A Musical Interlude

It’s the home stretch of Nanowrimo and I’ve four days to write (at last count this exact moment) 6.202 words, so this is going to be a shorter post than usual. You’re welcome!

I don’t listen to the radio much. My car radio is tuned to my MP3 broadcaster thingie, and I don’t have the patience to reset everything all the time* and while I could preset the stations, I never think about it when I actually have the time.  And I don’t tune into online stations very often, either—most of my new music comes from personal recommendations and chance YouTube encounters.

But through an odd set of circumstances and a couple of random clicks, I found myself listening to Radio Two out of Canada the other night while I was Nano-ing. Three songs grabbed me enough to scribble down the artists or titles, and when I came up for air, I went hunting.

Amelia Curran was described somewhere (because I couldn’t find it again) as a cross between Patsy Kline and Leonard Cohen. I’m not arguing:

I found a live version of Ms. Curran’s “The Mistress,” too (click the link–it’s worth it). And bought two albums worth of her downloads because I couldn’t wait for Christmas. I’ll apologize to my family later.

Did I ever mention how much I love Martha Reeves and the Vandellas? I forget sometimes, myself, but Elise LeGrow reminded me:

I dare you not to sing along by the end—and maybe do a few hand moves, too.

Maybe it’s the chronic sleep deprivation, but this last song is hitting me just right at the moment.  The  singer has pared down his needs to the essentials,and while I don’t mind a little romance now and then, I can’t help but agree with him:

What have you been listening to lately?

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* I might make an exception for that station that plays Christmas music from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, but not for a few more weeks—I’m well aware of my tolerance levels and I’d hate for there to be another unfortunate . . . incident . . . over “Christmas Shoes.”

Something by Pure Chance

Two of my favorite performers, one great performance.  Sort of:

According to Alessandro Grespan, the creator, this duet came about by random chance, just two friends surfing YouTube and clicking play at the same time.

I’m really glad they did.

(thanks to Cornelia Read for sharing this on Facebook)

Something Orff’ly Flashy

Carmina Burana is a centuries-spanning collection of medieval poems and songs, most of them rather earthy.

In 1936, Carl Orff set twenty-four of them to gorgeously textured music. It’s the general consensus among people who know about these things that he did a pretty good job.

“O Fortuna” is probably the one everyone recognizes—I think at one point there was a Hollywood town law mandating that any movie containing broadswords and/or slow-moving violence had to set at least one scene to this particular piece—and it never fails to give me goosebumps, no matter where and when I hear it:*

I think the confetti cannons are a nice touch. But there’s something about The Piano Guys version . . .

Pure adrenaline in musical form.

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*Heard this version over at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books yesterday and promptly swiped it.

Something Transporting

Just another day at Newcastle’s Haymarket Bus Station . . .

The wonderfully talented Andy Jackson encouraged everyone to help him play. The baby grand was provided by the intrepid Tyneside Piano Company.

This community performance was part of an “Art on Transport” project and, in my opinion, beats Musak hands down.

Mutiple Music Disorder?

Sorry for the weirdness that may have shown up in your e-mail or feeds—I hit Publish too soon and panicked!

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In a week or so, Janie is going up to a Concordia Language Village event with some of her classmates to be complete immersed in Spanish for several days.

It’s a fantastic  opportunity and she’s excited about being allowed to go this year, but she does have one overwhelming concern.  It isn’t about the time away from home or how she’ll communicate in Spanish, or meeting other children from other schools, or even about what she’ll wear.

It’s what electronic gizmo she’ll be bringing with her for the long bus ride.

Because everyone is taking something!  A Nintendo or even their iPads!  Everyone.

“You don’t have a Nintendo or an iPad, honey.”

“I KNOW.”

You want to have fun?  Suggest, from a safe distance, that she take some books, instead, and then hold up a Jiffy Pop bag.

Death Ray Vision Popcorn—Mmmmm!

But, you know, I get it.  I really do.  And I’ve taken Janie on many long trips myself.  So, to spare everyone involved the sheer force of my daughter’s personality in a small space under conditions of extreme boredom and envy, I’ve decided she can take my MP3 player .*

On the way to school this morning, I told her I’d wipe it and we’d reload it together from my laptop this weekend.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because there are some songs and other things on there that aren’t appropriate,” I said.

“Right—because other kids might borrow it and listen to stuff like that one weird song about riding cowboys.”

“Exact—what?”

“Uh, never mind,” she said.  “Go, Mom.  Light’s green.”

Uh-huh.  No wonder I can’t keep the thing charged . . .

I’m not sure if it’s the language that’s prompting me to clear out all my music or if it’s the risk of embarrassment should anyone other than an eight-year see some of the stuff I have on there.

If nothing else, they might get the impression that I’m suffering from multiple personality disorder.

Besides Big & Rich, I’ve got some Chris Cagle and Christian Kane in there—and Charlie Daniels because no one can wring a fiddle like he does.

But there’s also Metallica and Apocalyptica, and the Pimps, Snow Patrol and Franz Ferdinand, Kate Miller-Heidke and Bessie Smith, Nirvana and Nickelback, Three Dog Night and Skillet, a few boy bands and one—one—Miley Cyrus, many Pink, Lady Gaga and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the lesser misogynist offerings of 3OH!3, some movie soundtracks—including Iron Man, Tangled, and 5^th Element— a couple of Bach fugues and the Hallelujah Chorus because sometimes you just gotta, Trout Fishing in America, and a lengthy playlist labeled “Lisa’s Music Mondays.”

Maybe I have multiple music disorder.   Except  I don’t think it’s a disorder and I’m not exactly suffering.

One’s musical preferences, like one’s preferences for saving horses by taking alternative forms of biological transportation, are personal and should not be forced upon others or summarily mocked.**

Sharing, of course, is to be encouraged.

But the majority of my eclectic music collection is still going bye-bye, at least until Jane gets back.  Just in case.

Especially Samuel F. Jackson’s reading of “Go the F*ck to Sleep.”

Even if the chaperones will be thinking the exact same thing.

What’s your musical skeleton?

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* And headphones, which she and her sister have all but pulled apart anyway.  So it’s not all about altruism.

**Much.  You know, just among family and friends.  And that one guy in the three-piece suit visibly grooving to Yanni on the bus, because, really?