I really don't have time for this, because of that REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY important thing I have to do, but because some jerkwad upset people who are close to me, I must take a moment to vent.
I posted yesterday that I was thankful for my band and that the guys who are in it are the best musicians in town. If I want to say that because I believe it, I have every right to do so. It was also a "thank you" to all of them for taking time to get up early on a Sunday(during a time change at that), get dressed up, and meet with the professional photographer who came down from Conway to take photos for the Arkansas Bands Calendar we won a spot in. Tony even drove down from DeQueen. THIS is one reason why they are the best-they showed up, looked great, and we got some great new promotional shots that will be great for posters and other adverising. They are super-professional and we had a great time. I posted this "Thankful today for" update on my own site, and it was in appreciation for some really good people and all that they do.
The post led to some funny comments about which one of our guitar players was the best in town. Fun among band members, which is how it is with us. We're not in competition with each other. We all have strengths, great strengths, and that's how we operate. That's why this band has been playing for eight years.
Then someone has the gall to pop in to the conversation and start trouble. This person eventually slammed ALL of my guitar players. This person was not invited into the conversation and nothing we said was directed at this person to begin with. Individual X just wanted to cause problems, so I deleted the comments. X is now blocked and will stay blocked, because X continued to cause problems afterward on other Facebook pages. I don't even know X, in person or otherwise, so it's really no big loss.
What I say on my site is my business, and what I posted wasn't negative anyway. I don't seek out people and write derogatory comments on their sites. Anyone should say they have the best band, company, workgroup, school, whatever, because that's how that works. School kids don't show up at their own football games yelling, "We suck!! We're going to lose!!" Even if they're having a losing season, they're still going to yell, "Go team!"
Well...duh...
My guys are the best because they just ARE. They're not just excellent musicians, they're hardworking, normal, good people. They don't drink to excess, do drugs, get into fights, or get in trouble with the law. They wouldn't be in this band if they did, regardless of talent. They are welcome into my home and around my children and grandchildren anytime. They take time to come to rehearsals and help out with load-ins when they can. They are consistent, professional players and are on the same level as any of the college-educated musicians I've played with over the years. They're not poseurs or "misunderstood artists." They've all had prior experience in the business and know what it takes to make a successful band. It's about WORK and PRACTICE. The rest is just "Sprinkles." To keep enjoying "sprinkles," you have to BE REALLY GOOD, so people will continue to hire you.
(Notice I say "HIRE YOU?" Not "Allow musicians to grace people with their presence." I think only Prince can do that.)
NOBODY has the right to slam my band just because they're sitting around bored on a Sunday night with nothing to do but think that everything posted on Facebook has something to do with them personally. NO ONE has to right to upset a band member when that member is MY HUSBAND. That calls for a personal punch in the mouth, given the opportunity, especially if they've done it before then come crawling back with some half-hearted apology. Don's had a phenomenal career in the music industry, and continues to have one. And he created this band not just so he could still play but he did it FOR ME, because he wanted me to experience MY DREAM. And that couldn't happen without Ted, Tony, Allan, Smitty, and all the other fine players who've been Groovetones. My post was in honor of all of them, and had nothing to do with anyone else.
Also, it's not a good idea to cause trouble on someone's wife's site when she wasn't creating an issue in the first place. A husband SHOULD be upset by that, and be completely justified in his reaction, whether they're in a band together or not.
So, that being said, I'm going to enjoy the rest of my caffeine-free Coke, take a reading break, eat my supper, put in some time on the elliptical machine, and then get back to work on that REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY important thing that I have to do!!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
This Morning
I was a little late getting to work this morning.
Right in the middle of the intersection of E. 24th and Pecan Streets, I saw a dog lying in the road. At first, I thought it was dead, but then it lifted it head.
Both I and a man who looked incredibly like opera singer Paul Potts, got out of our cars and went to help. Another man came out of the house on the corner carrying a blanket. Both men went out into the street to the dog, but they were afraid to move it because they didn't know if the dog would bite them or not. It looked like the dog probably had a broken hip. He seemed harmless to me, like he was glad someone was there to help, but of course, you never know. Of course, most of those driving by didn't even have the courtesy to slow down.
The men assured me animal control was on its way, and I got back in and turned around to drive up to the next block. Then I had to pull myself together before I went in to get coffee. I was happy to know though, that those two men were there to help the dog.
So, Little Beagle Dog, I hope you'll be okay, knowing that there were some really good humans around this morning.
Right in the middle of the intersection of E. 24th and Pecan Streets, I saw a dog lying in the road. At first, I thought it was dead, but then it lifted it head.
Both I and a man who looked incredibly like opera singer Paul Potts, got out of our cars and went to help. Another man came out of the house on the corner carrying a blanket. Both men went out into the street to the dog, but they were afraid to move it because they didn't know if the dog would bite them or not. It looked like the dog probably had a broken hip. He seemed harmless to me, like he was glad someone was there to help, but of course, you never know. Of course, most of those driving by didn't even have the courtesy to slow down.
The men assured me animal control was on its way, and I got back in and turned around to drive up to the next block. Then I had to pull myself together before I went in to get coffee. I was happy to know though, that those two men were there to help the dog.
So, Little Beagle Dog, I hope you'll be okay, knowing that there were some really good humans around this morning.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
MUSIC CHALLENGE DAY 4-A song that played at your wedding or that you want to play at your wedding
I couldn't just post one song for this day on the Music Challenge. Because the day I was married is still very special to me, and I know good, beautiful music when I hear it, I had to go the extra mile for this one.
Weddings(after the 19th century) are expected to follow particular musical traditions(Bach, Pachelbel, Mendelssohn, la, la, la) but I didn't want traditional music, even as a serious music student. Sometimes I just have to be different, mainly just for the sake of being different.
Also, my wedding day needed to say something about me personally(all brides think this, of course) and in some ways maybe my musical wedding statement was to indicate that I'd found someone who really accepts me for ME, and all the oddball weirdness that comes with me.
(Why else would a man allow some of these choices? You'll understand why soon.)
I chose some of these "tunes" LONG before I finally tied the knot at the ripe old age of 27. And to be able to include them in our ceremony, which in itself was VERY traditional, was the purple rosebud icing on the proverbial chocolate (with white icing) wedding cake.
People I'm sure found it odd that I chose music from the films I've loved all my life, and that said films are mostly sci-fi/fantasy in nature. This wasn't any big shock to anyone who knew me, and for those who didn't know the films probably didn't notice anything unusual except that the music was really pretty good.
One thing I DIDN'T want (and my groom was in agreement) was some singer warbling a love song that really isn't a love song. "I Will Always Love You" is NOT a happy love song. Neither is "Every Breath You Take." I didn't want "Color My World" or "The Wedding Song(There is Love)." Both overplayed and not really me. Or Don for that matter. He was also not allowed to sing "Mind Your Own Business," which he actually DID sing at his "best friend's wedding." You can imagine how that particular union fared.
My particular union began as such:
The first appearance of Star Wars Music. From Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back. This is still, for me, since age 11, the ultimate love story. It started in a rather interesting manner, in a trash compactor, and ended quite happily, as REAL love stories should. None of this silly "you-accidentally-poison-me-and-I'll-stab-myself nonsense." Romeo & Juliet? Bite me. Captain Solo and Leia Organa had it going on. They saved the galaxy and she ended up not marrying her brother. Thank the Force for that.
Loved this song for years. It came out in 1980, the same year as The Empire Strikes Back. It has a beautiful haunting melody and the lyrical content is perfect. It seemed so much more REAL than the slick sappiness of "Endless Love" and the schmaltzy cheesiness of Styx' "Babe." I watched this video for the first time this last Friday, and it still moved me. Thank God I had a box of Kleenex on my desk.
These previous tunes, for the actual ceremony, were played on piano, by my 7th grade teacher/high school librarian Kay Mannon, and she did an awesome job, as always!
This is one of the minor cult classics that Matthew Broderick starred in AFTER WarGames but BEFORE Ferris Buelller's Day Off. I remember seeing it in the Silver Screen Theater in Mena, accompanied by my entourage at the time, including Rob Sanders, Wes Sunderman, Janna Liles, and Christine Cooper. (At least I'm pretty sure it was you guys, if not, well-you were there in spirit!) I love the movie-it makes Rutger Hauer so much more tolerable than he was in Blade Runner. I'd always wanted the soundtrack, so when I came across a rare copy of one at a mini-sci-fi convention in Dallas, I snatched it right up, despite the $35.00 price tag. I NEVER pay that much for CDs, ever, especially then when I was "between jobs."
I thought it would make awesome entrance music. Everyone would come in during the faster part, and then when it slows down(at 5:40), I'd come down the aisle. Well, I didn't get that (see below), but that was okay. It actually provided the perfect amount of time for Tiffany to light all the 40 some-odd candles on the candelabras. Once the last candle was lit, the tape faded out.
For the seating of grandmothers and mothers, I choose the main theme for yet another cult classic from 1980, Somewhere in Time. This film has a fan club called INSITE, International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts. (Wow. And we thought SETI was bad.) However, it's a great love story. Composer John Barry, who just recently passed away this last January, based the score on Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme By Paganini." If you've never seen it, you should. This was right after Christopher Reeve had done his first gig as Superman, and featured a Pre-"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" Jane Seymour, who doesn't appear to have aged as I watch her Kay Jewelers commercials. I used to sit and play this on the piano a lot myself, when the sheet music turned up at the house one day. I think my mom had picked up a copy somewhere.
Even though my groom is an avid sci-fi fan too, he is still very traditional at heart and nixed the Ladyhawke entrance plan. He insisted on the traditional wedding march, and I gladly conceded. Somewhat. It's okay though, because I am a Wagner fan, and almost everything John Williams does is borrowed from Wagner anyway!
I know this is the brother/sister theme from Episode IV, Return of the Jedi, but this is some of the best music of the entire saga. This played for the lighting of the unity candle, and the reading of the poem below:
Beauty and the Beast was a cool show and I tried never to miss an episode. They cashed in on the whole "Jon Bon Jovi in a tux" look for Vincent, the Beast, and it was probably the only time Ron Perlman was ever thought of as a sex symbol. I love the poem-listen and you'll understand why.
This comes from a little known album that combined music from the show with poetry reading by the sensitive and misunderstood 'manimal' who lived in the New York sewer system. Who knew Hellboy could be so romantic?
I was the one who read the poem, right after we lit the candle. I think it's still in a box in the laundry room. Unfortunately, the glass holder it was in that day, a wedding gift, broke during our last move.
Incidentally, music from both the TV show and the Disney animated version of Beauty and the Beast were played as prelude music. I think I also included Stevie Nicks' song of the same title. I could be wrong-I can't find the music book I made up for that day, just the list of instructions:
I ALWAYS wanted to march back up the aisle to this. It uses the "Force" theme, as well as its own "Throne Room" theme. Our heroes receive their medals for destroying the Death Star and I get to leave the church with my own Han Solo. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me. It may have seemed unusual to some, but it was cool to hear it come up on the speakers at the end of what Reverend Crooks called "The Dog & Pony Show." (Jokingly, of course-this was NOT a complicated wedding by any means.)
All I did that day was get my hair done, was dropped off at the church, and sat in a Sunday School room just off the sanctuary all by myself for the better part of the morning. If there was a real dog & pony show, I must have missed it. It couldn't have been too much of one-we had to fly through the reception so we could run off to catch our plane to San Francisco.
We also didn't have a Star Wars-Themed wedding where we dressed up as characters and recited Jedi-enhanced vows. Even for me, that's a bit much. We did though, have an interesting set-up for the groom's cake:
When it came time to cut it, Don pulled a toy light saber out of his pocket. He'd carried it through the entire ceremony and I didn't even know.
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed my contribution to Day 4 of the Music Challenge. That was a great day and I still love my groom, almost 14 years later. The Force has definitely been with us! :)
Weddings(after the 19th century) are expected to follow particular musical traditions(Bach, Pachelbel, Mendelssohn, la, la, la) but I didn't want traditional music, even as a serious music student. Sometimes I just have to be different, mainly just for the sake of being different.
Also, my wedding day needed to say something about me personally(all brides think this, of course) and in some ways maybe my musical wedding statement was to indicate that I'd found someone who really accepts me for ME, and all the oddball weirdness that comes with me.
(Why else would a man allow some of these choices? You'll understand why soon.)
I chose some of these "tunes" LONG before I finally tied the knot at the ripe old age of 27. And to be able to include them in our ceremony, which in itself was VERY traditional, was the purple rosebud icing on the proverbial chocolate (with white icing) wedding cake.
People I'm sure found it odd that I chose music from the films I've loved all my life, and that said films are mostly sci-fi/fantasy in nature. This wasn't any big shock to anyone who knew me, and for those who didn't know the films probably didn't notice anything unusual except that the music was really pretty good.
One thing I DIDN'T want (and my groom was in agreement) was some singer warbling a love song that really isn't a love song. "I Will Always Love You" is NOT a happy love song. Neither is "Every Breath You Take." I didn't want "Color My World" or "The Wedding Song(There is Love)." Both overplayed and not really me. Or Don for that matter. He was also not allowed to sing "Mind Your Own Business," which he actually DID sing at his "best friend's wedding." You can imagine how that particular union fared.
My particular union began as such:
The first appearance of Star Wars Music. From Episode V, The Empire Strikes Back. This is still, for me, since age 11, the ultimate love story. It started in a rather interesting manner, in a trash compactor, and ended quite happily, as REAL love stories should. None of this silly "you-accidentally-poison-me-and-I'll-stab-myself nonsense." Romeo & Juliet? Bite me. Captain Solo and Leia Organa had it going on. They saved the galaxy and she ended up not marrying her brother. Thank the Force for that.
Loved this song for years. It came out in 1980, the same year as The Empire Strikes Back. It has a beautiful haunting melody and the lyrical content is perfect. It seemed so much more REAL than the slick sappiness of "Endless Love" and the schmaltzy cheesiness of Styx' "Babe." I watched this video for the first time this last Friday, and it still moved me. Thank God I had a box of Kleenex on my desk.
These previous tunes, for the actual ceremony, were played on piano, by my 7th grade teacher/high school librarian Kay Mannon, and she did an awesome job, as always!
This is one of the minor cult classics that Matthew Broderick starred in AFTER WarGames but BEFORE Ferris Buelller's Day Off. I remember seeing it in the Silver Screen Theater in Mena, accompanied by my entourage at the time, including Rob Sanders, Wes Sunderman, Janna Liles, and Christine Cooper. (At least I'm pretty sure it was you guys, if not, well-you were there in spirit!) I love the movie-it makes Rutger Hauer so much more tolerable than he was in Blade Runner. I'd always wanted the soundtrack, so when I came across a rare copy of one at a mini-sci-fi convention in Dallas, I snatched it right up, despite the $35.00 price tag. I NEVER pay that much for CDs, ever, especially then when I was "between jobs."
I thought it would make awesome entrance music. Everyone would come in during the faster part, and then when it slows down(at 5:40), I'd come down the aisle. Well, I didn't get that (see below), but that was okay. It actually provided the perfect amount of time for Tiffany to light all the 40 some-odd candles on the candelabras. Once the last candle was lit, the tape faded out.
For the seating of grandmothers and mothers, I choose the main theme for yet another cult classic from 1980, Somewhere in Time. This film has a fan club called INSITE, International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts. (Wow. And we thought SETI was bad.) However, it's a great love story. Composer John Barry, who just recently passed away this last January, based the score on Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme By Paganini." If you've never seen it, you should. This was right after Christopher Reeve had done his first gig as Superman, and featured a Pre-"Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" Jane Seymour, who doesn't appear to have aged as I watch her Kay Jewelers commercials. I used to sit and play this on the piano a lot myself, when the sheet music turned up at the house one day. I think my mom had picked up a copy somewhere.
Even though my groom is an avid sci-fi fan too, he is still very traditional at heart and nixed the Ladyhawke entrance plan. He insisted on the traditional wedding march, and I gladly conceded. Somewhat. It's okay though, because I am a Wagner fan, and almost everything John Williams does is borrowed from Wagner anyway!
I know this is the brother/sister theme from Episode IV, Return of the Jedi, but this is some of the best music of the entire saga. This played for the lighting of the unity candle, and the reading of the poem below:
Beauty and the Beast was a cool show and I tried never to miss an episode. They cashed in on the whole "Jon Bon Jovi in a tux" look for Vincent, the Beast, and it was probably the only time Ron Perlman was ever thought of as a sex symbol. I love the poem-listen and you'll understand why.
This comes from a little known album that combined music from the show with poetry reading by the sensitive and misunderstood 'manimal' who lived in the New York sewer system. Who knew Hellboy could be so romantic?
I was the one who read the poem, right after we lit the candle. I think it's still in a box in the laundry room. Unfortunately, the glass holder it was in that day, a wedding gift, broke during our last move.
Incidentally, music from both the TV show and the Disney animated version of Beauty and the Beast were played as prelude music. I think I also included Stevie Nicks' song of the same title. I could be wrong-I can't find the music book I made up for that day, just the list of instructions:
I ALWAYS wanted to march back up the aisle to this. It uses the "Force" theme, as well as its own "Throne Room" theme. Our heroes receive their medals for destroying the Death Star and I get to leave the church with my own Han Solo. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me. It may have seemed unusual to some, but it was cool to hear it come up on the speakers at the end of what Reverend Crooks called "The Dog & Pony Show." (Jokingly, of course-this was NOT a complicated wedding by any means.)
All I did that day was get my hair done, was dropped off at the church, and sat in a Sunday School room just off the sanctuary all by myself for the better part of the morning. If there was a real dog & pony show, I must have missed it. It couldn't have been too much of one-we had to fly through the reception so we could run off to catch our plane to San Francisco.
We also didn't have a Star Wars-Themed wedding where we dressed up as characters and recited Jedi-enhanced vows. Even for me, that's a bit much. We did though, have an interesting set-up for the groom's cake:
When it came time to cut it, Don pulled a toy light saber out of his pocket. He'd carried it through the entire ceremony and I didn't even know.
Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed my contribution to Day 4 of the Music Challenge. That was a great day and I still love my groom, almost 14 years later. The Force has definitely been with us! :)
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