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My latest (potentially useless) past-time is browsing music on iTunes. It generally only lasts a handful of minutes before I get bored and turn my attention to something more beneficial. But when I am there, I am looking for the unexpected. At a swing dance, I like the standard vintage tunes, etc, but I love it when the DJ pulls out something really unexpected, sometimes a totally unheard of artist, or perhaps one you are familiar with, but one you never would have thought of dancing to. I always enjoy those moments. So I’m looking for those songs. Fresh artists, not to replace the standards, but to enhance. I’ll start with a genre or perhaps an artist and I will begin looking through related songs and albums. And usually I’ll click through the “New and Noteworthy” section of Jazz music on iTunes. Oftentimes the search is fruitless. But sometimes I stumble across someone I really like, enough that I am willing to purchase a whole album.
I’ve never heard of Melody Gardot. Google tells me this is silly, as she has a website, several albums and a tour. iTunes assures me that this is okay by putting her in the “New and Noteworthy” section, so I’m not too concerned.
What I have learned is that she is a peer (twentysomething). She has four albums. And her voice is gorgeous. Incredibly smooth. Here is a MySpace link (gasp!) to some of her music. I wouldn’t say purchase the album solely on my recommendation but it is certainly worth checking out. I’m definitely enjoying it.
This is how I spent my reading week. More or less 
This is easily one of my favourite swing dancing videos.
First, it’s Balboa, which is my newest fancy, second, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable song. And the couple looks like they are having so much fun together. I haven’t been able to figure out if it’s a routine or not. Obviously the couple has danced together and practiced all of the moves they did together, and probably danced to this song together… but I’m not sure. It doesn’t seem like a performance.
Anyway, I think another reason it looks fun is because he gives her ample room to play in the song (times 0:21, 0:43, 0:45, to name a few). I was reading an opinion on this on another dancer’s blog. I don’t really have any tricks in my repertoire beyond the basic swivel (and maybe a fake kick or two…), and as I’ve said about other blogs, I don’t necessarily agree with everything she’s saying, but I think I agree with the overall point she’s making. The dance is about both people on the floor. I heard a critique on a couple once in the past, and one of the critics raved about the woman’s ability to wait for her partner. There was one move (I can’t remember it exactly), where he spun her out and then did some trick on his own, and she had to wait for a couple of beats for his trick to finish before he turned back to her, and she did so, perfectly. It wasn’t even something I’d noticed before, but I guess that’s another thing to think about. The dance isn’t about being in motion all of the time, or pulling out moves to make it fun. The dance is about the two people on the floor, enjoying the music, the atmosphere and most importantly, each others’ company.
Anyway, just some thoughts, I guess. And if you want to watch the video again, check out the fabulous turns at ~1:04 and the unbelievable dip at ~2:06 . The dip is slightly less amazing, but slightly more realistic/copy-able when you realize what her left arm is doing.
Well, this is about the most frustrating thing ever. </exaggeration>
This is the right song that was playing here, but the wrong version. I’ve only been able to find two versions of it, one by Lee Dorsey and one by Willie & the Poorboys, both artists I’ve never heard of before (and neither one the correct version). And then a whole bunch of sappy songs and/or Enrique Iglesias. Foiled by Enrique! The first two or three pages on YouTube are all just different clips of his song “Can you hear me?” (which is, just so we’re all following, not the right song, even though it is the right title).
If anyone has any better luck, please let me know. But I suppose it would be better for your sakes to warn you off the search. I clicked through the iTunes and YouTube search results, as well as searching for “can you hear me” + “cover” and “lyrics” in an attempt to find other artists, but agh, Enrique! Foiled me again…
It is a frustrating search…
Update: Apparently there is another version by The Artwoods. Version from the clip still not found. Recommend cease and desist to all search parties to prevent ensuing insanity.
Alright, here’s for some audience participation. I am in process of building my music collection through iTunes. I have had suggestions from exactly 1 person as far as what songs I should consider adding. Granted, I made the request through Twitter, and apparently no one reads my Twitter page except for this one person *dramatic huff*. So I would like two things.
Thing 1: Sign up for Twitter! It’s loads of fun
Thing 2: What songs should I add to my music collection?
Now, I’m not talking about the latest fads. I’m talking about classics, songs that have stood the test of time
on your list of favourites, songs you think I would enjoy and should be in possession of. I twittered before (see how much you’re missing by not following me on Twitter?) about this here. The shuffle function on the iPod really only works proportionately to the variety of songs that you have.
So let’s hear it for variety!
What separates the good from the great is discipline.
I was watching this video (yes, I’m a little enamoured of TED talks right now…). I used to play the violin. My teacher complimented my ear and my tone. I was able to produce a clear tone in a very short period of time, and, since there are no markings on the violin separating the different tones from each other, it is very important that the musician develops a good ear to know when they have and have not placed their fingers in the correct position. I watch this video of a child who is half my age, and I wonder, if I had continued with the violin, could I ever have achieved this kind of mastery? My first impulse was to make a throwaway, yes, of course. Strange first impulse… but my reason for making it was that I understand the hours and hours of practice that must be behind her playing, the years of dedication to her instrument (7 years), and let’s not forget the support and probably the assisted discipline, shall we call it (ie, “It’s time to practice!”), from her parents. I had the ear and the ability to achieve good tone from the instrument, but I lacked the passion for violin playing. I love listening to the violin (especially live), but playing the instrument does not stir my soul. I also lacked the discipline for the hours of practice that would have been required each week, and the fortitude to stick with it for years and years. And that is the difference. I was good, or could have been good, but what this eleven-year-old has that I did not is passion and discipline.
And I think that’s a lesson to take with us. For anything we want to achieve or become skilled at, it requires discipline. For an instrument, we can’t play cavalierly an hour a week and expect to improve. I casually play the piano. It was mostly during the school year, and mostly to take a break from studying and to relieve stress. Since the summer began nearly two months ago, I haven’t touched the instrument. Even when I did play regularly, I probably played less than five hours a week, and I was not enrolled in lessons. I did not expect to become a master at the instrument, and would not consider myself good enough to play in front of others. There were two pieces that I learned at separate times, pieces that I spent hours and hours practicing over the course of several weeks, and these pieces I played in our residence coffeehouses, but I wouldn’t ever sit down in front of the instrument and expect to dazzle an audience. But should I choose to improve, should I decide that I wanted to develop my playing, I would invest in lessons, I would actually play above 1-3 times a week, I would devote my time, energy, thoughts, etc. to the instrument.
And that, my friends, is discipline, and that is what we need to develop to achieve mastery. This is when you hear talk of people waking at 5am for early morning practices or spending every spare moment they have engulfed in their subject of choice. I have several friends who do this, and I honour their discipline and their knowledge and skills that have developed out of it. I also envy it . I acknowledge the importance of maintaining balance, and also of being aware if it is starts to become a burden, but discipline in anything we do is something that is important.
Discipline is the difference between good and great, between one who browses among the daisies and one who digs down to investigate the roots. One acknowledges the beauty of the flower, the other truly understands how it works. Actually, that isn’t a bad metaphor, because it also emphasizes the importance of balance. If you spend too much time engulfed in learning the mechanisms, you forget the beauty that made you want to explore it in the first place. And your enjoyment of the beauty is enhanced by understanding the internal beauty as well as what is on the surface.
And that, I guess, is a challenge for all of us, to examine our lives and to improve our self-discipline and our balance.
Brilliant.
He is the author of the book The Art of Possibility. A very good speaker, and has lots of wonderful and inspiring thoughts to share.
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