“Music puts the magic in this life. You can build a castle in the sky. Close your eyes and you shall see, it’s so simple as a melody. Music puts the magic in this life.”

Over the past 12 months, CJ Pizarro (aka Mista Cookie Jar) and The Chocolate Chips, have been producing music magic with a new single each month as part of their “song-a-month” project. The topics the songs have touched upon range from up close and personal, i.e. “Mama,” “BFF Goodbye,” to more general themes like holidays (“Jelly Beans!”) and dreaming big (“Hold On to Your Dreams”). With each new effort, it has been a treat to hear the gamut of styles Pizarro has made his own (from hip-hop to singer/songwriter to Motown to a whole blend). As a kids’ music blogger, it has been wonderful to be a part of the challenge that Pizarro has taken on, and witness the creative growth that has come out of it. As a parent, and a mom, I have been touched by the heartfelt themes and relevancy of the songs’ to my experiences with Emily; But that’s the power of music, and what today’s audio premiere is all about.

As an homage to the magic of song and dance and the notion that “music is always at our fingertips,” I am proud to present “Music is Everywhere,” the penultimate single in Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips’ song-a-month marathon. Opening with a flutter of piano and lovely birdsong, “Music is Everywhere” starts off like a dream sequence and continues on with rhythmic buoyancy in a  “Sound of Music inspired, rasta-flavored wave.” The vibe of this arrangement is a perfect complement to the song’s message which celebrates the power of music and the innate connection we have to it; The notion that music exists within us and all around us, whether it’s in a poetic verse, an ocean breeze, or that one perfect note.

Stay tuned here for a follow up interview tomorrow with Pizarro who talks about his experience with the song-a-month project and some of the influences and inspiration behind it all.

You can download “Music is Everywhere,” through the Bandcamp widget below. Be sure to check out the lyrics, and additional singles by Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips at their Bandcamp page.