Soothing and Searching

Suddenly this summer, I rediscovered music. I'm not sure when or how or why my interest was sparked again. I am always into music, but generally, I listen to musical theatre and old stuff that I have had for a zillion years.  I'm pretty sure that "Glee" had something to do with it, but it is strange that it didn't really affect me until a few weeks ago instead of last year during the season.

I am discovering all kinds of music and people I'm surprised to be listening to - often, I don't know the name of the artist, but I'm enjoying the exploration.  On any given morning, rather than listening to politics, I am listening to my new-found radio station and rockin' on down the road.

Good clean fun!

Music, Solitaire and Geography

Today, more music and music videos. More solitaire and some geography. I'm enjoying this process of learning (even if it is something I feel I should have already known). Finding places on the map, learning the countries that have come up since I was in school, some history that is more meaningful to me as an adult. All good.

And now, off to watch "Star Wars" just because I can.

Funky Funk

When I was able to settle in for the evening, I just put some headphones on and listened to music while I played Solitaire on my computer. I have those big headphones that cover your whole ear and block out the world. Sometimes I just need that. Sometimes, I will just start crying and the tears flow the whole time. Tonight, I didn't cry, but I could feel whatever was in my shoulders starting to seep away.

I'm in a funky funk - nothing is wrong. Just not quite "right". So, music really does soothe the savage beast.

Fast Car Needed

I remember driving around Portland blasting this song when it came out. Roby and I wanted to make sure we would "be someone". Strong memories.

American Idol - Finale Fizzle

****SPOILER****

If you don't already know who won American Idol last night and you don't want to know, you shouldn't continue reading as I will reveal the winner in this post.

I love "American Idol".  I have been watching since the finale of Season 1.  I love watching the performers grow and learn and incorporate feedback to become better performers and singers.  I love Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken and Kelly Clarkson and several other former Idols.

I wish the finale was more about the Idols.  I don't think it is appropriate for the judges to perform on the Finale as they did tonight. That just seemed self-indulgent.  Additionally, the Bee Gees tribute was AWFUL. I know it was live and they had little time to prepare the harmonies but it was AWFUL.  It would have been better to just show a clip of Robin Gibb from a couple of years ago when he was on the show instead of a poorly mic'd, poorly rehearsed off-key version of Bee Gees classic songs.

And why WHY WHY!!!??? would they waste a Jennifer Holliday performance by splitting it up with a 16 year old?  Sure, she can sing, but she is a mimic.  Someday, she might be an artist - right now, she isn't at the level of performance to be able to interpret songs in her own way.  The song she chose for her single, should she win, was proof - she hadn't been practicing that song since she was 5 years old, watching the original performers on YouTube, so she had nothing to help her. If she had the right song or a song that people had heard before and she could have studied for a couple of years, she probably would have won.

I'm not sure that Phillip will be all that happy as an American Idol - I have heard the contracts are very restrictive. Who knows?  I was happy for him and moved by his performance at the end.

Rant over - except to say that next year, I doubt I will subject myself to the entire finale. I really only want to hear the Idols perform - I haven't really enjoyed the jam-session atmosphere they have had for the past few years. I might be alone in that, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to remind myself to just fast forward to the end and have done with it.

Congrats to Phillip Phillips.  I hope he can take care of his health and enjoy his win.

The Power of Music

Our mind is so mysterious...

Reverb11 - Music

From this blog: DAY 7: MUSIC
What were some of your favorite records and songs? What song will always remind you of this year?


Almost all my favorite songs came from "Glee" this year. There might be one or two that I heard elsewhere, but mostly, "Glee".
Loving all the Kristin Chenoweth songs from the first season - particularly "One Less Bell To Answer/A House is Not a Home"...well, really all of them.

"Firework" by Katy Perry (I like Lea Michele's version, too)

"Turning Tables" by Adele and well-sung by Gwenyth Paltrow on "Glee"

Really, any Adele song.
Love Pink's music - several songs. Right now, I'm loving "Raise Your Glass".
I'm also still loving Carrie Underwood's music.  

I spent a lot of my art journaling time with the "Glee Jukebox" on this summer, so those are the standouts that I remember. I don't buy many CDs anymore - just not up on new music too much.

WWRT? (What Would Roby Think?)

I came home from Thanksgiving tonight and turned on the television only to realize that I had not taped the "Very Gaga Thanksgiving" special.  I'm a little disappointed, but I watched the very end of it.  As I was watching, I wondered what Roby would think (WWRT) of her?  I think he would have LOVED HER!!

I often get choked up watching Kurt and his father on Glee for the Same reason - I wish the show had been on when Roby was still alive.  He was so tortured by his relationship with his father. I would love to see him watch a good relationship between a gay young man and his father. Not only for the relationship, but for the knowledge that something like that can be on television now. I'm not sure we would have believed it in the 1980s.

Just something I was thinking about on this Thanksgiving night.

NaBloPoMo Prompt #3: Music and Writing

Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?

Sometimes I will put the Glee Jukebox in while I am working on the blog or when I am working on some other writing project. I think once I am concentrating, I kind of block it out.  Some days I can listen to music and write or anything else and some days I just need some silence.

Honestly, I haven’t sat down to a serious writing session in so long, I don’t know if I could really write something of substance with music playing. Maybe with something instrumental or something, but I think lyrics probably distract me. 

The song I heard today that is still running through my head is “Turning Tables” sung on Glee by Gwenyth Paltrow.  I haven’t heard the Adele version in a while – I think I will have to look it up.

30 Day Song Challenge Adapted - Days 26-30

This is the last day of the song challenge. Some of the categories were odd, but it was kind of fun. My brain just needed a break from trying to figure out what I'm going to write about. 

day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument - ummm..."Hot Cross Buns"?  I used to be able to play "Both Sides Now" on the organ, but not anymore.
 

day 27 - a song that you wish you could play - anything - I am the opposite of musical.

day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty - I don't think there is any song that makes me feel guilty...

day 29 - a song from your childhood - "Something’s Burning" – Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

        Defying Gravity - Wicked

30 Day Song Challenge Adapted - Days 21-25

We're in the home stretch of this challenge...only one more day after this.

day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy - anything I can sing to...
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad - most music makes me cry when I'm feeling a little sad, so I'm not choosy. I don't seek out sad music when I'm already down, though.
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding - umm, not gonna happen, but I would probably pick something sappy from "West Side Story" or something.
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral - "Breaths" from Sweet Honey in the Rock, "Another Day" from Rent.
 day 25 - a song that makes you laugh - "Dead Skunk In the Middle of the Road" from the late 60s, early 70s. I remember that song from my childhood before we moved to Germany.

30 Day Song Challenge Adapted - Days 16 - 20

I listened to a bunch of old music tonight - inspired by this challenge. It was good and very relaxing. I haven't bought much new stuff in a long time - I think Carrie Underwood is the last new music I purchased besides the Glee CDs.

day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate - Nothing comes to mind. I usually just have songs that I'm not in the mood to listen to...I used to make CDs and mixed tapes and there was always a song that didn't belong with the mix. 
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio - I don't listen to music on the radio often, so this one doesn't really work for me.
 
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio - Again, I don't listen to the radio for music, so this one is a challenge for me.

day 19 - a song from your favorite album - one of my favorite albums is "Yentl". Any song from that album is good. Or "Paradise Theatre" from Styx - any song from that album is good, especially "The Best of Times".  Or "Castle Walls" or "Foolish Young Man" from the Styx Grand Illusion album. I used to LOVE that album.

day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry  - anything by Alanis Morrisette or Pink. 

30 Day Song Challenge Adaptation - Days 6-10

I love music...just doing this makes me want to put my headphones on and just listen to a bunch of old music and play solitaire for a while.

day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere - "Wreck of the Edmonfitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot. This song was popular when I lived in Wiesbaden. I remember sitting next to the speakers of our stereo with a manual tape recorder listening to "America's Top 40" on Armed Forces radio waiting to tape our favorites.  My sister hated this song and when we had limited tape space, we would argue over which songs we should tape.

day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event

Don’t Cry - Seal

day 08 - a song that you know all the words to - man, the list for this is too hard. I know the whole "Purple Rain" album, most of Madonna's albums, most of Journey's popular songs, John Denver, Peter Paul and Mary, Sweet Honey in the Rock...really, my brain is MOSTLY full of song lyrics. Some songs that I know all the words to I don't even like that much...

day 09 - a song that you can dance to - IF I were going to dance, I would dance to "Gonna Make You Sweat" by C + C Music Factory or "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep  - "Storms in Africa" - Enya

Enjoy a little dance music:

30 Day Song Challenge Adaptation - Days 1-5

I saw this challenge on Facebook but I didn't want to do it there for some reason. Since I have been struggling for topics on the blog, I'm going to do a week's worth in one post - that at least feels like something worth writing about. I don't know if people enjoy reading these things, but I always like remembering stuff that I haven't thought about in a long time. I'm also NOT including Broadway shows here (makes it more challenging...). So, there you go.

day 01 - your favorite song - These are always so hard, so I like to go with something current instead of "of all time".  For today, I'm enjoying the Glee version of "Raise Your Glass", "Firework" and "Empire State of Mind"

day 02 - your least favorite song - anything with Aaron Neville singing.

day 03 - a song that makes you happy - "One Less Bell To Answer/Home" with Kristin Chenowith (also Glee...)

  

day 04 - a song that makes you sad - Years by Beth Nielson Chapman, Goodbye to You - Michelle Branch, Wildfire - Micheal Murphy

day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone

Missing – Everything but the Girl, Holiday - Madonna

Musical Interlude

I have always been interested in music - have been moved by it and shaped by it since my first, earliest memories. Sometimes, I go through phases where I don't listen to music for pleasure much. I always have a Broadway show CD in my car, but I often listen to talk radio (yes, politics...are you surprised?).

Last week, I had a hard time sleeping in the warm weather. Finally, one of my last attempts to relax was to play a few games of solitaire and listen to music in my giant headphones.  Not the earbuds like I use with my iPod - I'm talking full ear coverage headphones.  Listening to music in those things transports me to another place and I can feel the music resonate in me and change the rhythms of my body.  I always end up in tears - just a physical reaction to the music and the relaxation.

I'm excited to be done with this show because I am going to listen to music for 30 minutes a day and play solitaire. It will be amazingly cathartic.

First CD up:  The Fifth Dimension - Greatest Hits on Earth (we had the eight track of this when I was five and I have listened to it my whole life but never got it on CD until last week.)  I can't wait!

Glee-Ful Surprise

I have been hearing the "Umbrella/Singing in the Rain" mashup from "Glee" in my head for a week now. Gwenyth Paltrow's singing grows on me.  I love the song and I can't wait to listen to it tomorrow - I'm planning to play my jukebox DVDs for a little while and do some art journaling or something creative.

Originally, I really preferred the music from the first season. I have been listening to more of the second season of late, thinking that I would grudgingly give it another chance. What I realized is that I didn't always like the stories that were being told on the show, but I love the musical numbers for most of it. I wasn't that fond of the "Rocky Horror" Episode, but that's because "Rocky Horror" isn't really my thing.

Anyway, it is a strange thing to be listening to ABBA songs for the show while "Glee" music is in my head. Weird.  I'm such a dork when it comes to music. I don't care - I love what I love. I just think sometimes the combinations are a little strange.

Summer Weather and "Glee"

I know this will be sacrilege to many of my friends, but today is TOO HOT. I think this has been a perfect summer in the Northwest, especially taking into account the weather in other locations, say Texas or Chicago.  Texas has had more than 50 consecutive days with 100 degrees or more. Nightmare. We, on the other hand, have had lots of days in the 80s and most of the weekends have been beautiful. Even the cooler days since July 4th have pretty much been cloudy in the morning and then sunny later in the day. Today, 96 degrees and no cooling off in the evening. Yuck.

I love the "Glee Jukebox" on the DVD sets.  I like to put the DVD in and listen to it like a CD. I just wish they had all the performances. And I wish they would put out the whole season in a set instead of two sets where the second half of the season takes FOREVER to come out.  Right now, on the second season, part one disc, I'm enjoying the songs from the "Substitute" episode, the "Duets" episode and the "Furt" episode. I don't know the names of the songs...One is a mash-up of "Singing in the Rain" and from Duets, Kurt and Rachel sing the duet that Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland sang back in the 1960s. The "Furt" episode is when Kurt's dad gets married and there are several songs I'm enjoying, but most especially the song at the end of the episode that Finn sings to Kurt.  I wish I could articulate how this music makes me feel - I guess in a word, good.

Passing Up an Opportunity

Sweet Honey in the Rock was here tonight doing a concert.  When I first heard about it, I was scheduled to interpret "Billy Elliot" tomorrow night, so I didn't think I could go.  I sort of resigned myself to it and then I was scheduled to go out of town for an offsite meeting for work and had to ask someone else to do "Billy Elliot", so I really knew that I couldn't go to Sweet Honey.

The offsite got postponed and I realized I could go to the show, but for some reason I hesitated.  I LOVE them - they are one of the groups that I still would pay money to see live.  I'm not a concert person really - nowadays it is too loud and I just don't really enjoy most concerts.  Sweet Honey is different, but I still decided not to go. The last time I went, I really enjoyed it, but I also know that the group has been reconfigured a bit - a couple of members left and were replaced - maybe that's part of it. I'm afraid that I will put all these expectations on it and disappoint myself...

Anyway, I'm sure they were brilliant. I don't regret not going, but I think the next time they are here, I'm going to just do it.

"Over the Rainbow" and other songs

The makers of "GLEE" did something BRILLIANT on their second DVD set for the first year (they should add it for the first part of the season, too). In the extras, they added a "Glee Music Jukebox" so that if you want to just listen to all the music without watching each episode, you can do that. It is such a great idea.  Sometimes, I want something in the background, but I don't always want to watch something.

Today, I was in need of some tune out time, so I put on the Glee Jukebox and had a field day.  There are some spectacular songs on the set. The ones that really got me tonight (and usually do) were "One Less Bell to Answer/A House is Not a Home", "To Sir With Love" and the ukulele version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".  The last two always get me teared up. Tonight, I remembered that the first time I heard that version was on an episode of "ER" when Mark Greene died. I went on YouTube and found that version (although it is a montage and not the original scene it was from).

"Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole with scenes from "ER"


There is just something so soothing about an afternoon with music. It was very, very nice.

Music Soothes the Savage Beast

Okay, so maybe "savage beast" is a little extreme, but I think that is the saying. Anyway, I have just enjoyed a very quiet evening of listening to music in my headphones and playing Spider Solitaire. I should have done the dishes, done some laundry, done some reading, worked on my art journal, opened my mail, read the newspaper, answered email....the list goes on and an on. But I didn't. I listened to music and it made me feel better.

I prefer music with lyrics and I often just listen to Broadway tunes, but on a night like this, I listen to what seems like an eclectic playlist of whatever is in my jukebox.

When I was a little girl, I used to illustrate the lyrics to story-songs. I have always felt a strong relationship to the poetry of lyrics (maybe everyone does - I don't know).  Tonight, every song struck me with some little bit of wisdom, comfort, truth. Something. Some brought me to tears, but not the bad kind. The kind that you cry when you feel relief from pain or sorrow.

Every once in a while, I know exactly what I need to do to feel better. I know that I have to be prepared for the days and weeks ahead - not knowing what the outcome will be for my friend. Tonight was a good step in the right direction - just being centered, breathing, and a little pampering. I'm lucky I have the choice to do that.