Today’s Soundtrack: Chanticleer’s Our American Journey

I went through a rather strange obsession with this group some time during in high school, a 12 man a-capella choir, and going to their Christmas concert in Chicago was a tradition of mine for several years.  My little sister hated them, but no matter.  I happen to think they’re pretty great.

via ralichte.com

This particular collection is a sort of archival group of songs from different parts of American history.  I love the sound of the human voice in all of its variations, and with 12 male voices, you certainly can explore a whole range of sound.  I love the harmonies, which they layer so skillfully, and even if you don’t like the music, you certainly can appreciate that.  Arrangement of harmony is always impressive to me, and much more in 12 parts!

Metronome, friend or enemy?

I finally broke down and bought myself a metronome.  Although, I don’t really know how I feel about it.  As a songwriter/composer, I admit they are helpful, because actually writing music down on paper is like confining sound to note and measure and rhythm, it’s a process of bringing chaos to order.  But I still rebel against it…perhaps because of all those hours as a kid practicing for my piano lessons, perhaps because I like a little chaos in my creation, and perhaps because the ticking is just really obnoxious.

from Flickr user remmahesor

So sometimes I use the metronome, sometimes I don’t.  I suppose it depends most on my mood…today’s a metronome day, at least for a little while. I could use some imposed order.

Weekend Project: Lawrence of Arabia

I was a film major in college, yet I must say that the number of films I have actually seen is quite limited in scope and variety…mostly obscure randomness and international flicks.  So this weekend my project was a classic: Lawrence of Arabia.  An epic and a tragedy.  (I’ll try not to include any spoilers, though I must admit that the plot itself doesn’t really seen to be the point of the movie.)  I read the excerpt about the movie from Roger Ebert’s The Great Movies, where he said that there’s really no plot, no love interest, no point, but that is a beautiful film.  Well, I do agree that it is a strikingly beautiful film.  However, I do think there is a plot and more importantly there is a love interest, though it is not a woman.

via greatamericanmovies.com

I think Lawrence’s love interest is the Arab people, and perhaps the desert.  Both of which are very difficult lovers.  The desert, it never loves back.  And the Arab people, they can, but in a way that is different from English customs and ideas.  Just look at the crisis Lawrence experiences when he is faced with the fact that he isn’t really Arab: he says he is invisible, that he can pass…but when a Turkish soldier points out his pale skin, he lashes out.  Because he realizes his love is an outsider’s love.  And I think the tragedy is, because he is an Englishman, he knows he’s fighting for a cause that is basically hopeless.  There will be no Arab nation if the British and French can help it, yet he almost goes mad trying to make it happen, trying to bring “freedom,” thinking that making the nation will make him belong.

Well, it’s much more complicated than all of that, really.  If you haven’t seen the movie, you should.  It’s fabulous.

Happy Love Day!

Today’s soundtrack is a song by Negramaro, Parlami d’Amore…you’ll probably figure this out, but it’s in Italian, so I actually have not much of an idea what the song is saying, except what I can gather from its similarities to Spanish and from the action in the music video. The title, at least, I can translate roughly for you: Talk to me about Love!

Got the music video off youtube, so I apologize for the slightly poor quality, but I like the video well enough that I really wanted to share. Hope you enjoy!

And, have a great valentine’s day close to the ones you love

Today’s Soundtrack: Putumayo’s Asian Grooves

I have a lot of chores to do today, and chores definitely require musical motivation! I’m tired after a long week, so didn’t want to pick anything too crazy, but just enough to keep me moving…and my selection was the Asian Grooves collection put out by Putumayo.  It’s definitely mellow, but with a good beat.  Perfect to suit my mood.

Most of the tracks are from India, with a few exceptions: Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Trinidad, Germany (not sure how this one fits…but eh).  Maybe I just have India on the brain because I’m working on a farewell scrapbook for a friend who is moving there to be a missionary!  Either way, I love hearing music from different countries, because it’s such an important part of culture.

So I’m cleaning, drinking tea, and “groovin” alone in my apartment on a Friday night.

Today’s Soundtrack: Meredith Andrews

I was listening to the radio and recently discovered Meredith Andrews and was really interested by her interview, and of course I’m always intrigued by songs with piano as the driving instrument. I just love how it sounds.  I looked her up on iTunes, and ended up downloading her album, The Invitation.  The CD was my playlist today, as when I make a new music discovery, I like to listen to something over and over to kind of let the lyrics, musicality and the whole picture of the album kind of sink in.  It’s part of the exploration of the artist.  Meredith is a worship leader, but a lot of the songs on her album are personal dialogues between her and God, more so than corporate worship songs.

I must admit, however, that after the quick 30 second samples on iTunes (how much can that tell you, really?) what really tends to sway me one way or the other is the album cover.  Yes, I am superficial.  Yes, album covers don’t really have anything to do with the person or the music.  But I like album covers.

I love her style (wish I could pull some of those things off!) and I think the classic/vintage embellishments are a great touch.  The green floral wallpaper is probably not something I would have seen and picked out on my own, but it suits the photograph and I kind of like it.

Overall, there aren’t too many surprises in her album, but it is kind of a classic sound that is comforting and thoughtful and served me well today as a great daily soundtrack.

1000 Recordings and ABBA

I bought this book recently, mostly to satisfy my seemingly unsatiable curiosity and endless quest for new music.  That way when I’m bored and I can’t figure out what my playlist of the day should be, it’s Russian Roulette with the 1000 Recordings to hear before I die.  And ABBA’s Gold Greatest Hits CD was my first victim.

Speaking of music bringing back memories, I remember the ABBA tribute band coming to the outdoor concert venue where I worked one summer in high school.  That was probably the biggest highlight after Aretha Franklin. Mostly because she was herself, and not a tribute band.

In any case, regardless of whether or not you actually like ABBA, their songs certainly have had a certain staying power.  I happen to find them pretty catchy, for the most part…though like most things, they seem to be best in small doses.  There is something to be said for a group that merits a tribute band, i suppose.  What I really liked about the CD though, was the fact that all the songs came out between 1974 and 1976, the years when my mom was my same age.  As I listened to the disc, I started thinking about my mom when she was 22, how the world was, and the experiences she was having at the time.  A lot has changed between then and now, but it was kind of comforting knowing that at that point in her life, she and I shared some things in common.  Now, I have a couple things from her first place in my first solo apartment:

The lovely patterned chair (there’s a matching couch too!) was a hand me down from my parents, and I’m constantly in search of something to cover them up with despite the sentimental attachments.  And of course, who could forget “Crazy Grape.” My sister’s proud owner of “Choo Choo Cherry.”  Maybe they’re not cool anymore, but they mean something if only for what they represent and what they ushered in after them…kind of like ABBA. So what if the metaphor is a stretch, this is my post.

Without a song or a dance, what are we? - “Thank You For The Music” – ABBA

Left vs. Right

Have you ever categorized yourself, or been categorized by someone else, as right- or left-brained?  It’s funny how we tend to like organization and compartmentalization, even when it comes to people and their personalities.  Like you can only be one thing or the other.  Well, I’ve pretty much been categorized as your standard left-brain.  I approach most things very logically, analytically…however, in my heart of hearts, I love to create.  And probably it just speaks volumes about my brain orientation when I talk about analyzing the creative journey like it’s something that can be qualified or quantified.  But I do know that, quantifiable or not, there are experiences, times, places, feelings that move some hidden right-brain part of me that longs to express and create.

This is just a little piece of my adventure.

I believe that music is an adventure, something that’s designed to take you on a journey to another place, another time, another emotion…music can take us outside of ourselves and into someone else’s experiences, and it can also touch us on a deeply personal level.  A song is an experience.

That being said, as a songwriter, I aim to be constantly evolving musically, just as my life is constantly incorporating new experiences.  This blog is going to be a forum for me to articulate those experiences that overflow into creative endeavors.  I’ll be talking about musical journeys I’ve taken, and the journeys they take me on, whether they be into art, photography, design, food, travel, or worship…I am a firm believer that there’s a little bit of inspiration to be found everywhere, even for a left-brain.