Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Remember how I said that leaving my routine made blogging a bit of a daily afterthought? Well, ironically my eagerness and inspiration to photograph increase when environs change. Even if I go somewhere that I've been plenty of times before, I don't spend every day sitting or walking by it. So when I stepped into my parents house this afternoon, the plethora of Christmas decorations felt like novel stimuli.
Tonight, as I experienced two very disparate examples of talented and passionate people, I found myself thinking (not for the first time) that I wish I had such an outlet. One of those performances was the Grand Rapids Ballet Company's Nutcracker. A group of dancers spanning from children to adults, with an amazing ability to express beauty and strength through their body's movements. And a passion great enough to make the demanding workload worthwhile.
The second act was my own brother. A kid who always walked to the beat of his own drum (literally and figuratively, although thankfully he retired from drums and stuck with guitar). He performs in front of rooms full of people, confident in his craft. It's not only because he's good, really good, but because he has put himself so wholly into every note that leaves his instrument. I can see that seven hours hunkered down with a guitar, practicing and writing music, isn't work. It's a justifiable reason to forgo sleep.
I want to be inspired by something in that way. To be so firmly grasped by an excitement and a need that even the work feels like part of the joy. I think that trying to translate life, as filtered from my vantage put and pushed through a lens, is the closest I've come to that spark. Even if my photos don't end up being meaningful to anyone but me, I'd still consider it a worthwhile venture.
(I suppose that technically I saw three performances tonight. You're looking at a photo of the lower half of a folk/hipster ensemble worn by one third of a local bluegrass trio.)
trail of talent \12.22\
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Labels:
music,
shoes,
wood
Tonight, as I experienced two very disparate examples of talented and passionate people, I found myself thinking (not for the first time) that I wish I had such an outlet. One of those performances was the Grand Rapids Ballet Company's Nutcracker. A group of dancers spanning from children to adults, with an amazing ability to express beauty and strength through their body's movements. And a passion great enough to make the demanding workload worthwhile.
The second act was my own brother. A kid who always walked to the beat of his own drum (literally and figuratively, although thankfully he retired from drums and stuck with guitar). He performs in front of rooms full of people, confident in his craft. It's not only because he's good, really good, but because he has put himself so wholly into every note that leaves his instrument. I can see that seven hours hunkered down with a guitar, practicing and writing music, isn't work. It's a justifiable reason to forgo sleep.
I want to be inspired by something in that way. To be so firmly grasped by an excitement and a need that even the work feels like part of the joy. I think that trying to translate life, as filtered from my vantage put and pushed through a lens, is the closest I've come to that spark. Even if my photos don't end up being meaningful to anyone but me, I'd still consider it a worthwhile venture.
(I suppose that technically I saw three performances tonight. You're looking at a photo of the lower half of a folk/hipster ensemble worn by one third of a local bluegrass trio.)
After a long, tense week there's one way to lighten the strain. NSYNC Home for Christmas. Belting it out as I make my way up three hours worth of highway, ironically, to go home for Christmas.
Did anyone else have a holiday concert when they were in elementary school (or perhaps you called it grade school)? For some reason I thought of that today. Perhaps it was the NSYNC tunes, despite the fact that none of those would've been featured in our musical program.
Each grade was assigned the same song year after year, and there was a perceived escalation of the songs' cool factor until you reached the pinnacle in fifth grade. The only year I'm drawing a blank on is first grade, but something makes me want to say that was Jingle Bells. Kindergarteners sang All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, for obvious reasons. And second graders were unenthusiastically stuck with Deck the Halls.
Things started to get fun in third grade; not only was there singing, but choreography as well. You'd be amazed at how much fun Up on the Housetop can be when you're eight years old. You may also be amazed at how long you can retain such choreography (twenty years and counting). And in fourth grade, we were given permission to sing both version of Rudolph. After singing it properly, we were allowed to amuse ourselves by throwing in nonsense ad libs - "Like George Washington!"
But the pinnacle, the culmination of an elementary school singing career, was the fifth grade performance of Jingle Bell Rock. You got to wear sunglasses. Indoors. At night. We prepared for the moment in December when the classes would unite to rehearse...and then the bomb was dropped. Fifth graders were being relegated to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. Let the uprising begin. I don't actual recall how we boycotted or argued or whined about this, but the mandate was reversed and we became the final class to sing Jingle Bell Rock.
Every year ended with the whole school singing Silent Night, with the lights dimmed, while the fifth graders lined the aisles with battery-powered candles. Now that my life no longer contains an annual holiday concert, I've moved on to an annual trip down NSYNC holiday memory lane.
in sync with the season \12.20\
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Labels:
holiday,
music,
nsync
Did anyone else have a holiday concert when they were in elementary school (or perhaps you called it grade school)? For some reason I thought of that today. Perhaps it was the NSYNC tunes, despite the fact that none of those would've been featured in our musical program.
Each grade was assigned the same song year after year, and there was a perceived escalation of the songs' cool factor until you reached the pinnacle in fifth grade. The only year I'm drawing a blank on is first grade, but something makes me want to say that was Jingle Bells. Kindergarteners sang All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, for obvious reasons. And second graders were unenthusiastically stuck with Deck the Halls.
Things started to get fun in third grade; not only was there singing, but choreography as well. You'd be amazed at how much fun Up on the Housetop can be when you're eight years old. You may also be amazed at how long you can retain such choreography (twenty years and counting). And in fourth grade, we were given permission to sing both version of Rudolph. After singing it properly, we were allowed to amuse ourselves by throwing in nonsense ad libs - "Like George Washington!"
But the pinnacle, the culmination of an elementary school singing career, was the fifth grade performance of Jingle Bell Rock. You got to wear sunglasses. Indoors. At night. We prepared for the moment in December when the classes would unite to rehearse...and then the bomb was dropped. Fifth graders were being relegated to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. Let the uprising begin. I don't actual recall how we boycotted or argued or whined about this, but the mandate was reversed and we became the final class to sing Jingle Bell Rock.
Every year ended with the whole school singing Silent Night, with the lights dimmed, while the fifth graders lined the aisles with battery-powered candles. Now that my life no longer contains an annual holiday concert, I've moved on to an annual trip down NSYNC holiday memory lane.
Two mornings with 3:30am wake-up calls in the same makes for a tired girl. The end of the month, with the end of the year approaching, was in imperfect alignment with my desire to do nothing but pass out for a nice winter's nap. So my friends for the day were coffee and music.
And at some point today, I managed to realize that tomorrow is December. I have no idea what I did in November or how it disappeared so quickly. Honestly, I always thought my parents were being melodramatic when I was younger and they'd say something about how quickly time passes. That was back in the day when the distance to Christmas break always seemed interminable.
The arrival of December also means that I'm down to one month remaining in this blog-a-day mission that I set in the waning days of 2011. I've been thinking about how I want to proceed when the calendar flips to 2013. Although there's no definitive course, the daily photo and writing requirements are taxing at times. I can virtually guarantee that this blog won't continue to be daily. Perhaps instead of trying to force inspiration daily, I'll post when inspiration (visual or rhetoric) strikes.
I would say that I shouldn't worry about it too much, because I have time. But I've already covered that. Time flies.
necessary stimulants \11.30\
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Labels:
coffee,
music,
office,
work
And at some point today, I managed to realize that tomorrow is December. I have no idea what I did in November or how it disappeared so quickly. Honestly, I always thought my parents were being melodramatic when I was younger and they'd say something about how quickly time passes. That was back in the day when the distance to Christmas break always seemed interminable.
The arrival of December also means that I'm down to one month remaining in this blog-a-day mission that I set in the waning days of 2011. I've been thinking about how I want to proceed when the calendar flips to 2013. Although there's no definitive course, the daily photo and writing requirements are taxing at times. I can virtually guarantee that this blog won't continue to be daily. Perhaps instead of trying to force inspiration daily, I'll post when inspiration (visual or rhetoric) strikes.
I would say that I shouldn't worry about it too much, because I have time. But I've already covered that. Time flies.
The two concert weekend has come to an end. Neither man disappointed, but Gavin DeGraw edged out Matt Nathanson just a little bit for two reasons: 1) I just saw Matt perform in October; I haven't seen Gavin in nearly three years. 2) Gavin delivered my favorite song in the perfect package, just him and his piano. Although I realize it's more common to take photos of the actual artist on stage at a concert, my personal aesthetic is not generally that literal. Instead, I was drawn to the variations of stage lights around the venue. So, I bring you a sort of bokeh effect lighting shot from tonight's show.
I'm looking forward to following up this musical weekend with many weekdays of amazing spring weather...and the start of MARCH MADNESS! So proud to be a Spartan (with a #1 seed in the tourney!) and I can't wait for the nearly heart attack-inducing games to come.
stage lights shine \03.11\
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Labels:
abstract,
music
I'm looking forward to following up this musical weekend with many weekdays of amazing spring weather...and the start of MARCH MADNESS! So proud to be a Spartan (with a #1 seed in the tourney!) and I can't wait for the nearly heart attack-inducing games to come.
I don't usually put people in my photos, but that long-haired guy is my brother. And that stage is where he does his thing, every Tuesday night. He doesn't get paid for it, but I highly doubt that crosses his mind as his fingers work across the strings. As you watch him play, it's plain to see that his body and soul resonate with his music. He's living inside of the notes he's playing at that moment. When he finishes a song, his face lights up and he bows his head as a shy smile of satisfaction spreads across his face.
Although he has a day job, sometimes a revolving door of them, he knows where his heart is and never loses sight of that. In some way, shape or form, this is the main mission in my current quest. I want to find something that inspires me, lights me up, and leaves my passion forever unsatiated...so that I keep going back for more.
up in lights \02.28\
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Labels:
music
I don't usually put people in my photos, but that long-haired guy is my brother. And that stage is where he does his thing, every Tuesday night. He doesn't get paid for it, but I highly doubt that crosses his mind as his fingers work across the strings. As you watch him play, it's plain to see that his body and soul resonate with his music. He's living inside of the notes he's playing at that moment. When he finishes a song, his face lights up and he bows his head as a shy smile of satisfaction spreads across his face.
Although he has a day job, sometimes a revolving door of them, he knows where his heart is and never loses sight of that. In some way, shape or form, this is the main mission in my current quest. I want to find something that inspires me, lights me up, and leaves my passion forever unsatiated...so that I keep going back for more.