Music on the brain

AHA! There IS more to music than meets the eye. Or brain. Or whatever... This FASCINATING article reveals some of the PHYSICAL effects of music! I particularly like this bit: Scientists cannot identify the brain of an artist, writer, or mathemetician, but they CAN identify the brain of a professional musician! WHAT?!!!! Thank you, Charity, for posting this on facebook!

POPCORN!

I was recently reminded about this FANTASTIC, uplifting, feel-good, smiling piece of music that my parents used to play on a colorful 76rpm LP, entitled "THE MOOG".



Enjoy that? I sent it to about 15 folks at work and before you could blow your nose, it had spread throughout the company like wildfire and was causing a spike in computer memory usage!

Anyway, although the original was impressive I then read this fabulous and very creative history of the piece. Bravo! No less that ELEVEN versions of the same song. My favorites are the Boston Pops version, and the native indian original folk tune... prepare to laugh.

All sorts of music

I love music. One of my frequent quotes that might actually make it to 'epitaph' status is "I love this music". Thing is, I like classical, film, pop, rock, theatre, instrumental, and a whole variety of other 'genres' and 'styles'. Of course, I have my favorites and these little sketches consistently make Melissa and I crack up. Music is as much about performing as it is about the content. Always. Whether it's at a concert, in the theatre, recording studio, church, or in my den. These two diverse musical performances are CLASSIC, and should remain so for ETERNITY!

Morecombe & Wise are two revered British sketch comedians from the 60s, 70s & 80s. More celebrities appeared with them than on the Muppet Show! Enjoy...

TOM JONES! (1min 30sec)


ANDRE PREVIN! (a whopping 10mins 50secs)

The Quotable Stephen P Brown

"I like it when you think."

JSO rehearsals

Who can complain?

Tonight's rehearsal in NYC was moved upstairs, to the church's top floor. This was our view of the Manhattan Bridge:




And this was our view of mid-town:




By the time we were done, here's what that same view looked like:




Hope to see you at Sunday's concert!
(Prokofiev's "Peter & the Wolf", James Chapel at 121st & Broadway, 06.07.09 at 3:15pm)

Little French Bistro in NYC

Before tonight's rehearsal I spent 45 mins in Parigot, a delightful little Bistro on the corner of LaFayette St and Grand St, just NW of Little Italy & Chinatown. It doesn't have it's own [active] website, but it seems like relatively new owners. Certainly some of the reviews online indicate thorough inconsistency with the staff, but that's OK. For a one-time visit, I enjoyed it.


Bright, cheery, great deco, spacious, 'continental', and great value.
Look - this stuffed fluffly omlette was $11!



Try it next time you're downtown.

The Quotable Melissa "P Brown"

"They'll say he lived his life like a fart in the wind."

Thanks, love.