MUSIC PHAZE

WE WILL REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Gold . con) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:28:00 +0000

Today I want to remember our fellow Americans who lost their lives as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The moment is frozen in time when the terrorist attacks against us snatched the lives of our brothers and sisters. Their lives have been taken from us, but not their memories. We will always remember the planes crashing against the World Trade Center Towers in New York City, the open field in Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. More importantly, we will always remember the thousands of lives that were taken from us and those whose futures changed instantly--sons and daughters who never saw their moms or dads come home another day; husbands and wives who never got to hold their loved ones' hands; brothers and sisters who never said good-bye; fathers and mothers who never were the same; and the rest who never saw their friends again. In memories of our fallen Americans, I place my right hand over my chest under the wave of the Red, White, and Blue. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. We will remember September 11. Friends, we will always remember you.

MUSIC FOR MY EARS

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Gold . con) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:19:00 +0000

I went to a little coffee shop last night. There were beautiful paintings of jazz musicians across the walls. Although the furniture was obviously old, it was in pretty good shape. There was an assortment of comfortable club leather chairs and rich mahogany coffee tables. The shop was not very big, but it was ample enough to fit twenty people. However, when I walked in the shop, it was practically empty. There were only three people inside- a saxophone player, a pianist, and a cashier. I ordered a hot Earl Gray tea with a croissant and immediately took a seat in one of the comfortable leather chairs by the window. The sun peered into the shop, creating a spectacular view. Soon the sounds of soft notes filled the atmosphere as the two musicians began to play their instruments. The scene was almost like those that were in the paintings that adorned the walls. I really enjoyed being there. It was reminiscent of the days of old when great jazz musicians lived in obscurity and often played their best pieces in an almost empty room. Although, I am sure, they hoped for a bigger crowd, it was absolutely splendid for me. I closed my eyes as the sun rays warmed my cheeks, and I listened to the heavenly melodies that were played. I wanted to concentrate and appreciate every note and chord change in solitude. I guess I could have enjoyed the music just as much had there been others present. However, being there alone made me feel like I had something special that was prepared just for me, and I didn't have to share it with anyone else. The sounds were not interrupted by the idle chatter of other customers. It was music for my ears.

COMPLICATED MUSIC CHARTS

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Gold . con) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:12:00 +0000

When someone asks, "who is the hottest major music act now?" very popular names come up repeatedly. Depending on minor adjustments to music indexing and genre, the names may come up in a different order. However for the most part, you can expect to see the same artists reported as popular preferences. If you refer to Billboard's Hot 100 for the week ending August 23, 2008, top acts are Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kate Perry, MIA, Coldplay, Kardinal Offishall, Lil Wayne, Jonas Brothers, and Neyo. Although Billboard has genre specific charts, this particular chart is not. It compiles the top artists across several genres. If you refer to R&R's CHR/Top 40 chart, issued August 15, 2008, the top artists are Jesse McCartney, Chris Brown, Kate Perry, Metro Station, Kid Rock, Kardinal Offishall, Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, Natasha Bedingfield, and Neyo. The online USA Top40-Chart almost mimic those of Billboard and R&R. It shows Kate Perry, Rihanna, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Leona Lewis, Jesse McCartney, Coldplay, and Natasha Bedingfield. Other music charts such as Complete Album Lyrics, Reporter News, and Allcharts report similar results with minor variations. Week after week, charts that report music acts show the same artists. Although I too give these choices a strong "thumbs up," I started thinking about the methodologies used for charting these music acts. Was it based on sales, popularity, talent, musical complexity, consumer surveys, or a combination thereof? Well, it couldn't possibly be sales--could it? If so, wouldn't all charts reflect the same artists in the exact same order? Perhaps it's about popularity or talent, but who decides whether or not Kate Perry is more popular and/or talented than Rihanna or Jesse McCartney? They are all extremely talented and very different in terms of style. Maybe the charts are determined by a massive consumer survey, and millions of people keep coming up with the same preference in artists. What is that probability?

Interestingly, the same statistical probability does not seem to hold when evaluating independent music acts? Shouldn't the same talented independent artists come up on every independent chart? After all, the same major artists come up in every major chart. Again, if the "measuring stick" is sales, we would see the same results across various music charts. If the determining factor is indeed talent, why is the same consumer population showing deviation in its evaluation and taste of independent music?

Major acts that register in the top 100 tend to dominate the charts. However, these same artists do not chart so favorably as soon as they decide to record under independent companies and are no longer associated with major labels. Certainly, they are just as popular; those who knew them a few years ago still know them today. Although understanding the methodologies behind the music charts is somewhat complicated, I am always excited about going through them to see who charted where and what hot music is out.

MUSIC SPEAKS TO A QUIET FRIEND

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Gold . con) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:53:00 +0000

I have not formally studied the complexities of the mind, emotions, or behavior of human beings. Had I done so, I guess I would have been either a psychologist or psychiatrist. However, I am neither. At best, I am merely an observer and listener. During my usual morning strolls, I often come across a young boy named Michael walking hand-in hand with his mother. I see him with his father at times, but more often with his mother. The young child is both very active and quiet. These two qualities seemed incongruous at first, especially for a child. But the more I observed, the more it made sense. I understood. Michael is autistic.

As passers-by waved and greeted him, "hi Michael! How are you dong this morning!" He offered a very 'vacant stare' in return. On his behalf, his doting mother replied, "oh he's doing great. Thanks." Michael expressed no emotions; he looked away and didn't reply. In fact, I don't think I have ever heard him say a word to anyone. He appeared to be approximately six or seven years old, so he was definitely old enough to talk. At any rate, as I approached Michael and his mother, he froze. I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure whether or not he felt threatened or was just tired of walking. I smiled and walked by them. As I passed both of them, I noticed that Michael turned around and looked at me. This time, his look was a not a 'vacant stare.' His mother asked, "what's the matter?" For the first time I heard something from little Michael, "Hhmm...hmm...." His grunt prompted me to stop, as it was the first form of communication that I had ever heard from him. I turned around and approached Michael and his mother. I smiled at him, and he started to sway his little body from side to side in the form of a dance. He mumbled a melody that sounded like that of Miley Cyrus' Breakout, which was playing on my portable music player. I was very surprised that he could even hear the music playing because I thought I had the volume at a moderate level, but I guess it was loud enough to capture Michael's attention. Clearly, music spoke to him, and he responded favorably to it. I found his dancing and singing to be quite infectious. I along with his mom and a few passers-by joined his dancing and singing to Miley's energy filled, "we're gonna wake up everyone we know...we're gonna have some fun...we're gonna loose control." And that, we did, at least until the song ended, at which point Michael reverted back to his non-responsive posture. As I started to walk away, he looked at me. I didn't say anything. Instead, I waved at him, and he waved back.

What had I gleaned from my observations? He didn't speak to others. He gave people 'vacant stares,' and he stopped in the middle of the street to sing and dance to his favorite music. Through the eyes of many, including mine, Michael may have some challenges that preclude him from engaging in normal exchanges with others. Although upon closer inspection, I did not speak to him. I too sang and danced in the middle of the street. When the song stopped playing, I stopped dancing and singing as well. I waved good-bye, and he waved back. From his view point, I wonder whether he perceived that some of us did no different and thus are as normal as he? Perhaps we would be good subjects of observation for a psychiatrist or psychologist. In the meantime, we'll just continue enjoying good music.

FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI...A True Gem

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Gold . con) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:45:00 +0000

True gem FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI belts out soulful melodies that make us tap into our innermost sensibilities. Her debut album My Paper Heart offers a wonderful serving of heart-felt and uplifting songs. In her song Free to be Me, she points to her flaws and imperfections, "I got a couple of dents in my fender. Got a couple rips in my jeans. Try to put the pieces together. But perfection is my enemy." Paradoxically, this rising star points to her deficiencies, yet her beautiful vocal tone and musical delivery heighten her perfect talent. Francesca is definitley someone from whom great things should be expected.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Gold . con) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 22:26:00 +0000

Everyone’s life follows the vein of his upbringing. Some people tell stories about a different way of life: experiences, traditions, customs, and routines that are often times exclusive to their families, cultures, or nationalities. While there are many differences among us, we have at least one great thing in common: Music. We all share music. We enjoy music, music, music. Irrespective of language, culture, customs, traditions, nationality, and religion, everyone makes a place for music in his life. Some of us write music. Some of us dance to music. Some of us sing music, and some just listen to it. Music is the thread that weaves our lives together in some way or another. Consider a party guy who loves Disco, Pop, and Techno. From Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” to Jonas Brothers’ “Burnin’ Up” to MIA’s “Bamboo Banga,” he has no shortage of fun music to which he can shake his…Hmm! When he’s feeling more subdued and in the mood for a little culture, he appreciates Luciano Pavarotti’s Opera singing, Gustavo Dudamel & Simon Bolivar’s Classical “Fiesta,” and perhaps tops it off with a little Ella Fitgerald, the greatest Jazz songstress of all time. He listens to “Ella Sings Gershwin” and moves on to her lively “Rain on My Parade.” But he’s instantly trapped by her incredible scat, and he throws in her “Black Magic” for good measure. How can he stop there when there’s so much more to "Walk this Way" to? by Run DMC and Aerosmith. If you walk into an elevator, you’re likely to hear smooth Jazz or Classical music. If you walk into a club, you’re met with a cocktail of funky sounds—Rock, Soul, Hip Hop, Latin, Ska, Metal, Punk, and Rap. If you stroll through a mall or an airport anywhere in the world, there is music in the air. When a baby is put to sleep, the music of a soft lullaby soothes his spirit. There’s music in the streets, churches, synagogues, schools, concerts, clubs, hospitals, homes, restaurants, shopping malls, banquets, and weddings. There is even music at funerals. Music consumes our lives from birth to death, and what a beautiful thing to be cradled by music, music, music!