Admit it: you’ve always wanted to play guitar, or perhaps, you’ve been meaning to pick it up again. Either way, you should! New research has found that people with musical training on any instrument were able to certain task better in their old age when compared to non-musicians. So pick
Continue readingTag: music
Art Threat: Rapping for Change in Senegal – Sister Fa takes the 2011 Freedom to Create Prize
Last November, Sister Fa took the Freedom to Create Main Prize in 2011 for her devoted work to raising awareness on the traumatic and harmful consequences of female genital mutilation. The Freedom to Create Prize celebrates the courage and creativity of artists, and the positive influence of their work to
Continue readingImpolitical: Friday night
Haven’t been listening to anything new this week so we go with a fave from the past year. This is kind of like two songs in one but sewn together so awesomely. New widget from SoundCloud too, fun!
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Friday Classical Musical Interlude – The Shape of Things to Come
The Shape of Things to Come theme This theme, also referred to as the “Passacaglia“, “Allegro“, or “Opera House theme“, is one of the few recurring motifs in Battlestar Galactica — along with “Worthy of Survival” — not associated with a particular character or group of characters. Appearing in the
Continue readingThe Equivocator: The Tea Party/OWS: The Musical (Spoliers)
I come from a very musical family (buy my sister’s band’s EP: The Prime Minister of Cool Chicks) and musical theatre has always been a big part of my life. One of my earliest memories is seeing a production of Brigadoon at the high school my father taught music at.
Continue readingwmtc: belafonte on obama: "a dagger in our sense of justice"
On a recommendation from a friend, I watched Harry Belafonte interviewed by Charlie Rose in New York City. Belafonte – musician, actor, social-justice activist, radical – is a joy to hear, and his life story is a march through history. Here’s one terrific thing I learned. Belafonte was still searching
Continue readingImpolitical: Friday night
“In anticipation for the release of the ‘Mpire‘ LP on January 30th, Moguai has released the first single coincidentally named, ‘Mpire‘ which is an effortlessly stuning powerhouse single! Moguai doesn’t disapoint, as it starts off very melodic, building and progressing into a high energy drop which is accomplished by two
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Friday Classical Music Interlude – Bach, Ich ruf’ zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639, Orgelbüchlein
The Orgelbüchlein (“Little Organ Book”) was written by Johann Sebastian Bach during the period of 1708–1714, while he was court organist at the ducal court in Weimar. It was planned as a set of 164 chorale preludes (smaller-scale compositions based on chorale melodies) spanning the liturgical year; however, Bach
Continue reading350 or bust: Take Time To Renew Your Spirit
Paul Kamm and Eleanore MacDonald are a Northern California-based folk duo. This song, Ship Gonna Sail, was written to discouraged activists several years ago: Paul wrote the song with the late Utah Phillips in response to frustration their local Peace Center friends felt when they tried to affect change, in
Continue readinggay persons of color: Album Review: The Search by Mike Acerbo
Openly gay musical artists are still a rarity these days. Yes, in an ideal place and time in the future, perhaps it won’t matter whether or not a performer is gay, but we’re not there yet. That said, one of the few out artists of today is Mike Acerbo, an
Continue readingwmtc: songs from beyond the grave (a list in progress)
I was driving around Mississauga listening to Bob Dylan’s Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue, a great live album, when I realized that the narrator of “Romance In Durango” dies at the end of the song. Or does he? The song seems to fall into a small subcategory of ballads
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Music Is The Best Medicine
It’s often said that Laughter is the best medicine, but maybe music isn’t far behind? Music can help people walk and talk again after injury and illnesses of the brain. I remember reading years ago about how Scott Adams stumbled onto a botox-free treatment for his SD speech impairment, through
Continue readingImpolitical: Friday night
That’s a free download. Nice. Recommend this one too. Have a good night!
Continue reading350 or bust: Musical Medicine
Feel in need of some healing in these turbulent times? I know I do, and this video does that for me. Enjoy, and take these words to heart: Live by example. Live your truth. Sing loud. Be heard. Medicine for the People is a non-profit organization working with every kind
Continue readingImpolitical: Friday night
Something different, a departure from the house music tonight. Have a great night!
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Friday Classical Music Interlude – Reflets dans l’eau (“reflections in the water”) by Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy‘s piece Reflets dans l’eau (“Reflections in the Water”) is the first of three pieces for the piano from his first volume of Images, which are frequently performed separately. It was written in 1905. As with much of Debussy’s work, it is referred to as Impressionistic, meaning that it
Continue reading