In my younger days, I was a big fan of Emmylou Harris. A country/folk singer with a down-to-earth performing style, she has a unique voice that can tell a powerful story through songs she writes or interprets. My sister and I saw her perform at an outdoor venue in Toronto many years ago and left … Continue reading To Sing for Your Idol
Music
Actors as Singers
After the conversation in the comment section of my previous post about La La Land, I've been thinking more about actors stepping into a singing role. As proven by La La Land, not everyone can do it convincingly. Apparently this also applies to Emma Watson in the forthcoming Beauty and the Beast, in the opinion of the writer … Continue reading Actors as Singers
An Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt
Monday was a great day. I spent the morning and afternoon with a group of my colleagues in an excellent training session, looking at the water and the mountains. And in the evening, I saw one of the best concerts I've seen in a long time. Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt, each being a successful artist … Continue reading An Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt
An Inspirational Song for International Women’s Day
Happy International Women's Day! In honour of the day, here is "Video", a song by India.Arie about loving yourself as you are, rather than trying to fit an image society has established for you. I'm not the average girl from your video And I ain't built like a supermodel But I learned to love myself … Continue reading An Inspirational Song for International Women’s Day
(Fear of) Flying
Way back in the late '70's, I saw a band called The Hometown Band do an amazing song called, "(Fear of) Flying". I was actually at Maple Leaf Gardens to see another band -- incongruously, I think it might have been Frank Zappa -- when this folky band came on and blew me away. The … Continue reading (Fear of) Flying
Armitage Shanks – 4 Definitions
My Younger Son refers to my OOA as "Armitage Shanks".... as in, "What are you watching? Oh, Armitage Shanks again?" Apparently, he finds this endlessly funny! So, let's explore the possible definitions of "Armitage Shanks": Armatage Shanks (sic) - The Song: My Family are big Green Day fans, owning all the albums and being represented at … Continue reading Armitage Shanks – 4 Definitions
Scrappy Little Nobody
The last book I read in 2016 was Scrappy Little Nobody, Anna Kendrick's funny and well-told collection of anecdotes from her life so far. It was so much fun that I finished it during the holidays in just over 24 hours! It's also available as an audiobook, so I may just buy it when I finish re-listening to Sylvester. (If … Continue reading Scrappy Little Nobody
Dealbreakers, TMI, and Corroboration
I am a big fan of celebrity biographies -- or better yet, autobiographies. I like to try to get inside the head of a favourite musician or actor. But what if the book reveals a dealbreaker (supporting Trump maybe?) or shares TMI (too much information)? Or in the best case, it may corroborate your good … Continue reading Dealbreakers, TMI, and Corroboration
Didn’t He Ramble
With all the negative news right now, I wanted to write about an album that I find so uplifting, not so much because the songs are particularly happy but because they are comforting and have a spiritual feel to them. Glen Hansard's 2015 release, Didn't He Ramble, is one of those albums where you hear the first song and say, … Continue reading Didn’t He Ramble
And the Tree Comes Down
Our tree comes down this weekend. We've always followed the tradition of leaving the tree up until January 6 (or the weekend after when the work week is done). I believe the idea is for the star at the top of the tree to light the way of the three wise men for the 12 … Continue reading And the Tree Comes Down
I'm Feeling This 