Michael and Me

     I am one of the few people in the world, apparently, who was not a fan of Michael Jackson.  The fact is, I simply do not like his style of music.  On top of that, I am not entranced by sequined gloves, moonwalking, or crotch-grabbing. 

     Therefore, I am not grieving his death the way that some people are.

     I am still interested in the story, however, for a few reasons.  Although I did not like Michael Jackson’s music, I am touched with nostaligia when I hear it, particularly the music of the Jackson Five.  He is as much a part of my history as he is a part of the history of his most fanatical devotees.  He is also an interesting case study.  I am interested in him for all the reasons that he worked to make himself interesting.

     I cannot help but be curious about his plastic surgeries and his apparently intentional androgyny.  I am curious about his relationship to children.  Was it good, clean fun, albeit very unusual, or was it bad and hurtful, as some have alleged?  I am very curious about his children.  I wonder how they are doing.  I wonder what it has been like to grow up with Michael Jackson as a father and with either an absent mother (in two cases) or an unknown mother (in one case).  I am curious about his financial status.  Apparently he went from being a multi-millionaire to a debtor to the tune of several million dollars.  How will that impact his survivors?  How sad to fall from such financial success to complete financial ruin!   

     Now I am curious about the cause of death.  Was it related to drug use or abuse?  Why did he suffer cardiac arrest (or, as some news reports indicate, respiratory arrest) with a doctor right on hand?  If he was in good health, then obviously something went very wrong, and a mystery needs to be solved.  If he was suffering from ill health, then one wonders why adequate treatment could not be found.

     So, like millions of other people, I have read the news reports and watched the videos.  I have also prayed.  I have prayed for his children, his parents, his siblings, his friends, and all those others who miss him much more than I do.  May God comfort them.  May He watch over them and bless their futures.

Why Kris Allen Won

     It’s interesting to read how surprised some people were that Kris Allen won American Idol.  It’s equally interesting to read the various reasons people give for his victory over Adam Lambert.  Here’s why I think he won. . .

1.      Kris was appealing to teenage girls.  My daughters absolutely loved him.  His cute face and charming smile made them swoon.  My older daughter would probably write him a proposal, if he were not already married.
2.      Kris had a broader fan base.  He can sing country, pop, rhythm and blues, and soft rock all very well.  Adam had one style.  On country night he sang a rock version (a strange rock version) of “Ring of Fire.”  No versatility probably meant fewer votes. 
3.      Kris appears ”normal.”  To a large segment of Americans (those who live in the center in more ways than one) Kris is just like them.  His blue jeans and plaid shirts and natural hair look comfortably ordinary.  The majority of people are not going to vote for a person with black fingernails.
4.      Kris is humble and modest and polite.  Who doesn’t like a nice person?  Adam struck me  as a typical theater brat–stuck on himself because everyone has been telling him his whole life how “awesome” he is.  That’s not appealing; it’s actually very annoying.
5.      Kris feels the music.  His facial expressions and gestures are natural and fitting.  Adam puts on a show–and a predictable show at that (lip curl here, seductive look there, spotlight here, sudden turn of head there).  It gets old and boring.

American Idolatry

     The top five American Idol contestants performed songs from the Rat Pack era, and they all did very well. 

     Only one did not appeal to me, and that was Adam Lambert.  He has become too predictable for me.  I know just when he will give the camera a sultry look, when he’ll curl his lip, when the white light will shine on him, and when he will let out a piercing scream.  I could not watch an entire concert or listen to an entire album like that.

     My favorite performer was Danny Gokey.  The arrangement was fantastic, and he and the band worked so well together, it was as though his voice was just one more instrument in the bluesy version of “Come Rain or Come Shine” that he sang.  He reminded me more of a male Ella Fitzgerald than of one of the Rat Pack.  His power and his passion bowled me over.  Oh, and his voice was flawless.

     I liked Kris Allen next, and then Allison Iraheta, and Matt Giraud was in fourth place for me.

     Even though I have no trouble listing them in order of preference, I will admit that they are all excellent singers.  They are probably the best top five that have ever appeared on the show.  They could do a collaborative album and it would be fantastic, I think.

The Susan Boyle Phenomenon

     I have always thought  that most people appreciate talent and artistry more than youth and good looks.  Some of the best musicians have been unattractive people who could sing or play so well that people longed to hear them and would pay money to do so.  You can probably picture some of the musicial performers that I have in mind.

     By now you have undoubtedly heard of her and probably have seen a video clip of Susan Boyle’s audition on Britain’s Got Talent.  The remarkable thing about it is that the judges and the audience seemed to dismiss her upon their first look at the graying woman in the frumpy dress, but then she began to sing in a beautiful, clear, powerful voice that wowed everyone.

     Because I am a musician whose appearance is no more than ”average,” I never assume that an unattractive person has no musical talent.  I never judge anyone by their appearance to begin with, and I see absolutely no correlation between appearance and talent.  I have never chosen to go to a concert or buy a CD because a particular person looks good.  That makes no sense at all.  It’s about the music.

     I honestly believe that most people feel the same way, especially if they have true appreciation for music.  I think it is a myth that only young, attractive people are marketable as musicians, though it seems to be a persistent myth.  You will hear them tell certain contestants on American Idol that they have (or are) the “total package” because they are good looking and personable, as well as skilled at singing. 

     The fact that belies that myth is that many of the best and most popular singers, especially a few prominent rock stars and country stars that immediately come to mind, are just plain unattractive. 

     I think that Boyle is different, though.  She is not an unattractive rock star making up for her lack of physical beauty by layering on makeup, sporting gaudy outfits, and sticking flashy earrings in her earlobes.  She is a chubby woman with unruly hair and unfashionable clothes. 

     Though not a mother herself, I think Boyle looks beautiful in the same way that one’s mother looks beautiful.  She looks wholesome, down-to-earth, sensible, pleasant, and kind.  She looked in her audition as though she had just come from baking pies in the kitchen.  She looks like she cares so much about other people, she doesn’t have time for the silly pursuit of enhancing her own appearance.  When I see her I think, she could be my sister.  In other words, she is just like most people really are.  Not only is she not a beauty queen, but she is just plain and simple without any affectation or vanity.  That appeals to me–and apparently to a lot of other people, too.

American Idol Thoughts

     I have been watching American Idol.  I know, I know, but I like it.  It’s the only television program that I am currently watching.  Overall I don’t care for TV, but this show captures my attention.

     I thought that the judges were foolish for using their “save” on Matt Giraud.  He’s a pretty good singer, but he’s not one of the top three, in my opinion.  They might regret it next week if one of the really excellent contestants is voted out.

     Then again, the whole thing might have been staged for publicity.  It’s possible that the judges (or the producers) decided it would help the ratings to use the “save” now.  They know what the vote spread is, so they might have realized that strategically it would not be bad to have the judges use the “save.”

     I’m really hoping that Kris Allen wins the competition, although I doubt that he will.  I was not a big fan of his at first, but my daughter was.  As I have listened to the recordings of the performances, I have decided that he is actually the most pleasant sounding of all the contestants this year.

My Fabulous Daughter

       This is my third post on my three children, which makes it my last one for awhile. You can find the other two below this one, if you are interested.

     My youngest child has become a guitarist. I began teaching her two years ago and she has made a lot of progress. She doesn’t practice as much as she should, if she wants to become proficient.  But when she does practice she does it with enthusiasm and total concentration.

     When I started teaching her to play the guitar, I made sure that she was learning to read music.  I didn’t want her to be limited to playing by ear only.  I hoped that learning the guitar might be a stepping stone to learning other instruments and become well-rounded musically.

     I have encouraged my children to develop an eclectic taste in music and to seek what is excellent in every genre and in every time period.  The message hasn’t always gotten through.  They tend to like the new and trendy music as their friends do, including this guitar-playing daughter.

     But now this daughter has discovered the Beatles.  She had heard the Beatles before but had little interest in them.  Now she has decided that she loves their music and wants to imitate some of their guitar playing.  She had already found the chords to “Yellow Submarine” and learned them. 

     She loves the electric guitar.  She loves the electric guitar with all sorts of effects.  It drives her mother crazy, although I can tolerate it and sometimes even enjoy it.  We bought her an electric-acoustic guitar and an amp that allows her to modify the sound, and she adores it.

     I really wanted her to be a classical and folk guitarist.  Oh, well. 

     More than anything else, I want her to find what really satisfies her–both musically and in every other way.  She tends to be pretty cerebral, so I am very happy for her to have a creative outlet.  Music is that for me, as well.  Music keeps me sane.

     Yes, we do play together.  My two daughters and I play and sing together a lot.  My son sometimes joins us on the djembe (an African drum).  It’s a lot of fun.

     I’m glad that my daugther can now admit that she likes the Beatles and other “old” music.  You’d think that the Beatles lived in the Dark Ages from the way she used to talk about them.  I’m glad that she realizes that it’s about what appeals to her rather than to her friends or her parents or anyone else.

     May she never bow to peer pressure but always like what she likes because she likes it.  I’m sure that she will.

Top 25 Christmas Songs

     In 2006, ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Puplishers) put out a list of the “Top 25 Holiday Songs.”  The list reminds me and convinces me that Christmas is a traditional American holiday as well as a sacred Christian holiday.  Only one of the songs even mentions Jesus and his birth, “The Little Drummer Boy.”

     From their list, my five favorties are

1. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”  I always think of Judy Garland’s singing it in the movie Meet Me in St. Louis.
2. “Sleigh Ride”  I have played it in bands and orchestras.  It is such a fun song.
3. “The Little Drummer Boy”  Admittedly it is a bit too sentimental, but I think the sentiment is valid and sublime.
4. “Carol of the Bells”  It is an interesting song, musically speaking.  I enjoy the various arrangements that capitalize on the intertwining melodies.
5. “Silver Bells”  My class sang this song back when I was in the fifth grade.  I lived in a big city when I was a child, and this song evokes my memories of the Christmas atmosphere there.

What about you?  What are your favorites from the list?  Or not from the list?

Songs About Rainbows

     There’s a song that asks, “Why are there so many songs about rainbows?”  I never realized that there were that many.

     The song I refer to is “The Rainbow Connection” by Paul WIlliams and Kenneth Ascher and featured in the first Muppet Movie.  Kermit the Frog sang it in  that fun movie back in 1979.  I have liked the song from the moment I heard it, but I wonder if there really are that many songs about rainbows.  Here are the ones I know about:

• “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz
• “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” a song adapted from a Chopin Prelude
• “I Can Sing a Rainbow”–a children’s song used to teach kids the names of the colors
• “Look to the Rainbow” from Finian’s Rainbow

     Can you think of any others?  It’s funny for Williams and Asher to ask why there are so many songs about rainbows, if there aren’t that many.

Music and Morals

     As an avid music listener and musician, I am always interested in discussions about music as it relates to morality.  I started thinking about this subject while watching the PBS special on Jazz, which I wrote about yesterday.

     The PBS film contains several quotations from people who were concerned about the “decadence” of jazz music and swing music.  A lot of straight laced people were concerned that the world was going to you-know-where and that the young people were being corrupted by the fast-paced, freely improvised kind of music.

     When I was very young it was rock-and-roll music that was supposedly converting kids to the dark side, and later it was hard rock.  As the people in my parents’ generation started accepting classic rock music little by little, it was the more electrified and wilder form of it that was considered evil.

     I think the same progression occurred in relation to jazz.  During the big band era, Americans began to hear watered down versions of jazz music.  It began to be played in “respectable” night clubs, and–it has to be said–it began to be played by “respectable” white people.  At the same time, “serious” musicians began to give it their stamp of approval.  Benny Goodman and his band were invited to play at Carnegie Hall.  One more thing happened: the young people of the 1920’s grew up, which meant that the music of their rebellious adolescent years became mainstream and nostalgic.

     One irony in the PBS film, and I can’t tell if it is intentional or not, is that many of the dirty little secrets of the jazz musicians are told forthrightly.  A lot of them did drink heavily, did use drugs, did gamble.  Many of them were sponsored by gangsters.  Many of them had rocky relationship after rocky relationship, including unchaste relationships.  So while the film implies that the Victorian opponents of jazz were just puritanical and silly, it also proves that there actually was a lot of sin involved in the world of jazz music. 

     Is it the music’s fault?  I don’t believe that a musical style can make people immoral.  Nor do I think that listening to music, unless the lyrics are sinful in and of themselves, is an immoral act.  Nevertheless, some of the attitudes that make jazz what it is (and rock, for that matter) are attitudes that can lead people into various vices.  What I’m saying is that people who are already prone to drink, to use drugs, and to engage in ilicit sex, are probably prone to appreciate the free, lively, risque, and wild aspects of jazz music.  At the same time, people who eschew those vices can still enjoy the music.  Perhaps they can enjoy the racier aspects of the music instead of actually doing racy things.

All That Jazz

     I have been watching the PBS special on Jazz.  It has been on my mental to-do list for a long time, and I am finally getting to it.  It is a great documentary film directed by Ken Burns.  I highly recommend it for anyone who (a) likes music, especially jazz music, (b) likes American history, or (c)  has an interest in race relations in America.  Even if you get bored with documentaries in general, this one is worth it just to hear the music it includes.  I knew a lot about the subject, but I have learned some details from the documentary.  It uses the very best sources, including quotations, live interviews, early films, and early recordings.

         The way that the film connects jazz music with race relations is super.  Jazz music definitely helped bridge the gap, slowly but surely, between black and white people in America.  It provided a medium of expression for black people, and a way for them to earn both money and respect from whites.  I am thankful, however, that the film did not sink to the level of a reverse-racist diatribe.  It mentions some of the fine white practitioners and supporters of jazz.  It ultimately describes jazz as an American art form and not just a black American art form, since black people are an integral part of America.  It points out both the specific relationship of jazz music to the black community and its universality. 

     I really like jazz music.  I played the trumpet in jazz bands in high school and college.  I learned a lot about how to make music swing and about the harmonic structures and progressions found in jazz music.  I never got really good at improvising, which is too bad.  As the PBS film indicated improvization is one of the hallmarks of jazz music, at least as it was originally conceived.

     Here are some of my favorites in jazz.  Who/what are yours?

• Favorite instrumental soloist:  Louis Armstrong, trumpet
• Band/orchestra leader:  Duke Ellington
• Favorite female vocalist:  Ella Fitzgerald, although I like Cleo Lane almost as much.
• Favorite male vocalist:  Al Jarreau
• Favorite jazz song (with lyrics):  “It Don’t Mean A Thing”
• Favorite jazz tune:  “West End Blues” (Lyrics were written for it later.)