Videos involving friends.

The first is of Ben Sollee's bike tour to Bonnaroo. His travel companions are a set of siblings I grew up with. They both now reside in California and flew out to KY to film and accompany Ben on his Oxfam Bike tour. One of my favorite parts of the clip is towards the end when Katie and Marty try Ale-8 for the first time. I love Ale-8. I was blessed with a roommate from Kentucky that introduced me to it. We had it at our junior recital reception rather than punch. Yum. 

On a more serious note, what Ben is doing should be something other musicians consider following. Taking up a cause to make the world a better place. The Duhks already have their Green Duhks campaign, and I would challenge others to act similarly. It's just as important as making beautiful music.

Ben Sollee bike tour day 1 - Lexington to Frankfort from marty benson on Vimeo.

Continuing with the local connections is a video featuring two guys who have a long time friendship, Jim and Charlie. They both play in a band with my uncle Sam Hannaford called The Chainsaws.  

You can read Randall Hill's blog and watch the video here. The blog is brought to you by our local news paper The Sun News.  

The offshoots of musicians who play in and with The Chainsaws have been instrumental in my development as a musician and as a person. Their passion and talent has inspired me, and it is with thanks that I am writing this blog in the first place. 

Overload

Tonight you can listen to or watch Dave Matthews Band on at least 3 different pieces of technology all at once. Hulu and Fuse have teamed up to bring their concert live online from The Beacon Theater in New York. For those lucky enough to have a large digital cable package, it can be watched on the Fuse channel. And finally for those that pay for radio, it is on Sirius on Dave Matthew's own Sirius Satellite Radio channel. Additionally, if you haven't gotten enough yet, you can get the iTunes Pass for the new album. Comes with lots of extras and automatic downloads. 

Falling off the wagon

I fell off for a bit.  Back now. 

I guess I can talk about what's been happening in my own musical life. 

For starters, I dreaded the day that I had to give a senior recital. An hours worth of music, all by myself. Second of all, I had no idea at the end of junior year what I wanted to be, or if I even wanted to sing anymore.  Over the summer last year I broke my arm working at Asbury Hills. It was so frustrating, not because I broke my arm, but because I felt like I was missing my opportunities of reaching kids at camp. Being away from Asbury made me appreciated being there even more, and then returning and finding myself in roles I had not anticipated, I began to explore my own spiritual growth and mission. In the final weeks I was called on to lead singing. I had only had a few days training and had only been back enough to have 2 weeks of campers.  

In the fall I decided I wanted to approach singing differently. I really learned over the summer, and in reflecting about my four years of experience in my church job, that I don't sing because I want to be a performer. I don't sing because I want to share interesting literature. Those are are just parts of what being a singer is to me. I've long believed that I experience my spirituality through music. And that my faith and my music are inextricable things. This lead me to choose an all sacred recital. 

My recital ended up truly being a culmination of many different aspects of singing. Especially when it came to those that attended. 

From camp there was Karl. He had been my closest co-counselor throughout the summer. 

Both my voice students that I teach were there along with their families, Kelly and Sha. 

Some of the girls from children's choir at church, the Dowlings, Shannon and Kara. 

Also from church were Brennan, my boss, and Rev. Roy Cole. 

Merlefest 2009

A Quick Photo Tour

Please clean filter

This one goes out to my vocal pedagogy teacher, Dr. Macphail. Everyday upon turning on the projector in the room, it always said, "Please Clean Filter" on the screen. So this first paragraph of The Dirty Projectors from SXSW 2009 goes out to here. 

The Projectors, courageously lead by David Longstreth are youthfully avant guard and thought provoking in their approach to music making. At times they are rather raucous and their direction is unclear, but in the moment where you feel you are loosing it, something happens that refocuses your attention. Whether that is a sudden monophonic melodic vocalise backed by a simple beat or a steady ostinato guitar riff The Dirty Projectors are sure to keep it interesting and listen-able. (kind of like drinkability...listenabilty)

NPR SXSW Coverage

This second paragraph goes out to my dear friend, Kristina Lewis, pianist, contralto and hippy extraodinaire. 

I just gave her Neko Case's new album, Middle Cyclone and I told her about The Decemberist's new album The Hazards of Love. So... she should check it out. 

The Hazards of Love made me think about my recent studies in music history, both classical and popular. 

I want to talk about concept albums, song cycles, rock operas, rap operas, and finally folk operas. 

Origins:

In Italy in the 1500s there were a group of artists, philosophers, and musicians that got together to promote their causes. As a result they created a dramma per musica event called and Intermezzo that was intended to be preformed in between a larger event. It was a hit, and the form eventually expanded into what we now know as opera. 

This concept of dramma per musica, the telling of story through song, has permeated Western music ever since.

The term "concept album" have been thrown about in pop music since The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. They produced the first concept album in 1966. This meant that all the songs were meant to go together in a particular order due to the story or images they portray. Like a song cycle or an opera. Later examples were to follow with The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, and most notably the "rock opera" Tommy by The Who. 

We have Beethoven to thank for the first song cycle. 

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down

Thao was a favorite from the moment my roommate played a song that was a Song of the Day on Minnesota Public Radio last year. 

I miss the set today as it was played live because I was in class, but luckily the performance is now archived on NPR.org. 

You can catch the show there, or when the All Songs Considered podcast is posted. The set is quite short, and full of energy and quirkiness. 

Photo from NPR site. Joel Didriksen kingpinphoto.com

"Bob Boilen is boiling hot" -Thao Nguyen

She's right. I love him, but I want his job when he retires/dies/looses his voice. 

I started my application for internships at various places today including NPR. It would be a dream job to work there. I'm also applying to Smithsonian Folkways and Oxford American. 

In other SXSW news, my friend Ross is there, and I'm so jealous I could strangle him. Follow the man on Twitter. 

I had a good time networking a bit last night in the chat room for the live performances on NPR. I'm going to work on my networking skills as much as possible in the next few months. 

Brain Overload

Tonight i listened to the Avett Brothers and The Decemberists live from SXSW in Austin streaming on NPR. I also got up to the minute Twitter feeds, and chatted in the NPR chat room. I loved listening to the commentary from Bob and Robin after the double encore. They played the entirety of their new album, and then 2 encores. The crowd just wouldn't let them go, and the chat room folks listening online didn't want the show to end either.

Awesomeness.

Thoughts and anticipation: "4 days of total sensory overload"

The folks at NPR put together the Austin 100. A list of their favorites, of songs they would listen to again. It's part of a new continuous mix of 100 favs they'll keep current. What a great time and event to launch the initiative. Beautifully, some of the songs are also available as MP3s on the SXSW website!
Bob Boilen and Stephen Thomas rock my socks. I love how excited they get when they talk about it.

(on a random note, I just noticed that NPR Music and iTunes have almost the same color background.
A list of old favorites, new interests, and names I like.

Personal Old Standbys (some new-ish folk that have been on my radar much longer than others)
The Decemberists
The Avett Brothers
Thao Ngyuen with the Get Down Stay Down, surprisingly discovered by my roommate when one of their songs was a song of the day on MPR (minnesota)
Phosphorescent one of Eric's recommendations last year
Okkervil River
Beach House
M. Ward, caught my eye while working with another favorite, the beautiful and talented Zooey Deschanel

Been around a while, but not as familiar with
Laura Gibson
Nellie McKay

It's that time of year...

South by South West!!!!!!!

This is the who's who of new music. I'd love to have a press pass one day for this festival.


Although SxSW is a series of interactive multimedia festivals, the big even for me is obviously the music festival. Since I'm an almost religious follower of NPR music, and a fan of Bob Boilen and his radio show cohorts who host a special every year on NPR.org I'm more diligent in listening and scoping this year.

So I'll be reporting on my favorites that are coming through the tube.

If he has to reach way down...

Upgrade!
I'm learning to be internet and computer savvy bit by bit.
Todays lesson is adding audio to a blog.


We'll see how this goes.


Jesus Will Pick You Up | Upload Music


Ok so now that we have successfully embedded music, I'll tell you a bit about it.
This is a group of ladies, including my friends Nell, her daughter Hasee, my sister and myself. But the bulk of the group, including the leader consists of the Bellamy Sisters. A group of 9 sisters born and raised write where I was. They belong to a family of 14 all told.

I posted this because southern roots music has been on my mind. And this is a fine example that it is still alive and kicking just as much as bluegrass is.