Music to sooth the savage beast

It can be said that a song is poetry set to music.  That is basically true, but with a disclaimer; not ALL songs are poetry.  Repeating “I Feel Love” over and over and over again is not poetic, and while “Staying Alive, Staying alive, a..a..a…a..Staying Alive” has a great beat and can be easily danced to, its lyric is not genius.

There are, however, great examples of brilliant writing for the purpose of song.  There is the mystical and cryptic:  “Been through the desert on a horse with no name” or “She’s buying a stairway to heaven” and “I am the walrus.”

The beautiful:  “Hello darkness, my old friend” -“I’ll stand by you” and “You are the wind beneath my wings.”

The whimsical: “You can call me Al” or “You don’t mess around with Jim” and “Itsy Bitsy yellow pokadot bikini.”

Country music likes to be punny and mix metaphoric.  “We buried the Hatchet, but leave the handle sticking out.”  “I’m much too young to feel this damn old” or “You ain’t much fun since I quit drinkin.”

There are songs that are complete stories in themselves:  "Abraham,Martin and John" "Harper Valley PTA" and what exactly did Bobby throw off the Tallahasse Bridge? 

The granddaddy of them all is probably the Moody Blues whose Knights and White Satin even ends with spoken poetry as the strings swell in the background.  “Cold hearted orb rules the night, remove the colors from our sight.”  Wonderful..... good stuff.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of those kinds of lyrics anymore.  Popular music today seems to be driven by a dance beat, more than the thought provoking refrains of say Dylan, or Crosby, Stills and Nash, but I must say I enjoy almost ALL popular music.

I am often inspired by good lyrics.  Poetry set to music that elicits an emotional response.  I enjoy good lyrics almost as much as good prose.  I just wish there were more Moody Blues and less Gaga to be inspired by.

And the Oscar goes to..........

Well, I watched the Academy Awards telecast last night, which means I stayed up way past my bedtime to see the end.  I Love the Oscars because, despite what some people say, they are the celebration of a job well done in a craft I love.  It is a chance to tell the people who entertain, inspire, and sometimes move, that they did a great job.  I like to think that the Academy is giving the award to deserving members of the film community, for me.  I take it kind of personal, which is silly I know, but I just do.  I always mark my ballot ahead of time and then check off the ones I get right and frown at the injustice when I am wrong.  How could they?  Obviously I know better than the ones that voted contrary to me!  I pick the winners about 90% of time most years and this year was no exception. (All though I did miss on Best Picture, I thought Social Network deserved it.)  I make sound logical decisions, forgoing my personal fondness for a film and voting for a movie that I might not particularly care for, but believe it deserves the award, more than my favorite.  I am proved right often, but sometimes, I am pleasantly surprised when the most deserved is also my fav and is awarded the prize.

During my College years, when I still thought there was a snowballs chance in hell that I would make a living as an actor, making movies, some day; I would fantasize about what it would be like to be there in person, rubbing elbows with the great artists of the film industry.  Getting dressed up and pontificating about it being “an honor just to be nominated.”  Today, I have to be satisfied living vicariously, thrilled for the winners, (Aaron Sorkin is my favorite writer, and he sooo deserved the award,) sad for the one’s that didn’t win, ( I think the song from Country Strong should have won) and maintaining the thinnest thread of connection to the beautiful people whose business is making movies.  I like to think of them as my friends.

I have had this affinity for the Oscars for as long as I can remember.  We used to have Oscar parties every year attended by dozens of people who shared my love of film.  They were lavish affairs, befitting the occasion.  One year we even dressed in tuxs and gowns just for fun and had a gourmet dinner prior to the show.  Now, since I relocated to the East coast it is more of a one on one celebration with the ceremony.  No group of people to commiserate with, just me, (and my lovely wife, wearing Dolce flannel PJs) sitting there in the living room, pretending I am in a seat, in the theatre along with all of the people I admire and respect, dreaming they are my peers.  "And the Oscar goes to...." the presenter opens the envelope and announces my name as the winner.  Hoorah for Hollywood!

Pick Me

I was pondering life in Grammar School the other day, (don’t ask me why) and was thinking about how everything kind of revolved around “Pick Me!”  You know…..teams for dodge ball - called on by the teacher – sing in the chorus - be a member of the cool kids’ group.  (Never made that one.)  I remember how stressful those times were, even though I didn’t know that what I was feeling WAS stress, back then. 

I came to the realization that things did not change much during the course of my life.  High School was more of the same.  PLEASE pick me for the baseball team - the Yearbook Committee - study group, etc. - etc. etc.  Please, pick me to be your boyfriend.  College, it got worse.  Being a Drama Major I spent every non-required course moment auditioning.  Even my extra-curricular activities (Community Theatre) called for me to be evaluated and chosen to participate.  I played music and was always asking to be picked to play with this group or back up some singer.  There was of course the ever present “Pick me to be your boyfriend,” aspect.

When I finished with school it was “pick me for the job.” When I started my own business (I had the first Video Rental store in Southern California) it was “please pick my store to spend your money in.”  When I got into Law Enforcement it was a whole new level.  The layers of testing, just to be hired, was designed to be hard.  (I applied with almost 1000 other people, they hired seven of us!)  It didn’t stop there either.  Once I was sworn in there were specialized assignments, overtime details, extra duty; all the time vying for someone to “Pick Me!” to be a Motorcycle Officer (Got that one) or a Field Training Officer (Got that one too :)

Now I am trying to be an author.  Once again, with hat in hand I am asking “Pick me.”  Please be my agent, Please pick my book to read, pick my book to sell, review, tell your friends about. 

When I look back on the journey I can say that I am blessed.  I was “picked” quite a few times, and have a great deal to show for my participation.  But, it would be great to be 8 again and only be looking for a spot on the dodge ball team.

Making A Difference

In 2009, Shannon Horton, RN of Virginia was overwhelmed by the staggering number of friends, and families of friends that were impacted by the consequences of Breast Cancer.  She decided to do “something” to make a difference.  Inspired by a calendar featuring British women of all ages she embarked on a project to produce a similar calendar featuring survivors of Breast Cancer and other women who had been impacted by this horrible decease.

Shannon arranged for a photographer to donate his time and talent.  She enlisted friends to be “models.”   She asked them to strip down and pose in a setting that represented their passions and interests, and was pleasantly surprised at the willingness of otherwise shy individuals who were anxious to participate for this worthy cause

Nurse Horton went about the arduous task of raising money to pay for the printing and production costs.  In a troubled time for American economics she managed to scrape up “sponsors” for the calendar’s individual months and eventually secured funds to make the project a reality. 

She arranged for a volunteer support staff of make-up artists, hair dressers, clerical and craft services Over a Sunday in April 2010 and another in May 2010 conducted a professional  “Figure Shoot” that resulted in images of women, of a variety of ages, sizes and walks of life captured in their natural beauty.

The resulting product was marketed with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer research.

Shannon Horton’s modest project is meant to  be purchased and displayed in locations all over the world as a re enforcement of Breast Cancer awareness and a testament to the courage and determination of the woman who suffer with it and the families who stand by and support them.

She, the “model’s” who bare it all in the calendar, and all the participants in the production who made it all possible believe that in their small, humble way, they have made a difference.  As a “survivor’s” spouse I thank her.  If your interested in a calendar or just curious about the project check out -http://www.ucanmakeadifferencetoday.com/

The "Football"

In the mid 90s I was disappointed in Rock music.  The joy I had felt at the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac and Van Halen was now eroded by cookie cutter pop and unbearable rap .  My friend Jim introduced me to the music of Garth Brooks; a mixture of Country, Rock, and genius marketing.  It was something to get excited about in the world of Music again.  Jim and I made GARTH a “hobby.”  Like stamp collecting or antiquing we started to seek everything Garth Brooks.  It wasn’t fan obsession as much as something to do that was fun, and challenging.  We "capered" to go to as many concerts as we could within driving distance (If you haven’t seen Garth Live you’re missin somethin. The picture here is of Jim and Sherri when we were in the front row of an Anaheim Concert)  We once went to 6 shows in 8 days; 3 in Anaheim, 2 in LA and 1 in San Diego.  We went to tapings of television specials and late night talk shows that he was a guest on.  We started running into the same people at some of these events and struck up conversations and Garth related friendships.

Garth’s birthday had just passed and we discussed what we could do that would be something special for the next years birthday.  Something that a gazillianaire, award winning, music icon couldn’t just go down to Walmart and buy.  After brainstorming ideas we (about a half dozen of us) hit on what we thought was complicated, but perfect.  We pooled money and purchased a Takamine guitar, exactly like the one Garth plays.  We gave it a code name so that we could discuss the project in the presence of others.  We called it “The Football.”

For the next year we carried The “Football” around to every event we could attend where there was a person of some fame, performing or appearing.  We presented ourselves with the Football for their autographs.  This was no small feat.  We had to “get” to, in some cases, superstars; close enough to get their signatures, and get them to trust us that it was in fact a gift for Garth Brooks!  (Having police badges helped, sometimes.J  We were remarkably successful, and as Garth’s birthday approached every usable surface of the guitar (including the fret board) was covered in the scribbling of Music legends, new comers, and icons.  The “Football” project was a success beyond everything we had hoped for.  It had not been easy and more than once it had been downright difficult.  (A few people had to be really convinced that we were not con men )

We had made a connection with a person who worked for a radio station and was a “personal friend” of Garth’s.  She was going to be with him on his birthday and agreed to present him with the “Football” at his birthday party, that she was attending.  The six of us each wrote a short note expressing our best wishes and hoping he accepted the “Football” as a token of our appreciation for the entertainment he provide, to us, as well as millions of others.  We handed the “Football” off to her and waited anxiously to hear what his reaction was to our project.

(Insert sound of chirping birds here)

If you read my last post, this is how it relates to this one.  We NEVER heard what Garth thought.  We did not hear from his friend that delivered it, or saw any public notice of the gift.  We DO know he got it.  We ASSUME he liked it (who wouldn’t) but we were missing that acknowledgement of our efforts.  We are happy we undertook the project, it was fun.  We are happy we got it to him (there was a time when we were lost as to how we were going to accomplish that.)  The bottom line is, we did it FOR him, not for the applause, BUT it would have been nice to KNOW he liked it.  If I ever get the privilege to meet him one -on- one (fat chanceJ my first question would be; “Did you get the “Football?”

I just finished reading An Unfinished Song: Initiate by Tara Maya.  The greatest compliment I can give is that while I was readin it; I wanted to know “What happens next?”  Fantasy is one of my favorite genres and for once I found a story that didn’t involve sucking blood from someone’s neck.  It was exciting, fun, humorous and thought provoking.  If I have a complaint at all about the book, it’s that it was over too soon, and with a cliff hanger that left me aching for more.  The e-version I read on my Kindle had an excerpt from the sequel but I fought with myself NOT to read it.  I didn’t want to be teased, again, and want more- even more.  I enjoyed it very much while I was reading it, and after I finished it; it still occupied my thoughts.  I liked it so much that I wanted to reach out to the author and let her know how I felt about it. 

I consider myself first and foremost, an actor, ( Actor- noun- A person with an infinite capacity to accept praise.) and my writing is an extension of that.  I like to “perform” and I feel that “writing,” for someone else to read what I have created, is a performance.  As such, applause is always nice after the performance is over.  Readers very seldom get to applaud the efforts of an author.  With the advent of the Internet it is not only possible to applaud but also express other emotions that the work caused.  How cool is that?  As a reader I am grateful for that opportunity and as a writer I appreciate the feedback (good and bad) that comes my way. 

So I sent a short note to Ms. Maya to let her know I think her story is a “good read” and look forward to the sequel so I can see “what happens next.”  I hope she got the message, and is receptive to my “applause.”  Wouldn’t it be great if we could contact other “artists” we admire, directly; and know that they received the message and read it. 

Dear Sir Paul, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much your music, along with the other lads, has meant to me over the last 40+ years.  Without exaggeration you were the strongest influence on my young life, and I carry your spirit with me to this day.  I just wish George and John were still with us to continue what was started so many years ago, and I am saddened deeply by their loss.  Did you ever think that “When I’m 64” would be so poignant?  Thanks again for all of the tunes, can’t wait to see what happen next.  Respectfully Submitted, etc. <sigh> 

I could send that out into cyber space, and he might even read it….somehow…it could happen….but I would never know he did, or that it made a bit of difference to him amid the millions of accolades he has received. 

Next time I will tell you the story of how a group of us reached out to one of our heroes, and the result of a year-long effort to give him a spectacular birthday present and the results.  Hopefully that tease will want you to tune in next time to “see what happens.”

Happily Ever After ?????

It’s Valentine’s Day season again.  Whenever I watch a movie about boy meeting girl, the staple of the Romantic Comedy/Drama genre, I always wonder what happened after the happy couple got together.  We, the audience, assume that they all live happily ever after, because this is of course why we watch those kinda movies.

It is easier to write a story with a happy ending because it is expected and you know what’s at the end of the road before you get there.  It is much more difficult to defy every-ones’ expectations and show the princess and her prince as just ordinary folk, who end up with ordinary problems and heartache despite their fairy tale meeting, courtship, and eventual coupling.

There are your exceptions of course, and they I think are interesting and sometimes just as entertaining as the “happily ever after” scenarios; the well written, well acted, and sometimes satisfying, not so happy ending.

“Mrs. Doubtfire” comes to mind, I was totally shocked when the divorced parents didn’t end up back together, but it WAS more realistic.  How brave was the writer to choose that ending?  In “Casablanca” the guy doesn’t get the girl, but he gets the consolation prize; a good friend instead.

“Prime” and “The Break Up” are also good examples of recent Rom Coms that don’t finish up with the right people ending up together.  Though to be fair, the ending does suggest that they COULD end up together.  

As a writer I think it is a hard choice to go for the non-traditional ending.  I am torn between being realistic, and giving the reader (or watcher) the “feel good” payoff to the story.  In comedy it is a lot easier.  You should at least try to stay within the parameters of real life.  Folks die, move away, loose interest, or find someone else.  That’s life, which doesn’t make for good comedy usually. 

I do know that as the watcher/reader I do LIKE the happy ending.  Even though I don’t KNOW for sure they will be happy ever after, at least at the end of the story, that we are privy to, it's all good.  I don’t care for stories as much when the guy doesn’t get the girl.  “War of the Roses” made me uncomfortable.  “P.S. I Love You” “Terms Of Endearment” and “Sweet November” were heart breaking, and even though I was glad I saw it (Because I LOVE ALL movies) I know I probably would not want to watch it again.

So the question is……Have you seen a Romantic movie, (or read a story,) without a happy ending, that was GREAT and you would watch over and over again?