Just enjoy this!
Just enjoy this!
Mark is one of my favorites. Paraguayan harp music is such a great blend of harp and guitar stylings. If you're a musician, you can enjoy watching his hands. If you're not into that, enjoy the listen:
I've discovered so many new peeves lately that I'm going to add a wing to the existing menagerie building. And yes, the peeves will be properly housed, fed, and exercised.
First to move in will be the practice of academic presses in charging for ancient articles in their journals – and charging exorbitantly – usually around $12 for an article of which I've been allowed to read the first two paragraphs. I'm not researching high technology or neuroscience; we're talking about odd moments in American history or musicology.
I'm often turning up articles from the 1940s or 50s in the area I'm working on right now. The authors have probably (hopefully) gone to the big faculty senate meeting in the sky – and remember, they didn't make a dime on the article in the first place. However, the publisher has discovered (it believes) another profit center.
Of course, if I were college faculty or a student in an institution that paid for a subscription to jstor or one of its ilk, I could see these. But those of us outside the ivy-covered (or in Florida, stuccoed) walls of academe are expected to pony up, sight unread.
Venting accomplished.
If you’re a conductor – of an orchestra, an ensemble, a choir, or any group of people trying accomplish a joint project, this is worth watching. And it’s fun too!
While I'm considering all that I've learned in the last two weeks, you can watch this definitely "upper" video. Thanks to a Facebook friend for this. Okay, I am a sap, but I love to see people dance:
Out of America's radio past. Yoo-hoo, Mrs. Goldberg! A trailer for a documentary about the interesting Gertrude Berg.
This lovely rendition of the old hymn, O What Manner of Love, is sung in traditional style and accompanied with a lap dulcimer.
It's a tune I prize – and I think you'll enjoy it as well. Stick with it and see how the counter voice develops. Yes, you hear her working her way into the part. And by the third verse you'll want to add your own harmony.
You can find more singing like this at Pilgrim Productions – your choices range from rugged shape-note to contemporary gospel and just about everything in between. Bookmark this site because it's a wonderful place to visit when you need a lift.
Thanks to my friend, Arlene. This was just what I needed this evening:
Finally getting myself going on some projects. Here's a soothing bit of salterio, extracted from a longer improvisation. Enjoy the walk!