I know some pretty amazing people in my life; writers, musicians, health care professionals, computer geeks, historians, designers of different forms, scientists, singers, and teachers. All of these people bring me inspiration in some way and I'm always surprised when the smallest of details can make such a huge impact in my life.
My friend Erich is visiting me from Texas. He has a friend named Sara.
Sara has to be the most amazing person I've ever come across in my entire life. She is the embodiment of creativity. She writes and performs her own music; she sings, plays cello, guitar, and piano. She is a yoga instructor and competes nationally, has a master's degree in environmental science, and to top it all off, she is a phenomenal professional photographer. Her attention to detail and keen eye make me want to weep. I hope someday that I can meet her in person, but for now I'll be content to follow her blog, listen to her music, see the photographs she takes, and watch the creativity pour forth, knowing that she's inspiring people everywhere.
Take Me Down (the track on her photography page) has to be one of the most gorgeous pieces of adult contemporary music I've heard in the last decade. There's a sweetness to her voice that is undeniably honest and full of warmth. Her musicianship is impeccable and her lyricism poetic.
Unfortunately, Sara doesn't have a music video (yet?), but I felt that she is someone we all should look to for the inspiration we need.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Goodness in the World
Did I mention that the new Dave Matthews Band CD is out today? Yeah, it is. And I have zero dollars to buy it. 'Tis a sad day indeed.
So instead, I'm just going to post another wonderful video, Everyday.
(I promise that this blog will not become a shrine to all that good and beautiful about the DMB)
The video features actor/comedian Judah Friedlander in the act of doing one of the most simple and humane things that anyone can do, giving a hug. After his first minute and twenty seconds of unsuccessful attempts, he finally gets some. Dave's lyrics of "all you need is, what you want is, all you need is love" are a powerful statement (as were the Beatles back in 1967) and take on a whole different meaning when that little old granny finally gives in and says yes. And later come the celebrities...Conan O'Brien, Vincent Pastore, Sheryl Crow, Blue Man Group, Tiki Barber and Hallie Kate Eisenberg, as well as the band themselves.
I love the fact that this video makes me think. I spend everyday commuting on a bus, my earbuds in my ears, not paying attention to those around me. Most of the other riders are also in that same catatonic state. Simple conversation has become a lost art. So what would happen if I were to turn down the music for a moment to say hello?
So get out there. Hug someone today. I dare you.
Bonus DMB trivia about Everyday:
When the song is played live, the song "#36" is mixed in with the song "Everyday." It is also a tradition for the crowd to sing, "Hani, Hani, [sometimes transcribed as 'Honey, Honey'] Come and dance with me" during the parts of the song that #36 mixes in with. The song "#36" was written in response to the assassination of Chris Hani, who worked to end South African apartheid (as Dave himself is from South Africa). Here's a clip of a live concert where the audience begins the familiar mix of songs. This is exactly why I go to Dave concerts. The play between the band and audience is beautiful to be a part of and there's a mutual love and respect that you can't find in most performing acts today.
So instead, I'm just going to post another wonderful video, Everyday.
(I promise that this blog will not become a shrine to all that good and beautiful about the DMB)
The video features actor/comedian Judah Friedlander in the act of doing one of the most simple and humane things that anyone can do, giving a hug. After his first minute and twenty seconds of unsuccessful attempts, he finally gets some. Dave's lyrics of "all you need is, what you want is, all you need is love" are a powerful statement (as were the Beatles back in 1967) and take on a whole different meaning when that little old granny finally gives in and says yes. And later come the celebrities...Conan O'Brien, Vincent Pastore, Sheryl Crow, Blue Man Group, Tiki Barber and Hallie Kate Eisenberg, as well as the band themselves.
I love the fact that this video makes me think. I spend everyday commuting on a bus, my earbuds in my ears, not paying attention to those around me. Most of the other riders are also in that same catatonic state. Simple conversation has become a lost art. So what would happen if I were to turn down the music for a moment to say hello?
So get out there. Hug someone today. I dare you.
Bonus DMB trivia about Everyday:
When the song is played live, the song "#36" is mixed in with the song "Everyday." It is also a tradition for the crowd to sing, "Hani, Hani, [sometimes transcribed as 'Honey, Honey'] Come and dance with me" during the parts of the song that #36 mixes in with. The song "#36" was written in response to the assassination of Chris Hani, who worked to end South African apartheid (as Dave himself is from South Africa). Here's a clip of a live concert where the audience begins the familiar mix of songs. This is exactly why I go to Dave concerts. The play between the band and audience is beautiful to be a part of and there's a mutual love and respect that you can't find in most performing acts today.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Summertime
I'm finally back from vacation and it's time for another round of videos! There's nothing like a summer trip to get out of the city and into nature. I spent the past week whitewater rafting in the woods of West Virginia, and made close friends with the bugs that inhabited my cabin and bathing area. As much as I love being in nature, it's really great to be home and showering without all the spiders. Did I mention I'm deathly afraid of spiders? Yeah. I showered quickly out there.
For me, summers always consist of two things: Grant Park and DMB.
From June through August, I sing with the chorus of the Grant Park Music Festival in Millennium Park. It's one of the best classical singing gigs in the city. And for those of you in the area, the concerts are FREE. So come check it out, and let me know when. I may just meet you out on the lawn afterward.
Summers also mean that the Dave Matthews Band is on tour! I've been a fan of DMB for over twelve years now, and my dream is to someday see them live at their three day at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington. For now though, I'll have to settle for the videos.
One of the first Dave songs that I fell in love with was Crash Into Me, a staple in any DMB fan's playlist. The band is known for their inspired (though not always sensible) lyrics and use of nursery rhymes. What I love them best for though, is their artistry.
Crash Into Me is a serene song and the video follows suit. Hazy pictures of the band in the woods, nymph-like dancers, and a skirt made of violins show the playful, creative side of the group. What's so extraordinary about this video though is the use of camera focus. It's never static and always showing us a picture that is worth a thousand words. The slightest shift brings the curve of a violin, the face paint of a geisha, or one of the band members paying homage to the instrument that enlivens him.
The other beautifully artistic choice made for this video is the use of sexual tension drawn from simplicity. There is no nudity, or overly vulgar, sexed-up women in bathings suits playing the saxophone (old skool style). The women are covered head to toe in full length gowns and costumes, and their makeup is other worldly. The sexual charge comes from small nuances (such as the almost parting legs of the geishas) and the exquisite lyrics themselves:
You've got your ball
You’ve got your chain
Tied to me tight tie me up again
Who's got their claws
In you my friend
Into your heart I'll beat again
Sweet like candy to my soul
Sweet you rock
And sweet you roll
Lost for you I'm so lost for you
You come crash into me
And I come into you,
I come into you
In a boys dream
In a boys dream
Touch your lips just so I know
In your eyes, love, it glows so
I'm bare-boned and crazy for you
When you come crash
Into me, baby
And I come into you
In a boys dream
In a boys dream
If I've gone overboard
Then I'm begging you
To forgive me
In my haste
When I'm holding you so girl...
Close to me
Oh and you come crash
Into me, baby
And I come into you
Hike up your skirt a little more
And show the world to me
Hike up your skirt a little more
And show your world to me
In a boys dream... In a boys dream
Oh I watch you there
Through the window
And I stare at you
You wear nothing but you
Wear it so well
Tied up and twisted,
The way I'd like to be
For you, for me, come crash
Into me
Tonight the band is playing a live concert at the Beacon Theater and you can watch it here on hulu for free starting at 9 pm (but of course, I have rehearsal). Tomorrow, the band's newest album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (an almost memorial album for LeRoi Moore, the band's Saxophonist who died last August) will be available for sale.
And of course, since this is a DMB post, there must be bonus videos! Here's almost twenty full minutes of the band from their free live concert at Central Park.
For me, summers always consist of two things: Grant Park and DMB.
From June through August, I sing with the chorus of the Grant Park Music Festival in Millennium Park. It's one of the best classical singing gigs in the city. And for those of you in the area, the concerts are FREE. So come check it out, and let me know when. I may just meet you out on the lawn afterward.
Summers also mean that the Dave Matthews Band is on tour! I've been a fan of DMB for over twelve years now, and my dream is to someday see them live at their three day at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington. For now though, I'll have to settle for the videos.
One of the first Dave songs that I fell in love with was Crash Into Me, a staple in any DMB fan's playlist. The band is known for their inspired (though not always sensible) lyrics and use of nursery rhymes. What I love them best for though, is their artistry.
Crash Into Me is a serene song and the video follows suit. Hazy pictures of the band in the woods, nymph-like dancers, and a skirt made of violins show the playful, creative side of the group. What's so extraordinary about this video though is the use of camera focus. It's never static and always showing us a picture that is worth a thousand words. The slightest shift brings the curve of a violin, the face paint of a geisha, or one of the band members paying homage to the instrument that enlivens him.
The other beautifully artistic choice made for this video is the use of sexual tension drawn from simplicity. There is no nudity, or overly vulgar, sexed-up women in bathings suits playing the saxophone (old skool style). The women are covered head to toe in full length gowns and costumes, and their makeup is other worldly. The sexual charge comes from small nuances (such as the almost parting legs of the geishas) and the exquisite lyrics themselves:
You've got your ball
You’ve got your chain
Tied to me tight tie me up again
Who's got their claws
In you my friend
Into your heart I'll beat again
Sweet like candy to my soul
Sweet you rock
And sweet you roll
Lost for you I'm so lost for you
You come crash into me
And I come into you,
I come into you
In a boys dream
In a boys dream
Touch your lips just so I know
In your eyes, love, it glows so
I'm bare-boned and crazy for you
When you come crash
Into me, baby
And I come into you
In a boys dream
In a boys dream
If I've gone overboard
Then I'm begging you
To forgive me
In my haste
When I'm holding you so girl...
Close to me
Oh and you come crash
Into me, baby
And I come into you
Hike up your skirt a little more
And show the world to me
Hike up your skirt a little more
And show your world to me
In a boys dream... In a boys dream
Oh I watch you there
Through the window
And I stare at you
You wear nothing but you
Wear it so well
Tied up and twisted,
The way I'd like to be
For you, for me, come crash
Into me
Tonight the band is playing a live concert at the Beacon Theater and you can watch it here on hulu for free starting at 9 pm (but of course, I have rehearsal). Tomorrow, the band's newest album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (an almost memorial album for LeRoi Moore, the band's Saxophonist who died last August) will be available for sale.
And of course, since this is a DMB post, there must be bonus videos! Here's almost twenty full minutes of the band from their free live concert at Central Park.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
An Obsession
- Main Entry:
- ob·ses·sion
- Pronunciation:
- \äb-ˈse-shən, əb-\
- Function:
- noun
- Date:
- 1680
I am admitting here for all the world to see that I have an incurable obsession with Grey's Anatomy. It's truly pathetic. The show has been in decline for over three seasons now, yet I (with legions of other Grey's fans) consistently watch what Shonda Rhimes and her writers put in front of us each week. And let me tell you, if you haven't seen it lately, it's definitely been unreasonable.
One thing however, that hasn't suffered quite as much on the show is the music.
The first few seasons, Grey's always had a very prominently promoted song that invaded the airwaves, commercials, and all that we held dear.
The minute you heard Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars, you knew that it was time for Grey's.
Season three's theme was by far the most prominent of all the Grey's music. The Fray's How to Save a Life became a hit, not only on the show but on the pop charts as well.
Oh angsty, angsty. How I love thee.
Sadly, the last few seasons have not had a theme song as in the good old days. Hopefully tomorrow night they may just pull one out of the cracks.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Blog for Dustin
A year ago my good friend Dustin introduced me to an artist that changed my outlook on pop music. I had already been a fan of Europop having lived in Poland, Germany, and Austria for a year. I had been listening to Wilki, Anna Maria Jopek, and Kasia Kowalska from Poland (yup...there's going to be a full blog on just Polish pop music one of these days), and Heinz aus Wien and Die Prinzen from the Germanic countries. Kate Ryan was the only exposure I had from the French pop scene.
And then came Yelle.
What I truly love about her is the fact that she doesn't take herself so seriously, but is still truly committed to her music. Her sexuality comes out through her own natural je ne sais quoi and not some over produced, skankified, buy-my-record-because-I'm-hot dribble. Her videos are fun and unique. I will never get enough of this petite little poplett.
A perfect example of exactly what I mean is her newest video, Ce Jeu. I mean, who doesn't love candy stripes and french fries?
Yelle's lyrics however are what put her spot above the rest of the French pop scene. She is not afraid to poke fun at other artists and the two hot guys in her band always make fun cameos in her videos.
(see translation here)
And no mention of Yelle can go by without my favorite song A Cause des Garcons (Because of the Boys). Apologies to Dustin come here...he got REALLY sick of this song once I kept it on repeat for about a month.
And just for old times sake, here's the video of the concert we attended at the Logan Square Auditorium. You can see Dustin and I at the front of the stage. This was literally one of the best nights of my LIFE.
And then came Yelle.
What I truly love about her is the fact that she doesn't take herself so seriously, but is still truly committed to her music. Her sexuality comes out through her own natural je ne sais quoi and not some over produced, skankified, buy-my-record-because-I'm-hot dribble. Her videos are fun and unique. I will never get enough of this petite little poplett.
A perfect example of exactly what I mean is her newest video, Ce Jeu. I mean, who doesn't love candy stripes and french fries?
Yelle's lyrics however are what put her spot above the rest of the French pop scene. She is not afraid to poke fun at other artists and the two hot guys in her band always make fun cameos in her videos.
(see translation here)
And no mention of Yelle can go by without my favorite song A Cause des Garcons (Because of the Boys). Apologies to Dustin come here...he got REALLY sick of this song once I kept it on repeat for about a month.
And just for old times sake, here's the video of the concert we attended at the Logan Square Auditorium. You can see Dustin and I at the front of the stage. This was literally one of the best nights of my LIFE.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Two Worlds
One of things that I love most about my life is the amazing assortment of friends that I have. I come from two different worlds, musical and literal. Being an opera singer, I've got my over the top, knowledgeable of all music genres, drama filled yet lovable friends, but I've also got an entirely different set of much more relaxed, cerebral, yet somehow still extremely fun friends as a writer. The worlds collide sometimes and this is the result.
I put out messages yesterday on facebook and twitter asking for suggestions for my next videos to blog about. A writer friend had been listening to The Ting Tings. Take a good close listen to Katie White's leads vocals. Sound familiar?
The video itself is a simple one, but really lends itself to the song. The drum beat is pounding and Jules De Martino (the second half of the group) definitely pounds it well in the video. Katie has a great vocal ability that sets her apart from the pop queens that usually rule the roost, but the blond hair, spunky outfits, and slightly too cute hat make this perfect pop fodder. The use of such intense colors is an explosion of sight equal to the sound we hear, but to be honest though, it looks like a complete rip off of the new marketing campaign for iPod (like the link I posted above).
I have a burning question though. What exactly is Jules saying in between the lyrics that Katie is singing? He's definitely mouthing something, but I have no idea what.
One of my singer friends suggested something much more classic, a video very dear to my own heart, Take On Me. Being a child of the 80's, I followed A-ha religiously. Morten Harket was one of my first celebrity crushes (followed by the likes of Jordan Knight, Corey Feldman, Anthony Michael Hall, and did I mention Jordan Knight?) The video won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, one of which included Most Exprimental Video for the pencil-sketch animation/live-action combination called rotoscoping, in which the live-action footage is traced over frame by frame to give the characters realistic movements.
However, what I found on my musical quest today is that it is not the original video for the song. There is an earlier version of both the song and the video that did not fare well in UK pop rotation in 1984. Warner Brothers decided to give the song a try in the US and the video we all know and love was brought to life. It soared to the top of the pop charts and another one hit wonder was added to the history books. So without further ado, the original version for Aha's Take On Me.
I put out messages yesterday on facebook and twitter asking for suggestions for my next videos to blog about. A writer friend had been listening to The Ting Tings. Take a good close listen to Katie White's leads vocals. Sound familiar?
The video itself is a simple one, but really lends itself to the song. The drum beat is pounding and Jules De Martino (the second half of the group) definitely pounds it well in the video. Katie has a great vocal ability that sets her apart from the pop queens that usually rule the roost, but the blond hair, spunky outfits, and slightly too cute hat make this perfect pop fodder. The use of such intense colors is an explosion of sight equal to the sound we hear, but to be honest though, it looks like a complete rip off of the new marketing campaign for iPod (like the link I posted above).
I have a burning question though. What exactly is Jules saying in between the lyrics that Katie is singing? He's definitely mouthing something, but I have no idea what.
One of my singer friends suggested something much more classic, a video very dear to my own heart, Take On Me. Being a child of the 80's, I followed A-ha religiously. Morten Harket was one of my first celebrity crushes (followed by the likes of Jordan Knight, Corey Feldman, Anthony Michael Hall, and did I mention Jordan Knight?) The video won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, one of which included Most Exprimental Video for the pencil-sketch animation/live-action combination called rotoscoping, in which the live-action footage is traced over frame by frame to give the characters realistic movements.
However, what I found on my musical quest today is that it is not the original video for the song. There is an earlier version of both the song and the video that did not fare well in UK pop rotation in 1984. Warner Brothers decided to give the song a try in the US and the video we all know and love was brought to life. It soared to the top of the pop charts and another one hit wonder was added to the history books. So without further ado, the original version for Aha's Take On Me.
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Man at the Piano
So it's been quite a while since I've posted. Things have just been super busy (last weeks of the semester in grad school, never fun). Tonight I will post something that doesn't really need any explanation. The man is legend. His music is legendary. He is one of my true loves. I give you...
Billy Joel
'Nuff said
Billy Joel
'Nuff said
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