Category Archives: music

Aug20

music connects people.

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went to my grandson’s (a born entertainer), arts camp

 in a beautiful northern michigan location

to pick him up and to see his choir performance

where some of their rehearsals even took place in the woods

it was a wonderful experience for him for many reasons

new friends, no electronics, learning to play piano, sing new music

time away from home, tell stories, eat camp  food, have new adventures

at the camp performance

my daughter noticed

that grandson j, and his longtime friend, also j

were singing in much the same positions

where they had performed

at a school concert

where they first met seven years ago

so wonderful they are still friends and still love music.

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‘the true beauty of music that it connects people.

it carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.’

-roy ayers

*Roy Ayers Jr. was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Hw began his career as a jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 70s, during which he helped to pioneer jazz-funk.

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blue lake fine arts camp, twin lakes, michigan, usa – summer 2025

Jul24

Ozzy ‘n Paul

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when Ozzy met Paul for the first time

in 2001 while waiting to go on the Howard Stern Show

and he turned into an awkward fan boy

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 While dulcet harmonies of the Beatles may not have always been associated with his hard-rock sound and dark lyrics, Ozzy always held up the Fab Four as his biggest inspiration. Black Sabbath,  the band that made Ozzy famous, achieved mainstream success in the early 70s, and it was decades before the singer came face to face with one of his idols and main inspirations, McCartney, describing the experience as “like meeting Jesus Christ”.

When asked what it was like to meet Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney jokingly said “it was like meeting Satan.”

While I’ve never been a huge fan of metal music,

I do admire musicians of all kinds.

 I also admire musicians who admire each other.

RIP Ozzy

Jun21

summer music.

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on the first day of summer and make music day –

when music and summer are one.

–

 Make Music Day is a free celebration of music around the world on June 21st. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries. Make Music returns to Ann Arbor for another wonderful day of music in 2025.

Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.

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“in summer, the song sings itself.”

― William Carlos Williams

Jun17

“food is music to the body, music is food to the heart.” Gregory D.Roberts

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there are Spotify playlists for the exact cook times of different pastas

In an effort to ensure a perfect al dente texture every time, Barilla pasta offers nine Spotify playlists tailored to the precise cook times of popular pasta varieties. Curated as a more entertaining alternative to your everyday kitchen timer, the compilations debuted in 2021, blending both English and Italian music.

There are two playlists apiece for four different pasta varieties: spaghetti, fusilli, linguine, and penne. Each playlist ranges from nine to 11 minutes, based on recommended cooking time. The most popular (based on total followers) is “Mixtape Spaghetti,” which is 9 minutes, 3 seconds in length and includes hip-hop tunes from Jay-Z and Italian rapper Ernia.

At 19 minutes, 12 seconds, the longest playlist of the bunch is the only one dedicated to an entire recipe: “Absolute Carbonara.” This film-themed mix incorporates beloved tracks from Grease, Mamma Mia!, and Guardians of the Galaxy, and is tailored to the exact amount of time you’ll need to prepare a bowl of spaghetti carbonara from start to finish.

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The famous Italian violinist Niccolo Paganini was a great epicurean and pasta lover.
Most of all he preferred ravioli.
His dream, as he put it, was
“to live in the countryside, play duets and quartets and eat delicious ravioli”.

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Source credits: Bennett Kleinman, Food and Drink, Barilla

May16

we all need a little Bara Bada Bastu in our lives.

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Eurovision, the annual international song competition run by the European Broadcasting Union, kicked off earlier this week. So far, 16 acts are confirmed for Saturday’s final, including Sweden’s KAJ — pictured above and among the favorites to win. Click here to listen to their competition song, “Bara Bada Bastu,” but be warned that it’s quite catchy.

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“my taste in music ranges from,

“you need to listen to this,”

to,

“I know, please do not judge me.”

-author unknown

 

 

 

 

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image credit: Harold Cunningham/getty images

May13

we become it.

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Study Finds We Don’t Just Hear Music — Our Brains and Bodies “Become” It,

A recent study found what many of us know to be true: When we listen to music, we embody it on a deep, physical level that goes beyond hearing.

Drawing upon insights from neuroscience, music, and psychology, the study out of McGill University supports the neural resonance theory, which suggests that our brain and body’s oscillatory patterns align with a tune’s rhythm, melody, and harmony — “from the ear all the way to the spinal cord and limb movements.”  These patterns help shape our musical preferences, sense of timing, and instincts to dance to the beat.

While other research has suggested that the brain relies on learned expectations and predictions to feel music, these findings present a different explanation: “This theory suggests that music is powerful not just because we hear it, but because our brains and bodies become it,” said co-author Caroline Palmer. Researchers show brain rhythms sync with sound to create emotion, movement and meaning.

Potential applications of the theory include:

  • Therapeutic tools for conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s and depression
  • Emotionally intelligent AI that can respond to or generate music more like humans
  • New learning technologies to support rhythm and pitch education
  • Cross-cultural insight into why music connects people around the world

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“music is an outburst of the soul.”
― frederick delius

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Source credits:

Study was led by Edward Large (University of Connecticut) and co-authored by Caroline Palmer.

Canada Research Chair and NSERC Discovery, McGill University, Science News, Science Discovery

Nature Reviews, Neuroscience

Apr15

together.

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it’s always, always so wonderful  to watch and listen 

each session a different experience. 

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traditional Irish session, every sunday night at conor o’neill’s in downtown ann arbor, if you play, you’re welcome to join in, all ages welcome. if you don’t play just come to listen.

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‘music is a tool that brings people together.’

-*jon batiste

*Jon Batiste is widely recognized as a “certified musical genius, a once-in-a-generation talent, with a passion for sharing music with the masses and connecting people through a shared love of music-making” As an American composer, pianist, singer, bandleader, educator, producer and cultural ambassador, Batiste’s many honors include five Grammy Awards, an Emmy and an Oscar. Showcasing his improvisatory transformations of some of Beethoven’s most iconic works, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1) was released by Verve Records.

Jan20

“what’s going on” – on mlk day.

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Gem/Redfern – Getty Images

January 20, 1971

Marvin Gaye releases hit single, “What’s Going On.”

In early 1971, on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement and in the midst of the Vietnam War, soul singer Marvin Gaye first crooned the words “Mother, mother, there’s far too many of you crying / Brother, brother, brother, there’s far too many of you dying” — heartbreaking lines that would resonate with millions of listeners, then and now. ​ The powerful protest ballad “What’s Going On” skyrocketed to No. 2 on the Billboard charts, the first tune of Gaye’s to overtly tackle political themes and a far cry from his earlier love songs. Produced by the singer himself, the track paved the way for other Motown artists to claim more agency in their careers and helped reinforce the genre’s potential to be a mouthpiece for social justice issues. Listen to the song and learn more about its making.​

January  1960 – Washington D.C., U.S. – Reverend MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. preaching at an event; Photo © Keystone/Zuma

 

Jan2

dj.

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luckily my new record player came with its own DJ
pete the cat is in the house.
 
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‘i still DJ the same way, but I’m not a scratch-scratch-scratch battle DJ.
no, I’ll rock the house. I’m old school.’
-dj yella

 

Sep17

soloing.

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‘to me, drum soloing is like doing a marathon and solving equations at the same time.’
-neil peart

 

*Neil Peart was a Canadian and American musician,  drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush, known to fans by the nickname ‘The Professor’, derived from the Gilligan’s Island character of the same name.