This concerns music only obliquely, but, it's one of my favorites. I guess it's a limerick.
A tooter who tooted the flute
Tried to tutor two tutors to toot.
Said the two to the tutor,
"Is it harder to toot or to tutor two tooters to toot?"
Friday, September 7, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Sex Pistols - - One Better!
SEX MACHINE GUNS!! Really!
From Ehime, Shikoku, land of "mikan" (tangerines). The song is "Mikan no Uta" --"Tangerine Song".
The lyrics say, "Tangerine, tangerine!! If you don't like tangerines, you're not really Japanese!" and they sing, "Ponjus -- tangerine juice -- it's the water of life!"
My friend who lives on Shikoku, told me about this! She went to a karaoke bar with her work colleagues for a soubetsukai (good-bye party) for one guy who is leaving that job. All of her colleagues are younger. She is 32. All of a sudden this quiet guy started screaming the "Mikan no Uta" song. She was so surprised.
I found out that their genre is: "Speed Metal Band"!! (who knew?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6ViVBtLwZI
(Watch out for your volume!)
Mikan No Uta Lyrics (Sex Machineguns)
Sex Machineguns - Mikan No Uta Lyrics
Ore no tamashi no sakebi da! ehime no kokoro! omaetachi!
Ehime no! mikan!
Mikan wa iroiro aru keredo
Ehime no mikan wa hitotsu dake
Ehime no mikan wo taberu nara
Nouka no ai wo kamishimero
Kawa wo suteru yatsu ga iru
Kawa wo sutete wa ikenai ze
Furo ni irete attamareba
Pokapoka
Kokoro ga nagomeba sekai wa hitotsu
Sekai ni habatake ehime no mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan
Ehime no mikan wa sekaiichi
Mikan wo karada de kanjiyou
Mikan wo somatsu ni suru yatsu wa
Mikan ni yararete shinjimae
Kotatsu ni mikan ga nai ie wa
Nihon no kokoro wo nakushiteru
Nihon no kokoro wo torimodose
Torimodose
Mikan wo shibore kore ga ê ponjyuusu
Inochi no mizu da ê ponjyuusu
(kick off)
Minna de nomo ehime no kokoro
Mikan wo kueba sukuwareru
Orenji ni makenai kogane iro no kajitsu
Inochi no mizu da pon.ju-su
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikaaaan!!!
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikan mikan mikan
Mikaaaan!!!
Yeahh
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Album Covers - Part One
Here are some random album covers from my iTunes collection. It's kind of a hobby of mine to hear new songs, either on the radio or suggested by a friend, then to buy a single.
This is Jasmine Tinchu, a Chinese singer whose album is called "Sound of Rain".
This is the album cover for LCD Sound System. Their song is: "North American Scum."
oh i don't know, i don't know, oh, where to begin
we are north americans
and for those of you who still think we're from england
we're not, no.
we build our planes and our trains till we think we might die,
far from North America,
where the buildings are old and you might have lots of mimes.
aha, oh, oh.
i hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
cause we're north americans
but if we act all shy, it’ll make it ok
makes it go away.
oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
when we're north american
but in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
come on north americans
we are north american scum
we’re from north america
This is from Paul McCartney's newest album. I got his new tune, "Nod Your Head" free from iTunes. It's a song full of "angst" and screaming! What happened to the lyrical Paul of yore? I guess he ran into some problems recently, hahaha!
Carole King, what a classic oldie! I bought, "I Feel the Earth Move". I loved her movie for kids, "Really Rosie". It still makes me laugh.
Cheap Trick's, "Live at the Budokan" (in Japan) contains a killer song:
"I Want You to Want Me".
I want you to want me,
I need you to need me,
I'd love you to love me,
I'm begging you to beg me.
I fell in love with this song. I looked these guys up on the Internet. Now they are old! sigh
Live Coldplay -- great energy. ("The One I Love")
Every once in awhile you just have to listen to electronic rock.
Here is KT Tunstall, a singer from Scotland. I love her song, "Suddenly I See". I have found it be VERY inspiring. It's such a passionate song. It speaks about thinking about your potential -- what you can be in your life.
While at the dance recital, I couldn't believe my ears! Here was a "heavy rock" version of Mozart's Lacrymosa. There is something bizarrely fascinating about this!
This is Jasmine Tinchu, a Chinese singer whose album is called "Sound of Rain".
This is the album cover for LCD Sound System. Their song is: "North American Scum."oh i don't know, i don't know, oh, where to begin
we are north americans
and for those of you who still think we're from england
we're not, no.
we build our planes and our trains till we think we might die,
far from North America,
where the buildings are old and you might have lots of mimes.
aha, oh, oh.
i hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
cause we're north americans
but if we act all shy, it’ll make it ok
makes it go away.
oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
when we're north american
but in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
come on north americans
we are north american scum
we’re from north america
This is from Paul McCartney's newest album. I got his new tune, "Nod Your Head" free from iTunes. It's a song full of "angst" and screaming! What happened to the lyrical Paul of yore? I guess he ran into some problems recently, hahaha!
When I went to a dance recital, someone danced to this music: "How Sweet It Is" (to be loved by you) by Michael Bublé.
Carole King, what a classic oldie! I bought, "I Feel the Earth Move". I loved her movie for kids, "Really Rosie". It still makes me laugh.
Cheap Trick's, "Live at the Budokan" (in Japan) contains a killer song:
"I Want You to Want Me".
I want you to want me,
I need you to need me,
I'd love you to love me,
I'm begging you to beg me.
I fell in love with this song. I looked these guys up on the Internet. Now they are old! sigh
Live Coldplay -- great energy. ("The One I Love")
Every once in awhile you just have to listen to electronic rock.
Here is KT Tunstall, a singer from Scotland. I love her song, "Suddenly I See". I have found it be VERY inspiring. It's such a passionate song. It speaks about thinking about your potential -- what you can be in your life.
While at the dance recital, I couldn't believe my ears! Here was a "heavy rock" version of Mozart's Lacrymosa. There is something bizarrely fascinating about this!Secret Codes in Music
At our last string quartet rehearsal, someone mentioned that Shostakovich often used his "signature" in his music. (DSCH=Dmitri Shostakovich), using the German style of naming notes by letter names and using the German spelling of his name. Apparently, he used this theme in two of his best works: Symphony No. 10 and String Quartet No. 8. A few minutes ago, in the mail, I received the music for this last piece. It should be fun to try to play it for the first time. Last week, we sight read through his String Quartet No. 1. It wasn't too hard and we enjoyed it!I guess everyone knows that Bach used the letters of his name in his music, as well!!
Stage Nerves
Musicians I Have Known
I was amazed to find out, years ago, that my little student, Anna (in 6th grade), totally loved performing on her violin for an audience. She seemed to get a "rush" from it! On the other extreme, I knew a semi-professional violinist who suffered from stage nerves. It didn't seem to affect his playing, but it did prevent him from auditioning for world class orchestras. And, he was good enough to play in any orchestra.
Fainting in the Chorus
When I was young, I often felt so nervous while singing in the chorus, that I thought I would faint. Little by little, I overcame those stage nerves, but it took years.
The Shaky Bow Syndrome
When I tried to play my violin in church, I didn't think I was nervous, but my bow shook uncontrollably and I could hardly play. I watched that in amazement and there was nothing I could do.
Positive Pleasure
Over the years, I became more and more comfortable with playing in public and speaking in public. I became fearless, but even more, I positively began to enjoy performing. My first really enjoyable experiences came when I was hired as a church pianist at a small church (they didn't have an organ). They had a very nice grand piano there. I prepared all the music for the service: prelude, postlude, offertory, etc. When I played, the church congregation listened in rapt attention. I was aware of the people listening and it changed my attitude about how I played. Rather than just play the music, I tried to create beautiful and interesting pictures through my playing. It was a marvelous experience! After that I began to really enjoy performing in public.
I was amazed to find out, years ago, that my little student, Anna (in 6th grade), totally loved performing on her violin for an audience. She seemed to get a "rush" from it! On the other extreme, I knew a semi-professional violinist who suffered from stage nerves. It didn't seem to affect his playing, but it did prevent him from auditioning for world class orchestras. And, he was good enough to play in any orchestra.
Fainting in the Chorus
When I was young, I often felt so nervous while singing in the chorus, that I thought I would faint. Little by little, I overcame those stage nerves, but it took years.
The Shaky Bow Syndrome
When I tried to play my violin in church, I didn't think I was nervous, but my bow shook uncontrollably and I could hardly play. I watched that in amazement and there was nothing I could do.
Positive Pleasure
Over the years, I became more and more comfortable with playing in public and speaking in public. I became fearless, but even more, I positively began to enjoy performing. My first really enjoyable experiences came when I was hired as a church pianist at a small church (they didn't have an organ). They had a very nice grand piano there. I prepared all the music for the service: prelude, postlude, offertory, etc. When I played, the church congregation listened in rapt attention. I was aware of the people listening and it changed my attitude about how I played. Rather than just play the music, I tried to create beautiful and interesting pictures through my playing. It was a marvelous experience! After that I began to really enjoy performing in public.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
I Fell in Love
When I was a substitute teacher in April and May, a student brought in his "Composer Report" about Fauré. His report was a PowerPoint presentation which used a short violin piece, "Après un Rêve", as played by Joshua Bell, a piece which I had never heard before. I fell in love with this music. I think I have listened to it over 100 times! And, I still love it!
Later, I found out that it was originally a song for soprano and piano. I bought that music file, as sung by Elly Ameling. I bought the violin solo, but it wasn't as good as what Joshua Bell played -- different key, etc. Well, ok, maybe I can't play like Bell, hahaha! I also got the string quartet version online (free). We tried it -- it was so-so, mostly a solo for the first violin and the other players just go, "dah, dah, dah, dah" through the whole piece -- very boring for them.
Later, I found out that it was originally a song for soprano and piano. I bought that music file, as sung by Elly Ameling. I bought the violin solo, but it wasn't as good as what Joshua Bell played -- different key, etc. Well, ok, maybe I can't play like Bell, hahaha! I also got the string quartet version online (free). We tried it -- it was so-so, mostly a solo for the first violin and the other players just go, "dah, dah, dah, dah" through the whole piece -- very boring for them.
Our String Quartet
Our string quartet was formed during the summer of 2005. Valerie, Melody, Peggy and I are all members of our local symphony orchestra. The orchestra's season runs from September to May. During the summer we have nowhere to play, so we decided to meet as a string quartet. It's been a very rewarding experience! We have a lot of fun playing together and we have improved over the two years since we started. We named our group, The Harmonia Quartet, because we work together very well; we work in harmony! We have played in public only a few times. This picture shows us playing at a block party in Oak Park. Our orchestra conductor lives on this block and he invited us to play by way of promoting our orchestra concerts.
More recently we played at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, a famous club in this area (above). However, we played for a fund-raiser! It wasn't a regular concert. But, now we can say we played there! Hardly anyone listened to us -- most people were talking as we played. Oh, well!
This picture shows Peggy and Valerie at Fitzgerald's. We like to play all kinds of classical music, including Mozart, Haydn, Borodin, Dvorak, and Shostakovitch. It's thrilling to play in a string quartet because each person can find her own musical voice, as opposed to being a part of an immense wall of sound in an orchestra. The orchestral experience is wonderful, too, in another way.Our next performance will be in October at a church during the morning service. We are available for hire at weddings!
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