Singing pointlessly

[gurdonark]

I began my day watching parts of the movie Lawrence of Arabia on the television. I always see snippets of this film; I've never seen it all the way through. In late morning, I went to McKinney, one town over, where they have a town square. I wanted to get a local quilt for one of my wife's relatives, so I went first to a place called Quilt Asylum. It was an asylum for quilters rather than quilt products. I headed off, missing a once-in-a-liftime chance to ask what meds best assist with the quilting disorder. I'd love to be able to quilt, as I could then make holiday gifts for everyone I know all through the year.

McKinney's town square shops had a wide assortment of items, bu few quilts. At length, though, I found one which was reasonably affordable, nicely patterned, and suitably sized. My own theory is that one cannot have too many quilts, too much gingerbread, or too many books by Anthony Trollope.

My friend Scott M came over at two thirty so that we could play and record some music. We had time to record three songs during our time together. During the first song, Scott played a great acoustic guitar line, while I played a 20 oz. diet coke bottle filled with dry rice. During the second song, I played the faux didgiridoo I bought on ebay, which is a very long piece of plastic that has been mocked up to look like a real didge. It sounded sonorous and great, although I did not get as much of that didge vibration as I would have liked. For a rhythm track, we used a miniature Pringle's can filled with marbles. Our third song was much more ambient. An electric football field and one of those South American rhythm cones provided the background, while Scott's work on a low F harmonica was the driving sound. We had a very good time, doing this. I still want to write some "real" pop lyrics some day. The best we did today was a fairly impromptu version of Neil Young's "Helpless", in which I changed the lyrics to describe the sad demise of the family cow.

I got another holiday card or two ready today, but I have many more to go. Soon they will Happy New Year cards.

Comments

[kenmora.livejournal.com]

I had a dear friend, Gibson Norman Kerpel, "Gill" to anyone who knew him, who was an absolute fan of Lawrence of Arabia. He loved it not only for its majestic and heroic dimensions, but for its score. He told me about the instruments and sounds devices designed just for this motion picture to convey its sense of majesty. Alas, I will never get the chance to see LOA with my friend again, and hear him repeat those fascinating stories of how the score was created, because he died not many years ago on his motorcycle. So now whenever I see the movie, I pay particular attention to the score and wish he were around to tell me again how it was made.

And when in the end Lawrence dies in a crash on his motorcycle, I think of the mortality of friends, and how I miss my buddy Gill.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

what a lovely story, and so sad. My goodness. thanks for sharing that.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

" My own theory is that one cannot have too many quilts, too much gingerbread, or too many books by Anthony Trollope."

Alas, I own none of them...

" Our third song was much more ambient. An electric football field and one of those South American rhythm cones provided the background, while Scott's work on a low F harmonica was the driving sound. "

We all really need to hear these songs and soon, you know ;)

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I have a whole album of them I keep procrastinating finishing! I hope to get them done soon.

The music is done, but the trapping are still an issue. That's the story of my creative life.e I can do the source work, but packaging kills me.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

You're ahead of me still though, my plan this year was to start making some recordings but I haven't managed yet... doesn't help that the tape recorder I have hisses too much to be good for anything other than voice, and the puter hums too much.. thinking of getting a Zoom PS 2 and just doing stuff with that...
Hope you get things into a listenable form though, must be a real buzz having that going on :)