In music therapy, we discuss how in Alzheimer's patients, the best way to illicit memory recall is to have them listen to music from their teenage/young adult life. If that's the case, I want my friends and families to play me Modest Mouse. Lots of and lots of Modest Mouse.
Modest Mouse has been my favorite band since the first moment I heard them. Something about their music has always resonated with me. And while I don't listen to their music religiously like I did in high school, every time I hear it, something deep inside me is touched. I don't know if it would bring up memories, but it would certainly get a response out of me. Maybe not even one that would be seen, because it's not the kind of music that is meant to be sung along to. It's an experience to enjoy.
When it came to developing Celebrity crushes, I'm a late bloomer. I think it's because in high school, I was too busy crushing on people I actually knew or characters from books, TV, and movies. And yes, the characters, not the actors.
I think it's because I have such a fantastic relationship. I have no need to look other places, but it's still fun to get that fluttering nervous feeling about a person that you only get when you have a crush. I get that still every once in a while with my husband, but then I remember that I'm married to him and then my body goes, "Oh yeah, I remember that now!" and the feeling is replaced by that feeling of love instead ("I would die for you, I would kill for you. Either way, what bliss!").
So, I've had to find places to channel my lust for lusting. And since movie actors are constantly put on a pedestal and made to look perfect (and my significant other can rest assured there's no chance of me running away with them), that's an easy place to go. Right now, I can count three actors that I find simply irresistible:
David Tennant:
It's no secret I'm a Whovian. I think David Tennant playing the Doctor had a lot to do with sucking me into watching it. The over-confident, fast-talking, lanky Tennant to me was the perfect Doctor. And having him appear in every episode in those pinstripes suits... as ZZ Top wisely quipped, "Every girl crazy 'bout a sharp-dressed man!"
Zachary Quinto:
When Adam took me to see the new 'Star Trek' movie, afterward he asked me, "What did you like about it?" All I could say was, "Spock's skinny jeans." When Adam then told me he was in 'Heroes,' I knew I had to watch the show. Zachary Quinto has this look about him, no matter what, of being stoic and a little on the intense side (in the case of 'Heroes,' a LOT on the intense side). Even when he's being funny and charming, he still looks a little crazy (watch this video, 'Dog Eat Dog').
Adrien Brody:
He's not in any TV shows I watch constantly, and he's only in one movie that I can say I really truly loved ('The Brothers Bloom,' please watch it), but Adrien's soulful sad eyes just make me melt every time I see him. He's also got great legs. Guys can have sexy legs, right?
Those are my Celebrity crushes! Now you share yours. :)
Lately I've been listening to musicals again. And not just any musicals... Flambe musicals! In other words, mainly Fosse. Those kinds of musicals with pizzazz, jazz, the kind that you hear the music and you just want to dance the night away.
I, of course, always look like this when dancing around my kitchen to Fosse.
A musical I adore from Fosse is 'Chicago.' I believe it to be a masterpiece, one that goes beyond just having great music and a great story and great dancing. It's commentary on the corruption of the justice system. And if we're going to have a musical about the corruption of the justice system, where else would it take place but in 'Chicago'?
Quick synopsis if you're not familiar: a woman by the name of Roxie Hart is arrested for the murder of a man with whom she was having an affair. She hires the best lawyer in town, Billy Flynn, to take her case (paid for by her dirt poor auto mechanic husband, Amos). Billie Flynn explains that it doesn't matter whether or not she's guilty, all that matters is putting on a good show for the court and press to gain sympathy for her. Surprise surprise, she's found not guilty.
The best known version of this musical is probably the film version, starring Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart and Richard Gere as Billy Flynn. What I like about it is that it comes up with a creative way of explaining its way out of why people are bursting out into song and dance: Roxie, who is a big fan of jazz and stage, is imagining it like that. They're not really bursting into dance, she's just imagining it that way. But as much as I love the film version, it's compensating for something that you miss when you see it on stage. See, the film version takes place in the twenties (based on the dress and setting). The stage production, however, is purposefully not set in any era. All the cast members wear black and the stage is stark.
Why, you may ask? Well, outside it looking super sexy, it's part of the commentary on the corruption of Chicago law. Because no matter what, the justice system is corrupt. It always has been corrupt, and it always will be corrupt. That's what I love about the ending song, "Nowadays." Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly (the other leading lady in the show) sing about how everything is so wonderful "Nowadays," and how "in fifty years or so, it's gonna change..." But when is "Nowadays" in this world? Never is there any inkling of an era given. And that's exactly the point: in fifty years or so, nothing will change. There's nothing new under the sun... but isn't it good, isn't it grand, isn't it great, isn't it swell?
It's MY blog, so I'll talk about robots if I want to!!
It's no secret that I love robots. So today, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite robots (in film/television/literature/media etc, not actual useful robots). Some you may know, some you may not, some don't even have names. I think the reason why I love robots so much is because they're oftentimes presented as child-like, curious, and yet very intelligent with new ideas to present to their often stuck-in-their-ways, jaded human counterparts. So here, I've listed my top 10 robots, ranked based on level of cuteness. Because robots are cute.
10) 'We're in Business' Robot
Great song, and I do think this robot is great... he's just not cute enough...
9) Light-Bot
This is a game to which Adam introduced me to apparently teach basics on programming. I actually did quite well. I think that's mostly because I was so enamored with the adorable robot. Play here!
8) This Sad Robot:
Click here. Now squee and feel sorry for this poor, sad robot.
7) The Hardee's Robot
He's so cute and sad and adorable!!!! Poor robot wants to eat the chicken sandwich. Note: there's a longer version of this commercial where he gets angry and uses his laser eyes. But laser eyes, while occasionally cute, are not as cute as sulking.
6) Data from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'
Ok, so technically Data's an android (which is a subcategory of robots), and he's not constantly adorable like many others on this list. But he's definitely charming in his child-like innocence and curiosity. Enjoy this video of him learning to dance.
5) The Tin Woodsman from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Tin Woodsman has had many reincarnations over the years, but of course my favorite is from the original book. Just look how cute he is in the original illustration! One of my favorite parts in the book is when he steps on an ant by accident and cries to the point of rusting. He then makes special care to avoid stepping on any more bugs. Awwww!!
4) Johnny 5 from Short Circuit.
Johnny 5 is the first robot that I fell in love with. Whenever I felt down, I watched this movie and felt instantly better. Like Data, he has child-like innocence and curiosity. "Need input, Stephanie!"
3) R2-D2 from Star Wars.
If you don't know who this is, seriously, where have you been?! To prove how adorable he is, here's a video of him dancing with a baby. I think we can all agree that R2 is at a superior level of cuteness.
2) Wall-E from Wall-E.
When I first saw the trailer, all I could think was, "CUTE OVERLOAD! CUTE OVERLOAD!" According to Adam who was with me in the movie theatre, apparently I was giggling uncontrollably. Obviously Johnny 5's little brother.
1) GIR from 'Invader Zim.'
I'm often compared to GIR. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I usually take it as a compliment, meaning that, while often dysfunctional and random, I'm really, really freaking cute.
So there you have it! The cutest, bestest robots ever! Tell me about YOUR favorite robots in film, television, and literature!
Looking at the guitar I've had since I first started playing, counting the nicks and scrapes, I began thinking... "What would this guitar say if it could speak?" Probably something like this...
I'm a well-made guitar. My express purpose was to be something middle-ground: well-crafted for an experienced player, but affordable enough for a beginner. I was crafted by Ibanez to produce a traditional as well as a modern guitar. Technology moves forward at a frantic pace and the world of guitar craftsmanship is no different. I was made to respect the rich tradition of the acoustic guitar while adding modern interpretations. I am a proud specimen of this.
Naturally when I was first created I had hopes of being in a band, of travelling, of being the next star of Nashville. Those dreams were short-lived when I was bought by an aspiring musician who spent more than he could afford on all the bells and whistles, took me home, and soon gave up on learning guitar. I collected dust in my barely-touched hard case for a few years before he sold me to a local music store. What originally had cost him over $300 was now being sold all together for $150.
I accepted my faith to collecting dust rather than memories when a young girl in high school excitedly bought me. She knew nothing about playing the guitar, saying she had a friend that would teach her to play. I prepared myself for a few more years of being forgotten. But then, I was pleasantly surprised to find that she did learn to play from her friend. She then continued to teach herself in the first few months, playing Bible School songs hesitantly. Her strumming was to be in want, but she learned quickly how to create chords and making a clear, resonating sound. I thought I had had my fill of "Our God is an Awesome God" when I found out why: I was going to play for kids at a Summer Camp. Apparently she had started learning guitar after being asked in a job interview for music director, "can you play guitar?" To which she replied, "No, but I can learn!"
And so, every week for an entire summer, I was surrounded by excited children, being led in song and dance by this young girl. I was carried constantly outside in the sweltering heat to inside a freezing worship hall. Thankfully I'm a hearty instrument, but I would object on occasion. I did my best to give it my all, though. This girl was always so passionate about singing and playing with the campers, and I led them all in worship with my upbeat music. Then come the weekend, she kept playing with me, practicing whenever she could for as long as her blistering fingers could stand.
It wasn't the path I was expecting, but I found it incredibly fulfilling. Naturally I was excited to find out that my journey didn't stop at the summer camp: she was going to study Music Therapy, where she would continued to learn to play guitar. It was here that she did her best to buckle down and learn as much as she could. With the help of professors, private teachers, and friends, she improved day by day, month by month, semester by semester.
She took me to all sorts of places for school. I have sung everything from "A Little Help from My Friends", to "Creep", to "My Wild Irish Rose", to "Old Mac Donald". I've been excitedly strummed by children and led self-conscious adults in singing beautiful music together. After four years of school and a year of internship, she became a music therapist herself. Now I spend most of my days visiting homes with family members on the autism spectrum. From ages 5 up to 25, everyone seems to love when I step out of my guitar. Maybe I'm not strummed gently always, or I get bumped and scraped when the therapist has to reach for something quick. It's not glamorous work, but when I see how I'm helping people with my art, I realize I wouldn't trade it for the world.
As I mentioned in an earlier post (way earlier, since I haven't written a blog in over a month), one of my favorite albums is 'Chutes Too Narrow' by the Shins. It's an album beautifully put together, and the majority of the songs are Breakup songs. And then, the ones that aren't are about gathering strength and courage and other things related to breaking up.
I'm realizing more and more what a sucker I am for break up songs. I had a hard time figuring it out for a while though, since I had only gone through a breakup once in my life ever. So while I can relate, not all breakup songs are ones I directly relate to. However, here's what I've found I love about them: love songs (for the most part) are just too happy. So if it's a song about love, I like songs about the heartache. They feel much deeper. You get a real glimpse into the soul of the singer, and oftentimes you can see fractures of your reflection back. Sad songs are an opportunity to become more intimate with yourself.
Since Breakup songs are the most common sad song out there, they're ones I noticed this pattern with first. Here are some favorite Breakup songs of mine:
"Pink Bullets" by the Shins
"Me After You" by AG
"Getting/Needing" by OK Go (bonus since it's an awesome video)
"The Jeep Song" by Dresden Dolls (song starts at 1:17, although the intro is pretty fun)
Hmmm... speaking of Dresden Dolls, they have a lot of Sad and Angry songs that are truly unique. Maybe I'll write a post about them... stay tuned!
Enjoy a little heartache, and tell me your favorite breakup song!!
