Glee's Give Your Heart a Break

I'm currently experiencing an unprecedented exam-free 2 weeks since I started my 2nd year. So naturally I caught up on some TV... I was unexpectedly moved by Glee's "The Break-Up" episode with the varied and unexpected songs selection (yeah, 90's No Doubt!). In true form, it was dramatic and over-the-top, but the catchy pop songs and that emotional break-up scene at the end were pleasant surprises. And sometimes, I think a girl just needs a nice cry. An emotional purge, if you will.

Anyway, here was my favorite song of the episode (only because no one will ever come close to the perfection that is the original Coldpay version of "The Scientist"). I've been listening to this more often then I'd like to admit...

Ingrid Michaelson's Sort Of

I can't really pinpoint why, but it feels like this song is speaking for me all the words I cannot say.



It was also featured on this commercial that makes me tear up every time (no surprises here). You can get the song for free here: http://goo.gl/RnsKt

Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo

I first performed in my cousin's wedding when I was 12 years old. Later, I became a wedding musician for hire through high school and college. Now I only do it occasionally for my very favorite people. I had thought by now, I'd heard or played nearly all of the good wedding music. However, for her candle lighting, Care requested this piece - one I had never heard of before. I'm seriously obsessed, listening to it on repeat even as I type this. Not only is it just so tender and beautiful (Italian opera will always get you!), but I reflexively think of Care and Rus' equally tender and beautiful ceremony. For me, this piece will forever carry the poignant weight of such happiness.

The Royal Sons

I obviously first heard about The Royal Sons from Debbie. She sent me a casual email that said she thought I'd like their music. She was so right. I did and, now, less than a year later, I got to play with Landon at her wedding, and he will soon be marrying her gorgeous sister-in-law! How lucky!

Moments from our dress rehearsal right before Debbie married Chris :)

Give The Royal Sons a listen!

Ingrid Michaelson's Skinny Love

If you couldn't already tell from this and that, I really love covers. Often times, I end up liking them more than the originals. This is an example of such a song.

Some side notes: I got free tickets and watched Ingrid perform live a few weeks ago with some classmates. Also, Debbie will be having this Ingrid song playing in her wedding ceremony by her future brother-in-law. It will be gorgeous and I can't wait.

Bad Valentine

I'm a day late, but here is my favorite lyric from one of my favorite songs. It's particularly relevant since I took my last biochemistry exam yesterday. Yes, Happy Valentine's Day indeed.

Video Games by Lana Del Rey

I think Lana Del Rey, if you haven't heard of her yet, is about to get really big with an album slated for release this month. After reading about her in this article from the Atlantic, I'll admit I became an immediate fan of her jazzy, dark voice. Her fake nails, plumped-up lips, and her Marilyn Monroe breathy-ness are also so undeniably American, don't you think?

Some other good ones: Yayo, Born to Die, Blue Jeans.


*Edited to add this amazing cover by Jamie Cullum. Swoon.

Beethoven's Emporer Concerto

I was in my school orchestra's rehearsal this past Sunday feeling worn out and tired after an entire day of studying. Of course I hadn't practiced and we were running through this concerto with our soloist for the first time. I was completely unprepared for the tears that sprang to my eyes when he played the opening arpeggios... (I'm not kidding).

I have to include the 2nd movement because it is perhaps even more gorgeous than the first.

Young Blood by The Naked and Famous

Once you get past the hipster-tude of this video, I hope you will agree that this song so perfectly fits the last of this summer heat. It almost makes me forget how gloomy today's weather was and that instead of summer vacation, I've already been in school for a over a month now.

Silverspring by Eisley

I don't think mere words can do this cover of Stevie Nick's Silverspring its due justice. It is simply perfection.

Folksy Favorites

Oh, bearded song men, what is it about you that makes me love you so? Is it your banjos? Is it your comically endearing "hillbilly mountain man of the early 20th century" aesthetic? Or is it your furrowed brows and half-lidded eyes that float closed when you sing all high and quiet?

Here are just three songs from three artists whom I have been listening to and loving for a long time.

see also: this and that

PS. I hope everyone had a summer-y Memorial Weekend!

Someone Like You by Adele

I'm just absolutely in love with this. Adele's voice is so raw and perfect. Happy Weekend!



(via theneotraditionalist)

"Well, that's about it"

I must be hearing the ticking of the biological clock more consciously this week because I'm apparently drawn to the doings of children.... Anyway, Anthony Tommasini recently wrote about his top ten favorite classical composers for the New York Times. It's extensively well researched and it really shows how passionate (and nerdy) the classical music world can be. This article is a reader's response to his list written by an obviously musically oriented 8-year-old:

How cute! I also love how his favorite piece is the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. I must admit to a list of my own of my favorite classical music works. That one's definitely on my list too.

The Sing-Off

Hello, you lovely people! Are any of you watching The Sing-Off? I must admit, I have a serious thing for a capella. I'm pretty sure this penchant can be exclusively attributed to a couple performances I had the opportunity to experience in high school by the MIT Logarhythms. I guess they proved to be incredibly formative with their humor, energy, dancing, and inspired vocal talents because to this day, I find those who can do these things, like boys of all-male college a capella groups and musical theater types, to be inexplicably attractive. Devastatingly so. And the nerdier, the better. No? So just me? Well anyway, there's a new episode on tonight and you can catch up on previous episodes too. Also, Ben Folds is a judge. He's totally quirky and even a little bit awkward, but I've always been a fan of his lyrics and music.

I was watching the show last year too. Of course this would be my favorite performance: nerdy boys rapping about borderline inappropriate behaviors.

Barbra and Judy, 1963

For those who caught the end of last night's episode of Glee: this is the original from The Judy Garland Show in 1963. Barbra's and Judy's voices are so perfect and achingly beautiful. Embarassingly, sometimes when the conditions are just right, the ending makes me cry.

Charmed Life

My sister is home from Ghana! We've exchanged presents from our travels last night - goodies galore. And now I'm clawing through my last essays listening to this. Love her voice, love this song: Joy Williams' "Charmed Life".

It's plain to see what we got is color in a world of black and white

Stop Motion Goodies

 

I love stop motion videos. See? This one by Oren Lavie is so mesmerizing. Charming and sweet. The tune certainly doesn't hurt either.  Wouldn't something like this make a unique engagement announcement?

It reminds me of the Kindle commercial that I love so much. If you also like its song, you can actually download it for free from Amazon! Enjoy!

All The Faint Lights

Greetings again after a brief absence. A few balls are currently up in the air so life is a little harried right now. Here's Steve Moakler's All The Faint Lights for anyone else who might be needing a mid-July pick-me-up. The lyrics only get better and better.

Trapped inside my flesh and bones

But if I let go of everything

The stars compose a song to sing

A song for all the faint lights

B

Orchestra Hall, Detroit, MI

Tonight I had the opportunity to see one of my first and oldest students perform in his high school's Graduation Concerto Concert.  I "inherited" B or rather B "inherited" me from Elmer when I was in my junior year of high school. Yikes. That was seven years ago. At that time, B was rude, didn't practice, and gave me attitude at every lesson. A few scoldings and eye rolls later, B has become the concertmaster of his orchestra, a member of Civic for 3 years, and has grown to appreciate his talent for the violin. He performed a rousing rendition of the 1st Movement of the Bruch Violin Concerto accompanied by his high school orchestra and in the fall he'll be off to Michigan. My most satisfying moment tonight came when he told me that he plans to continue playing there. It was this that justified and made everything we did these past 7 years worth it. Of all of B's successes, for him to understand that though we may never achieve the highest level of musicianship and that classical music may never be mainstream, he can always come back to this little thing called a violin to search out a little (or a lot of) personal enjoyment. This has made me the most proud.  All during his performance and after, B's parents couldn't stop thanking me for everything I did....

Everything I did? I did nothing. And nothing is feeling pretty great...

(Photo from flickr)

PS. If you have the capability to hear sound and have a soul, please, dear god, listen from the 4:20 mark to 5:22 of the 2nd movement (or just the whole thing). This is one of my all-time favorite moments in the solo violin repertoire... and it might just be one of the most beautiful melodies in the entirety of music. That glissando at 5:08 could make you weep.

Twilight Galaxy

Well I'm off to the Yankees vs. Tigers game with my family and some good friends: v. excited to see Almost-Perfect Phil Hughes pitch. I love night baseball games so fingers crossed we don't get rained out. And I'll leave you with Metric's Twilight Galaxy. Their album version is a little electronica/techno for my tastes but this acoustic one is beauteous.

Thinking sorrow was perfection

I would wallow till you told me

There's no glitter in the gutter

There's no twilight galaxy