30 Day Song Challenge Day 26 Playing is No Longer Secret

A song that you can play on an instrument.

Oh this was fun to choose. I was remembering the time in my life I played the flute (essentially until I left school, though I do still pull it out every now and again). My high school had a very ambitious music program with a conductor who thought nothing (or, maybe he gave it some thought), of throwing to the advanced concert band works of a high standard. It was hard and we needed to practice. I wasn't as disciplined as I should've been but perhaps if I had my life would've taken a whole other route (music & ancient civilisations were my big loves.....still are in fact).

Ergo, today's choice. The Marriage of Figaro Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Undiluted aka rearranged for school students. We played the real deal. I have copies of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd flute parts. Have played them all. I didn't have the piccolo at this point (that would've been around for the Magic Flute the following year). I was 15yrs old/Grade 10 and can remember playing it along with Slavonic Dances by Dvorak.

I hear this piece and immediately my brain goes to playing the notes, mastering the double tonguing technique required, remembering the rests, the different points of starting, harmonies.....

I love playing music. On my wish list of when I have a gazillion dollars I'd love to buy an oboe and learn to play it. In the meantime, I should probably look into getting my flute serviced......

30 Day Song Challenge Day Nine - Dance Day

Today's selection is a song you dance to. Amusing aside, it's Monday and raining. Finding this one and relistening is a good way to start the week too :-)  

There's a number of songs that fall into this category but Love Shack  is the no brainer.

Love Shack by B52s - it's just got the right beat for bopping along at any level of sobriety. I remember enjoying the video back when a teenager and still find it brings a smile. This song also meets other categories such certain event & know the words.

2011 30 Day Song Challenge Day Eight - Where I'm forgetful

I've amused myself no end this morning. I'm notorious at not remembering things.....like song lyrics (or even better, mishearing them), or for not singing. Only a precious few have heard the event. Long story why. It just is.

So, I'm thinking, racking my brain, trawling through my various songlists for a song that I know ALL the words to. Sometimes, I'm slow.

It's no secret that I'm a Joss Whedon fan. Being able to Joss this meme has made my day.
I know all the words to all the songs in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Once More With Feeling" aka the Buffy Musical Episode. Then I realised I know all the words also to Dr Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog AND Commentary! The Musical (the commentary that comes along with Dr Horrible dvd)....

Aaaah, I'm spoilt for choice now. Decisions. Decisions. In the end I went with ......"Something to Sing About" - I tend to sing it (even if it's silently in my head) as soon as it starts.

So many choices and picking one very hard to do especially when you add all the Dr Horrible choices into the mix.

2011 30 Day Song Challenge - Day Six

Oh the relief! Finally, an easy and no-thinking-required choice. Today's selection is Stasia by Tulipan. A group that has since disbanded but through an amusing twist of fate I've become friends with one of the members, Sallie Campbell (via uni and that is another story).

I hear the opening notes of this song and I'm immediately transported back to The Woodford Folk Festival I attended at the turn of the century (1999/2000). It was a huge year for me personally and professionally and with some friends we bought full season passes and pitched our tents.

The finding a link so you can hear it for yourselves is another thing. They were just on the turnaround of the internet music explosion. I couldn't find anything on you tube but found this link and page over on myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/tulipan/music/songs/stasia-73534800

So very many memories. It was awesome and all I need to do to bring back the feelings of laying on the hill under the night sky in the amphitheatre is start this song.

2011 30 Day Song Challenge - Day Five

A song reminding me of someone.

Oi vey! These are getting tougher not easier. In part I have a bad memory and being slightly stubborn, I didn't want to pick something from more recent times. Music has always been a big part of  my life. The maternal line of my family like singing (I'm the odd duck and that would be a post for another time). Since my Nana got a mention yesterday, decided today it was my mother's turn.

She has done yoga since I was a teenager - sure it's why she is so (relatively) zen dealing with life. This song was one on a cd she gave me when my son was born. She would sing along with it to him, and sing it without the cd. She loves kirtan, an Indian form of sacred chanting and meditation.  This particular song has been done with a choir (and yes, it is long - in part the form of song to achieve a meditative state) but it works.

The interesting thing I found with this song selection was it wasn't so much the song or its lyrics that reminded me of someone, it was the situation/event/memory associated with someone and the song.

Saying that, this one does manage to combine to the two - the person and the memory association.

30 Day Song Challenge Day Four

I really should get consistent with my subject titles, ah well.

And so we reach the Song that Makes You Sad. It wasn't until I had to choose I realised I don't really have any that make me sad. So, after much thinking and surfing through songs I came to one that the memory and association brings about a melancholic state and if done right, tears can occur.

My sister (who is a trained soprano) sang this in honour of my Nana at her funeral a few years ago. I've always found this song soul reaching but, now if sung by a female it is sure to throw me back to the day of the funeral.

I've chosen Celine Dion from the choices available on You Tube.....I'd much prefer to give you my sister's voice, but she hasn't gotten around to uploading stuff on the interwebz much.

Regardless of where it is in this challenge songlist, I think Ave Maria is a beautiful song and when done right, by instrumental, male or female vocal can move the soul.  As a friend of mine also doing the challenge via facebook, has shown by her choosing Ave Maria as song that makes her happy (we are astrologically flip sides of the same coin so it makes sense....I think).