All the usual suspects are here. We hear them every year and know there will be new suspects added to the list from this year. [I can hear you all now, "Why would she talk about contestants who might see her blog?!?".....BUT, it's not what you think!]
Every year there are a few songs that make multiple appearances. We make our picks before the contest starts and to the winner goes the spoils of victory: a year of bragging rights for picking the correct song.
Usually it's a new song that has been a big hit, but sometimes we're thrown a curve ball and an old song comes out of left field and takes the prize. Last year we were ALL blindsided by a song that's at least ten years old. We've been keeping track this year and it's a tight race. Instead of telling you which songs are in the lead this year, I'll just list some of the annual "favorites".
Unchained Melody
Broken Wing
Breathe
Crazy
Before He Cheats
I Am Changing
Like We Never Loved At All
My Heart Will Go On
On My Own
Lady Marmalade (the atrocious Moulin Rouge version)
I'm keeping busy tabulating the scores as they roll in so I haven't been able to edit and post the videos which are calling my name, but I will try to get some of them up before the finals. Please keep checking in if I'm posting videos from someone you're supporting.
It has been a great week so far and I'm hoping my next post will be full of some amazing news about the production crew that's here from Harpo Studios! [yes......you read that correctly!]
Showing posts with label 80s music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 80s music. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
That's Where the Music Takes Me
In less than a month I'll be leaving for Talent Quest nationals. This time of year finds me submerged in music, but you won't hear me complain about that.
Music has always been a huge part of my life. I've written before about how there's music tied to every major event in my life, but my relationship with music goes so much deeper. When I was little, my mother often told me the story of the first time she held me after I was born. She would say, "You love music because the first time I held you, I sang to you right away." My first outside contact with my mother was hearing her sing, not speak to me. Who knows? Maybe she's right about that first encounter shaping my love for music......that coupled with the fact that the entire time I was in her belly I was probably listening to her sing to my sister, Melissa, who was only one at the time.
Music permeates my childhood. Many evenings the entire family would gather around the turntable which was built into a cabinet with the TV (do you remember those?) and we would listen to entire albums.....one after another.
My sisters and I would have singing competitions in the bedroom (with ourselves as the judges, so I'm sure you can imagine how that would go) which started when I was in kindergarten. I can still remember us taking turns, signing the same song and then trying to decide who had "won". Even times when I wasn't dubbed the winner I would think to myself, "That's okay.....I know I was the best"!
For birthdays and Christmas, music was a common gift. I've posted this picture before, but notice how I'm not much bigger than the album I'm proudly displaying!
Even our television viewing had a slant towards music.......I don't think I ever missed an episode of the Donny & Marie Show, Sonny & Cher, Tony Orlando.......and, on the weekends at my grandparents, Hee-Haw and Lawrence Welk. All of this worked to give me a broad appreciation of music.
But, my favorite childhood memory of music is everyone singing together when a song we loved would play. Most often, this would happen in the car..........I can close my eyes and imagine it now. Warm, summer day, windows down, wind blowing all around us and there it is......that song, the one we love.....and we're singing! Absolutely one of my favorite things.....still to this day!
And THAT'S where the music takes me!
Music has always been a huge part of my life. I've written before about how there's music tied to every major event in my life, but my relationship with music goes so much deeper. When I was little, my mother often told me the story of the first time she held me after I was born. She would say, "You love music because the first time I held you, I sang to you right away." My first outside contact with my mother was hearing her sing, not speak to me. Who knows? Maybe she's right about that first encounter shaping my love for music......that coupled with the fact that the entire time I was in her belly I was probably listening to her sing to my sister, Melissa, who was only one at the time.
Music permeates my childhood. Many evenings the entire family would gather around the turntable which was built into a cabinet with the TV (do you remember those?) and we would listen to entire albums.....one after another.
My sisters and I would have singing competitions in the bedroom (with ourselves as the judges, so I'm sure you can imagine how that would go) which started when I was in kindergarten. I can still remember us taking turns, signing the same song and then trying to decide who had "won". Even times when I wasn't dubbed the winner I would think to myself, "That's okay.....I know I was the best"!
For birthdays and Christmas, music was a common gift. I've posted this picture before, but notice how I'm not much bigger than the album I'm proudly displaying!
Even our television viewing had a slant towards music.......I don't think I ever missed an episode of the Donny & Marie Show, Sonny & Cher, Tony Orlando.......and, on the weekends at my grandparents, Hee-Haw and Lawrence Welk. All of this worked to give me a broad appreciation of music.
But, my favorite childhood memory of music is everyone singing together when a song we loved would play. Most often, this would happen in the car..........I can close my eyes and imagine it now. Warm, summer day, windows down, wind blowing all around us and there it is......that song, the one we love.....and we're singing! Absolutely one of my favorite things.....still to this day!
And THAT'S where the music takes me!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Virtual Mix Tape for You- Volume Two
Before I start in with my music selections, let me give a quick update to the job situation.......OH, there's nothing to update......not really. That's the main reason I haven't posted anything. I'm just afraid everything I write will sound too down in the dumps, so I've chosen to refrain from posting. I have several blogs in the works, but until I can really focus, they will remain on the "to be edited" shelf.
Volume Two of the virtual mix tape is my way of utilzing one of the things on my Happy List.
And, if you missed it, you can see Volume One here.
Click on the title to link to the song on YouTube.
Falling Slowly - Glen Hanserd and Marketa Irglova...from the movie Once. I love this movie and the words of this song really speak to me. Listen to the song and watch the movie!
Seeing Red - Unwritten Law...I first heard this in 2001 when it came out as a single. That year was another trying time not unlike what I'm experiencing now. Also, this song makes me want to bounce around!
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Doris Day....there are so many versions of this traditional spanish song (Quizas, Quizas, Quizas) but this is my favorite. Cake's version is a close second. This version is used in the movie Strictly Ballroom and I love that movie!
Tear In Your Hand - Tori Amos....this is from the Little Earthquakes cd which, in my opinion, is the best Tori cd of all time. I'm a book geek and I love that she mentions her friend and author, Neil Gaiman, in this song.....plus, I love the lyrics!
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap.....this is from Speak for Yourself and I loved it the moment I heard it.....who puts the word "sewing machine" in a song?!? I was destined to love her and the entire cd. Not only that, she recorded the whole cd in her flat!
Kayleigh - Marillion.....this is a song from the 80's and you can tell by the video it was recorded while the Cold War was still a very real thing. I don't know much about the band, but I loved this song when I was in the 7th or 8th grade.
Sara - Bob Dylan....one of the best love songs ever written. I'd love to have a song this beautiful written about me. Say what you want about Bob's voice, but he'll always be a master with lyrics!
Candy - Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson....one of the best collaborations of all time!
To This We've Come - Eileen Farrell....one of the most beautiful and moving arias ever written. It is from The Cosul, written by Gian Carlo Menotti and is often called the Papers Aria or Magda's Aria. It's an 8 minute aria, but it's in English so I hope you'll listen to it even if you don't like opera.......it's so worth it!
Useless Desires - Patty Griffin...one of the greatest songwriters of all time! This is the first song I really fell in love with and it's still one of my favorites! This is a pretty poor live recording, but it's the best I could find so it will have to do.
Everytime You Cry - The Outfield.....classic 80's rock ballad. This takes me back to the summer of '86. Such good memories. I still have the concert t-shirt from this tour.
Volume Two of the virtual mix tape is my way of utilzing one of the things on my Happy List.
And, if you missed it, you can see Volume One here.
Click on the title to link to the song on YouTube.
Falling Slowly - Glen Hanserd and Marketa Irglova...from the movie Once. I love this movie and the words of this song really speak to me. Listen to the song and watch the movie!
Seeing Red - Unwritten Law...I first heard this in 2001 when it came out as a single. That year was another trying time not unlike what I'm experiencing now. Also, this song makes me want to bounce around!
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps - Doris Day....there are so many versions of this traditional spanish song (Quizas, Quizas, Quizas) but this is my favorite. Cake's version is a close second. This version is used in the movie Strictly Ballroom and I love that movie!
Tear In Your Hand - Tori Amos....this is from the Little Earthquakes cd which, in my opinion, is the best Tori cd of all time. I'm a book geek and I love that she mentions her friend and author, Neil Gaiman, in this song.....plus, I love the lyrics!
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap.....this is from Speak for Yourself and I loved it the moment I heard it.....who puts the word "sewing machine" in a song?!? I was destined to love her and the entire cd. Not only that, she recorded the whole cd in her flat!
Kayleigh - Marillion.....this is a song from the 80's and you can tell by the video it was recorded while the Cold War was still a very real thing. I don't know much about the band, but I loved this song when I was in the 7th or 8th grade.
Sara - Bob Dylan....one of the best love songs ever written. I'd love to have a song this beautiful written about me. Say what you want about Bob's voice, but he'll always be a master with lyrics!
Candy - Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson....one of the best collaborations of all time!
To This We've Come - Eileen Farrell....one of the most beautiful and moving arias ever written. It is from The Cosul, written by Gian Carlo Menotti and is often called the Papers Aria or Magda's Aria. It's an 8 minute aria, but it's in English so I hope you'll listen to it even if you don't like opera.......it's so worth it!
Useless Desires - Patty Griffin...one of the greatest songwriters of all time! This is the first song I really fell in love with and it's still one of my favorites! This is a pretty poor live recording, but it's the best I could find so it will have to do.
Everytime You Cry - The Outfield.....classic 80's rock ballad. This takes me back to the summer of '86. Such good memories. I still have the concert t-shirt from this tour.
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