Tag: Music

  • The Arts Are Needed In School

    This morning, I went to my kid’s school for a concert. The kid’s music teacher, Mr. Joel who works for a wonderful organization “Little Orchestra Society” was presenting songs that he and the students wrote together over the school year. Joining Mr. Joel were three professional musicians on stage; a trumpet player, celloist, and a clarinetist. The performance worked like this: Mr. Joel would play the song on his guitar with the student’s singing their song. Then Mr. Joel and the musicians would play the piece, and afterward, the students would make a suggestion for a change, which the musicians would incorporate. It was fun, and we all had a good time.

    Full discloser here, I have worked for “Little Orchestra Society” as a puppeteer. So, I might be a little biased toward what they do, BUT, what they bring to school kids in NYC is pretty important, so you have to deal with my bias. Now, I wasn’t a teacher, just a hired performer, like I assumed the three musicians were today.

    There are many things that are downright stupid about the New York City Public Schools, such as many schools do not have dedicated arts teachers, which requires these schools to contract out for teachers from organizations to come to their schools. The good news is that the artist that show up and teach the kids are amazingly talented, and are truly dedicated to teaching these students. I know, because I have several friends who do this work, and really do pour everything into their time with the kids.

    I also acknowledge that I am in a very special position where I have the ability to go and be an audience member for these performances. Most parents have to work, and I know if they had a choice, they would have been there today. The twenty or so of us that made it, did our best to be loud and supportive. You know, we wanted to make the kids and Mr. Joel feel good about what they accomplished, and also to say thank you to Mr. Joel.  And for me, I also wanted to make sure those three musicians up on stage, who all jokingly admitted that they got the sheet music for the songs the night before, know that their efforts were apricated as well.

    I know I am not the first person to say this, and I know I won’t be the last, but please remember to support the arts in your local school. For those of you in NYC, “Little Orchestra Society” is a wonderful organization to support, and a donation would go a long way to help children in the city.

    (Say! If you like what you have read, please like, share, and leave a comment. It would help justify my existence.)

  • Me at the Gym

    I have just started my fourth month of working out, and I can’t say that I have come to love it. But I can say that I do look forward to my thirty minutes, four times a week, of listening to my music, and having time for myself. And I will admit that I did have one session at the gym where I left feeling pretty good about myself. With three months under my belt now, I feel that going to the gym has now become a healthy habit in my life, which is a very good thing.

    The other habit I have formed is that I “sing” while on the treadmill. I used the quote thing, as I don’t actually sing out loud – at least I don’t think so. I, more or less, mouth they lyric of whatever song that I am listening to. And I have a playlist right now that contains several songs that I like to sing along with. The music and singing does help me focus and kind’a push through the minor aches and pains that flair up when I start running, so I don’t plan on stopping this habit.

    I have lost 6 pounds, but I don’t feel better about myself. Maybe I need to change up my diet, I don’t know. Sadly, all of the other benefits of working out have yet to appear for me. Still not sleeping better, and I don’t feel like I have a better attitude toward life. I don’t feel more focused, or any of that Ginsana crap. (Just ask Scottie Pippen)

    Maybe this has to do with me. Maybe I’m too pessimistic. Maybe I’m the outlier. I’m not going to stop going to the gym, as I know some exercise is better than none. But what I feel like is that guy at the party who smokes the joint which is being passed around, but I didn’t get high.

    (Say, don’t forget to like this post, or share it, or leave a comment. I got bills to pay, you know.)

  • Fats Waller

    I’m working today, and I needed some music to help me get through a rather mindless task that was going to eat up several hours.

    What was that, Spotify? You think I should listen to Fats Waller due to my recent selection of Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk? I will go with you on this, as I do know a little about Waller, at least what are his most popular songs, and his ability to stride on the piano.

    And then I thought I should look him up on Wikipedia…

    Did I ever mention that I used to live in Harlem? I used to live in Harlem USA, and I loved it. The community and the neighborhood were awesome.

    Of the many things I loved about Harlem was that I was surrounded by so much great an important history. Culturally, so mush of who where are as Americans came out of Harlem. Music, theatre, thought, literature, and social consciousness. It is such a vital and vibrant place.

    I’m missing Harlem today.

    And I was reading up on Fats Waller, thinking about my old neighborhood, I saw that the first place he played professionally was the Lincoln Theatre at 135th Street and Lennox. Not only did I know where that theatre was, I also knew that it was still standing, even though it no longer functions as a theatre, but is a church.

    I don’t know, but there was something very satisfying in knowing that I walked down the same street as someone as great as Waller. We might have been separated by 80 years, but he was there. The man who made all that great music.

    I don’t know. Just missing Harlem today.

  • Beatles Concert

    When I drive my daughter to school, we have started to listen to the Beatles. There is such a deep joy that I receive as my kid is starting to listen to my favorite band. I have tried to not push this on her. I want her to develop her own taste in music, and I don’t want to influence her to or from any type of music. Both the wife and I try to play as may different styles and bands for her to listen to. I think it has been paying off because she wanted a guitar for Christmas this year, which Santa brought to her.

    Now, in the car ride to school, the kid gets to pick what she wants to listen to. For the past three months it has been Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts music. On the way home, she has to listen to what I want, which I do try to make a choice of music I feel will broaden her horizons. Sometimes the Beatles come up.

    By talking to my daughter about music and bands, she has come to learn the names of the Beatles, and asks me who is my favorite or who plays the guitar, or is signing. Sometimes, she will ask me if we can go and see them play, which is when I will pull YouTube videos for her. Then the other night she asked me is we can go and see them play. I explained to her that they don’t play together anymore, and that we have to listen to them and watch their videos. She wasn’t happy with that answer.

  • The Beatles (The White Album) Super Deluxe Edition

    I listened to the 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of The White Album yesterday and today. I have been waiting for this to come out for some time, as I am a super Beatles fan. Over all, I am very happy with what they put out in this edition.

    My first impression is that the remixing of the original album is great. The music on this mix is much sharper, clearer, and also, they pulled forward sounds that had been lost in the background due to the use of a four track in the initial recording.

    The other treasure is the Esher Demos on the third disk, which were recordings made at George Harrison’s house of the songs that John, Paul and George had been working on for the new album. Some of these tracks had been released on the Anthology Three way back in the 90’s, but on this edition, 27 tracks were included. In these demos, we are given an amazing insight to the first drafts of some of these songs; some songs evolved, while others were pretty much complete and ready to go.

    The final three disks are outtakes from the studio, a few jams, and instrumental tracks. It is interesting to get a glimpse of the building of these songs, but in this presentation of this material, a false reality is created. These outtakes leave one feeling that The Beatles were having a great time recording in the studio, when the reality was quite different.

    Of the 30 original songs on The White Album, only 16 tracks had all four playing on them. The real sessions had arguments, and walk outs, and lots and lots of tension that would start the process of the band’s eventual breakup. I know the recording exists, as I have heard stories about it, and I wanted to hear the tape where John calls Paul a “fucking idiot,” because they were a band that was making great music while they didn’t like each other. That is an amazing accomplishment as well, and I want to hear how they did that, but that is not what is being presented. What we have is a celebration of a great album, and not a historical document.