Wonder and Beauty

I had to share this. It's too wonderful not to.

♫Good Time♫

Definitely a summer fun song. :O]

♫Said Quote♫

Don't you just LOVE his voice?

♫May I have this dance?♫

This reminds me of "Piano Man."

My Current Playlist

Besides the "Red & Black" of Les Mis, etc., I've been obsessively listening to The Hunger Games soundtrack. It's fantastic. From songs about the Capitol to the mines, from the mockingjay to the games, and from Rue (Prim?) to Peeta, it captures the spirit of the book (and film?) so well. With that in mind, I couldn't resist sharing this song... Whom do you think it's about?

Les Misérables

Les Misérables is one of the most profoundly Christian stories I have ever heard. Weaved throughout the whole is a message of mercy, forgiveness, and a home in heaven with our God. I've loved it since I saw the musical performed on Broadway almost four years ago, and it amazes me every time I watch it. 

Which is why I was delighted to discover that the musical will be making a big screen debut this December. Hugh Jackman and Russel Crowe are set to play the roles of Jean Valjean and Javert, respectively. There are no words. *grins* Unfortunately, this is the only photo I've been able to find online... Just a peek of what is to come!

Jean Valjean

Come Away to the Water

After watching the Hunger Games, my thoughts were flying. Anywhere. Everywhere. One philosophical argument after another. But that's not the subject of this post; I'm planning a post on that later. :) Anyway, my dear friends commented that the movie had little instrumental accompaniment. The score was lacking. To be frank, I hadn't noticed. That's when it struck me. A brilliant directorial decision. Less music.

In his book Amusing Ourselves To Death, Neil Postman comments on the evening news and that it (almost) always begins with music. ♫Da Da Da Duh. Ba Ba Buh.♫ "I'm Dan Rather. And here's the news." Why the music? Why the need for a jaunty tune? What does it communicate? This *is* entertainment. On 9/11, the evening news aired without music. They recognized this serious occasion was not entertainment. And while, movies are entertainment (more on that later too), the director (or producer's) of The Hunger Games made a deliberate decision not to include a deep, full score. I want to think that he recognized the seriousness of the subject matter. The Reaping. The Games. The Evil of the Capitol. It doesn't need musical accompaniment. The gravity of the matter can speak for itself.

The above being said, I am growing quite attached to the Songs from District 12 and Beyond inspired by The Hunger Games CD. Maroon 5 has an AMAZING song detailing the attitudes of some tributes. My thoughts exactly.

Come away little lass come away to the water,
To the ones that are waiting only for you.
Come away little lass come away to the water,
Away from the light you that you always knew.
We are calling to you.

Come away little lad come away to the darkness,
In the shade of the night we will come looking for you.
Come away little lad come away to the darkness,
To the ones appointed to see it through.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.

Come away little lamb come away to the water,
Give yourself so we may live anew.
Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter,
To the ones appointed to see it through.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.

Come away little lamb come away to the water,
To the arms that are waiting only for you.
Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter,
To the one appointed to see it through.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.
We are coming for you.

Picture Credit: Kinopoisk and Google Image Search

Sing to the LORD a new song

Psalm 96

"Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth.

Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts.

Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.'

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains;

Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness." 

Happy Valentine's Day!

With what better to celebrate Valentine's Day than a cute song?

Blest be the Lord

From Psalm 124 as found in the Trinity Hymnal
"Blest be the Lord who made us not their prey: 
As from the snare a bird escapeth free, 
Their net us rent and so escaped are we: 
Our only help is in Jehovah's Name, 
Who made the earth and all the heav'nly frame."

For the Romantic...

in all of us. =)

Nutcracker!

In my family, one of the greatest traditions of the Christmas season is music. From the Beach Boys to the Gatlin Brothers, from Celtic Thunder to Jim Reeves, from Bing Crosby to Clint Black, from the Charlie Brown Christmas to The Nativity Story, from... Well, you get the idea. :)

What a treat it was then to attend The Nutcracker ballet with the Knudsens! Thanks for inviting me, y'all!

The music definitely confirmed my Christmas mood. And the dancing was a treat. Watching the ballerinas, you had to be impressed with their strength and grace. Not to be outdone, the sets and costumes were also beautiful - with little Pittsburgh details. I hadn't seen The Nutcracker since I was a little girl; I appreciate it so much more now!

Looking through the program is entertaining, it reminds me of my last trip to see a group in Pittsburgh. Yet, the program couldn't distract from the performance. Either "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" or the "Russian Dance" had to be my favorite. So Christmas-y! And fun! But, our fun didn't end with the ballet.

Mrs. K was shocked to learn that I had never been to the Strip District; she was determined that I should go. And now, having gone, *I* am absolutely shocked that I had never been before. Perusing Italian, Greek, and Mexican shops, we found cheeses, pepperoni, breads, olives, and much more. Yummy! We passed street vendors hawking their wares. "Get your cannoli here!"

There were fruits and vegetables. Fudges and coffees. All screaming, "Take me home. I taste really good." Mhmm. I'd love to go back soon. It was quite the trip!

In this cute, little cafe, I saw this Italian phrase. Loosely translated, it reads, "Make the law, find the loophole." Isn't it true? For what do we automatically look? Conclusion? The Strip District is a winner. Even more fun with friends.

And so it begins!

The Christmas season is again upon us. And though I have been listening to Christmas music since before Thanksgiving (Shame on me!), I found a new version of a beautiful Christmas song today. For your inner indie. Enjoy!


I will try to update my blog more often through the holidays. Thank you for patience!

More from The Band Perry

In the month of August, I posted another Band Perry song. And some of you really loved it; I don't blame you. My first introduction to this young, country group was on YouTube. My brother knew I would adore their sad, contemplative "If I Die Young." He was absolutely right. Two copies of their self-titled album later, I have a new favorite. Check it out below. No, it doesn't fit my life at all. But I can't help but love it.

CELTIC THUNDER!

Sometimes, a girl's got to go out with her girlfriends. Especially to a Celtic Thunder concert. DOO DOO DOO!

Having attended a Celtic Thunder concert two years ago, we were ready to see another! In spite of the crazy traffic, Keely drove us safely there. (Thanks, girlie!)

Talking, laughing, and singing, we were eager to get there, but we enjoyed the companionship on the ride. We speculated about this concert compared to the last one... and we listened to STORM. We were also excited to have Nicole with us on this trip.

At last we made it! We took pictures around the Benedum Center... mused about the big city.

And waited in line to get in to hear our favorite boy band.

Don't we look excited?

After making it inside the beautiful Benedum Center, we purchased our programs.

And proceeded to devour them. Full of facts, pictures, and the order of the concert, the souvenir programs are worth every penny.

Then the concert began, we screamed. We yelled. We sang along. And we loved every moment of it. There were old favorites (Desperado), new favorites (A Place in the Choir), and songs soon to become a favorite (Cat's in the Cradle & You've Got a Friend in Me). 

After the concert was over, we were walking back to our vehicle, when we saw them. The band! Wow! Keely and Kelsie were brave enough to enter the throng to get autographs. Yay!

 Can you find Ryan, Keith, George, Keely, and Kelsie in these photos?

All in all, a completely delightful evening. Again next year? Yes, please.

Beautiful, Sad Song

Take a moment to TWIST

Music for the Moment

For various reasons, I don't have time to update with anything significant today, hence I'm sharing one of my favorite John Mayer covers. :)

Chic Music

While in college, I worked with several other young people on a linguistics project. One conversation in particular sticks in my memory: as I worked at one computer, the other two (a guy and a girl) worked at other computers. She was listening to music, and then a conversation ensued about her taste in music. She commented that the kind of music she enjoyed was "chic" music. To this day, I'm not sure what "chic" music is... but Mindy Smith's "Hurricane" strikes me as a "chic" music. All that rambling to say: This song is one of those satisfyingly gloomy songs.

Sing praises to the LORD

"Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds." Psalm 9:11