As some of you may know, at about this time last year I made the resolution to become Zen. As of right now, it is the only New Year's resolution that I have ever come so far with (it was also the first New Year's resolution I actually resolved to do). I just want to tell you all that it has been the best decision I've ever made. *reader beware: this post has the potential to be a bit on the sappy side. I apologize in advance. (Also, to any of my friends from DU who may read this, my aim is not to offend, as we have clearly become friends for a good reason, but merely to share)
Last December I had just finished my first quarter at DU. It sucked. I was having major culture shock from going from an incredibly diverse inner-city school (Go East!) to fancy-ville USA. I don't want to sound rude, racist, stereotypical or whatever else you want to call me when I say this but it's just a fact that the vast majority of the DU population is upper class to flat out wealthy white kids. And obviously that is not what I was used to, I'm still not really. I got the feeling (and still do) that between my four years at East and three at the renaissance festival I had already encountered and become friends with more kinds of people than lots of these kids even knew about. There was practically no diversity to speak of and the campus had an air of entitlement that cut right through and made you feel inferior. I have since found a lovely group of people who break this mold and I am sure that there are more out there but you gotta understand that I had never felt poor in my life until I the day I moved into my freshman dorm and heard the girls who would become my neighbors complaining that their maids would have been doing all of the moving had they been at home. And that feeling grew with every designer hand bag attached to the shoulder of the girl barging in front of you in the hallways and every popped collar of the guy letting the door smack you in the face after he's done walking through it.
Then there were the classes, they were hard, not so hard that I couldn't still scrape up A's and B's but everything is harder when you're doing it alone. Nowadays I joke around about being anti-social and having no friends my first quarter but it was dead true. Part of that was because I was still in culture shock mode and felt like I had nothing in common with anyone. I'm gonna quote John Lennon here, not because I fancy myself to be some kind of suppressed genius, but because I can relate, "the second verse [of "Strawberry Fields Forever"] goes, 'No one I think is in my tree.' Well I was too shy and self-doubting. Nobody seems to be as hip as me is what I was saying. Therefore I must be crazy or a genius." Okay, so that's not exactly how I felt but there are similarities (amd now this post is related to music so HA!). I've always been shy, I doubted whether I fit in at all, whether I should be there. So maybe I overcompensated by convincing myself that I was the cool one in a sea of squares. I was clearly different so why not go one more step to say that I was the cool kind of different? I never thought I was a genius though ;)
So yeah it basically sucked. I thought about transferring but that wouldn't be til the next year, either way I was stuck there for 2 more quarters (20 weeks). At the end of winter break I was absolutely dreading going back (much like I am right now but on a far more severe scale). With all my old high school friends still in school, I had been watching a lot of That 70's Show, I know it makes me a bigger looser that I want to admit but I felt like I had more in common with the TV gang than any of my schoolmates. In one episode Hyde teaches Jackie to be zen.
Yep, that's my big secret, I learned zenness from TV. But I didn't rip it off completely, I made the concept my own (though in extreme examples I still resort to "Whatever" and "It's Cool"). I decided the only way to save my sanity, to save my happiness was to learn to deal with what was in front of me. So it started off as "whatever, it's cool" as an attempt to dismiss all of the crap I saw everyday. All the rudeness and self centered-ness, whatever. You think you're better than me rich kid, that's cool. One day in particular, I was failing at not hating my life so I took refuge in my records and somehow came out of it thinking, "Damn it I am the hip one around here. If you don't like it I don't care." Sure it was a bit of an angry period but it got me to stop moping around and actually talk to people. And, shock and awe, they weren't all awful! Lo and behold, right there in front of me the whole time, there had been a group of perfectly lovely people who I am now lucky enough to call my friends because they were kind enough (or stubborn enough) to wait for me to stop acting like a butthead and give me another shot at being normal. Then I went a step further not just not hating what I saw but learning to see things I liked. Oh I had something there!
From there on in I was seeing the good in a lot of situations. It's my Zen and it has grown a lot from Hyde's advice to Jackie, now I do what I can to love my fellow man and the world we all live in together because hey, it's all we've got. It's a good life. I don't get too wound up about the little stuff anymore because I realize, hey, if no one is getting hurt or brought down in the grand scheme of things it's just not that big a deal. Move on. All of that from one little resolution. I decided to be happy person and that's what I did.
This past year is what I shall now refer to as Stage One. Because this New Year brings a new resolution that's even better than the last my friends! Last year it was about me being happy, doing what I needed to to fix up my own life. This year I want to take the next step, a bigger step to be sure but I want to do it. I need to do it. This year is about spreading my Zen, spreading the love, spreading the joy. I firmly believe that what you put out there you get back. Call it the Golden Rule call it Karma. Whatever you call it that is what is at the core of this year's New Year's Resolution. I am resolving to put as much good and love into the world as I can because I truly believe that it will come back to me and I will be an even happier person for having done what I can for the people in my life. No I'm not going to be the next Gandhi, I'm not going to give away all my worldly possessions, I'm not going to fly to Africa and a build a village (no matter how much I want to I just don't have the money). It's got to start small and grow, that's why from New Year's Day on, whenever I see an opportunity to make someone's life a little easier I am going to do my best to take it.
So here's to you my good friends, may the new year find you in peace and love. Cheers!
12.30.2010
12.20.2010
Committed
The Finale is tonight (7:00-9:30 on NBC)! I've already voted and now the voting is closed but that is not going to stop me from writing about one last amazing group! So here we go...
I give you Committed. I'm going to (try to) keep this post on the short side because I don't think there is anything I could say about these boys that won't smack you in face the second you hear them. However I will tell you that they came together in an Alabama church singing gospel and they have been pushing their own envelope on this show by consistently turning out some of the most inventive, expressive, and beautiful arrangements I've heard. I think that what really sets them apart (aside from their adorably sweet attitudes) is the richness of their harmonies and the raw talent throughout the group. Every single one of them is capable of singing lead because they were all blessed with gorgeous voices (voices "like butter" as Shawn Stockman of Boys II Men told them). Unlike some other groups who are obviously made up of divas trying to launch their solo careers *cough Backbeats cough*, these boys pass the glory around generously and when they're not singing the lead they take equal share in creating a strong, beautiful backdrop which enhances the lead even more. The degree of togetherness (for lack of a better word) both musically and emotionally is just astounding and it really shines through every one of their performances.
On to the videos!
I usually try to do these videos in the order they happened but if you only have the attention span to listen to one performance I want it to be this one, "Let's Stay Together" by the amazing Al Green.
I'm sorry the quality of this video isn't top notch but I wanted to find one that included the judges comments. Ignore Nicole's crazy rambling about candy and listen to what Shawn Stockman and Ben Folds (a cappella and musicality experts respectively) have to say about this performance. I agree with them 100%. Other words that come to my mind after this performance are: seamless, smooth, sexy, expressive, honest, deep, etc. etc. Do you know how hard it is to swap the lead vocal line around like that? I remember many an arranging project in high school where two or more people really wanted to be the soloist and neither would step down. So they thought it would be a good idea to each sing a verse or two. Sure it sounds like a good solution but more often than not, when one person stopped singing the lead the other person would have to stop singing whatever back up part they were singing to step up leaving the previous soloist to pick up where they left off. This hardly ever worked because the person taking over the back up would wind up getting lost or coming in in the wrong place and dragging down the rest of the arrangement which would have been fine if one person or another had just learned the part and stuck with it for the whole piece. But the men of Committed make it look so easy! They switch off what, 10 times in the 2 minute song? And consider that since every one sang a lead that means they all had to not only know all of the lyrics but also at least two parts of the accompaniment, their own part and another part that they would have to fill wile its singer had the lead. Well done indeed!
They broke onto the scene as top contenders on the first night of competition with Maroon 5's "This Love".
Just watch the crowd's reaction at the end, I think that pretty much sums it up. I also loved seeing what Shawn Stockman thought of them ("musical orgasm" as one of the other judges put it). Obviously, being a part of the legendary Boys II Men makes him the authority on the a cappella portion of these performances and it is clear that Committed locked it in in his eyes. They were the last group to sing on the premier night and he told them that he had been waiting all night for a group to bring what they brought and I have to agree. I can't think of anything to add other than what Shawn already said but I would like to point out the delicious way that they picked one little moment in the piece and built up a luscious, flawless block chord harmony that just makes you say, "oh yes".
This is their "guilty pleasure" song (aka super cheesy but oh so catchy) "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.
In the little intro piece they use to fill up their two hour slot they talked about how strange they felt to be self-proclaimed "church boys" trying to be sexy. They showed a few of them singing a line or two while showing off their best sexy moves before cracking up with the rest of the group. Adorable. I hope they know that when they get back to church after all of this there are going to be a lot more girls in the congregation than they remember. This clip also includes the judges comments and I think they pretty much sum it all up. All I have to say about this performance is mad props for giving us all the cheesy goodness of the Backstreet Boys and throwing in a bonus of actual musicianship. Wow. Also, the boy band inspired dance moves were a nice touch too.
Basically, I love their sound and they all seem like such sweet guys I just want to be their friend! They are the whole package and if they win you can be sure I will be buying that album.
I want to wish good luck to all of these groups at tonight's Finale. They all deserve so much to win (except the fakey fakerson Backbeats who are less of a group and more 15 soloists who will eventually snap and kill each other in a fit of vanity if they have to work as a group for the many months it takes to create an album) and I truly hope that whoever doesn't win will have gained the attention they need to further their music careers from this show because I would love nothing more than to buy their albums. Did you hear that record companies of the world? There are people who will pay money to buy music by Street Corner Symphony, Committed, and Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town!
In conclusion, thank you to all of the competing groups and NBC for the fun of The Sing Off.
I give you Committed. I'm going to (try to) keep this post on the short side because I don't think there is anything I could say about these boys that won't smack you in face the second you hear them. However I will tell you that they came together in an Alabama church singing gospel and they have been pushing their own envelope on this show by consistently turning out some of the most inventive, expressive, and beautiful arrangements I've heard. I think that what really sets them apart (aside from their adorably sweet attitudes) is the richness of their harmonies and the raw talent throughout the group. Every single one of them is capable of singing lead because they were all blessed with gorgeous voices (voices "like butter" as Shawn Stockman of Boys II Men told them). Unlike some other groups who are obviously made up of divas trying to launch their solo careers *cough Backbeats cough*, these boys pass the glory around generously and when they're not singing the lead they take equal share in creating a strong, beautiful backdrop which enhances the lead even more. The degree of togetherness (for lack of a better word) both musically and emotionally is just astounding and it really shines through every one of their performances.
On to the videos!
I usually try to do these videos in the order they happened but if you only have the attention span to listen to one performance I want it to be this one, "Let's Stay Together" by the amazing Al Green.
I'm sorry the quality of this video isn't top notch but I wanted to find one that included the judges comments. Ignore Nicole's crazy rambling about candy and listen to what Shawn Stockman and Ben Folds (a cappella and musicality experts respectively) have to say about this performance. I agree with them 100%. Other words that come to my mind after this performance are: seamless, smooth, sexy, expressive, honest, deep, etc. etc. Do you know how hard it is to swap the lead vocal line around like that? I remember many an arranging project in high school where two or more people really wanted to be the soloist and neither would step down. So they thought it would be a good idea to each sing a verse or two. Sure it sounds like a good solution but more often than not, when one person stopped singing the lead the other person would have to stop singing whatever back up part they were singing to step up leaving the previous soloist to pick up where they left off. This hardly ever worked because the person taking over the back up would wind up getting lost or coming in in the wrong place and dragging down the rest of the arrangement which would have been fine if one person or another had just learned the part and stuck with it for the whole piece. But the men of Committed make it look so easy! They switch off what, 10 times in the 2 minute song? And consider that since every one sang a lead that means they all had to not only know all of the lyrics but also at least two parts of the accompaniment, their own part and another part that they would have to fill wile its singer had the lead. Well done indeed!
They broke onto the scene as top contenders on the first night of competition with Maroon 5's "This Love".
Just watch the crowd's reaction at the end, I think that pretty much sums it up. I also loved seeing what Shawn Stockman thought of them ("musical orgasm" as one of the other judges put it). Obviously, being a part of the legendary Boys II Men makes him the authority on the a cappella portion of these performances and it is clear that Committed locked it in in his eyes. They were the last group to sing on the premier night and he told them that he had been waiting all night for a group to bring what they brought and I have to agree. I can't think of anything to add other than what Shawn already said but I would like to point out the delicious way that they picked one little moment in the piece and built up a luscious, flawless block chord harmony that just makes you say, "oh yes".
This is their "guilty pleasure" song (aka super cheesy but oh so catchy) "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.
In the little intro piece they use to fill up their two hour slot they talked about how strange they felt to be self-proclaimed "church boys" trying to be sexy. They showed a few of them singing a line or two while showing off their best sexy moves before cracking up with the rest of the group. Adorable. I hope they know that when they get back to church after all of this there are going to be a lot more girls in the congregation than they remember. This clip also includes the judges comments and I think they pretty much sum it all up. All I have to say about this performance is mad props for giving us all the cheesy goodness of the Backstreet Boys and throwing in a bonus of actual musicianship. Wow. Also, the boy band inspired dance moves were a nice touch too.
Basically, I love their sound and they all seem like such sweet guys I just want to be their friend! They are the whole package and if they win you can be sure I will be buying that album.
I want to wish good luck to all of these groups at tonight's Finale. They all deserve so much to win (except the fakey fakerson Backbeats who are less of a group and more 15 soloists who will eventually snap and kill each other in a fit of vanity if they have to work as a group for the many months it takes to create an album) and I truly hope that whoever doesn't win will have gained the attention they need to further their music careers from this show because I would love nothing more than to buy their albums. Did you hear that record companies of the world? There are people who will pay money to buy music by Street Corner Symphony, Committed, and Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town!
In conclusion, thank you to all of the competing groups and NBC for the fun of The Sing Off.
12.19.2010
Street Corner Symphony
*Note: Apparently the voting ended this morning at 9, which means I have failed in influencing your vote. But that's okay because I don't want to wield that kind of power anyway. Don't worry, I will finish what I started and show you the other groups I like so you know what to watch for on Monday's 2 and a half hour Finale*
Day 2, group 2. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Street Corner Symphony. They're a laid back group made up of 2 sets of brothers and some friends thrown in for good measure. They all seem like real, nice guys from Tennessee who enjoy singing and "unpracticing" where, according to them, they not only don't practice but they drink beer while they're not practicing. They've got a great down-to-Earth vibe that just makes you relax and enjoy their work. I really love that there is such an honest connection throughout the group. Every time they perform their passion for making music and their friendship shows through and adds another level to the experience. Plus, their lead singer has been dabbling around in the music business for a while not trying to get something going but so far has just been tossed aside by the record company that singed him. His lead vocals are so touching and heartfelt, he just puts it all out there for us. I think he has more than enough talent to do some big things if he could get under the right management but as we all know, the music industry is like 15% talent, 5% looks (which I wouldn't say he's lacking ;) ), and 80% luck. Hopefully the tight accompaniment and new takes on fun songs that his groupmates are providing will be just extra push he needs to get the attention they all deserve.
Let's take a listen...
Here's their take on Train's "Hey Soul Sister"
What I love about this performance is that it still sounds like the song we all sing along to in the car because they were able to identify and build off of the best parts of the existing song and then expand and put their own sound on the other parts. The group who won last year's Sing Off (Nota, check 'em out) were also experts at this, infusing all kinds of genres with their Puerto Rican flavor.
And here is "Creep" by Radiohead
It's not my favorite song to begin with but I had to put it in here (even over their fantastic Beatles medley, shocking I know) because I was blown away by the emotion and expression that carried the performance from beginning to end. Obviously we see it in the lead vocals, a raw display of talent that goes straight past competition or even performance to the realm of story telling and soul bearing. That is not something you are going to hear from 95% of today's pop artists and certainly not from 99.99% (I don't know why I'm so into percentages tonight) of the a cappella groups covering their songs. And it's not just the lead, the rest of the group is so rock solid and in tune with each other that they succeed in adding a whole other level to the experience. Mad props on this performance.
Lastly, I give you, my jam, "Down on the Corner" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
The judges picked this song for them and I don't know how they felt about it but I certainly thought it captured what they are all about. And then they turned around and captured what the song itself was all about, from their subtle but fitting choreography to their down South attitude to the fun way they mixed it up and infused their own personality into it. It was just fun to watch. And may I just point out that there are 6 people there. They are recreating, and even expanding, the sound of a full band who spent who know how much time in a studio putting everything together (though this is CCR so maybe not that much time) with 6 voices. That is no easy feat and they make it look like it is.
I just can't say enough about these guys and their relaxed, down home style. There is so much talent there and practically no ego. Every time they perform they are locked into making great music and having fun doing it. When you watch you aren't hung up on what they're wearing, how they're dancing, or any kind of under lying tension between them that is showing through, you are able to just relax and truly enjoy the spectacular performance they are putting out for you. Rock on guys!
Day 2, group 2. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Street Corner Symphony. They're a laid back group made up of 2 sets of brothers and some friends thrown in for good measure. They all seem like real, nice guys from Tennessee who enjoy singing and "unpracticing" where, according to them, they not only don't practice but they drink beer while they're not practicing. They've got a great down-to-Earth vibe that just makes you relax and enjoy their work. I really love that there is such an honest connection throughout the group. Every time they perform their passion for making music and their friendship shows through and adds another level to the experience. Plus, their lead singer has been dabbling around in the music business for a while not trying to get something going but so far has just been tossed aside by the record company that singed him. His lead vocals are so touching and heartfelt, he just puts it all out there for us. I think he has more than enough talent to do some big things if he could get under the right management but as we all know, the music industry is like 15% talent, 5% looks (which I wouldn't say he's lacking ;) ), and 80% luck. Hopefully the tight accompaniment and new takes on fun songs that his groupmates are providing will be just extra push he needs to get the attention they all deserve.
Let's take a listen...
Here's their take on Train's "Hey Soul Sister"
What I love about this performance is that it still sounds like the song we all sing along to in the car because they were able to identify and build off of the best parts of the existing song and then expand and put their own sound on the other parts. The group who won last year's Sing Off (Nota, check 'em out) were also experts at this, infusing all kinds of genres with their Puerto Rican flavor.
And here is "Creep" by Radiohead
It's not my favorite song to begin with but I had to put it in here (even over their fantastic Beatles medley, shocking I know) because I was blown away by the emotion and expression that carried the performance from beginning to end. Obviously we see it in the lead vocals, a raw display of talent that goes straight past competition or even performance to the realm of story telling and soul bearing. That is not something you are going to hear from 95% of today's pop artists and certainly not from 99.99% (I don't know why I'm so into percentages tonight) of the a cappella groups covering their songs. And it's not just the lead, the rest of the group is so rock solid and in tune with each other that they succeed in adding a whole other level to the experience. Mad props on this performance.
Lastly, I give you, my jam, "Down on the Corner" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
The judges picked this song for them and I don't know how they felt about it but I certainly thought it captured what they are all about. And then they turned around and captured what the song itself was all about, from their subtle but fitting choreography to their down South attitude to the fun way they mixed it up and infused their own personality into it. It was just fun to watch. And may I just point out that there are 6 people there. They are recreating, and even expanding, the sound of a full band who spent who know how much time in a studio putting everything together (though this is CCR so maybe not that much time) with 6 voices. That is no easy feat and they make it look like it is.
I just can't say enough about these guys and their relaxed, down home style. There is so much talent there and practically no ego. Every time they perform they are locked into making great music and having fun doing it. When you watch you aren't hung up on what they're wearing, how they're dancing, or any kind of under lying tension between them that is showing through, you are able to just relax and truly enjoy the spectacular performance they are putting out for you. Rock on guys!
12.18.2010
Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town
The first group I thought I would share with you is called Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town (mind you there is no order of preference here). I think the first thing everyone notices is that they're all older guys and we think, "Aww, look at the cute old guys in their cute matching suits." but then we here them sing and we (or at least I) are left speechless. I like to think that they are what would happen if the Pips went solo. Through out the competition they have shown an amazing talent for taking all kinds of songs and (from The Stones hits to American folk music) and breathing a new, soulful, R&B, Motown life into them.
This first video is their performance of "Easy" by Lionel Richie.
This is their kind of music to be sure. Their lead singer has been around the block a few times putting out quite a few albums with Motown groups that has long since disbanded. He teared me up on the last episode with his comment on how much this second chance in the music business would mean to him (yeah I tear up easily). Jerry has such a classic and soulful R&B voice and the rest of the guys blend and back him up so nicely. It's just fun to listen too, tell me you didn't smile.
This next clip is their touching rendition of "House of the Rising Sun"
I almost wish this video included the judges comments so you could see just how blown away they, the professional musicians, were. One comment was that this is the way The Animals wanted it to sound. I was just floored by how much meaning and life they were able to bring to the story and the message of the song through their arrangement. You could just hear the melancholy in the lead and the harmonies groaned and sighed in such honesty that it was truly soul stirring. I don't know about you but I practically felt like I was wandering aimlessly in a New Orleans slum carrying some kind of heart wrenching burden. That is what good music does to you.
This last piece is just because I thought it was really fun (and I love The Stones)
How did make this whiny (but catchy) Jagger tune so damn soulful? The challenge of that particular episode was to perform a big rock hit and put their own spin on it and I don't think they could have done it any better.
Come back tomorrow so I can show you another wonderful group!
This first video is their performance of "Easy" by Lionel Richie.
This is their kind of music to be sure. Their lead singer has been around the block a few times putting out quite a few albums with Motown groups that has long since disbanded. He teared me up on the last episode with his comment on how much this second chance in the music business would mean to him (yeah I tear up easily). Jerry has such a classic and soulful R&B voice and the rest of the guys blend and back him up so nicely. It's just fun to listen too, tell me you didn't smile.
This next clip is their touching rendition of "House of the Rising Sun"
I almost wish this video included the judges comments so you could see just how blown away they, the professional musicians, were. One comment was that this is the way The Animals wanted it to sound. I was just floored by how much meaning and life they were able to bring to the story and the message of the song through their arrangement. You could just hear the melancholy in the lead and the harmonies groaned and sighed in such honesty that it was truly soul stirring. I don't know about you but I practically felt like I was wandering aimlessly in a New Orleans slum carrying some kind of heart wrenching burden. That is what good music does to you.
This last piece is just because I thought it was really fun (and I love The Stones)
How did make this whiny (but catchy) Jagger tune so damn soulful? The challenge of that particular episode was to perform a big rock hit and put their own spin on it and I don't think they could have done it any better.
In summary, Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town are
- adorable
- incredibly talented
- soulful (I know I've said that a million times but I think it is the best word to describe their style)
- honest
- looking for a second chance
Come back tomorrow so I can show you another wonderful group!
Accappella or is it a capella, acapela... acappella?
Aside from being really hard to spell, a cappella (that is the official spelling, I checked) is an amazing genre of music in which no instruments are used. It's all vocal. So that means when you're singing N*Sync in the shower you are singing a cappella... fancy huh? But hold on to your loofa (I did not check for the official spelling of that) because the genre goes so far beyond bad shower singing! There exist groups of people who are experts in this fine art. Such people create entire songs, both original pieces and covers of any song imaginable, in which the lyrics, guitar, bass, harmonies, percussion and any other sound you've ever heard in a song are all created using only their voices. Like anything else, there are a lot of good groups, a lot more really mediocre groups and a just a few truly amazing groups. I for one, would like to say thank you to the a cappella nerd over at NBC who has so kindly given us The Sing Off so we may marvel at groups from all of these categories (however we will only be discussing those in the amazing category). What's that? You haven't seen it? Well never fear, hulu has all the episodes and clips you need to get caught up.
Fun right? I bet a lot of you know that in high school I sang in a similar group (shout out to the 08-09 Angelaires!) We were 11-16 people throughout the year due to some freak vocal upsets and while we did a fair number of pop tunes we were mostly accapella jazz based. And to put it simply we just freaking rocked. The group has won top honors at jazz festivals all over the state (and occasionally elsewhere) for the past... I don't even know... a lot of years. And to be perfectly honest that was the most in touch and connected I have ever been able to feel with both the music I was singing and the people I was singing it with. Singing that particular music with that particular group really opened me up as a musician and a performer (Thanks Mr. Taylor). It is just a shame that we had such a short time together.
In case you haven't caught on, I really miss that group. I miss the people, the music, the atmosphere, and just being a part of such a high caliber group. That is why I love The Sing Off. It allows me to relive my glory days vicariously through other accappella groups (do I sound like an old dude in a beat up la-z-boy reminiscing about some war or another? Oh well. Listen up Sonny!) Monday is the Finale where America gets to vote for the winners and I know that this blog has a lot of influence *Puffs out chest, puts hands on hips, and looks dramatically into the distance* so I thought I would do what I can to help you decide who to vote for.
There are four groups who are still in the running to win the grand prize (which is some amount of money and a nice little recording contract). It all comes down to:
I gotta say, I am so glad I'm not in charge of picking the winner here. The three groups that I like (I'm sure you've guessed who those are) I really like. I think every one of them is completely deserving of the prize and a further career in music. And honestly, even the group that I don't like is quite good and I'm sure that they would record a perfectly decent album if they won but they are just missing what I consider a really big element of a rock solid group (which I will discuss later) . For me there is a 3 in 4 chance that I will be really happy for the winning group but at the same time will feel really badly for the other 2. I would love to see them all gain the interest of recording companies through their stint on this show so that whether they win or lose they can still go on in music.
In the interest of not writing a 14 page post that no one has the attention span for (like this one) I'm going to show you each of my favorite groups over the next 3 days (the last will be on Monday before the big Finale) in the hopes of sharing this awesome music with you... and maybe swaying you to vote with me in the process ;)
Come back tomorrow!
*This is the part where you go watch a couple of videos if you have no idea what I'm talking about*
Fun right? I bet a lot of you know that in high school I sang in a similar group (shout out to the 08-09 Angelaires!) We were 11-16 people throughout the year due to some freak vocal upsets and while we did a fair number of pop tunes we were mostly accapella jazz based. And to put it simply we just freaking rocked. The group has won top honors at jazz festivals all over the state (and occasionally elsewhere) for the past... I don't even know... a lot of years. And to be perfectly honest that was the most in touch and connected I have ever been able to feel with both the music I was singing and the people I was singing it with. Singing that particular music with that particular group really opened me up as a musician and a performer (Thanks Mr. Taylor). It is just a shame that we had such a short time together.
In case you haven't caught on, I really miss that group. I miss the people, the music, the atmosphere, and just being a part of such a high caliber group. That is why I love The Sing Off. It allows me to relive my glory days vicariously through other accappella groups (do I sound like an old dude in a beat up la-z-boy reminiscing about some war or another? Oh well. Listen up Sonny!) Monday is the Finale where America gets to vote for the winners and I know that this blog has a lot of influence *Puffs out chest, puts hands on hips, and looks dramatically into the distance* so I thought I would do what I can to help you decide who to vote for.
There are four groups who are still in the running to win the grand prize (which is some amount of money and a nice little recording contract). It all comes down to:
- Committed *swoon*
- Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town *awww*
- Street Corner Symphony *Rock on*
- The Backbeats *Booo!*
I gotta say, I am so glad I'm not in charge of picking the winner here. The three groups that I like (I'm sure you've guessed who those are) I really like. I think every one of them is completely deserving of the prize and a further career in music. And honestly, even the group that I don't like is quite good and I'm sure that they would record a perfectly decent album if they won but they are just missing what I consider a really big element of a rock solid group (which I will discuss later) . For me there is a 3 in 4 chance that I will be really happy for the winning group but at the same time will feel really badly for the other 2. I would love to see them all gain the interest of recording companies through their stint on this show so that whether they win or lose they can still go on in music.
In the interest of not writing a 14 page post that no one has the attention span for (like this one) I'm going to show you each of my favorite groups over the next 3 days (the last will be on Monday before the big Finale) in the hopes of sharing this awesome music with you... and maybe swaying you to vote with me in the process ;)
Come back tomorrow!
12.12.2010
Everyone's favorite lefty
Why yes, yes it is another Beatles post! Kinda.
As all of you good Paul/Beatles/SNL fans know the good Sir was last night's Saturday Night Live musical guest! *pause for applause to subside* And I'm okay with telling you that he is the first musician I've actually heard of all season... or at least since Tom Petty and Pearl Jam but I think they were last season. Actually, I should rephrase that, I have heard of some of the other artists (I don't live under a rock [it's actually a dorm-cave, but it has wifi]) I just can't say I have heard any of their music. If you think that makes me some kind of music snob I'm hurt, but you are entitled to your musical opinions.
Still, I know that, deep down, you know I listen to really froody music. (On a completely unrelated note, I would really like froody to catch on on this planet)
Anyhoo, I just wanted to share this with you because hulu apparently can only deal with two music numbers per SNL episode (even though music legends get to play as many as they want, four in Paul's case). Also, I'm willing to bet that it won't be long before the network discovers their clip on YouTube (where it will make them no money) and steal it away once again. Luckily for me they can't steal it from my cable box. *insert evil laugh (preferably Zamir's if you've been lucky enough to hear it)*
To put this in context it is 30 years and 3 days since John Lennon was killed in New York. Paul, being the sensitive and loving guy that he is, recognizes this and pays homage with one of John's most memorable Beatles tunes (the middle section of which was actually written/performed by Paul) which flowed seamlessly into The Plastic Ono Band's Give Peace a Chance. I thought that the performance was just about as eloquent a music can get. With the words and the tune and the message all speaking together so poignantly.
Yeah, I teared up when Paul asked for people all over the world to sing together. I so deeply hope they did. But judging by the sound of the audience (whom you can't even hear on any other night due to the shows sound system) I think it was pretty probable that there was national even world wide singing going on.
Then there's this little golden nugget. Shortly after I realized that becoming Mrs. McCartney (or Lennon or Harrison or Starkey) wasn't going to work out I decided that Mrs. Seth Meyers would be a very good plan B. So this was just... just... ah... swoon!
I can't quite hear if he says it's the best or worst thing he's ever worked on but the dead pan sarcasm (and the fact that he's Paul) make it a small morsel of comedy genius,
*Christmas Bonus, I'm going to let you in on how creepy I really am: as I write this I keep fantasizing that one day Paul himself will stumble upon this humble post. At which time my Beatles sense will tingle and I will slip into some sort of joyous coma. Do you think rock stars google themselves?*
As all of you good Paul/Beatles/SNL fans know the good Sir was last night's Saturday Night Live musical guest! *pause for applause to subside* And I'm okay with telling you that he is the first musician I've actually heard of all season... or at least since Tom Petty and Pearl Jam but I think they were last season. Actually, I should rephrase that, I have heard of some of the other artists (I don't live under a rock [it's actually a dorm-cave, but it has wifi]) I just can't say I have heard any of their music. If you think that makes me some kind of music snob I'm hurt, but you are entitled to your musical opinions.
Still, I know that, deep down, you know I listen to really froody music. (On a completely unrelated note, I would really like froody to catch on on this planet)
Anyhoo, I just wanted to share this with you because hulu apparently can only deal with two music numbers per SNL episode (even though music legends get to play as many as they want, four in Paul's case). Also, I'm willing to bet that it won't be long before the network discovers their clip on YouTube (where it will make them no money) and steal it away once again. Luckily for me they can't steal it from my cable box. *insert evil laugh (preferably Zamir's if you've been lucky enough to hear it)*
To put this in context it is 30 years and 3 days since John Lennon was killed in New York. Paul, being the sensitive and loving guy that he is, recognizes this and pays homage with one of John's most memorable Beatles tunes (the middle section of which was actually written/performed by Paul) which flowed seamlessly into The Plastic Ono Band's Give Peace a Chance. I thought that the performance was just about as eloquent a music can get. With the words and the tune and the message all speaking together so poignantly.
Yeah, I teared up when Paul asked for people all over the world to sing together. I so deeply hope they did. But judging by the sound of the audience (whom you can't even hear on any other night due to the shows sound system) I think it was pretty probable that there was national even world wide singing going on.
Then there's this little golden nugget. Shortly after I realized that becoming Mrs. McCartney (or Lennon or Harrison or Starkey) wasn't going to work out I decided that Mrs. Seth Meyers would be a very good plan B. So this was just... just... ah... swoon!
I can't quite hear if he says it's the best or worst thing he's ever worked on but the dead pan sarcasm (and the fact that he's Paul) make it a small morsel of comedy genius,
*Christmas Bonus, I'm going to let you in on how creepy I really am: as I write this I keep fantasizing that one day Paul himself will stumble upon this humble post. At which time my Beatles sense will tingle and I will slip into some sort of joyous coma. Do you think rock stars google themselves?*
12.11.2010
What am I doing here?
Yep, just in case you haven't caught on, I have no idea what I'm doing with a blog. I'm not a huge blog reader to begin with so I don't know if I'm on the right track here or not. But I'm on break and there is no way I am doing anything that could potentially be classified as research so I'm just going to keep making stuff up as I go along if that's okay with you. What's that? You think this stuff is witty and enlightening? Even though I put little to no planning into it whatsoever? Well, I'd hate to disappoint you my loyal readers! On to the making stuff up!
Of the very few blogs I ever think to check there are a few things I've noticed about blogs in general. For one thing, it seems that most of the better ones have a theme of some kind. Case in point Cakewrecks and My Mom the Style Icon. Those are really clever pieces of work and their fun subject matter has clearly gotten them a lot of attention. It's not that I'm looking for national fame by any means (too much pressure there) but it would be nice if I could reasonably believe that someone other than my parents reads this thing. The problem with themes is that I highly doubt I have that kind of focus, when I feel like writing something I just kid of go for it. Plus, I can't think of anything specifically new and hip to focus on that I actually know anything about. I mean I could write a blog about wayfarer glasses and handlebar moustaches and stick it on a mustard yellow background with some angsty black and white sketch work, birds maybe. I can't think of anything more hip. But I don't know anything about glasses or moustaches so I think I'd run out of post ideas pretty quick. You see the problem? The only other blogs I read are those that are just really hilarious i.e. hyperbole and a half (the post about moving with dogs had me laughing hysterically all alone in my dorm room... or was that finals stress?) Either way this writer is a genius in a subtle kind of way. I would like to think that I'm funny but every time I ask my mom she just says, "Yeah, sure you're funny" with enough sarcasm to give pause to a certain French mime. So I don't really know if I'm funny or not. In any case, I am certainly not funny enough to make people want to read about my daily life. Also, I'm not that good of an artiste.
So in an effort to narrow down the subject matter of this here bloggy blog I present you with guidelines. Guidelines which you can expect me to follow about as closely as one follows a firebreather in a parade, closely enough to see what's going on but far enough away to keep your options open for escape. (Strangely, when you've walked behind a firebreather in as many parades as I have you eventually stop planning escapes and instead focus on witty comments for those watching.)
Of the very few blogs I ever think to check there are a few things I've noticed about blogs in general. For one thing, it seems that most of the better ones have a theme of some kind. Case in point Cakewrecks and My Mom the Style Icon. Those are really clever pieces of work and their fun subject matter has clearly gotten them a lot of attention. It's not that I'm looking for national fame by any means (too much pressure there) but it would be nice if I could reasonably believe that someone other than my parents reads this thing. The problem with themes is that I highly doubt I have that kind of focus, when I feel like writing something I just kid of go for it. Plus, I can't think of anything specifically new and hip to focus on that I actually know anything about. I mean I could write a blog about wayfarer glasses and handlebar moustaches and stick it on a mustard yellow background with some angsty black and white sketch work, birds maybe. I can't think of anything more hip. But I don't know anything about glasses or moustaches so I think I'd run out of post ideas pretty quick. You see the problem? The only other blogs I read are those that are just really hilarious i.e. hyperbole and a half (the post about moving with dogs had me laughing hysterically all alone in my dorm room... or was that finals stress?) Either way this writer is a genius in a subtle kind of way. I would like to think that I'm funny but every time I ask my mom she just says, "Yeah, sure you're funny" with enough sarcasm to give pause to a certain French mime. So I don't really know if I'm funny or not. In any case, I am certainly not funny enough to make people want to read about my daily life. Also, I'm not that good of an artiste.
So in an effort to narrow down the subject matter of this here bloggy blog I present you with guidelines. Guidelines which you can expect me to follow about as closely as one follows a firebreather in a parade, closely enough to see what's going on but far enough away to keep your options open for escape. (Strangely, when you've walked behind a firebreather in as many parades as I have you eventually stop planning escapes and instead focus on witty comments for those watching.)
Official Blog Guidelines
- Generally topics will have to do with music – as you have astutely noticed from the name of the blog, I am a music major. As such, it is music that I draw most of my inspiration from. So it makes sense that a good portion of this blog will be music related. I guess we can call music the theme. I guarantee that not every post will revolve solely around music, though I hope it will act as the glue that holds this thing together. I mean as together as it's likely to get.
- No Angst – I am very anti-teen angst. It’s exhausting and invariably leads to depression for the reader and writer alike. It’s played out at any rate. No, I’m not technically a teen any more but I have noticed that the stench of teen angst permeates far further than the blogs of teenagers. Again, I make no promises, occasional whining may occur.
- Yes Zen-ness – Although I love sarcasm and stinging wit more than most people I am generally a very nice, happy person. Ever since last year’s New Year’s resolution to be a happier person I have been on a quest to find my Zen. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made. It’s not so much the Indian tabla music, incense, and meditation kind of Zen that I’m going far (although I have been known to meditate to Ravi Shankaar music when I’m really stressed out). To me it’s more about being able to be happy with whatever your situation is, not dwelling on the negatives, being thankful for what you have, and just appreciating this world and this life. On my best days I remember all of this and live by my self set standards but, like everyone else, I have my off days. I’m just trying to live this life loving my fellow man and the world we live in.
- As Much Humor as Possible – I think laughing is the greatest thing ever. I love laughing and I love making other people laugh. People have told me I’m funny and though I may just brush the comment off (likely with another attempt at being funny) I truly appreciate every time someone laughs with me and at me. I’ve even been known to act ridiculous in public because I think it’s great when I can get a stranger to chuckle. I hope that humor gets translated here and it’s not just an outpouring of bad puns but if someone reads this and laughs I’m gonna keep doing it. Sorry.
11.26.2010
The Yearly Giving of Thanks
It's black Friday (at least it was when I started writing this post, I have a tendency to get a little backlogged) and you know what that means… Locking all the doors and windows, staying in the house watching Christmas shows, and eating leftovers! What? That’s just me? You do what at 3 a.m.!?! Well have fun with that but I personally do not want to take part in any heartwarming American tradition that inevitably seems to end in the trampling of innocent people on the way to cheap novelty toys. And luckily for me, my family shares my sentiment on this. With the exception of my poor dad, who had to brave the roads during Black Friday rush hour (7a.m.) to get to the firehouse where he will probably face a shift of trying to revive trampled people, the rest of us (that would be my mom and I) were content to stay in the house all day.
I’ve got a great family. I mean, yeah they’re a little nuts, but the best ones always are. When I’m looking around the neighborhood at all of the hip young couples and their hip young babies I am always glad that my own family seems to have run as far away from that cookie cutter as possible. We’ve got our quirks and sure there’s the occasional screaming match, but overall I think we pretty much like each other. Good for us. And for that I am incredibly, shouting from the mountain tops, thankful.
Yesterday, we all hoped in the car and drove to Pueblo to enjoy the traditional stuffing of face with our extended family (well part of it at least). It’s a little more than 2 hours in the car on a fairly blah stretch of highway with legions of other holiday commuters. I have the hips of an 80 year old and they ache something fierce when I sit it a certain position for too long. But still I love these kinds of trips because my parents let me plug in my iPod and be in charge of the music for the whole trip. Lucky for all of us, I have very obscure taste in music and my parents are just as big of classic rock fans as I am. So we bridge the generation gap and rock out for a while. It’s awesome and I’m thankful for those two hours.
Then, when we finally get to my aunt and uncle’s house, we are greeted with the world’s best aroma, tuuuuuurkey! And hugs, those are nice too. For the next hour it’s just a frenzy of everyone trying to help (or at least stay out of the way) in an effort to get the food to the table a little faster. Then the best part, tuuuuuuurkey! I don’t know if this happens at every holiday gathering or if it’s more Salagovic specific, but as soon as the food is out it goes practically silent for the next few minutes then the volume gradually increases as the plates empty. I’ve come to the conclusion that the volume of the group is inversely related to the amount of food on the plates. So there’s that and my uncle and his not so candid camera that we’ve all learned to ignore (the shots always come out quite nice), but other than that we really don’t have any major, holiday halting quirks. Between internet advice columns and holiday movies you’d think that every family has gory skeletons in their closet that come exploding out as soon as each seat around the holiday table has a butt in it. But I guess we just don’t. For that I am thankful.
I am also thankful for the Macy’s parade, it’s just so festive! I love it! And I’m thankful for the DVR that lets me record it because we always leave for Pueblo before it starts. This year there were some really great acts, and a ton of pop artists that I’d never heard of, but the presence of the amazing Arlo Guthrie and the fabulous Gladys Knight (though the Pips were mysteriously absent) made up for that. Also, I was pretty impressed by Jimmy Fallon (who I never realized could sing) and his band. They revived a retro piece that originally appeared as a superstar medley on a holiday telethon, “Feed The World”. The words are great and touching and they make you think about the rest of the world, plus it’s a pretty catchy anthem. “And there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmastime. The greatest gift they’ll get this year is life (Oooh)…” it’s just as true today as it was when the song first rocked in the 80’s. And I am thankful for that too. I am reminded that there are so many things that we all just take for granted (a bed, Thanksgiving dinner, clean water…) while there are people all over the world living without. And what is even more amazing is that many of these people, though they’ve never watched a single TV show or worn designer clothes in their lives, are truly happy and content. I am thankful that I have what I do but I also hope to be able to learn from those who make do without what I have.
I hope you are all equally as content and thankful. May we all go out and, little by little, spread a little love for the holidays!
I’ve got a great family. I mean, yeah they’re a little nuts, but the best ones always are. When I’m looking around the neighborhood at all of the hip young couples and their hip young babies I am always glad that my own family seems to have run as far away from that cookie cutter as possible. We’ve got our quirks and sure there’s the occasional screaming match, but overall I think we pretty much like each other. Good for us. And for that I am incredibly, shouting from the mountain tops, thankful.
Yesterday, we all hoped in the car and drove to Pueblo to enjoy the traditional stuffing of face with our extended family (well part of it at least). It’s a little more than 2 hours in the car on a fairly blah stretch of highway with legions of other holiday commuters. I have the hips of an 80 year old and they ache something fierce when I sit it a certain position for too long. But still I love these kinds of trips because my parents let me plug in my iPod and be in charge of the music for the whole trip. Lucky for all of us, I have very obscure taste in music and my parents are just as big of classic rock fans as I am. So we bridge the generation gap and rock out for a while. It’s awesome and I’m thankful for those two hours.
Then, when we finally get to my aunt and uncle’s house, we are greeted with the world’s best aroma, tuuuuuurkey! And hugs, those are nice too. For the next hour it’s just a frenzy of everyone trying to help (or at least stay out of the way) in an effort to get the food to the table a little faster. Then the best part, tuuuuuuurkey! I don’t know if this happens at every holiday gathering or if it’s more Salagovic specific, but as soon as the food is out it goes practically silent for the next few minutes then the volume gradually increases as the plates empty. I’ve come to the conclusion that the volume of the group is inversely related to the amount of food on the plates. So there’s that and my uncle and his not so candid camera that we’ve all learned to ignore (the shots always come out quite nice), but other than that we really don’t have any major, holiday halting quirks. Between internet advice columns and holiday movies you’d think that every family has gory skeletons in their closet that come exploding out as soon as each seat around the holiday table has a butt in it. But I guess we just don’t. For that I am thankful.
I am also thankful for the Macy’s parade, it’s just so festive! I love it! And I’m thankful for the DVR that lets me record it because we always leave for Pueblo before it starts. This year there were some really great acts, and a ton of pop artists that I’d never heard of, but the presence of the amazing Arlo Guthrie and the fabulous Gladys Knight (though the Pips were mysteriously absent) made up for that. Also, I was pretty impressed by Jimmy Fallon (who I never realized could sing) and his band. They revived a retro piece that originally appeared as a superstar medley on a holiday telethon, “Feed The World”. The words are great and touching and they make you think about the rest of the world, plus it’s a pretty catchy anthem. “And there won’t be snow in Africa this Christmastime. The greatest gift they’ll get this year is life (Oooh)…” it’s just as true today as it was when the song first rocked in the 80’s. And I am thankful for that too. I am reminded that there are so many things that we all just take for granted (a bed, Thanksgiving dinner, clean water…) while there are people all over the world living without. And what is even more amazing is that many of these people, though they’ve never watched a single TV show or worn designer clothes in their lives, are truly happy and content. I am thankful that I have what I do but I also hope to be able to learn from those who make do without what I have.
I hope you are all equally as content and thankful. May we all go out and, little by little, spread a little love for the holidays!
11.20.2010
Effortless Mastery
I have a musicology exam tomorrow. I feel pretty good about the subject matter, it's just the idea of writing about 3 essays in a bit less than 2 hours that's getting to me. There was a study group planned but it sort of disbanded. Two of us resolved to work on outlining the essays anyway. This is mostly because we know that if we don't sit down and do it with another person around to motivate us by making the other feel like a lazy slob for not working, there's a good chance we'll grow over confident in our understanding of the material and elect not to study at all. That would be a bad move. When we sat down to study we quickly discover that between us, we have the attention span of, I don’t know, a fly… trapped in a room full of people smoking pot… with all the windows closed. It’s that bad. So we decide to take a few hours off (not like that’s what I’ve been doing all day) before getting dinner which will focus our bodies and minds in order for us to have a productive and successful study session. Yep, that’s the plan. It’s totally gonna work!
So in the mean time I thought a little mind numbing stumbling would be a good way to relax (If you don’t know what I mean by stumbling, go to www.stumbleupon.com and watch your free time melt away). However, I kept getting this feeling the universe was trying to tell me something about my so called life as a musician through the “randomly” generated websites that kept popping up… granted it’s probably just the finals stress talking, but still.
One of the first sites I stumbled upon was a Wikipedia entry about something called effortless mastery. Effortless mastery is kind of the goal that all musicians are working towards, well, one of them at least. The wiki had this to say on the subject, “The concept is an attempt to give a name to the state of mind in which one can reach the potential of their musical abilities. This state of mind is characterized by a direct, fluid link between the physical processes of performance, and one’s individual creativity. Performers practice the act of tuning out distraction so that they can count on their ability to do this during the performing event.” Basically it’s 2 things:
1) Knowing how to play your instrument (voice included) so well that when you are performing you don’t have to think about how to make a particular sound but rather, which particular sound you will make next in order to express yourself and the piece you are playing.
2) Being in a state of mind while you are performing where you are strictly in the moment. You aren’t worried about what just happened (your voice cracked) or what is going to happen next (how you’re going to hit that high note), you are just focusing on making the sound coming out of you at that very moment the best it can be.
Sounds nice huh? Yes it does, especially for me whose knees shake every time I sing in performance class. So I may not be there yet, but I can still be inspired by those who are. And speaking of those thusly enlightened, the next thing I stumbled upon was this.
Sure the dude’s only got like three teeth and a crazy beard but the man can play! Do you think he’s hung up on what chord progression to follow or what the fingering is for the next chord? Hell no! The music is coming to his fingers and he’s concentrating on really performing it. Not in the show-stopping tap dance number kind of way, but he is performing for those people none the less. And it is obvious that the emotion and expression of his playing is not lost on them. Effortless mastery.
While I was thinking about the subject I was reminded of another performance that really spoke to me, the “Let it Be” scene in Across the Universe. This clip is either the audition for the part or a very early rehearsal.
Wow, right? That lady (Carol Woods) has got some pipes! As a singer, this performance really hits me. I am absolutely floored by how deeply connected she is to the music. She knows the words and the melody and the notes and the chord changes so well, they are so deeply internalized, that she doesn’t have to think about them at all. All she is focused on is really making them mean something. She delivers each line, each word to the fullest extent of her abilities and her emotions. You’ll notice that towards the end she even cries and her voice cracks when she so touchingly speaks the words “let it be”. In those few minutes, we (and the director) feel so connected to her performance that we can practically feel the pain she is expressing. Effortless mastery.
I guess this is what my voice teacher meant when she told me that in order to be able to use what she teaches me in performance, I have to get it into my “lizard brain”. She was talking about knowing something so well that it becomes instinct. That skill has been learned and repeated and explored so many times from so many angles that it is stored in the part of your brain that reminds you to breathe. It’s instinct, like a lizard finding a sunny rock to warm himself. It will be a long road for me to reach this point, if I ever do, but I can just imagine how amazing it must feel to be free of the nerves that accompany performance and really be able to bear your soul through the music. And after all, isn’t that what music is for?
So in the mean time I thought a little mind numbing stumbling would be a good way to relax (If you don’t know what I mean by stumbling, go to www.stumbleupon.com and watch your free time melt away). However, I kept getting this feeling the universe was trying to tell me something about my so called life as a musician through the “randomly” generated websites that kept popping up… granted it’s probably just the finals stress talking, but still.
One of the first sites I stumbled upon was a Wikipedia entry about something called effortless mastery. Effortless mastery is kind of the goal that all musicians are working towards, well, one of them at least. The wiki had this to say on the subject, “The concept is an attempt to give a name to the state of mind in which one can reach the potential of their musical abilities. This state of mind is characterized by a direct, fluid link between the physical processes of performance, and one’s individual creativity. Performers practice the act of tuning out distraction so that they can count on their ability to do this during the performing event.” Basically it’s 2 things:
1) Knowing how to play your instrument (voice included) so well that when you are performing you don’t have to think about how to make a particular sound but rather, which particular sound you will make next in order to express yourself and the piece you are playing.
2) Being in a state of mind while you are performing where you are strictly in the moment. You aren’t worried about what just happened (your voice cracked) or what is going to happen next (how you’re going to hit that high note), you are just focusing on making the sound coming out of you at that very moment the best it can be.
Sounds nice huh? Yes it does, especially for me whose knees shake every time I sing in performance class. So I may not be there yet, but I can still be inspired by those who are. And speaking of those thusly enlightened, the next thing I stumbled upon was this.
Sure the dude’s only got like three teeth and a crazy beard but the man can play! Do you think he’s hung up on what chord progression to follow or what the fingering is for the next chord? Hell no! The music is coming to his fingers and he’s concentrating on really performing it. Not in the show-stopping tap dance number kind of way, but he is performing for those people none the less. And it is obvious that the emotion and expression of his playing is not lost on them. Effortless mastery.
While I was thinking about the subject I was reminded of another performance that really spoke to me, the “Let it Be” scene in Across the Universe. This clip is either the audition for the part or a very early rehearsal.
Wow, right? That lady (Carol Woods) has got some pipes! As a singer, this performance really hits me. I am absolutely floored by how deeply connected she is to the music. She knows the words and the melody and the notes and the chord changes so well, they are so deeply internalized, that she doesn’t have to think about them at all. All she is focused on is really making them mean something. She delivers each line, each word to the fullest extent of her abilities and her emotions. You’ll notice that towards the end she even cries and her voice cracks when she so touchingly speaks the words “let it be”. In those few minutes, we (and the director) feel so connected to her performance that we can practically feel the pain she is expressing. Effortless mastery.
I guess this is what my voice teacher meant when she told me that in order to be able to use what she teaches me in performance, I have to get it into my “lizard brain”. She was talking about knowing something so well that it becomes instinct. That skill has been learned and repeated and explored so many times from so many angles that it is stored in the part of your brain that reminds you to breathe. It’s instinct, like a lizard finding a sunny rock to warm himself. It will be a long road for me to reach this point, if I ever do, but I can just imagine how amazing it must feel to be free of the nerves that accompany performance and really be able to bear your soul through the music. And after all, isn’t that what music is for?
11.19.2010
Which Beatles album to download, Part II
So I was taking a break from studying my French final when I started this post. I worked on it for about an hour, a little longer than I had intended to, but I did get through 4 of the 7 remaining albums with what I thought were pretty good reviews. Then, feeling guilty about my lack of studying I exited Word to work on other things with the intention to come back and finish the final albums later tonight. Well apparently closing a word document proved far too advanced for the likes of my computer skills and I managed to delete all that work… GAH! So here we go again… well not you because you never got to read the first one… here I go again.
Album: Revolver (1966)
Songs you probably know: “Eleanor Rigby” and “Here, There, and Everywhere”
My favorite songs: “Taxman”, “Good Day Sunshine”, “For No One”
General: This album is where things start to get druggy. The boys have all been smoking pot for a while now but now they’re getting into some harder stuff. “She Said She Said” for example, was inspired by John’s second ever acid trip. By this time they have a good fan base, i.e. screaming hordes of girls and a bunch of relatively sane people that you never hear about. They don’t have to worry so much about getting people to like them so they start experimenting. The subjects and lyrics of these songs aren’t all as happy and predictable as before (though that type of song is far from gone). Plus, musically, there are some things on this album that you just did not hear in 60’s rock. What sounds like some kind of Indian music on “Tomorrow Never Knows” is actually just a regular tape loop played backwards. They were just beginning to experiment with using studio techniques to create new sounds. And, speaking of Indian music, this is the first time we really see its effect on The Beatles. George had been studying sitar with Ravi Shankaar the previous year and (though he is not the one playing the sitar) “Love To You” is the first really Indian sounding Beatles song. This album is like a precursor to the psychedelic 60’s still to come.
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Songs you probably know: “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “With a Little Help from My Friends”
My favorite songs: “Within you and With Out You”, “Getting Better”, “A Day in the Life”
General: Before I tell you about this album let me just take a moment of silence in which to pay homage to its excellence… okay. This album has been hailed as the high point of The Beatle’s career and often of the history of rock and roll so far. There are books written about it by the same people who write about Beethoven and Brahms. The boys were fed up with how difficult touring had become and decided to stop; the idea was for this album to go on tour for them. As such, they spent and unprecedented amount of time and money recording it. It has become known as a concept album (even though it didn’t start that way) in which The Beatles take on the fake persona of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, an Edwardian era brass band, putting on a live show. This album was kind of Paul’s baby, they say he got the idea when he was traveling in Nairobi and had to wear a disguise to get around quietly. He thought it would be great if the whole band could have a disguise to escape the pressures of having to constantly churn out the same old songs, hit after hit. Perhaps this is why they all sported moustaches at the time? This album is just pure creative freedom. It is completely off the beaten path of 60’s rock. There are classical touches on psychedelic lyrics (thank you musicology class for that line), rock guitars and orchestras and Indian instruments, all ending in an “orchestral orgasm” that should “sound like the end of the world”. They experimented with rhythms, melodies, instruments, subjects, lyrics, all kinds of weirdness! And because they are creative geniuses, it worked. I mean it really worked. If you are only going to download one album, this is it.
Album: Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Songs you probably know: “All You Need is Love”, “Hello, Goodbye” and “Penny Lane”
My favorite songs: “Strawberry Fields Forever”, “I am the Walrus”, and “All You Need is Love”
General: First of all I want to point out that this was released just a few short months after Sgt. Pepper, you’d think they would want to take a break after changing the history of rock and roll. This album has found its place firmly in the category of the psychedelic 60’s. The lyrics and music are pretty out there and occasionally event meant to confuse us. I guess they figured that all the weird stuff they did in Sgt. Pepper worked out really well so why not try weirder stuff? This album also had a movie that went with it but I’ve never seen it (please, control your cries of outrage) because it’s proving tricky to find. It is supposed to be just about the worst movie ever, a sort of mini documentary in which The Beatles and some friends all pile onto a groovy bus and drive around the country and… well, I don’t really know what they do. Let it be known however, that I liked The Who’s rock opera movie Tommy so when I finally get my hands on this I’m sure I’ll end up loving it. Anyways, this album sound like the sound track to a drug trip, and it probably was for a lot of people in its time. But don’t worry, even if you don’t drop acid or smoke weed you can still enjoy this album and all of the wild place it lets your mind wander to.
Album: The Beatles aka: The White Album, due to its plain white cover (1968)
Songs you probably know: “Blackbird” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
My favorite songs: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “I Will”, “Revolution 1”
General: This is The Beatles first and only double album. Most people agree, including their producer, George Martin, that there are enough songs that nobody would miss had they been left out that it would have been fine as a regular sized album, but hey, it’s The Beatles, who’s gonna say no? By this time they were beginning to feel all of those concerts, travel, recording sessions, and press events together catch up with them. Yoko was hanging around more and everyone was annoyed with everyone else. To most Beatles fans this album marks the beginning of the end. But, despite its somber label it’s still got some really great songs to offer. Unfortunately some of a fan’s favorites tend to be smushed between inconsequential little tunes. Then there is “Revolution 9”, less of a song on more the sound track to a nightmare. We can all thank Mrs. Ono for helping out on that one. But, as if to redeem her, the amazing Eric Clapton also laid down an amazing, unaccredited, lead guitar part on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” for his buddy George.
Album: Yellow Submarine (1969)
Songs you probably know: “Yellow Submarine” and… well that might be the only one
My favorite songs: “All Together Now” and “Hey Bulldog”
General: This is by far the least Beatle-y Beatles album out there. As you know, this went with the movie Yellow Submarine a cartoon aimed at kids in which the Beatles didn’t even do their own voice acting. This album has a few rereleases and a very few new songs. The entire B side, which would just be the last 7 songs to you because you will be buying it on iTunes rather than vinyl, is made up of wordless orchestral pieces meant to go with the movie and arranged by George Martin. They’re good, fun instrumentals but not really The Beatles you’re probably looking to hear. It’s probably more of an album for the hardcore fans. But the few new songs on it are quite fun at you have luxury of just buying those rather than the whole album. Fancy!
Album: Abbey Road (1969)
Songs you probably know: I honestly hope you know most of them… you probably do. But still, “Come Together” and “Here Comes the Sun”
My favorite songs: “Something”, “Oh! Darling”, “The End” (that was really hard for me)
General: This is the last album the boys recorded and a damn good one at that. Obviously they had been through a lot together and I think on some level they knew the end had arrived. So they pulled themselves together and put together a bang with which to end. This one was recorded much more like a real band than the last few, a lot less over dubbing and separate recordings being pieces together. I think that’s probably why it has all the authenticity of one really amazing band but with all of the musical knowledge and mastery gained over 10 years (I’m counting before they started recording) of experimenting and working together. This is really one of the greats and if you don’t already have it now is the time!
Album: Let It Be (1970)
Songs you probably know: “Let it Be” and “Across the Universe”
My favorite songs: The above plus “I Me Mine” and “Two of Us”
General: There is always some confusion about this album. You say, “But you said Abbey Road was the last thing they recorded, why did this come out later? Hmmmm?” Settle down and keep your accusatory Hmmming to yourselves! All of these songs were part of what was going to be a movie, a real documentary type thing about the song process and all, but as far as I know it got scrapped. I think some version of it was eventually released but it’s just a lot of pretty random footage from around the studio. Being so close to the end it feels almost tense in a way. I’ve heard an early take of “Dig It” where they stop a little ways in and start snapping at each other… sad indeed. Musically though this has got some really lovely songs, most are very soulful and contemplative.
And that’s it….
Well a few more things.
1) iTunes also has the remastered box set available which is all of these albums plus things like booklets, a video of a concert, and a possibly a few other video clips and outtake type things that aren’t available elsewhere. I’d be interested to see these things but certainly can’t justify the $150 for music I already have.
2) The blue and red album thingies are just chronological compilation albums. Maybe a god choice if you just can’t decide.
3) These are all the stereo versions. Probably to accommodate all the fancy speakers we have these days. 95% of this music was written with mono in mind and whoever transferred them to stereo had to take some creative liberties. So in a way they are a bit less authentic but in some cases they do sound a little nicer
The end, I hope you can now go forth upon iTunes and make a Beatles purchase you will love!
11.18.2010
What better way to begin than with The Beatles...
That’s right, there is no better way. But before I get to the good stuff (if I dare call it that), I suppose I should take care of the obligatory blog intro. I am starting this blog on a whim. Why? Because I fancy myself to be a fairly whimsical person. Seriously though, I suppose I started a blog for the same reason any one starts a blog, because I like to think my opinions are interesting and/or important, because I like the idea of speaking frankly to no one when I know that it could really be anyone, because deep down I’m a little narcissistic, because I enjoy writing… you know same old reasons. So this blog is potentially no different than any of the other million and ten blogs written by bored college students who think they’re funny, and I’m okay with that. The important thing is that I’m here and you’re here (supposedly) and we’re all enjoying ourselves (hopefully).
Now, on to matters of substance!!!
If you know me at all, or have seen my iPod or my facebook page, or watched me walk around humming (or possibly straight up singing) you will know that I am a Beatles fan. It’s just a little teeny obsession I have. It’s no secret, I just really love them. Their music, their personalities, their history, their wit… it’s all great. Most of my friends have come to accept this quirk of mine, in fact some feel the need to forward me anything Beatles related they see and occasionally they even give me Beatles themed presents (these are my favorite people;) ). I love that you all associate me with such an amazing legacy!
As you certainly know, the Beatles music has officially come to iTunes. I bet a bunch of you own Beatles 1 or Abbey Road and you like what you hear. You’re interested in downloading an album or two but which one to choose? That, my dear friends, is what I am here for; to be you Beatles guru! You are also welcome to ignore me if you so chose. So here we go (chronologically of course)...
Album: Please Please Me (1963)
Songs you probably know: “Love Me Do” and “I Saw Her Standing There”
My favorite songs: “Please Please Me”, “Love Me Do”, “I Saw Her Standing There”
General: This was the first album the boys released. Amazingly, it was all recorded in one day with the help of a big bowl of throat lozenges. Being so early in their career a lot of these songs are covers of popular songs of the day but their distinct sound is already there. I love the uninhibited swing of this album. It falls right in the middle of the birth of rock as we know it. Sure it sounds tame to our ears but think back to the stuffy British parents of the day who only condoned classical music and a public radio that played less than an hour of rock per day. This album embodies teenage rebellion before it became cool to be rebellious.
Album: With The Beatles (1963)
Songs you probably know: “All My Loving” and “Roll Over Beethoven”
My favorite songs: “Please Mr. Postman”, “Till There Was You”, “You Really Got a Hold on Me”
General: Another early album. Not terribly different from Please Please Me, there are still quite a few cover songs (my favorite Being “Please Mr. Postman”, which was originally sung by The Marvelettes, a sweet female Motown group) but they’re a little cleaner and more put together, like the guys are really starting to get a feel for the band and what kind of sound they were going for. Essentially it’s the material they would do in a live show because that’s all they knew so far. Just pretend you’re rocking out at the Cavern Club!
Album: A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
Songs you probably know: “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Can’t Buy Me Love”
My favorite songs: “And I Love Her”, “Things We Said Today”, “A Hard Day’s Night”
General: I think it’s pretty amazing that by this time in their career (only their third album in just about a year and a half) they were already popular enough for this album to do incredibly well for itself as well as support an accompanying full length movie by the same name (it’s hilarious by the way). Beatlemania has started! This is a quintessentially pop-y album, the majority of the songs are upbeat and not very complex, the epitome of 60’s rock. There are, however, a few outstanding tracks which are already venturing away from those standards. Perhaps they are an early sign if the artistic genius the band would soon obtain.
Album: Beatles For Sale (1964)
Songs you probably know: “Eight Days A Week” and “Every Little Thing”
My favorite songs: : “I’ll Follow The Sun”, “What You’re Doing” (largely because of the fun opening drum part), “Every Little Thing”
General: With no accompanying movie or other crazy media tricks this album is more back to normal, just a band playing songs. What I find most notable about this album is the general feeling of security. They are now writing all of their own song and have settled into their own sound. You can tell that they are already experimenting with studio effects to enhance, alter, and add expression to their songs. “Eight Days a Week” is the first song to feature a fade in, something that they couldn’t do in a live show (yes, I did get that directly from musicology class if you recognized it). There seems to be change in the air for the honest little rock quartet.
Album: Help! (1965)
Songs you probably know: “Help!”, “Ticket To Ride”, and “Yesterday” (see, more and more hits)
My favorite songs: “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, “I’ve Just Seen a Face”, “Help!”
General: Yep, they’re pretty much super powers of the music world by now, the swarms of screaming girls are growing with every show. This album also goes hand in hand with a movie, also by the same name, also hilarious. Ringo (Oh God, spell check doesn’t think that’s a word!) gets a ring in a fan letter from India. Being the fine connoisseur of man jewelry that he is, Ringo puts it on only to find that he can’t get it off. Apparently he who wears the ring must be sacrificed to the dread Kailei, of course the band won’t stand for that and they go on a wild chase that takes them to the Bahamas, the Alps, Stonehenge, and more! It is absolutely ridiculous, thanks in large part I think, to the copious amounts of pot they were all smoking at the time. The music on this album is good vintage rock. It’s creative and unique but still light and fun.
Album: Rubber Soul (1965)
Songs you probably know: “Drive My Car” and “In My Life”
My favorite songs: “In My Life” (quite possibly my favorite Beatles song) and “Norwegian Wood”
General: Now that I look at it there aren’t really any well known, big hit types of songs on this album which, in my opinion, makes it kind of a secret gem in the Beatles arsenal. I feel like this is the first album where they really started breaking out of the typical 60’s rock band mold. They get into some really cool musical and theoretical stuff in this one. “Norwegian Wood” for example is in Dorian Mode (a really fancy, complicated kind of scale for those of you who are fortunate enough to have never taken a music theory class) and “In My Life” has an amazing harpsichord like solo. This album is half regular old pop and have conservative experimental, it can’t really make up its mind, which is perhaps why there are such mixed feelings about it. It’s got some amazing work and some songs that I wouldn’t listen to nearly as much if they weren’t on the same record as some of my favorites.
Rubber Soul also marks about the middle of The Beatles recording career and the end of what I will call Part 1. It’s late, there are still 6 more albums to discuss (including some of the most fascinating), and I have a French final tomorrow. I would like to promise you that I’ll do the rest of these tomorrow or the day after but, while I’m excited about this blog right now, there is no guarantee it won’t go the way of oh so many of my dairies and journals throughout the years, neglected until I’m upset about something or procrastinating about something else. But, hey, people might actually be reading this! So I guess I can try to make it not suck… again, no promises.
Peace and Love!
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