You are not alone….I am here with you…

Another Day has Gone, and I am still alone.
Good Bye Micheal.  I will miss your presence and talent in the world dearly.  While you were here, we did not respect you, but now that you are gone, we see you for the very special person that you were.  I don’t know why things were the way they were, But I do look to a higher power for meaning to all this. 

How could this be you are not here with me?
We grew up together.  I watched you on TV as a child performing with your family.  We never met me personally.   I really enjoyed your music and marvelled at how talented you were.  My favorite Album of yours was “Thriller”. 

You never sayed Goodbye, someone tell me why.
I do believe that you are up in heaven celebrating your life there.  And finally you can receive the love you longed for in this life.  No matter what I remember that in this life there are no mistakes or coincidences.

Did you have to go?  And leave my world so cold.
I wish you well Michael.  Rest in Peace.  Miss you, Sharon

 

Many Thanks to Michael Jackson and Robert Kelly for the use of your lyrics to “You are Not Alone”.

HBO’s newest “Flight of the Conchords”

Hey Gang,

This one is five out of five stars.  Flight of the Conchords is a 2-man gig from New Zealand.  Yeah Kiwis!!  Check out their newest show on HBO.  Here’s a web site with their lyrics and pics.  http://www.whatthefolk.net/hbolyrics.html#robots

Really great show.  I hope you tune in to watch it on January 18th.  I enjoy the music and the sitcoms.  Words really can’t describe it.  It’s very funny and has two very talented guys!

Brevard Community Band 12-7-08

The Brevard Community Band had their christmas concert today at the local Performance Arts Center.  The band was in good form and all seats were full in the PAC.  The above pic is from the warm-up this afternoon before the concert.  This is always an interesting thing to watch.  Performers show up about an half hour prior to the concert.  Put their instruments together and blow warm air through their instruments to bring the instrument to room temperature.  Once the instrument is warmed-up, it can be tuned, hence the band plays harmonically together.  This is an arduous process filled with frustration and impatience as your instrument refuses to remain in tune. 

Every one is wearing black in order to look like the professionals we truly are. 

The band is nearly ready to perform.   

Among the music being performed is:

Overture to a Winter Festival by James Curnow,
The Lights of Christmas by Gene Egge
Amazing Grace (a tribute to Pearl Harbor Day)
Concertino for Clarinet performed by Kevin Strang
Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson
In the Bleak Midwinter by Gustav Holst
Folk Festival by Dimitri Shostakovich
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company to be continued

 

And here you see the band as it prepares to play on stage.   A view from back stage right.  Here you can see the percussion section, the trumpets, the trombones and some french horn players.    Below is a picture of the filled-up auditorium.   All our concerts are free.

The American Music Awards 11-23-08

The American Music Awards celebrates mediocrity this year. 

Hey guys, the American Music Awards comes on once a year and in years past it has been know to be the hallmark of what’s creative in the music industry.  Unfortunately this year it was a far cry from it’s usual talent filled event of the past.  The Winners were gifted with an award that look like an invitation to impale yourself.  A clear tall slender Pyramid.  However there were a few bright spots in the show this year.  I almost didn’t even post this blog, because I was interrupted so many times by my Alzheimer’s father who was nervous and wanted to talk.  But it seems that my interruptions were really not important to the overall role of this reporter where the AMAs are involved. 

The show opened with Christina Aquilera looking a lot like Gwen Stephanie.  But when Christine opened with “I am beautiful…”  (Which is a personal favorite of mine.) All bets were off.  Christine put together a great show filled with handsome Studs and beautiful gals.  The show was not completely original.   It reminded me a lot of Madonna’s shows. 

Jimmy Kimmel the host of the American Music Awards this year and for the past 5 years came on and kicked off the awards with a few jokes.  And from there he introduced the New Kids on the Block.  What was that all about? Hello? New Kids on the Block from the eighties?

You know, I’ve got to say something about this.  What has happened to the AMAs?  It used to be a show that would introduce all the new artists for the year.  There were so many new stars, the show would go on and on.  Now, they’re bringing back has beens from years past?  Why?  The New Kids on the Block only appealed to a small portion of the market that quickly outgrew it.  They last were seen on the AMAs in 1990s. Do they deserve an appearance on the AMAs??  No.

Pink was on the show as her glorious self, wearing a long demure mauve gown.  Her hair chic.  And her music was all about that. 

I missed about an hour of the show as I turned to HBO’s True Blood Final Episode for this season.  Only to tune-in later to the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus whom I will not comment on.  As I feel that their participation in this industry, at their young age, will eventually bring them great harm.  As it has done to so many others. Also, can anyone say Marketing Package, not true talent? 

Annie Lennox won lifetime-achievement Award Of Merit trophy and graced us with a performance that was both beautiful and remarkable.  Her performance was probably more true to herself than all the past years of her performances have been.  And taught us what it meant to leave behind a mature image of your younger self (I wonder if that makes any sense to you the audience?)

Motley Crue announced the POP/ROCK award where Daughtry was the winner.  Which Daughtry can place proudly next to all the grammies he won this year.  I was pineing for the Eagles.  Coldplay and the Eagles were among the nominees with Daughtry. 

Daughtry was followed by Kayne West whos music did not sound all that innovative at all (I was disappointed).  It sounded more like he over reached and missed the mark completely.  The AMAs is no place to try out a new sound.  It’s only for those tried and true winners. 

Alicia Keyes performed and had a number of known artists join her during her performance.  Alicia Keyes is a true artist in every sense of the word.  She demonstrated both style and grace during her performance both in dress and sound. 

And the Pussycat Dolls were their usually innovative selves.  However, I did see pretty much the same show on one of the daytime talkshows about a month ago.  Costumes were different, but the song was the same.  I like the Pussycat Dolls, but I think they are selling themselves short.  There’s a lot of untapped talent just waiting to expose itself.  Its time to grow beyond the image now. 

All in all the AMAs this year were a disappointment.  Few new talent and the show seemed to be mastermind by someone who really didn’t understand what real talent is all about.  When the AMAs are done right, Musicians appear gifted, talented and truly delight everyone.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for next year.

Holiday Blues

 Holiday candles bringing warmth to a room, Jingle bells on the front door, ringing every time it opens. Grandma’s house is filled with all kinds of moving miniature dolls, made to look like Ma & Pa Santa Clause, inviting you to come in and enjoy the heavenly decorated Christmas Tree, filled with memories from Christmas’ past.

 The smells of cinnamon and cranberries scents fill your nostrils pinging your memory of times past when the Holiday’s weren’t all that pleasant or welcomed. Times filled with sadness and dread. Suddenly, you’re ready to craw back into bed and Hide, like the proverbial ground hog that craws back into it’s hole after seeing it’s shadow each year during Groundhog Day.

 Holiday Blues can be a common experience. With the Holidays being such a big Consumer Holiday, the commercials constantly telling you it’s the Holidays and you need to meet everyone expectation, the possibility of spending the holidays alone, all this and the memory of the loss of a loved one from Holiday’s past make Holiday’s a difficult time for many people.

 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Psychological Association, the National Mental Health Association, and the Mental Health Association of Colorado have put together a number of recommendations to help you survive the Holiday Blues.

• Plan ahead and set realistic expectations and goals for the holidays. Plan a budget for gift and holiday decorations and stick to your budget
• Limit your drinking.
• Don’t let anyone “guilt you” into celebrating the Holidays.
• Allow yourself to express your feelings, especially if you have recently experience a tragedy, death or break-up with a loved one, tell people about your needs.
• Enjoy Holidays that are free: such as driving around and viewing Holiday Decorations; participating by joining a performance of a Holiday Musical Concerts or plays; Offer to chaperon a school function for your child. Also I find that it feels really good to volunteer your time at the hospital, hospice or senior home. It feels good and it does so much good for the people you are there to help! You can even get some friends together to Carol for a local retirement home. They are always looking for people to come in and cheer-up their residences.

 Here’s to Holiday Cheer and hoping that we all share in a big helping of it.

Playing Your Play Lists

I’ve just been turned on to Finetune (www.finetune.com).  This site allows you to create play lists.  Which generally include at least 45 tunes.  I’ve just created my third (3rd) playlist and I’m loving it.  Here’s my list of Artists.  Santana, Phil Collins, Fleetwood mac, Boston, Kansas, Miles Davis, Paul McCarthy, David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Normand Greenbaum, Simon & Garfunkel, Styx, The Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Mamas & the Papas, Monkeys, and War.  Not necessarily in that order.  I’m really dating myself.  But I have to say, in my time, we had some of the best artists of the last century.  What a time to grow-up in this country.  What lucky kids we were!