Friday, April 28, 2006

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment # 109: Your New Music

"When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had, and never will have."

-Edgar Watson Howe

Weekend Assignment: What are some of the most recent music albums you have bought? Name up to three. Note that I said, "bought"...I want to know what music you've liked so much that you've actually shelled out cash for them.

Extra Credit: Did you buy these albums on CD, or did you get them online through iTunes or another music service?

-John Scalzi (By The Way...)

A few months back, just after I began studying T'ai Chi and practicing meditation and Yoga, I purchased some special music. I really wanted something that would set a calming mood, and I found it by way of a good friend's suggestion. I bought "Ancient Voices: Nature and Music in Harmony," by composers, Dennis Hysom and Dan Alvarez. It is truly one of the most beautiful CD's of music I have ever owned. The gorgeous music blends with the sounds of the natural world, and the result is music that soothes my soul, and allows me to transcend the stresses of everyday life. All I have to do is close my eyes...and allow the music to take me to the season of autumn, with the song, "Autumn Flyway," and soon, all I know is sweet, warm, peace. It's lovely and quite gentle. Ahhhh. I highly recommend it! :)

For Valentine's Day this year, I decided to treat myself to a couple CDs I found at Starbuck's. Paul McCartney's, "Chaos & Creation in the Backyard," and Eric Clapton's, "Back Home." Both artists are among my very favorite musicians. One song in particular that I enjoyed on Paul McCartney's CD is, "Friends To Go." It has a nice balance to it, and has me humming it to myself. That's always a good sign, right? I have been enjoying both CDs a lot. I listen to some type of music every day. Be it classical, such as Rachmaninoff or Vivaldi. Rock, like The Ramones or REM, or novelty groups such as the Electric Amish...music is a big part of my days, and makes my life a whole lot nicer. :)

-OndineMonet
"Music"
Berkeley, California
April 27th, 2006
Evening

6 comments:

Globetrotter said...

Hi Carly,

Thanks so much for telling us about Ancient Voices: Nature and Music in Harmony," by composers, Dennis Hysom and Dan Alvarez. It's on my to-do list to go out and buy now, since I am dearly in need of some stress relief lately.

Have you heard the group 'Il Divo' sing? God are they a luscious group of man-hood and I absolutely love the eclectic mix of voices and languages on their CD:)

Karen Funk Blocher said...

You might like something called Musical StarStreams. It's a weekly syndicated radio show - from the Bay Area, I think - that was also available online the last time I checked. It's the downtempo, soothing end of electronica.

Karen

Charley said...

i've a fabulous piece of world music featuring the pygmy tribe in the Congo. Amazing music!

Thanks for sharing!
Best regards,
Charley
http://journals.aol.com/cdittric77/courage

Anonymous said...

Starbucks always has a cool selection of CDs.

Cindy said...

nice musical selections! i personally have a CD of Native American Pan Flute I love - it was recorded in a canyon somewhere in the desert, i believe. good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Hye Carly! thanks for the great information!I'm psyched!
love,natalie