Life Is So Full Of Unpredictable Beauty
“Life is so full of unpredictable beauty and strange surprises. Sometimes that beauty is too much for me to handle. Do you know that feeling? When something is just too beautiful? When someone says something or writes something or plays something that moves you to the point of tears, maybe even changes you.”
Music Vs. Noise
Can’t take credit for this analogy, but I think it’s great:
“Aretha Franklin could read the phone book with more soul than everything every top-40 radio station has played in the last decade, combined.”
So as you might have been able to discern per this intro, I’ve become wary about music these days. Guess there’s just a lot of “music” out there I’d more appropriately classify as “noise”. And how something is classified as “noise” over “music” you might be wondering? Here are my conclusions:
- If your musical capability is maxed at 4 chords. A monkey could play 4 chords (no offense to monkeys). Being a musician takes time/dedication/precision/passion. Learning to play 4 chords takes…about 5 minutes.
- If you focus on the vocalist. I understand the demands of a vocalist, as I spent many years in vocal training. However, I also spent many years in instrumental training and the fact of the matter is: anyone can sing. And if they can’t, they can try their best and technology will take care of the rest. You can’t fake playing an instrument.
- If you have no soul. If you are more concerned about fame/fortune/popularity, you aren’t a true musician.
- If you scream into a microphone, butcher the English language, use ridiculous analogies, and/or try to rhyme words that don’t rhyme.
Ex1) “You the whole package, plus you pay your taxes” …No. “packAGE” and “taxES” do not rhyme. at all. Sorry!
Ex2) “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind wanting to start again…” …ummmm no. I actually can’t say I’ve ever felt like a plastic bag. Try again.
Ex3) “Call me Mr. Flintstone ’cause I can make your bed rock”. …I don’t even have words for this. Actually, I do have one word: NO.
- If the performer is auto-tuned and/or spends more time dancing around stage than being a musician. This makes me shudder just thinking about it. Please do yourself…and everyone else a favor and just stop now.
Phew.
I could go on for about 27 more pages…and as riveting as I know that would be, I’ll instead have one of my favorite comedians, Chris Rock, conclude with this (hilarious/related) bit on today’s music:
Creative Process & Big Band at the Arthouse
This past weekend I checked out Graham Hudson’s “Rehearsal at the Astoria” exhibit at the Arthouse Museum. I would write about the experience in my own words…but since it’s already been described so beautifully on the Arthouse website, I pulled snippets of the description that resonated w me most…
Hudson brings the Astoria back to life by reconstructing a portion of its historic architectural plan in ghost-like scaffolding. . . Hudson’s Astoria is offered up to musicians from Austin and beyond to use as a free rehearsal space during its ten-week reincarnation.
Hudson’s installation is essentially a living, breathing sculpture.
Hudson’s caveat . . . this Astoria’s stage only be used for rehearsals, not formal concerts or performances. Furthermore, all rehearsals are open to the public, which allows for a new perspective on the creative process
For Hudson, the rehearsal is infinitely more interesting than the finished performance
Hudson’s aim is to reveal how all artistic disciplines—from sculpture to music—share a common creative process characterized by experimentation, trial and error, and practice. The environment he has created is a space where mistakes—the unexpected and the beautiful—can be transformed into art, both literally and figuratively.”
LOVE. IT.
!!!!!! creative process. rehearsal more interesting than the finished performance?!? HMMM Does this not sound like a topic I have blogged about a time (or two, or three, or four) before!?!
Anyway…
The group I went to watch rehearse this past Sunday was The Vendetta Big Band. …about 357 years ago I actually was in a vocal jazz group for a few years…also took swing dancing for a few years…AKA I love the genre this band covers, which made the experience that much more awesome.
The band sounded great, I might add. Great sound. Great improv. Great mix of instruments. Great vocalist. Great band mojo.
Here are a few pics of what the space looks like. From ground level and above:
Here’s a video I took of the rehearsal:
Wagon Wheel & Some Travels
Over the past 6 months or so, I’ve spent a good deal of time in the South and the North South? Lower NE? Western Middle East? region of the states. There’s a certain charm found around here that can’t be found in other areas. I visited Tennessee for the first time in high school and was so impressed with the way of life out here. That was in Nashville. A few months back I went through Cumberland Gap and most recently Knoxville & Greeneville.
I’ve been listening to the song called “Wagon Wheel” quite a bit lately – a friend / fellow musician asked if I could play this with him, so I’ve been playing it quite a bit to get it into my head… Anyway, I love the song as it is…but it’s especially neat because the song mentioned in all these places I’ve been visiting / driving through lately (Cumberland Gap, Johnson City, Roanoke, etc.) Guess you could say it puts a metaphorical face to a name…but really…brings so much more meaning to the song now that I’ve experienced the places mentioned within…
Some Austin Music
Welp, there sure is a reason why Austin is called the live music capital. Can’t seem to go anywhere without running into some live tunes!
Here are a few videos of some music I came across the first few weeks of December – the first two groups at the Holiday Stroll down Congress street and the third at the Saturday market downtown on 4th. Enjoy:
Quite an eclectic group:
Oh man, this one makes me want to get up and go salsa dance, stat!
Love all the unique instruments & style: