Radio Two

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 I have had a special treat for the past couple of weeks. And it has nothing to do with chocolate.

I know. I'll just give you a moment to collect your jaw off the floor.

I have been driving my mom's car - when she or her boyfriend are away, I get to borrow her car and this gives me a much-needed break from taking public transport back and forth to work each day (kill me). The best part of it is, I get all the benefits of having a car to drive, without all of the responsibility. Sort of like babysitting your grandkids - you get to have all this fun with them and pump them full of sugar, then you get to hand them over right when they become irritable and say 'here you go!'.

One of the treats that comes along with driving back and forth to work every day is getting to listen to the radio. This may not sound very exciting, but when you take the bus every day, you really don't get to listen to the radio, like ever. This isn't a huge deal to me either until I hear my friends (my friends with cars) talk about a current song, and I have never heard of it. Makes me feel kinda silly. I do feel a little out of the loop regarding news and current pop culture when I don't listen to the radio.

I have gotten in the habit of listening to CBC Radio 2 during my commute (102.7fm in Halifax), which is surprising because I was not happy with this station a few years back when they completely changed all the programming. Specifically, I was unhappy that they got rid of a great classical music morning show, hosted by Tom Allen, that my mother and I would devour happily every morning on our blah drive over the bridge to work and school respectively (when I still lived at home).

Tom always told the most delightful anecdotes about each piece of music before playing it, so it was very educational and interesting to listen to. We ALL need a perk during that morning drive surrounded by traffic and drowsiness (am I right?) and this was ours. Suffice to say all these changes to programming caused a bit of an uproar amongst CBC R2 fans, and I stopped listening to the station almost altogether.

I suppose part of the reason I started listening again was because of a lack of quality and unique music elsewhere on the airwaves. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for an upbeat, catchy pop song once in a while - I like me some Lady Gaga, Pink and Nikki Minaj once in a while, so I'm certainly not one to completely denounce popular music, but that doesn't mean I respect all popular music. Frankly, a lot of it sounds the same and a lot of it is so massively overproduced that I am convinced many of the artists have no real talent at all. Sometimes I just want to hear something different, ya know? Something with lyrics about deeper and more emotional subjects than getting drunk and humping on a dance floor (so sue me).

CBC Radio not only plays music by lesser-known artists - particularly songwriters (you know, people who actually can sing, play instruments, and write songs) - but they also highlight mostly Canadian content, which is also refreshing when the airwaves are clogged with homogenous American acts.

Here are a couple of songs that have caught my ear in the last week or so - so much so that I had to Shazam them (as best I could while driving...shhhh, don't tell my mother), and email myself a reminder to download them. I figure a song must speak to you if you're willing to go through that kind of effort to ensure it gets on your iTunes. I thought I would share them with you as well, in case you are looking for some musical inspiration right now (see below).

Ok, ok, Radio 2, I admit it - you have brought me back into your fold. I guess changes can turn out for the best.

(By the way, if you are looking for some new music, how 'about changing your usual radio station and listening to something different? Give it a try today - you may hear some songs that you can't wait to Shazam, too!).

I don't know about you, but I was NOT expecting this singer to be a woman! Love her deep, gravely voice!

One of the best voices in music today, IMHO

Recognize this one? ;)

Discovered any great music lately? What radio stations do you like to listen to?

Birds of Paradise

On Friday night, I took my sister to see one of the last performances of La Cage Aux Folles at Neptune Theatre. I had been hearing rave reviews, plus The Birdcage is one of my favourite movies (seriously, Nathan Lane is like my hero in this movie), so I was really looking forward to it.

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It can be dangerous to go into something with high expectations like that but in this case we were safe because the show was wonderful! I can't say enough about the talent of the main actor, who played Albin, Steven Gallagher. He is a great singer and has great comic timing - I just about bawled with laughter during the scene where Georges (played by Ian Simpson) tried to teach Albin how to 'act like a man' (also one of my fav scenes from The Birdcage, funnily enough).

I also couldn't get enough of David Lopez as "the maid" Jacob - his facial expressions and body language were just hilarious. I was quite amused by one tiny detail - that the Spanish 'chorus girl' was from Cadiz (my boyfriend's grandmother was from there - AND to my delight, Georges pronounced it the Spanish way, i.e. "Cad-eeth" - silly, I know but my boyfriend and his Spanish-fluency have trained me to pick up on such things).

Plus, these queens looked 10 times better in a dress and heels than I do (not that it takes much)! Speaking of dresses, the costumes were gorgeous - the six main dancers kept coming out in the most beautiful gowns covered in fun prints, sequins and sparkles. The makeup and hair were also great, as well as the sets - the entire styling of the show was very impressive, in fact.

This number was awesome. Source.

I honestly don't get out to the theatre much, but anytime I make it a point to take in a Neptune show, I never leave disappointed. I have said it a million times and I'll say it again - one of the things I love most about living in Halifax is the vibrant arts scene. You can literally be out every night of the week enjoying a concert, play, dance performance or art exhibit - it lends such an exciting and mind-expanding pulse to the city (and gives me things to do, which is an absolute necessity)!

Next season is Neptune's 50th and they have some really fun, surprisingly commercial offerings - I am looking forward to Elf: The Musical and Sweeney Todd. Eighteen sounds intriguing as well - sort of a cross between Big, Groundhog Day and Tin Cup? - although I'm not a golf fan (I mean who can resist the tagline "What if you had a mulligan for your whole life?").

The only downside to this play is that ever since I have had the opening song "We Are What We Are" running through my head non-stop...ok so that's not really a complaint (although any song gets annoying after a dozen repeats). 

Aren't musicals just the best?

mad-derision

Well, it seems the Material Girl (although she's far from being a Girl now) is who everyone is talking about this morning. See there was a little football game on last night called the Superbowl...

The grand entrance of Her Royal Empress of the Roman Empire

...don't ask me! I only watched for the anthem (Kelly Clarkson KILLED it), the commercials and the halftime show - I really couldn't tell ya what went down on the field. I can't say I was excited about seeing the halftime show, but I was intrigued. In the end it was only "meh" for me. This is fitting considering I'm basically "meh" about Madonna in general. 

She's a very polarizing person* (at least judging by the live tweets of her show last night) so it's fitting that my opinion of her is also split. I don't dislike Madonna but I don't particularly like her either. 

I think I like the Madonna of the 80's and 90's better than the one of the 2000's. I respect her as a powerful woman who has forged her own way in a fickle industry (partially through a bunch of shrewd business decisions) and as someone who has blazed a trail for a lot of other female pop stars. In a way, she is the original female pop star and she definitely deserves props for that. She was always pushing the envelope and being provocative and I give her props for that too. 

However, it seems like she has either lost that spark of provocation or she is trying too hard to continue to be provocative in a world where provocation is almost mainstream. You have to try pretty darn hard to be provocative nowadays because it has all been done before. Being political and pushing buttons may have caught attention 20 years ago, but it is sort of old news now.

Where is a trailblazer to go when most of the trails have already been blazed? You end up circling back on trails you went down a long time ago and repeating them and suddenly you are behind all the others rather than in front. All of a sudden you are no longer relevant and you actually are kind of a joke. 

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This is how I feel about Madonna - I feel like she's almost become a caricature of herself, playing a part.

And I would probably have more respect for her if the music she has produced in the past few years was actually good. So much of it is the same ol' pop/dance tracks we've heard a million times before with guest spots from hot, young artists in an attempt to give them more hipness (almost as if they KNOW the song is not hip otherwise). Nothing special. Madonna's best music? Her 80's and 90's stuff...the songs she produced in her hey-day. Her music has always been pop, but at least her old stuff had some "spice" to it - some uniqueness and substance.

Aside from the music, it seems like she has become more and more egotistical over the years as well - attention-hogging with silly antics like her promotion of Kabbala, parading her daughter as arm candy around the social circuit, and vanity project after vanity project (and continuously going around talking about how great each of these projects is). And don't give me that "oh she's a legend, she's earned the right to brag" crap. Just because you are one of the most famous people in the world and are a pop culture legend doesn't mean you have the RIGHT to act like a jerk. 

I am so sick of the argument about her looking so good for her age too - she absolutely does (there's no denying that) but that is also not an excuse to be BLAH. Just because you are 53 and look 33 doesn't mean you get a free ride to "do whatever you want-ville". I'm sorry but I don't care how old you are or how good you look in thigh-high boots, you still have to bring something more to the table to impress me and make me look up to you.

Anyway, bottom line is I don't dislike Madonna, but I don't particularly like her either. And I thought her Superbowl show was...not bad - again, didn't love it, didn't hate it. I think I would have enjoyed it more if she had just stayed home and let M.I.A., Nicki Minaj, Cee-Lo and LMFAO take over.

Regardless of the Superbowl show, I think if Madonna actually showed more personality, uniqueness, humility and some of the old spark she used to have, maybe I wouldn't be so 'in the middle'. 

*of course, I'm sure she enjoys being polarizing

Christmas Kiss

I admit it, I'm a bit of a Christmas freak. I'm one of those dorks that gets really excited about silly things like parades, peppermint treats and holiday drinks at Starbucks. And it's hitting me hard this year - as soon as November 1st rolled around, the sugarplums started dancing through my brain and they only spin faster with every passing week.

One of my favourite things about the holidays is Christmas music! There is something just so comforting about Christmas songs, am I right? They are so timeless - they harken back to the past but can also be interpreted in so many different, fun ways they continue to also be modern in an odd way.

It is sort of a give-in nowadays that any artist who has sold any respectable number of records has to make a Christmas album, which is great and all, but lets be honest this means that many of them are warmed over cheese-casserole - booooring and predictable.

However, I recently downloaded a couple of albums that are anything but boring. They both have a really retro, vintage feel - one more folky and one more swingy/jazzy - and feature singers with super-rich, warm voices that manage to be delightfully 'crackly' and soft at the same time. Both contain some of the most recognizable Christmas tunes ever sung, but they also feature a few that I have never heard before. I have been lucky enough to see one of them in concert here in Halifax (she lives here in fact!) and the other stars in one of my new favourite tv shows (it seriously cracks me up to the point of snorting every week).

#1 A Very She & Him Christmas

This is the one with the more "folky"sound I described before - there is a lot of acoustic guitar and ukulele, which is awesome! It's a little bit vintage country, a little bit Hawaiian luau and I kind of like that! It feels very June Carter and Johnny Cash Christmas to me. Most of the songs on this album have a quieter more relaxed feeling, perfect for listening to while sitting in front of a fire with a hot toddy.

*On a completely unrelated note, I want to steal Zooey D's hair - as noted in my YKYLF post here. Second completely unrelated note - are you watching New Girl yet? If not, you need to do that, like, yesterday!*

Every time I listen to this song it ends up stuck in my head all. day. long. You've been warned.

#2 It Snowed, Meaghan Smith

Meaghan is a singer originally from Ontario but now calls Halifax home - I went to see her perform with Symphony Nova Scotia earlier this year and fell in love with her 40's style voice and music. Her songs have this great old-timey swing feel to them - lots of horn. They make you want to boogie. Her Christmas album has a couple of original songs (one that is really not Christmasey at all in fact, which is an odd addition, but kind of refreshing at the same time). I can't wait to put this on while we put up the tree and decorate at my mom's on Saturday.

I think Christmas Kiss is my favourite so far - SO ADORABLE! Alas, I am not able to find it online anywhere (although you can listen to samples here), so you will have to settle for Silver Bells (which sounds like a pretty good compromise to me!). *P.S. I want to steal her outfit from this video*

For the next 6 weeks, it's all Christmas songs all the time, baby! Just not Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time - god, that song's annoying. 

Piano Man

I think everybody has a list of concerts in their mind - you know, the bands or performers that you just HAVE to see live before you die (or in the case of many bands that I love, before THEY die). I am no different, and I recently was lucky enough to be able to cross one of mine off my list!

On September 15th, my mom, sister and I drove to Prince Edward Island to see...

ELTON JOHN!

He actually played a concert in my home city of Halifax not that long ago, but unfortunately we were unable to get tickets. We were really disappointed that time and figured that was that. So, when I heard that he would be coming back to Atlantic Canada, there was no WAY we were NOT going to miss out again. 

Unfortunately, we almost didn't go at all! We endured quite the SAGA of ticket ordering: Back in July, both my mom and I got on the computer and the phone as soon as the tickets went on sale, but neither of us could get through. The system was SO frustrating because you would refresh and refresh, finally get in to the ordering page only to be promptly kicked off. Long story short, neither of us got through and, again, we thought that was that.

Then a couple of weeks later, a 2nd Summerside show was announced and we were elated to have a 2nd chance, so we did the same thing all over again, only this time my boyfriend also went online to see if he could get tickets for us. After an hour of trying - SUCCESS! He finally got into the system and was able to order 3 tickets for us. We couldn't believe our luck and started to make plans for a hotel room and such.

So, a couple of weeks before the concert, we were getting antsy because we had yet to receive our tickets in the mail. My boyfriend decided to call the box office to double-check on our order. Well, it's a good thing he did because he found out that they actually had NO tickets for us! They informed us that their online system had experienced a "glitch" wherein hundreds of incorrect ticket confirmations were sent to people that did not actually have tickets. My boyfriend got an email confirmation and his credit card was charged and everything. The box office informed him that, to deal with the problem, they had reversed the charges for all the people affected by the glitch and that basically was their way of informing people...

*crickets chirping*

Yeah, I know. The worst thing is, we stumbled upon an article in a PEI newspaper that discussed the issue and actually quoted a gentleman that DID get a phone call from the venue telling him about the problem! So, obviously this place had called SOME people but not all. Obviously not the best way to deal with a major customer service issue!

What. A. Nightmare. 

An angry phone call to the manager later and we ended up grabbing some tickets that the promoter had apparently just released the day before or something. And the best part is, once we arrived we realized our seats were even closer to the stage than the original "fake" tickets we had! So, it all turned out for the best, but it was a really annoying experience and a huge lesson learned - take it from me, kids: ALWAYS check on your tickets if you order them online!

Anyway, the important thing is we got there.

What was great about the show was it's simplicity - it was literally just Elton and the piano, with some lighting. There was no pyrotechnics or crazy outfits or back-up singers/dancers - no elaborate production. This was so refreshing and made the show feel very intimate - more like being in a small club or lounge. 

He played all my favourites (of course), and played some amazingly complicated piano riffs that blew my mind! His voice definitely sounds deeper and a little more raw now than it used to, but still great.

He played for 2.5 hours NON-STOP! Aside from taking maybe 2-3 breaks to say a couple of words, he never stopped playing or singing. I was amazed at his energy!

Thank you, Rocketman, for helping me cross a very big "to-do" off my life list!

West Eats Meat*

Last night I was lucky enough to enjoy a concert on behalf of a hotel that we deal with at work. I was part of a group of "hand-selected" clients to be invited to the Halifax Jazz Festival tent to hear the musical stylings of Harry Manx and Sisters Euclid!

All photos by me

I was pretty excited for this - both because it is awesome to get invited to free stuff (lets be honest, here), and because I am always up for discovering new music. I knew both of these artists had a blues-style sound, and I love blues music so I was looking forward to hearing both.

Well, I was SO impressed! Harry Manx is a "slide guitarist" - he plays guitar with it laying flat on his lap - and also plays banjo and harmonica. The person who introduced him referred to his musical style as "Mysti-ssippi", which I think was the perfect description. It was this really cool mix of raw southern-style country-blues-rock and dreamy Indian-Latin-style mystic music. I loved his covers of Crazy Love (one of my favourite songs) and Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix=love). He was also really funny, providing witty banter between songs, including several jibes at JP Cormier (a popular local blues guitarist).

Guest artists included a keyboardist from Australia (to be honest, I forget his name! Ah, terrible. But his sound was SO neat - it was set to sound sort of like a gospel organ; really added to the raw southern sound of the songs), and Mike Cowie, who is a local trumpeter who plays in lots of restaurants/lounges around town regularly. Man, can that guy play! I feel sweaty and out of breath just watching him!

Mike Cowie - he always wears this hat

Sisters Euclid came out after a break, and despite what the name suggests there are no women in this group and they are not hippies. The group consists of four guys - I was especially impressed by the guitar player and the keyboard/accordion player. They were both really funny and their fingers were so fast during some of the numbers they were like a blur!

Their sound was a little more "funky" blues than Harry's, and honestly a couple of the songs had so much "noise" going on it was a little overwhelming for my little brain, but I was really impressed with the fun layering of the songs in any case. Harry joined them for a couple of songs at the end, including another Jimi Hendrix tune (Voodoo Child! YES!) because he and the guitar player are good buddies who just released their 3rd disk together.

I had never heard of either of these acts before this show so really didn't know what to expect, but I am so glad I discovered them. To be honest, the homogeneity and unoriginality of most of mainstream music today really gets me down so it is so nice to hear artists that are passionate and real and have amazing talent and are not just a marketing machine. It's just a shame that so many great artists don't get the full recognition they deserve outside of small circles. I just love having my mind expanded and opened by creative people!

Halifax is no Montreal or St. Lucia (two places that both have huge, high profile jazz fests every year) but I think our festivals can certainly rival the ones of bigger cities in terms of organization, fun and variety. This is the 25th anniversary for the Jazz Fest, so they must be doing something right!

And beyond the Jazz Fest, there are TONS of really great festivals in Halifax and Nova Scotia in the summer - the city really does buzz and sing in the summer like no time of year. Just in the past few weeks there has been the Greek Fest, Atlantic Fashion Week, Canada Day festivities, Lebanese Fest, Dragon Boat Fest, and coming up there is Pride Week, Atlantic Film Fest, Natal Day festivities, Beer Fest, Seafood Fest, etc, etc, etc. Summer is short here, but we certainly make the most of it.

On a completely unrelated note, I am discovering that my new kitty is quite the goon and likes to get into things. She also really likes cool things (hence why she often sprawls on the floor or table). I was in the bathroom yesterday getting ready for bed, left for 2 minutes, came back in and found this:

Meh.

Needless to say I laughed out loud. I probably should be annoyed that she is getting fur all over my sink, and will likely track her wet paws on my floor once she jumps out, but what can I say - I'm a cat person and we are weird.

Happy HUMP day!

*If you are curious about the odd blog title, this is the name of one of Harry Manx's CD's - funny, eh?

We're a Couple of Swells...

This is a little late, but better late than ever...besides a musical is nice on any day of the year!

Hope everyone had a good Easter! To be honest, Easter isn't a big thing for me or my family - we are not religious and I am on Weight Watchers so I DEFINITELY didn't want any candy (well, I WANTED candy, I'm just not allowing myself to have it, that's all). Also, I've been super busy and stressed at work getting ready for a large Conference happening this week, so I just wasn't up for anything major. I really wanted to get away and have a change of scene, so when my boyfriend suggested we take a road trip to PEI, I was on board 100%! It was a lot of fun. We have a lot of fun together, and I'm very grateful to have someone in my life that makes me laugh so much and feel so good (as the risk of sounding cheesy). He pointed out to me that Friday was the 6-month anniversary of our first date! How cute is that?! And how bad of a gf am I for not even remembering? lol.

Anyway, one thing I do love about Easter is this movie. It's one of my favourites ever, and if you haven't seen it, you really need to watch it now. I love these old musicals - they are just so upbeat and fun. They just don't make movies like that anymore, as cliched as it sounds. I challenge you to watch one and NOT be in a good mood when it's over. Plus, the clothes are BEAUTIFUL. I sometimes wish people still got dressed up and paraded around - you know, spent TIME on their appearance! (I'm looking at you boys wearing jeans hanging down to your knees).

This is one Easter tradition that I always try to stick with...

Observe the awesomeness (a sample of a few of my fav scenes):

(#1 FAV! "Plum crazy for drums...")

Summer Concert

I am really looking forward to an outdoor concert in July (U2 is headlining and I've always wanted to see them live!), and with all this talk of Coachella fashion lately (jealous) it's got me thinking about what I will end up wearing. 

You definitely have to dress practically for these things - especially in Atlantic Canada because there is a 90% chance it will end up raining at some point (plus you are on your feet pretty much all day and/or sitting on dirt). Practical footwear is number one (nothing is more uncomfortable than wet feet (wet=cold), plus who wants their toes stepped on by massive and dirty boots and sneakers?!

Layers are important as well because it usually gets a bit chillier once the sun goes down (so a light sweater under a light jacket is a good idea). A hat and sunglasses are also smart so that your face doesn't burn and your hair doesn't blow around in a massive knot-tornado (I don't know about your hair, but the wind tends to take mine and whip it around harder than Willow Smith. It ain't pretty, so a hat helps keep it in check). 

However, it's always important to look cute as well as practical! Therefore, I love the fun print on the cardigan, the stripes on the romper, the vibrant colour on the sunglasses, and the quirky (and entirely appropos considering the event) ipod earphone necklace.

All in all, the perfect outdoor concert outfit!

Can't wait!

Happy weekend all (I love 3-day weekends, did I mention that?* I'm off to Prince Edward Island all weekend with the boy for some hiking, shopping, relaxing and general exploring. I really need a change of scene and to just "get away". What are you up to?)


*I'm also addicted to Polyvore, but I think I've said that many times

Summer Concert by shortfuuse featuring a hooded coat

V neck cardigan
$72 - maruione.jp

Toast hooded coat
175 GBP - johnlewis.com

Striped romper
$16 - canada.forever21.com

H by Hudson leather shoes
295 CAD - gravitypope.com

Fat Face cross body satchel
35 GBP - fatface.com

Gold heart necklace
70 GBP - notjustalabel.com

D g sunglass
$135 - nordstrom.com

city walk fedora
$48 - madewell.com

Right Here, Right Now

Currently I am...

...wearing my multi-coloured print, slightly kooky silk skirt (going out for dinner tonight - it's fun to dress up sometimes, isn't it?)
...loving my friends and family (one of my bff's threw me a surprise bday party last weekend! What a sweetheart - makes me feel like an ass complaining about birthdays)
...figuring out what to do for New Years Eve (NO clue what to do/where to go...what are you doing?)
...thinking about all the things I have to get done (ugh - clean, mail cards, send job applications, shop, make a dip for a pot luck next week, wrap gifts, etc)
...reading Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (loved her first book, The Glass Castle, so had to see what this one was all about)
...craving movie theatre popcorn with lots of butter and dill pickle seasoning (*drool*)
...listening to Christmas music (DUH!), namely Glee and various on Grooveshark. This is one of my new favs.
...discovering my love for making art again (I painted a lovely bday gift for my mom that I hope she likes!)
...watching Dexter (this season's almost over, wah!), Grey's (I'm behind!), hopefully Christmas movies soon (Muppet Christmas Carol and Christmas Vacation are two personal favs)
...playing with my hair. A LOT (it's bugging me, but getting it done on Saturday and can't wait - need a trim and gonna dye it a wicked red colour - tee hee)
...learning to never give up because you never know when things are going to get better

I should note that this post idea was stolen from Hope Dies Last and I cannot take creative credit (though I'd like to).

What are YOU doing right now?

Honking on Bobo

Last night at choir rehearsal we had a special treat - Mike Stevens, a musician visiting Dal (Dalhousie University*, for the unititated) from northern Ontario, gave a short performance and sat in on our rehearsal for a bit. Mike is considered to be a master in his field, and has provided music for various film scores, among other accomplishments. The thing is, Mike doesn't play any ordinary instrument - not piano or violin or saxophone or cello.

Mike is a professional harmonica musician.

Now before you roll your eyes and think "seriously?", let me tell you I have a ton more respect for people who play the harmonica after he talked to us last night! I've always loved the sound of a harmonica (I love bluesy music) but didn't think it looked too hard to play - they just blow into the holes right? (get your mind out of the gutter). Well, yes, they do but it's actually a lot more complicated than that.

Mike explained to us how he makes different sounds on the harmonica, but there is no way I can remember what he said. I know he used a lot of big, musician-y words. So, instead of me explaining what he said, here's a little blurb about how harmonica's work:

A harmonica has a chambered body with each chamber containing 2 small metal reeds. The reeds are flipped in alignment from each other. As you blow into one of the chambers air passes over the first reed and causes it to vibrate and this vibration causes the sound you hear. As you draw air in through a chamber ("suck on a harmonica") the air passes through the chamber in reverse and causes the second reed to vibrate. because the reeds are aligned oppisately - the air direction will determine which reed vibrates. Harmonicas use a series of reeds lined up from longer to shorter. The shorter the reed - the higher the pitch of the note sounded.

So, basically, to make a harmonica even make SOUNDS that don't resemble a dying cat you have to blow the right amount of air into the right place in a certain way. It takes much more than this to actually sound GOOD and make a career out of it.

Not to mention, there are three main types of harmonicas (arguably more) and thousands of different models. Mike took out the plastic container he keeps his harmonicas in, unrolled the bundles and informed us that he currently had about 40 different ones on hand! He takes about 80 when he's on the road, to allow for different styles, fresh reeds, etc! I don't even take 60 pairs of underwear when I go on the road (mostly because when I do, it's only for a week tops).

He then proceeded to hook himself up to a substantial speaker and foot tools (sorry musicians, don't know the technical terms, so sue me) and play us a set for a few minutes. Well, I was amazed - it sounded at times like an entire rock band, a celtic violin, and a dj spinning while still giving off that unique, raw sound that a harmonica makes. His incessant jerking and moving illustrated just how much physical power goes into playing this instrument.

That's not all, Mike is also the founder of ArtsCanCircle a non-profit organization "bringing Artists and Indigenous Canadian Youth (in Northern Canadian communities) together in Creative Expression". They basically connect youth in rural Northern Canadian communities with the arts, cool huh?

I found this all very fascinating and therefore wanted to share it. I had no idea harmonicas and harmonica-playing were so complex. I have a newfound appreciation for those that play them!

For your harmonica enjoyment, this song has one of my favourite harmonica parts (and videos) ever (FYI, the title of this post comes from an Aerosmith album - I believe Bobo was/is Steve Tyler's name for his harmonica -?).

And here's a video of Mike playing (with Matt Anderson, a blues musician from New Brunswick - repping the East Coast 4 life up in this bish! Word!).

*I should mention that the Medical School at Dal is quite unique, in that it features a Medical Humanities program that exists to "balance the science and fact-base that physicians use as the “tools of their trade” with the human weave that can make the lives of humans rich, rewarding, and at times mysterious." The program consists of "consists of five core initiatives: History of Medicine; Narrative Medicine (oral story-telling film, mass media, and literature); Music; Spirituality; and Visual Arts". The program has various classes, workshops, events, and opportunities within each of these components, including my choir (Dalhousie Medical School Choir). This program (as far as I know) is one-of-a-kind and many people from the Medical community around the world come to investigate it. Just a fun bit of trivia for your Thursday!*

Manic Monday: Music

I recently went through my music and downloaded a whole bunch of new stuff. I'm always on the look out for new songs and bands and artists to listen to, so whenever I hear a cool song or read something about a band that sounds interesting, I'll try to track down some of their stuff.

I'm one of those people who listens to "everything", though I can be a tad schizoid when it comes to music too - I get in "moods" where I listen to a certain type of music constantly (I guess my musical tastes are the perfect subject for Manic Monday, then!). Overall though, I like upbeat, fun music that has witty, insightful lyrics - basically if the song makes me boogie in my chair (or better yet stand up and shake my booty upright), it's a great one in my book.

I'm really into 60's and 70's rock/pop lately, or music that has that kind of sound. I downloaded the Pirate Radio  (aka The Boat That Rocked - if you haven't seen this movie you HAVE TO. Bill Nighy is just so hilarious I can't stand it) soundtrack and I'm obsessed with it!! I'm wierd in that I tend to get hooked on particular songs and listen to them over and over and over again, then eventually tire of them.

These are some of the songs I'm currently playing on repeat (and repeat and repeat...)







I'm sort of embarassed to include this one, because the song is actually kind of annoying and non-sensical but I had to include it because I haven't been able to stop listening to it ever since I heard it!! I have no freaking clue why but it's just so damn catchy I can't stand it! I'm a slave to the rhythm I guess. It's like that line from Friends where Chandler says, "Gloria Estefan was right, eventually the rhythm IS going to get you" (mwahaha Friends just never ever gets old...and neither does the fact that I'm a total dork, apparently).

The Awakening

I've been singing in choirs since I was 14 years old, and I can honestly say I've never sang a song as profound as one my current choir is doing.

It's called "The Awakening" by Joseph Martin. It's a profound song because the melody and words are beautifully haunting, but so is the story behind it.

Our choir director explained the story to us one night as such: There was a Jr High school in North Carolina (don't quote me on the location, I honestly can't remember exactly what he said) that had basically no arts program. That is until a new teacher came along and resurrected it - every kid was a part of the choir and everyone in the school became engaged in the arts thanks to her and the entire dynamic of the kids and the school changed.

One night the teacher returned to the school after hours to pick up something she had forgotten and....was murdered in the school.

Ummmmm....yeah I know.

Those are all the details he gave us but they were enough to make everyone in the room gasp with surprise and horror. You can imagine what this tragedy would have done to the students and the school as a whole; from what I know, the progress made in the arts program basically vaporized in the wake of the death of this beloved teacher. However, (and I'm not sure exactly how - again, only got so many details and it is hard to find more online for some reason) everyone slowly got their confidence and passion back and the arts program prevailed.

That's where the inspiration and spirit of "The Awakening" come from. The song starts off very mournful, reflecting the pain, despair and disbelief those directly affected by this incident must have felt immediately following. Their "broken dreams". However, as the song goes on it becomes faster, louder and happier, reflecting the rising of the school out of the ashes of death and deciding to celebrate a life rather than mourn. "Awake! Awake!".

Needless to say, it's very moving to feel like a part of this - even though it's in a very small, indirect way. I feel like our joy and honour performing this piece will somehow float through the air down down down to the school and to the students and remind them how amazing their experience and their strength are. Maybe it sounds cheesy, but sometimes the cheesy thing is the true thing. Besides, it is an amazing example of a subject I feel very passionate about and that I feel is ESSENTIAL and that's arts education and arts programs in schools. I was lucky enough to have access to great arts programs growing up and I'm so grateful for that.

I encourage you to listen to the piece for yourself - really listen to the words and the music - so you can fully understand why I'm so moved.

Olympi-add me to your suitcase?! Yes, please!!

Unfortunately I am one of those annoying patriotic people that could go on and on all day about how much I love my country and how grateful I am to live here. It all sounds like a bunch of self-righteous fooey, I know. But it really is true (no, seriously)! And I'm not some green hick who lives in a tiny hick town and has never been anywhere - I've travelled quite extensively (England, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, St Lucia, USA, etc) and I can honestly say I've returned home from all of those trips with a renewed perspective on where I come from and the great things about it.

I mean it's certainly not Utopia (I could also go on and on about things that are crappy about living here, although I'd have more trouble coming up with as many examples) but it's pretty darn sweet. If nothing else, I'm grateful for the fact that I have the freedom to come and go and do and see whom I please when I please without reproach (except maybe from my mommy). As a young woman in particular I think that's pretty much the definition of darn sweet.

Anyway, I'm going on again (do you sense a pattern here?) but more to the point, national pride is at a zenith at the moment with the 2010 Vancouver Olympics approaching (which I'm sure you know about, unless you've been living under a rock...or anywhere OUTSIDE of Canada), and I must admit I myself have been caught up in it all. It was pretty thrilling to stand in the middle of the crowd in Halifax's Grand Parade and watch the Olympic torch as it was sprinted in and lit. And, I wasn't really into jumping on the whole "red mitten" bandwagon but when my friend picked me up a pair I was kind of excited and I wore them all day Sunday and felt all warm and fuzzy inside with a glow of Proud Canadian-ness (and my hands were pretty darn warm too!).

The Olympic preparations (as extravagant as they seem at times), particularly the Torch Relay, have really brought out a sense of community pride across the entire country that's rather heartwarming to see. Oh how I wish I were in Vancouver to see all of the festivities up-close (though I'm certainly glad I don't live there and have to contend with the traffic and crowds).

What I really mean to get at (yes, I'm still blabbing on) is that I'm particularly envious that I'm not able to experience the events that make up the Cultural Olympiad. Anything culture-related I am SO there for, and this is the ultimate of all culture-fest - 60 days of dance, visual art, performance art, music (ALL types), theatre, comedy, and every other cultural category you could possibly think of.

Being a big Joni Mitchell fan, I would love to see The Fiddle and the Drum, featuring dancers from the Alberta ballet and political music/video installations from JM herself. Also high on my wish-list is the Neil Young Project, a fantastic live music tribute to one of the greatest musicians our country has ever exported, featuring some of Canada's other (though less gray and crusty) greatest-musicians-our-country-has-ever-exported (Lou Reed! Ron Sexsmith!).

CODE, aka Cultural Olympiad Digital Edition, offers some artistic innovation in the form of unique collaborative digital art and electronic music performances; the highlight for me (or at least it would be if I could actually see it) being CODE Live, taking place from Feb 4th to 21st, and which the website describes as "an 18-day landmark event with visual art exhibitions, music and performances fuelled by digital technology and audience involvement...is easy to take in and get into {translation: close to public transit}...and daytime events and exhibits are free of charge". LOOOOOOOVE!!

So, in other words (I told you I could go on and on; don't say you weren't warned!) I would give my right arm to be in Vancouver right now, or at least for the month of February. And I'm right-handed, so that's saying something. I mean, I would severely maim and or commit minor atrocities to be in Vancouver at any time but if there was ever any time to be there, this is it.

Guess I'll have to settle for watching it all unfold on the much-more-boring and one-dimensional boob tube. Woo-freakin-hoo (can you sense the eye-roll??)

Date With Fantasy

My heart skipped a beat when I opened my latest Vogue magazine (January 2010), specifically to the feature entitled "Date With Destiny", and saw Canada's own Owen Pallett in this gorgeous photo with supermodel Raquel Zimmerman. For those of you that don't know, Owen Pallett is a musician who records under the name Final Fantasy. His music is an amazing and eclectic mix of classical and synth, past and future. Many of his songs are actually built up with Owen recording himself playing one part and playing it back underneath his playing of another part - essentially accompanying himself! (wow, confusing enough for ya?!). His lyrics are often strange and seemingly stream-of-consciousness, but that's part of their amazing-ness. There is no one else out there today playing music like this.

This warmed my heart in particular because I was lucky enough to see Owen play live, in a concert with Symphony Nova Scotia, back in October! I honestly had never heard of Owen nor heard any of his songs before attending this concert, but I came out with my jaw hanging open in awe at his talent and innovation (and at the same qualities that I feel the Symphony possesses, in my opinion one of the most innovative and professional orchestras in the country). Best of all? They are both Canadian!

You can listen to Owen Pallett's concert with SNS here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20091023owenp