Archive for the 'Music' Category
Strummin’ in the sunshine
Christine February 28th, 2010
This is our son Alasdair who sat in the back of our Honda Fit yesterday in the sunshine playing his new tenor Ukulele. Silly me, I forgot our camera so I took this shot with my phone. I think he should have set out a little tin cup in case someone wanted to toss in a bit of change for the Busker. It was a glorious, sunshine filled weekend! We had a chance to sit around and play music with our two sons as well – it doesn’t get much better.
Ukulele magic
Christine February 13th, 2010
This is my tenor Ukulele which I think is pretty much the cat’s pajamas (no offense to our cats or to what they wear). Yesterday I was headed out the door with it in its case and my friend, who runs the beauty salon two doors down from us, scurried out the shop’s front door with her little soprano Ukulele in hand and called: ”Where are you headed?” I answered back from across the street: “To the after-school program!”. Then, after noticing the Uke in her hands, I asked her: ”Are you practicing?” Rhonda answered back with a wide grin: ”Yes, and my fingers are sore!”
Rhonda is part of our newly-formed adult Ukulele class which we teach every week over at the library. The class has been an enlightening education for Matthew and I as all of the participants in our class of ten have no former musical training and don’t play any instruments prior to the Uke (with the exception of one gentleman who has done some singing and a lady who took piano lessons). We are entering our fifth week of classes and the enthusiasm has been heart-warming.
Matthew and I don’t understand what it is like to live most of one’s adult life sans playing an instrument. Watching their immediate progress with the Uke has created a kind of epiphany for us, the teachers. Most of these people came into the class proclaiming: ”I have no musical talent. I just want to learn something!” Wow – are they ever learning! These people are an inspiration and we all leave the evening class with big smiles on our faces. Stories such as ours are playing themselves out all over the place. There truly is a huge, resurgence of interest in this wonderful little instrument all over the world. Playing the Ukulele is magical!
Cool Vancouver
Christine February 8th, 2010
We used to spend summers in this city when I was a little girl. My father was working on his Master’s and we usually spent close to a month in the heart of the city during the sessions he attended at the Theological school. I have so many wonderful memories of these times – walking the pier, my mother buying crab right off the boat, going to the zoo, taking the ferry over to Victoria…it was magical for a little girl from small town Montana. I have been back only once to Vancouver as an adult and it is a much busier, greatly larger place now. It is about the only city I am truly in love with. Enjoy this video which I discovered on the Dish.
- Music , Travel , Video
- Comments(6)
Crown of the Continent
Christine January 31st, 2010
A new friend who lives in Arizona recently called to ask me if he could set some of our music to a video he shot last October of the Flathead Lake area and Glacier Park. I said: Yes! He put his video up on YouTube today so here it is. I really like it. Thank you Wayne, for letting us be a part of your lovely short film. (About six minutes long.) What a great way to step out of this month and into February. Soon it will be hiking season again. There is plenty of snow here to be seen however!
On the ice or under
Christine January 20th, 2010
The frozen Clark Fork River looking west in the opposite direction of a similar photo posted two days ago. This scene reminds me a little of that Kate Bush song about skating on a river which has frozen over on itself. You can listen to it here – Under Ice – it is only a couple minutes long. I always got goose bumps from this song and not in a good way, but I think that is exactly what she intended for the song to do. We have had a bit of an air inversion all over western Montana the last few days. A blanket of fog and no sun means no fun! My brother informed me that he likes that closed in feeling if he has a good book and a nice cup of tea on hand. He has a point. But I still say… (not my bridge art).
- Fun , Music , Travel , photography
- Comments(9)
Lady Ella
Christine December 14th, 2009
This feels like my own personal soundtrack today playing in my head – Lullaby of Birdland.
Ella Fitzgerald live. I certainly hope she is keeping up her chops in heaven.
A fine web ~ OSI
Christine December 13th, 2009
the kiss of voices
spirits woven together
singing web
~~~~~
thin, reflecting strands
a subtle artist labors
fine art and a meal
~~~~~
Crowded market place
dense wall of unknown faces
I call out your name
too many choices
bad muzak makes my head ache
Christmas gluttony
I turn, there you stand waiting
smiles under the mistletoe.
~~~~~
One Single Impression - join us! Thanks to all the fine poets. The prompt this week is Spider Webs.
Flowing Music
Christine December 4th, 2009
photo by Caitlin Carroll
I started playing ukulele first for 2 years from age 9 to 11 and got my first guitar and got inspired by blues I heard on the radio that turned me on and I started learning myself.
Johnny Winter
I think my first instrument was a ukulele that they gave me. I used to know how to play that pretty well.
Don Henley
Migration ~ OSI
Christine November 30th, 2009
Four line serenade
finger migration on strings
Ukulele love
can you hear the sea
calling to those departed
wind sculpting white sand
barefoot print left to the tides
he left only his sweet songs.
Every week thanks to Sandy and Andree’. Thanks also to all those contributing to One Single Impression.
Photo by Caitlin Carroll of our son Ian playing Uke.
