava xo :)
www.avaaaston.com

Click here to vote for Ava

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

It's Saturday Morning Cartoon Time! In this weeks episode "Ava the Diva's First Sold Out Concert ~ Part 2" tune in to see what happens when Ava the Diva travels to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to visit the White House and has a chat with President Obama...

How to Make a Dog "Gone" Music Video

The next couple of days my blog will be limited because I am in the middle of shooting my newest music video for my song "Gone."  Although, my new video has nothing to do with dogs, I am such a huge dog lover that I thought it would be fun to explain how to make a music video by using dog pictures.

There is a lot that goes into the making of a music video that most people don't think about.

The first decision that needs to be made is what type of video to make. Do you want to just stand on stage and film it? Or do you want to make a concept video that tells some sort of story?

A storyboard or treatment of the video is written.

Don't Laugh, It's hard to type with these big paws!

A production meeting is held with all of the important people.

If the weather is nice, why not have the production meeting outside?

After the production meeting it is time to start casting.

Don't worry, the casting couch is an old myth? Or is it?

Then it will be time for rehearsal. Practice, practice, practice.

Rehearsal sucks, but they always have a bunch of snacks! Yummo.

Ok, once everyone knows their parts it's time to start filming.

"And... Action!"

I hope you will be ready for your close up!

"Oh Mr. DeMille...."

When filming is done it will be time to edit.

Cutting out all the bad stuff in the editing room!

Finally, it will be time for the world premiere!

Oh, Pawparazzi - No Paw-ta-Graphs, please!

So that is how you make a music video!

Make sure you stay tuned  for the April 28,2011 world premiere of my new "Gone" music video

Blessings,

Ava

xox