Father’s Day 2020 Happy Father’s Day 2020 to all you dads out there. I know it’s been a mighty weird world so far this year. But I also know this world has always been pretty weird. Because of that weirdest of all creatures: Humans. So, I just wanna encourage you to look beyond all of this craziness right now. Keep your eyes on the … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: Words and Music
Live up to your own dream Because I can’t live up to your dream for you. And 99.9% of the people who read my articles or listen to my podcast know this. I’d say 100%, but nothing, here on Earth, is perfect. But why do I even bring it up? If I can’t live up to your dream for you, is it even … The rest of the story…
It might’ve been Für Elise or Therese or Elizabeth As I opened up my laptop to write, just now, Für Elise started playing on my Pandora classical channel. And I love that piece of music. Of course, I don’t think I’ve kept it a secret that Beethoven is my favorite composer. And this piece of music is an example of why. But today, I … The rest of the story…
Ah, there’s nothing like an uncloudy day And there’s nothing like rainy days and nights to make you appreciate an uncloudy day. Right? Of course, maybe it’s only the dreamers, poets, and songwriters who truly appreciate the ever-changing kaleidoscope floating above us all. But I’ll bet when I say that, plenty of other kinds of people beg to differ. Or maybe they don’t beg, … The rest of the story…
And he said, “I like your style. It always makes me smile.” Way back in 1989 there was a guy who was, shall we say, increasingly enamored with a certain girl. Trouble was, he lived about 1500 miles away from her. So, the best he could do, to stay on her radar, was write letters and a long-distance call now and then. On one … The rest of the story…
Music is wrong these days Or maybe it’s right. Wait a minute. Maybe I shouldn’t say music is wrong because there’s no right or wrong in music. But what about music you can’t sing along to? Wouldn’t that be wrong? Or how about music with lots of vulgar language and themes? Can that kind of music be good for anything? Maybe none of this … The rest of the story…
I have a perfect point of view Hmm…maybe I should clarify. I’m not talking about a perfect opinion on some idea of the day. Although my opinions tend to suit me, perfectly. No, the perfect point of view I’m talking about (and singing about) is an attitude. A grateful attitude gave me the perfect point of view. Recently I went through a sixty day … The rest of the story…
You know me. Always serious as a heart attack. Side note (right here at the front of this article): apparently there are people who look up what “serious as a heart attack” means. Seems like it’s self-evident. But I guess that’s just me. Anyway…what’s any of this got to do with anything I ever talk about? Plenty. You might have already guessed I’m not … The rest of the story…
Taps and lights out I remember (at least a little) when Taps was played during the funeral proceedings for President Kennedy. But I didn’t remember the bugler’s clinkers during the minute long song. Not until I looked at old video footage. And, of course, people feel the need to make fun of the guy for “missing” notes. But it was a cold day, which … The rest of the story…
A conversation in a song stayed in the back of my mind The technical definition of a fugue, in music, is: “a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.” I like to think of it, simply, as a conversation in a song. Either … The rest of the story…