Drumtime in Pasadena or Where's My Bongo Baby?

It was a beautiful day. Temperature just peculating under cozy. Blue sky and dry pavement. Everybody was busting out of the cabin to do something even if it was just to take a walk.



Pasadena had a combo Art and Eco Street festival with information booth and all kinds of stuff. Me, I gravitate toward music and drumming. I also like seeing people do stuff without a power source other than actual community.

This is actually a good example of what people can do when you make learning fun and non-threatening. Yes, we can make music. True, some of them had a little problem with the 2/4 but give it some time. Some of the drummers were still in diapers.

The facilitator's name is John Lacques and this is what he does, get people to drum, use percussion and make with a joyful noise. If you would like more info check out his web site at Drumtime.net

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Betty Wright - Clean Up Medley on the Freakout Extra

Oh my goodness. This was so much fun to watch I might turn around and watch it again. Way back in the day Betty Wright had a hit called Clean Up Woman; a very instructional song about love, attention and opportunistic people willing to recycle your discarded loved one.



Time passes and Betty, who really is a talented woman, re-creates her hit woven with with musical imitations of Patti LaBelle, Tina Turner, Barbara Mason, the O'Jays and Al Green.

I'm petitioning for folks to remember Betty Wright for Women's History Month; the musicians and performers who knew how to command a stage and left you feeling better than when you walked in the door.

No special effects, no gimmicks, just a master making magic on the stage.

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Be My Valentine on the Finally Friday Freakout

Normally I would hesitate to have any reference of that long delinquent love archer on the blog but I am making an exception. First the introductions; the musician is Johnny Blu who is a man with a very pleasing voice.



So why the video? Well, because I like the video and it was shot on a iPhone4. It also has a filter on the video by the 8MM Vintage Camera app (application to the old schoolers).

Can a woman be seduced by technology? This one can. Johnny is right nice looking, don't get me wrong, but I was really was looking at how the app performed. Then I started listening to his voice and it was a win-win kind of thing.

You never know where your passions are going to lead you.

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Beautiful Tree on the Finally Friday Freakout

Cleaning out the junk, the old e-mail and the things I missed the first time I found an e-mail from Jon Blecher. I don't know who Jon is or how he got my e-mail address. Maybe he noticed the music posted on the blog or something.

Anyway, I wanted to post music. I needed something non-toxic. This is Rain Perry singing Beautiful Tree.



This song is the theme for a television program called Life Unexpected. I clicked the link to view the video before I read anything about Rain. I was gonna like it or not. I went back to the e-mail. Yep, she has been knocked about a bit. Had challenges that would make me cringe.

And yet like most of us she gets up and does what she has to do. Like go to work on Monday.

Sigh.

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This To Shall Pass on the Finally Friday Freakout

I can count the number of times I have recommended a marching band rendition of a song. This would be a first. But any music video that has a token homage to Swamp Thing is jake with me. And yeah, give the fellas .99 cents cuz this does have medicinal qualities.

I just got finished reading Taddy's post about someone who was mistaken in their belief they had no value. Then he linked to a damn fine post by Jennifer Michale Hecht about two other folks taking the deep six plunge and she is imploring people not to leave ahead of their time.

I want to put in my two cents but I can't sing. You wouldn't want me too either. I leave this to OK Go and the Notre Dame Marching Band.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Poets, hell no - defy tradition.

Writers - are you kidding me? You don't even have to write; transcribing the idiocy and wackiness of these times will keep you in gravy for years to come. You do have to remember to come up for air. Exercise. Talking to real people who are not afraid of human to human speech is good. Veggies, eat more veggies.

Creators - see above.

Those that have people that love them beyond measure and/or those same people are under 21 years of age. Not an option for you and you know it.

And no, you can't take them with you.

People who think that there is no one that loves them or could love them. I would say that you haven't met the person yet. Hang on, hear me out. You might never meet that person until you love the one within yourself.

If you loved yourself, you wouldn't want you to come to any harm. See how this works? Yes, the pain can be great but love is greater than pain. If you can love enough until you find someone one that can help you deal with the pain that is all that anybody can ask of you.

Hang on until you find the help that you need.

Depression is a powerful hateful monster. You might not be able to do this yourself. Counseling, watching the entire series of Babylon5 or a road trip far, far away from home could give you the space to find and embrace your spirit.

Let me be blunt; this is not the time to go. The ding-a-lings and non-thinkers are gaining traction because those with half a lick of brain are getting disappointed and downhearted.

If you can read a book, paper or electronic, you can't go. Seriously. We need all the cognitively functioning people we can get.

This is the front seat of the roller coaster of life. Yell, laugh or move forward peeping out from time to time behind your hands. Hold on to the bar babe, this too shall pass.

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Accidental Love Song on the Finally Friday Freakout

I am going to start with a song cuz this guy has nothing to do with the current cultural angst about getting married. He is a singer. It is his job to sing songs of love, love lost and found again. It is a love song of a young man.

A song that continues the tradition of a line of people crooning you are the one and only with the added kicker of "I'm not about to let you go." This is Andy Kong with Accidental Love Song.

"Accidental Love Song" by Andy Kong from Eugenia Loli-Queru on Vimeo.

Love doesn't seem to have much to do with marriage anymore. Maybe it never did. There is a never ending bar room argument about settling for the kinda sorta man of your not quiet dreams. It is the new imperative of old school thinking of "hold your nose and marry something." Not a person. Not a companion.

A person that meet 77.5% of your marital requirements? Too ambitious. 55% should be enough. Forsake the idea seeking the person with a spirit or soul that resonates with your being. It is being spun to get hitched to an icon cuz you want to be not single.

Oh, yeah. It would help if you knew what I was talking about. There is this book called: Marry Him: The Case for Settling for "Mr. Good Enough." It is based on an Atlantic article from 2008 by the same author, Lori Gottleib.

I feel like the person on the hill trying to talk to the lemmings before they head off the cliff. I should know better. I've been a lemming a time or two.

Here is my short version. Don't marry out of fear. Don't marry because you want to have a child. To marry means to join and if you truly don't care about the person you are about to join with I can't imagine a greater hell.

Really, don't.

I have a story. Once upon a time an older woman met with a few friends to go out and socialize. Kiki met this guy. He seemed ok. They went out a few times. Did the Sealy shimmy, it was assumed, with modest but acceptable performance.

Kiki wanted companionship. She was willing to settle. Kiki fested up that she liked him but did not love him. Few months into Sunday dinners they decided to marry.

Turned out the dude liked having dinner, TV and well, more TV. And not much else. Yep. Kiki married a couch potato. Spuds, in this case spousal duds are not known to be good conversationalists.

That is what you get when you play the percentages. Hurt. You take the good with the bad and the bitter with the sweet. A great song lyric. I can't remember which song it goes to? Wait, I got it, Jackie Moore's Precious, Precious.

Kiki wanted a warm body. He wanted a hot pot roast dinner and some beer. They both got what they wanted. They were miserable. To do extra laundry without any additional benefit other than to keep the stench level down?

Gee, I don't think it is a good idea.

I'm back on the hill. I see the next wave of lemmings coming. Well, you live and hopefully you learn. The lemmings? Let them be. Might make it easier to find the good folks.

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