Monday 30 January 2012
Madame Butterfly
Find out a little about this opera by Puccini. It's a popular one, and you will come across it often. Your maternal grandmother would have said the lesson in it was never get married.
Monday 23 January 2012
The British Paraorchestra
'There are millions of prodigiously gifted musicians of disability around the world, and Charles Hazlewood is determined to give them a platform.'
'Watch the debut performance of the British Paraorchestra at TEDxBrussels.'
'Watch the debut performance of the British Paraorchestra at TEDxBrussels.'
Monday 16 January 2012
Celia Cruz
First, go searching for Cuba on the Internet. (And let's talk about Fidel Castro, since we're learning about Mao.)
Celia Cruz lived in the USA after Castro took power. According to Wiki, she was 'one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums'.
Listen to a selection of Salsa music: Quimbara, La Vida Es Un Carnaval, Rie Y Llora. What instruments can you detect?
Me, I love her enormous smile. And I bet I could do that bosom waggling thing.
Celia Cruz lived in the USA after Castro took power. According to Wiki, she was 'one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums'.
Listen to a selection of Salsa music: Quimbara, La Vida Es Un Carnaval, Rie Y Llora. What instruments can you detect?
Me, I love her enormous smile. And I bet I could do that bosom waggling thing.
Monday 9 January 2012
Electronic music
The BBC has a short video explaining the Oramics machine. Find out about this equipment which is on display at the Science Museum.
I've added the exhibition to the list of things to see when we're in the UK.
Listen to pieces submitted to the electronic music competition run alongside the exhibition. I tried this, this, this. Which ones do you like?
Before you go, listen to Gary Numan, 'pioneer of commercial electronic music' (Wiki). Listen to Kraftwerk, too. And Depeche Mode. That's set me listening.
(Consider yourself lucky to have a mama stuck in the 1980s. You struck gold.)
I've added the exhibition to the list of things to see when we're in the UK.
Listen to pieces submitted to the electronic music competition run alongside the exhibition. I tried this, this, this. Which ones do you like?
Before you go, listen to Gary Numan, 'pioneer of commercial electronic music' (Wiki). Listen to Kraftwerk, too. And Depeche Mode. That's set me listening.
(Consider yourself lucky to have a mama stuck in the 1980s. You struck gold.)
Monday 2 January 2012
Hip hop & Rap
What do you mean, rap?
I'm sure someone asked that over lunch last week.
It's all more complicated than I thought, let's put it like that.
I can opine about provocative lyrics, male/female discourse, values, political correctness etc etc., but if I was around the characters who gave detailed analysis of the history and who made fine distinctions between the subcultures, I'd probably keep my mouth shut.
Looks to me like a territory where you can make a complete pig's bottom of yourself. And maybe get shot.
I guess it's not a musical culture your father is going to delight in if you bring the language round the dining table.
I own an Eminem CD though. Does that establish my credibility to talk about it?
I'm sure someone asked that over lunch last week.
It's all more complicated than I thought, let's put it like that.
I can opine about provocative lyrics, male/female discourse, values, political correctness etc etc., but if I was around the characters who gave detailed analysis of the history and who made fine distinctions between the subcultures, I'd probably keep my mouth shut.
Looks to me like a territory where you can make a complete pig's bottom of yourself. And maybe get shot.
I guess it's not a musical culture your father is going to delight in if you bring the language round the dining table.
I own an Eminem CD though. Does that establish my credibility to talk about it?
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