This post is all about me discovering something that is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
I ran into a really cool video! The artist is someone I've never heard of. His name is Medi. He is a French singer, songwriter, guitar player, and drummer. He basically does it all when it comes to music. He is a true talent in today’s industry.
Some people know of him as being the drummer for Charlie Winston’s band, but he's now making a name for himself as a solo artist across the world.
Born and raised in France, Medi spent some time in London where he learned to speak English remarkably well.
I love the typography that pops up in the video below.
One thing I've always been fascinated with are maps. I like them more for their shapes and details than the directions that they lead. I'm actually horrible with directions. Without my husband I don't think I could get from one state to the next. Once I know my area I pick the most logical route; when my husband picks a route that may take him much longer. Do you consider maps art?
There's a designer in New York at Pentagram named Paula Scher. She's done designs for Swatch Watch, the New York Theater Company, Citibank and more. She hand paints maps on the side. These painting are really large! It's what's left of craft for her.
It's been a few weeks since I've posted an Out of the Box Saturday. Here I am - posting one.
This time it's not about anything new though. It's more about using music as a teaching tool for your children.
I asked Mica why he doesn't play with a kid he played with all the time last year? His response was, "He's annoying." When I asked him to elaborate, he told me the kid gets really needy by wanting things and says, "Give-me, give-me, give-me." Now I know kids are kids. They change who they play with, and have different tastes in what they play with often. BUT it seemed these two kids were attached at the hip last year. I know his family. Yes they are different than we are, but they are super nice! I'm not here to push friendships on my kids. I do however want them to learn to not be judging. How Mica described his friend is a lot like we see him. Mica's always been our more needy child.
I told Travis to play Michael Jackson's song Man in the Mirror for Mica to listen to. Lucky for us they have a version online that has the words.
Then Travis decided to play Eric Clapton's song Before You Accuse Me.
I never thought about the fact that both songs done by completely different artists have such similar meanings.
The important thing was that Mica understood our point. A lot can be explained through music! Find a song that ties into a lesson that can be learned.
I explained to Mica that I would never choose to hang out with anyone at work outside of work, in fact at times they push my buttons. I vent to outside people, and don't really stoop to whatever it is that they did or said to bother me. More than anything I try to find comedy in things like the stacks of folders. I'm most certainly not perfect, and we shouldn't expect that others are. We never know what kind of day the person is having that is rubbing us the wrong way.
Did you ever think to turn on a song to teach someone a lessen in life?
What artist do you like to listen to more Michael Jackson, or Eric Clapton? They are so different. It's kind of like comparing apples to oranges. I think I'd have to go with Michael Jackson overall. Yes he died a creepy death, and was most certainly problematic towards the end of his life, BUT he made some great music in his time. Eric Clapton is one of those artists to me that can only be listened to when I'm in a mellow mood. He is a great storyteller, and can stand alone with his guitar to play some wonderful songs. Michael had ground breaking dance moves, and was always testing the waters to try out something new.
It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
I was sent an email by Liquitex. They are an art supply company if you are unfamiliar with the name.
They were featuring an artist Will Barras. He is an London based artist. Will loves to travel. He exhibits and does live paintings. He works on street scene art. His work is interesting. It went right along with what I was talking about in class. I kept trying to explain to the students that you have to let yourself go, have fun, and be free to experiment. Then in the end you have to take the control back again to create what's in your mind.
I think after showing them his video the students now get what I'm talking about. The background is unified with the foreground as well.
It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
I ran across this fun jingle:
The jingle is by Grant Woolard. He meshes a wide range of styles in his work. He started out as a science geek, and later got interested in making music videos. He took piano at a young age, and incorporates that now in what he does.
I wouldn't sit down and listen to Grant's work for hours upon end. I do however think his work playful.
It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
This week I'm covering the band Foals. They are an indie English rock band.
They have 6 members to their band: Yannis Philippakis, Jack Bevan, Edwin Congreave, Walter Gervers, Andrew Mears, and Jimmy Smith.
Andrew Mears, originally formed the band Foals. Yannis Philippakis is the lead singer.
Yannis Philippakis was Born to a Greek father and a South African-born Ukrainian-Jewish. Philippakis left Greece with his mother when he was five years old. His father taught him traditional folk songs and dances. He was raised in the Greek Orthodox religion. He had quite a mix of influences.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is now Out of the Box Saturday. It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
This week I'm covering something artsy fartsy. One artist that I found just this year is Rudy Gutierrez.
His work has been featured on CDs, books, editorials, and awarded in many Society of Illustration Annuals.
His art has been described as Wall Medicine, ancient yet contemporary.
He's worked on "live performances", backdrops, stage props and workshops with the dance company that features hearing impaired and physically challenged kids.
What I like about his work is the color, pattern, line work, how you can look at his work over and over again, and still see something new. It looks like older African work, but has a modern twist to it.
These images are not mine. Please go to Rudy Gutierrez's website to see more work.
Progress
Rudy's not huge into social media. He gets plenty of exposure. Visit his website.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is now Out of the Box Saturday. It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
Playing for Change is a multimedia music project, created by the American producer and sound engineer Mark Johnson with his Timeless Media Group, that seeks to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. Playing For Change also created a separate non-profit organization called the Playing For Change Foundation, which builds music schools for children around the world.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is now Out of the Box Saturday. It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
This week I'm covering something sing | songy. I read (didn't get to watch) a shocking documentary about Nina Simone's daughter Lisa Simone. Lisa claims that her Mom was abusive to the point where Lisa thought about committing suicide. I always liked Nina Simone's voice. Just because I liked her, it does not mean that she wasn't abusive. Stars especially have a lot of pressure. Abuse is a real thing.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is now Out of the Box Saturday. It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
I know this is going up later than usual. The boys were at a library lock in last night until 10. The cousins they have that are their same ages spent the night. We went to Lowes Clinic this morning, and out to pick mulberries this afternoon.
I'm doing something a little different this week. I'm just going to show you where I'm at with that poster I was/am working on. It's a collaboration with a co-worker. I'm doing all the coloring. I scanned in watercolor and salt textures. Then I've been color things in the computer. As soon as I thought I was done something else came up to do all week long. Next week I'll show a new artist.
The bottom space is for type.
Details:
After I was well into starting the poster I was told that each character would need to be done in a separate document to use for PowerPoints, stickers, and other things. I knew it would be a pain. It's kind of like going backwards. The monkey they now want to be shown juggling. That almost started an argument with my boss and his wife.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is now Out of the Box Saturday. It's all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. I'll
cover something sing | songy one week, and artsy | fartsy the next.
I know, I know I know I skipped this post last week. I actually started writing it, got side tracked, and more sidetracked.
I decided that one week I'll cover a music art form of some sort, and the next week I'll cover a visual artist on Saturdays. I'm going to start with some artists that are ones that I know, which are Out of the Box. Later on I'll discover artists along the way with you. The first artist I will cover is Joe Sorren. Joe creates editorial illustrations, paints for galleries, and has been working on instrumental CD called Songs for Pandas.
Sorren grew up in Arizona. Right now he lives in Florence, Italy. His first solo exhibit was in 1995.
He paints with acrylics | oils, and makes sculptures as well.
Sorren sells on his website prints, trading cards (small prints), and limited edition books. He's also done illustrations for The New Yorker. His work is playful, dark, twisted, dreamlike, and fun all wrapped up together. My husband says that he know why I have crazy dreams when I look at Sorren's work.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It
could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY,
and more.
Who likes the band Tool? My husband does. We ran across a bunch of kids that redid one of their sons. It's so amazing. The lead singer has an amazing voice.
The students for all their hard work: Curtis / Drums, AJ / Bass, Olivia /
Piano, Kala / Vocals, Jacob / Guitar, Chris / Guitar, Geoffrey /
Claves, Kane / Bongos, Jack / Djembe
They are from the O'Keefe Music Foundation. It's a nonprofit that helps children to record their musical performances for free.
The Nagasaki Sound mastering studio is located in Southwestern US. Phoenix. It has a desert setting with earth and stone walls. He tries to mix an industrial sound with a Japanese flavor, and adds a creative spark.
Nagasaki hand-built much of the things in the studio for a perfect atmosphere.
Mixing Engineer: Dan Agee
Lead Engineer: Zach Allen
Assistant Engineer: Jarad Clement
Cameramen: Simon Marts and John Quinto
Jeremy Singer at Maineville Music Academy
Tool, for writing an incredible song!
O'Keefe Music Foundation has done other covers. Here's Dream Theater Pull Me Under.
No More Tears By Ozzy.
It's amazing what you can do with talent when you work with kids. It saddens me that art and music are being pulled from schools.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It
could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY,
and more.
This week I'm covering a band called DaiQing Tana & Haya Band. Tana is the voice behind the music.
In 2006, Quansheng
formed HAYA with several of his students and friends. “HAYA” means
“margin” or “boundary” in Mongolian. According to an ancient legend, at
the boundary of the endless sky, there is a gem called “HAYA” that holds
the radiance of all living things. When one day people see it, all
hatred will dissolve and love will abound throughout the entire world.
HAYA’s music breaks free of national boundaries and ethnic ties, mixing
inherently unaffected and profound Mongolian music with pioneering
musical elements, infusing new blood into ancient melodies that have
been passed down for centuries, giving them fresh life. The morin khuur
(horse-head fiddle), tanbur, khoomei (throat singing), shaman drum,
chanting – they have all passed through the hourglass of time and become
HAYA’s gems. In 2010, HAYA performed at the Columbus Asian Festival in
the US, and in 2011 they performed at the Cultural and Arts Festival of
India and the Cannes World Music Festival in France, after which they
began their “Migration” concert tour of Asia. - Source
What I love about their music is that they play with a lot of different instruments. Their voices are very hypnotic to. It's great to listen to when I'm working on something.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It
could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY,
and more.
Things are a little different this week. I learned something on Friday that I didn't know. I think everyone knows who Shel Silverstein was. I say "was" because he sadly passed away in 1999.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It
could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY,
and more.
I was looking up a band, got bored with it, and found another one. This band is called Shakey Graves.
They do not have an about section on their website. They are from Austin, Texas.
A question they had: Why doesn't your album have the raspy, distorted sound like when you played at the good music club? Is that how you usually sound live or was that just for that venue/recording? If not are you going to re-record with that sound?
Answer: That album was the birth of all of those songs, and thats how the recordings are supposed to sound. It turns out over time, as I played the songs more they became louder and raspier, but no Ill never re record that, although live stuff will surely be released over time.
Whats done is done my friend, over and onward!
You can see more of their question/answers on their blog.
Listen to one song, or the whole thing. I really like the 2nd song!
Check out Shakey Graves' website. Like Shakey Graves' on Facebook. Follow Shakey Graves' on Twitter.
Sing, Sing a Song Saturday is all about me discovering something that
is different. I don't want to post things that you and I have
more than likely heard before. I want to find something different. It
could be from another country, someone singing from the streets of NY,
and more.
A few years ago we bought the boys ukuleles for Easter.
They played them a little, but mostly they were one of those things that got set in their closets. Recently Mica's taken an interest in getting it out, and playing it. He watches YouTube tutorials on playing the ukulele. You've got to start somewhere right? I looked up bands, singers that play ukuleles. Lisa Hannigan came up. I really love her music. It's calming.
Between writing her first album - 2008's Sea
Sew - and its eagerly awaited successor, Lisa Hannigan's life has
changed in many ways.
She was nominated for the
Choice Music Prize in her native Ireland. Hannigan has conducted her life as a solo artist up until this point.
The opinions on this blog are my personal take on products and topics relating to motherhood. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me.
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