Compact Discs

When compact discs came out, I have to admit that I was not "tuned in" to that technology, and it was several years before I started buying CDs rather than cassette tapes.  (I have to admit, I was not so slow about moving from VHS to DVDs.)  

Recently, I was trying to play some CDs. Not counting my two laptops, my portable CD player that requires headphones to hear, and an external CD/DVD player for my old TV, I had a small radio/CD player, a larger table model that included a double cassette player and recorder, and  the Crosley turntable unit, CD and cassette player. The cassette player never worked, but really I bought the turntable for the turntable.  I like being able to record to CDs, and did so for a while. But, that got old, especially because the quality was so poor.

So, a few weekends ago, I wanted to listen to some music. The small radio/CD player and the table model did not play CDs any more.  The Crosley had been playing CDs, but after the last time I used it, I could not get the drawer to open. Fortunately, I had been able to get the last CD I had played out before this problem became permanent (it had been happening intermittently for a while, and I was even able to "force" the drawer open for a while.) 

I ditched the small CD/radio because the radio never worked well.  I ditched the table top model because the radio never worked well, and the cassette players had long ceased working well.

Well, I went to a couple of stores to look for CD players, and no one had them in stock.  I guess I was not really surprised, because vinyl has become the big thing, and people are going back to vinyl.  So much so, that Best Buy announced this week that they will no longer be carrying CDs in stores.  

I like CDs because it is easy to pick the track you want, without risking scratching the platter. Not so with vinyl. 

Well, I went online, and did buy a table top CD player with AM/FM radio and cassette player and recorder. I am enjoying being able to listen to music again. 

But, I have a good collection of old vinyl, some 45s, and clay 78s. All of which I can play on my Crosley turntable. So, I am in good shape. 

Carole King Concert

Tonight, I went to the Fathom Events Presentation of Carole King-Tapestry  https://www.fathomevents.com/events/carole-king-tapestry.  This was recorded in Hyde Park, London, England in 2016.  It was a wonderful concert.  Many people from Carole's past made statements and presentations. This included Elton John http://www.eltonjohn.com/, and James Taylor http://www.jamestaylor.com/.  Her daughter performed with her, and the cast of Beautiful: The Carol King Musical in London https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautiful:_The_Carole_King_Musical joined her for a number.  

This was a most phenomenal concert.  There were over 65,000 people in Hyde Park.  They stood during the concert, and they all seemed to behave.  If there were any disturbances, it was not obvious.

Carole so appreciated the audience that she regularly and repeatedly asked them to join in with singing her songs, or to lead singing her songs. What a compliment to the audience. What a recognition of the mutual love and respect that Carole and the audience had for each other. 

I have been a Carole King fan since 1971, thanks to my best friend from college at that time.  I was not sure when the Tapestry album came out, but obviously, it was not too long after it came out that I was exposed to it, loved it, embraced it and have always cherished it.  I am so grateful to my friend for introducing me to Carole King. 

The amazing thing that this concert taught me was how many songs were written by Carole King and collaborators before 1971. She was a hit song writer in 1959 at age 17. She was phenomenal in 2016 at age 74.  She is an amazing person!  

I am so thankful I saw the concert.  

Concert

Recently, I purchased the DVD/CD combination of Andrea Bocelli Concerto One Night In Central Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto:_One_Night_in_Central_Park  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnK-NGAg2PU. I had seen it on PBS, but I am not sure if it was in 2011, when the concert was performed, or if it was an encore presentation.  Anyway, I remember being wowed by it. So when I saw the combination DVD/CD at Barnes and Noble, I purchased it.

I watched part of it the other night, but it is over 2 hours long, so did not see all of it at that time.  I did just watch it this afternoon.  I was wowed again.  The CD does not have all of the songs on it from the concert, but it has the best ones.  I am not sure what I like the best, but I think it is "The Prayer" is the best song from the concert. 

I am sure I did not recognize some of the stars who were shown in the crowd, but I did recognize one.  Donald Trump, http://www.trump.com/biography/ the man who is now our President. He is sort of hard to miss.

Bagpipes

Several years ago, I went looking for bagpipes CDs and found one: the Spirit of the Glen by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Royal-Scots-Dragoon-Guards/dp/B000WSRPOO .  It is wonderful, and I play it often.  Since then, they have produced several other CDs, but repeating many of the same songs, and there are other CDs out there.  That is good.  I love dramatic bagpipe music.

The Last of the Mohicans

I have a CD of bagpipe music, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guard Spirit of the Glen https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Royal-Scots-Dragoon-Guards/dp/B000WSRPOO/ref=pd_sbs_15_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZPKVRCTKDZ1Y7V3R5PE4 and one of the songs on it is "The Last of the Mohicans."  It is an earthy, guttural, visceral, throbbing song.  And one I remembered from watching the movie "The Last of the Mohicans" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104691/.  I have watched the movie in its entirety maybe once.  I have watched parts of it many times.  Most recently, I turned it on while I was engaged in a project, and mostly just listened to the music, but occasionally tuned into the story.  So, I had a 30% off coupon from Barnes and Noble for Presidents Day, and went on line to try to purchase the sound track. They were going to charge me $10 for shipping.  Well, I went to my local Barnes and Nobel store, and as luck woud have it, they had the sound track, http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1170605/a/last+of+the+mohicans.HTML which I purchased with the 30% discount and my member discount. 

This is great music.  Just great. 

Veteran's Day 2016

The Silent Wings Museum https://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/silent-wings-museum/home had a full day of Veteran's Day activities.  I had to work, so I was not able to attend the day time activities.  I did attend the evening event:  It was a performance of Finessence  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC09FKuJGtpXjCp1n6AgnSMw. This is a small band, that does swing era and big band era music, along with many other wonderful songs. I had heard them before at the Silent Wings Museum, and it was standing room only.  I went early.  The set up was not chairs in a row, as it was before, but it was set up like a 40's or 50's style nightclub, with a dance floor, a band pit, and dinner tables.  I almost did not stay, but I did.  I met some really nice people.  I really enjoyed the band's performance.  It was a good night.  I am glad I went and glad I stayed. 

Music

There was nothing I wanted to watch on TV tonight.  I usually have it on for the background noise, even if there is nothing I want to watch. That did not appeal to me tonight.  So, I opted for music. Not even my old favorites, something different. I do not listen to enough music.

Patriotic Concert

The Westwind Brass Band http://westwindsbrassband.org/index.php Concert series is a favorite of mine. July 3 was the night of the annual patriotic concert, in which they play mostly patriotic songs, include the recognition of the 5 branches of the armed services. This is a favorite of mine, and it always ends too quickly.

I love the patriotic music.  I love the fervor of the crowd. And the crowd tonight was very large. I am glad. It says something about how the community appreciates their performances. It is a special part of the Independence Day Celebration.

Music on TV

I was channel surfing for something to watch while I had a snack, and discovered http://www.pbs.org/live-from-lincoln-center/home/ on PBS.  I had seen it advertised earlier, but it did not really catch my eye.  However, I did watch the last half of New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: La Vie Parisienne
Thursday, December 31 at 9 PM (8 PM Central.)  It was good timing.  I heard a rendition of Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose  http://www.metrolyrics.com/la-vie-en-rose-lyrics-edith-piaf.html and Ravel's Pavane  Pour Une Infante Defunte       http://www.classicfm.com/composers/ravel/music/maurice-ravel-pavane-pour-une-infante-defunte/#qFgI9OsFv8AbY9rP.97. Both are songs I like very much, so my timing was good.  Now I will go back to reading. 

The All Region High School Band Concert

The son of a friend of mine is a freshman in high school, and has achieved wonderful accomplishments in the high school and regional bands.

Today was the "All Regional High School Band Concert for Region XVI" for the Texas Music Educators Association  http://www.tmea.org/. I went to the concerts:  There was the TMEA Region 16 Freshman Band, the TMEA Region 16 Symphonic Band, and the TMEA Region 16 Honor Band.

They were wonderful performances.  The concerts were brief, less than 30 minutes. They started practicing on Friday morning.  What they accomplished in that short period of time was amazing!

There were three conductors:  Dr. Brandon Houghtalen, from Abilene Christian University who conducted the TMEA Region 16 Freshman Band, Eric Rath, from the Canyon Middle School who conducted the TMEA Region 16 Symphonic Band, and the final conductor, for the TMEA Region 16 Honor Band, was Brian Britt, University of Oklahoma.

Mr. Houghtalen talked about the financial assistance that is available at universities for music majors.  Mr. Rath talked about the opportunity to work with students, and share his compositions (which were wonderful!). Mr. Britt said it was unfortunate that there was no news media present, to record the positive accomplishments of these students.  I agree.

This was a wonderful experience. 

Edith Piaf

I just finished watching the DVD Piaf: Her Story, Her Songs http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397094/.  I have been a fan of the song "La Vie en Rose" since first watching the movie Sabrina http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397094/  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047437/. Sabrina is one of my all time favorite movies.  And, I think it is the movie that introduced me to "La Vie en Rose." 

This is the most haunting of melodies.  And, I think, the life of Edith Piaf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89dith_Piaf is a most haunting story.  I think I will find more media about her to learn more about her.

Ahsoken Farewell

I love this piece of music, Ashoken Farewell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashokan_Farewell, used in the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/civil-war/.  I have a version of this on a CD by The Prairie Heirs of the Palo Duro http://amarillo.com/stories/050699/ent_briefs.shtml#.Ve-j_KTlu1s.  I do not believe that this group is still in existence. I really enjoy the music on their CD and find Ashokan Farewell to be very haunting.  When I heard this piece, I thought it was a traditional piece, not one written in 1982. It is beautiful music.  Very evocative.

Drum Line

I love a marching band.  I love a college or high school marching band. I love a brass band. I love a Drum Corp International band.  I love a drum line.  This drum line is phenomenal https://www.facebook.com/disturbreality/videos/1036266483084095/?fref=nf. 

Lubbock High School Westerners Band

So, on August 27, 2015, I went to the Lubbock High School Westerners home opening football game against the Sweetwater Mustangs https://www.facebook.com/groups/220993337932514/.

I went because a friend's son is in the marching band http://lhs.lubbockisd.org/pages/LUBBOCKHS/School_Info/Lubbock_High_Videos/LHS_Band, and I wanted to support her and her son.  I love watching marching bands.  I was impressed at the size and performance of the Lubbock High School Westerners marching band.

The football game was not so good, and the Westerners were soundly beaten by the Mustangs 56 to 7  http://www.kcbd.com/clip/11800952/end-zone-week-1-Thursday.

It was a beautiful night.  There was a full moon. The night air was mild and refreshing.

The football was not good. The band performance was.

Shutting Down

This has been a busy week for me.  I went to the Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night after work.  While I find the activity and exercise relaxing and invigorating, it takes me a while to wind down after I get home, so my already late bed times are sometimes later.

On Tuesday I went to the South Plains Branch NASW awards banquet.  So, it took me a long time to wind down from that. You can read my post about that, if you want.

Here it is, early Saturday morning, and I am still having trouble winding down. I went shopping after my swim at the Lifestyle Center.  So, once again I was jazzed when I got home about 9 PM and I am still trying to wind down. That also means I had a late dinner, another reason that I am up late.

I watched some NCAA Women's Tournament basketball tonight, while I was doing other things. Because I do not have a favored team, it was background noise, except near the end of close games, when I really watched.

I finally turned off the TV, and am listening to my one and only bagpipe CD: "The Spirit of the Glen" http://www.allmusic.com/album/spirit-of-the-glen-mw0000586396.  Much of this music is basic and primal. It awakens my soul and my heart. It makes me long for simpler days and a rural, rustic lifestyle.  It just does something to me.  It makes me think of the times that I camped out in the Appalachian Mountains, and how isolated and relaxed that was.  It makes me think about how we really need only the basics of life to survive.

I am so blessed. I am not wealthy, but all of my physical needs are met.  I am safe. I am sheltered from the weather. I have food, clothing and health care. I have family and friends, coworkers and colleagues. My cats are great companions. I have a job that offers me a living wage and a fulfilling role as a social worker.

I know as the time winds down into early morning, I need to shut down my brain, and let it rest.

I know my brain will shut down. Soon.

John Denver, Country Boy

I was not planning to, but I lucked into watching John Denver, Country Boy http://video.pbs.org/video/2365431808/ on PBS tonight.  I love John Denver's music, and did long before I moved to West Texas.  When I moved to Lubbock, I was surprised to learn that John Denver was born in Roswell, New Mexico, and attended college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, although he did not graduate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Denver. 

I never saw John Denver in concert.  I am not much of a concert goer.  I recall he was in Lubbock for a concert at least once.  I knew someone who worked at the car rental counter at the Lubbock International Airport.  She waited on his group when they flew in, and they gave her complimentary tickets.  She was a physically and spiritually beautiful person, and she deserved the gift.

They told me he said the concert in Lubbock was like coming home.  It made sense.

One of the things the documentary pointed out was the John Denver used his fame and fortune to develop foundations and advocate for causes before it became really popular for stars and entertainers to do so.  There were others who did this early on, so he was not the only one, but it was not the norm even in the 70s like it is now.

I have a couple of CDs of his music, vinyl and cassettes.  I love his music, and the special played a lot of it, as well as telling his story.  They acknowledged his flaws as well as his star quality and assets.  I thought it was a fair presentation of John Denver, the man.

This was good luck.

The Texas Tenors

So, I do not watch the talent shows, or the awards shows, and do not keep up with the latest in new talent.  Consequently, I have not heard much about the Texas Tenors http://thetexastenors.com/ until recently.  And, what I have heard is that they are doing a show with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra http://www.lubbocksymphony.org/.  So, I stumbled upon their show on KTTZ (PBS) http://kttz.org/tv/kttzdt tonight.  I had not thought about going to the concert, but right now, I am thinking that I really do want to go to the concert.  At the very least, I will get their CDs. 

They are so talented!  It is amazing!

Vinyl

I have a turntable that can play 331/3 RPM vinyl albums. It can also play 45s and 78s.  As my parents aged, they "purged" a lot of their things, and that included their records.  My siblings were offered their choices, but I ended up with everything else.  One of my sisters did not get the Peter and Gordon albums she would have liked, so I sent those to her.  But I have the rest.

The turntable I have is connected to a recorder, and I have recorded some to CD.  But, this is a slow process, and I have not been very diligent about doing it.

I was at Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ tonight, and I noticed a display:  They were selling vinyl albums, including some remastered albums (Beatles, Rolling Stones.)  They were also selling Crosley http://www.rockinrecordplayers.com/ turntables. My turntable is a more elaborate one than they were selling, and it is a Crosley.

I am told that vinyl has a richer, more mellow sound than digital.  I guess I am tone deaf, because I cannot tell.  And all of the records I own are scratchy, and the scratchy transfers when I record to CD.

Christmas Music

I am listening to Christmas music tonight.  I have listened to a lot of Christmas music since Thanksgiving.  My mother liked Christmas music, and I have the records she had, but I am playing CDs right now.  I worry about playing records:  the cats like to watch the revolutions, and I have to supervise to make sure nothing gets attacked.  I can do that. But not tonight.

So, right now I am listening to James Taylor's A Christmas Album.  Several years ago, a dear friend sent this to me as a gift.  It is one of those gifts that keep on giving. My friend and I both love James Taylor music. And I am so grateful to my friend for this great gift.


And, of course, there is Mannheim Steamroller http://www.mannheimsteamroller.com/:  I have three of their CDs: In the Aire ;

Christmasville  ;


and Celebration

I also have something called Holiday Classics volume four, which is great mixture of artists,good music, and traditional songs.


This year, I bought something called 25 Christmas Favorite which is performed by the 101 Strings Orchestra . I like just having instrumentals sometimes, especially if I am reading, or writing.

One of the best is Celebremos Navidad Al Estilo by Mariachi Mi Tierra https://myspace.com/mariachimitierra/music/album/celebremos-navidad-al-estilo-mariachi-mi-10181945.

This is a Lubbock based mariachi band.  One of the members used to work at the TDCJ Montford Unit where I work, and he gave me a CD.  I love the strident sounds and the great rhythms.  It is good music. If you have the opportunity to hear this mariachi band, I highly recommend it.  And, we do not think of mariachi style music for Christmas carols, but it really works!

The Air Force Band of the West

Tonight I went to the concert performed by the Air Force Band of the West http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/pdfs/USAF%20Band%202014.pdf  at the Texas Tech Museum .  Ostensibly, this was a Veteran's Day celebration.

I have been to several concerts at the museum over that last couple of years. For the first couple of concerts, the museum grossly under-estimated the seating needs, and was ill prepared to bring in extra chairs.

For this concert, the museum had over estimated the seating.  Having said that, there was a very good crowd, and we were very appreciative of the band, including giving them more than one standing ovation.

This was a very good concert.  It was a blatant commercial for recruiting to the armed services, but that is what I would expect. The caliber of the performance far out-weighed the marketing message.