Here is another free download for ya!
Feb 022012
Jan 152012
For the duration of December, the Stirling home is filled with familiar sounds, smells, and activities that bring up memories from the past and fills me up like a rich cup of hot chocolate.
These include the scratchy sound of the old record player that plays our favorite Christmas tunes, the annual Christmas photo shoot with our new pajamas, watching A Christmas Story while eating Chinese food, smelling of home-made banana bread, having a Christmas Eve sleepover in my little sister’s room, and playing cards as a family. These are just some of the traditions that have weathered the storms of change that have passed over my home but this year we started a new tradition that I’d like to share.
Christmas is a celebration of Christ’s birth and as tradition deems, we give gifts in symbolism of the gifts that the Wise men gave to the Savior. Giving presents is great and fun, but the greatest gift we can give to Christ is to render service to those in need. Last year, we decided that we would do some kind of service project in behalf of each member of the family. Throughout the year we would work on these projects (big or small). We each wrote a letter to every member of the family telling them what we did in behalf of them and why we chose that service for them. We then rapped up the letters and put them under the Christmas tree so we could all read them on Christmas morning. This being the first attempt at this new tradition, most of us (myself included) procrastinated a bit, so they were smaller scale projects but regardless, reading these stories of service brought an extremely sweet spirit to our Christmas and made me want to be better.
I want to share with you just one of them. My 22 year old sister Brooke is very shy and she does not like to stand out in any way but this was the service she did in behalf of me. She wrote:
“I a frequently presented with small opportunities to serve on a daily basis, but unfortunately I usually don’t act fast enough and then the moment is gone. So this year, instead of thinking to much about it or worrying what other people would think, I decided I would just get up and serve. Here are a few examples of the things I did this year:
- I saw an older Christian missionary at ASU trying to pass out cards. Everyone was ignoring him so I walked up and asked if I could have one.
- Put flyers up around Provo to make people smile
- I gave some people at the bus stop a ride to campus”
The list went on and at the end she shared this sweet story:
- “I was walking behind a man on ASU campus and even though I couldn’t see his face, I felt like I needed to offer him something. of course I was afraid of offending him if he was fine so I thought about it till we turned our separate ways. As I walked away, I thought of you and I turned around to go find him. He was stopped waiting at the cross walk when I caught up to him and I just said, “Are you ok?” He looked at me and said, “I’m hungry.” I knew I didn’t have any food or cash on me so I offered to take him to the cafeteria and buy him something but he said it was ok. Then, just to be sure, I checked my wallet and I found a $5. I never cary cash and I don’t even know where it came from.”
Everyday we walk amidst a see of people who have hopes, fears, worries, families, needs, and desires. By serving others we will see them as just that. Rather than being a crowd, they are individuals. Brooke’s example of service made me want to be better at serving the individuals around me.
Jan 152012
Here is the “Shadows” sheet music. Thanks for shopping 
Dec 192011
After my Silent night song, I wanted to try a Christmas song that was a little more upbeat. But what good is a Lindsey Stirling song if you don’t have a fun video to go with it.
You can get it off itunes
http://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/celtic-carol-lindsey-stirling/id491303294
or
Here in My Store
Dec 082011
Here is an early Christmas present. A lot of people were asking if I can sell this and I can’t but, I can give it away. Hope you all enjoy it.
Dec 072011
This has always been my favorite Christmas song because it is so simple and beautiful. It reminds me to slow down and remember what the holiday season is all about. In the simplest, and humblest of circumstances, God gave his son to this world. Let’s take a chance to serve those around us this season.
Merry Christmas
This song is just my voice and my violin. I hope you like it.
Nov 222011
Last week was exhausting. Over the course of 6 days, I performed 5 shows, stayed in stayed in 5 different states, I’ve driven 14 hrs, and flown on 7 airplanes ranging from NYC to AZ. To add to this hectic week I got attacked by bed bugs in a bad hotel, my checked luggage got destroyed on one of my flights and I lost my performing costume, I got my first speeding ticket when I was going 8 over on a highway, and a delayed flight made me miss one of my connections. Ahhh! When it rains it pours. I think I am learning that I can’t do it all. Recreation, work, relationships, service, sleep, education, passions… there are so many facets in life that we juggle. Life is a giant balancing act and I feel that balance is the key to success and happiness. Even when we love what we are doing, we still have to realize that we we have to decline some offers even if they are “great.” Sadly, I often measure my worth by the length of my to do list. I see sleep as a luxury, and if I have any down time, I start to feel useless and I start to freak out. I’ll think “I can’t just sit here and watch a movie, I have to be doing something.” Recreation is important, sleep is not a luxury but a necessity, and making time for relationships essential. Traveling and performing is draining in itself and on top of that, this week I have probably gotten an average of four hours of sleep a night. Does that make me more worthwhile of a person? No, it just means I am killing myself and that I am emotionally useless and unable to be there for the people I care about. Finding balance is different for everyone but for me, I know that I will be happier if I learn to find value in the real things in life rather than the ambiguous length of my task list. That only gives me a false sense of value.
This music is a violin duet and it is the EXACT violin parts that I play in the Zelda Medley video. It is complete with dynamics, accents, staccatos, and all the details so you can play it exactly as I do… if that’s what you want to do. Enjoy!
Nov 162011
This song was written to be featured in a Devinsupertramp youtube video. I wrote and arranged the violin parts based on a variety of the different Zelda games and the orchestral backing was produced by Stephen Anderson. This project took weeks to put together but we had a ton of fun making it. I love working with talented people who are passionate about what they do. Working on this short film we had a costume designer and seamstress, a makeup artist for the ears, a Devin Graham as the director of Photography, music recording, a music producer, and a guy doing color correction for us. All of us gave of our time and talents for free because we love what we do. By giving of our passions, we all benefit from it and come out better. If only the whole world could run on such a concept.
The video will be up in a few days so check subscribe to mine (Lindseystomp) or Devinsupertramp’s youtube channel to be notified when it comes out.
Nov 162011
I’ve been doing a lot of traveling through the past few months and while on the road I have learned that one kind stranger can make all the difference. Just last week I found myself in the tiny town of Wadena ND- population 4,000. I was warming up about an hour before my show and the A string on my violin broke. I couldn’t find my spare string so I jumped online to look up music stores in the Wadena area. The only listing that came up was a local piano shop which I immediately called. A chipper woman answered with a thick North Dakota accent. “Mornin to ya, this is Marsha with Pete’s Piano’s what can a do you for?” She proceeded to tell me that the nearest place I could get an A string was a hour and a half drive away. When I explained I had a show in an hour her tone changed from perky to genuine concern. “Oh… oh dear now. Hmm… let me think on this and I will give you a call back.”
After hanging up the phone I was in a panic but true to her word, Marsha called back several minutes later and began to give me the names and phone numbers to several locals (said in the cutest ND accent) “…that’s the Simmons family number and they have three daughters that play the violin. Very nice family they would have no problem letting you use a string. And then there is Dr. Grey. He is the local dentist and he doesn’t play but I know he has a violin…”
I couldn’t believe how kind Marsha was. I was so stressed and yet it calmed me just to know that this kind woman I didn’t even know was was on my team. I wasn’t giving her any business, and yet she was bending over backwards to help me. I mean, who does that? The typical customer service answer is “Sorry. I can’t help you. Good luck.” When we see people as merely annoyances, or means to get gain, we turn them into objects with no feeling. However when we see people as individuals, they are suddenly humans who have passions, concerns and who deserve to be treated as such.
As sweet as Marsha was, none of the options worked. So I practically tore my violin case apart in search of the spare string I knew I had and… Cue a heavenly choir “ahhh….” I ended up finding it. About five minutes later Marsha called back one more time to make sure I was ok and she let out a big sigh of relief when I told her the good news.
In the Bible Jesus Christ talks about leaving the 99 to look after the one lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-24). God blesses us through the actions of others and I believe that we are his hands on earth. When we take time to focus on the “one” or individual people, that is when we become angels for those around us and we ourselves are happier. Marsha was such a happy woman and even though she didn’t solve my problem, she was my angel that day.
