Category: Music

If I don’t write this, it will bug me all day

I’m supposed to be writing test documentation reports right now. Only I’ve got the beginnings of some dumb parody song stuck in my head.

Squiddo is selling chocolate to raise money for summer camp. I brought one of the boxes to work. On the way in, before I dropped the boys off at school, “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?” came up on the shuffled play lists. So of course my brain started coming up with alternate lyrics. I need to push this off the stack so I can go back to the reports I’ve got to get done.

“Do You Want to Buy Some Chocolate?”
(To the tune of “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?”

Do you want to buy some chocolate?
It’s a fund raiser for my kid.
He wants to go to summer camp
so he’s selling sweets
to help him pay his way-

It used to be much cheaper
to go to camp,
but now it costs much more!
So do you want to buy some chocolate?
It doesn’t have to be some chocolate,
I’ve got Twizzlers, too.

(almost) the iPod I’ve been waiting for

The new iPod Touch looks like a good upgrade to my 60GB 5th Gen iPod. I’ve been waiting for a multi-touch interface iPod to come out since the iPhone was announced (well, technically since before that.) AND it comes with WiFi and mobile Safari and and and…

I’ve got just over 40GB of songs and videos on my current iPod, And I still have a bunch of CD’s that I’ve yet to get around to importing. A copy of entire iTunes library (and then some) is stored there. If I were to get even a 16GB iPod touch, I’d have to start managing what I have synched, and thats even before I start buying things with the WiFi iTunes Music store.

Maybe I’m lazy, but I think I’ll just wait for a higher capacity iPod touch. That being said, if one of these were to make their way into my life as a birthday and/or Christmas present, I’d happily make room for it. 🙂

East Bay Harmony

I recently joined a choir called East Bay Harmony. We are preparing for a concert at the end of this month. (See their website for more details.) I’ve got to have 14 songs for the large choir memorized (I’d say I’m 80%-90% there. I was off-book for the last rehearsal, but had trouble with few of the songs) as well as 2 “Small Group” songs, one of which I volunteered for at the last rehearsal.

As I’ve mentioned to a couple of people, the thing I’m most worried about is the material for Small Group. (Especially the Quartet piece.) One of the things I’ve always had trouble with is relying on the other singers around me to keep me on pitch. A big piece of it just has to do with my confidence as a singer, which is the main reason I wanted to join the Small Group Master Class. I wasn’t expecting to perform in any of the small groups at the upcoming concert, and was half ready to tell the director that I didn’t want to. Then I realized that I should just step up. (Thank you Paul.) If I backed off from this performance, it would be just that much easier to back off from others.

What’s the worst that can happen? It’s only a 2-3 minute song.

So, if anyone reading this is going to be in the Oakland area on the evening of March 26th, you are more than welcome to come see me (and a bunch of other talented musicians) sing. More details can be found here, and if you’d like me to send an evite your way, leave a message in the comments.

What’s this? A Pyrimid Marketing Scheme?

I tend to trust UserFriendly so I clicked on a banner ad there that I would have ignored on just about ANY other website.

Now I’m probably just making things worse by taking the next step and posting this link: Get a free iPod

As I understand it, this is how it works:
1 Sign up for an account and pick which iPod you would like
2 Complete one of the site’s promotional offers
3 Refer 5 other people who must also complete 1 offer (and I assume, refer 5 of thier own people… and so on)
4 Have your selecetd iPod shipped to you

I’ve completed step 1. This post (with the link above) is my attempt at completing step 3. I haven’t decided which of the promotions is the least evil yet, so I’m holding off on setp 2.

Why am I doing this? Why the hell not?

I love/hate the 90s

VH1 has recently been producing a series of Decade Nostalgia shows.

I enjoyed “I love the 80s” and “I love the 80s Strikes Back” and got a kick out of “I love the 70s”, but I wasn’t sure I’d want to watch “I love the 90s”. I don’t think we are far enough away from that decade to really look back upon it with nostalgia just yet.

Of course that didn’t stop me from watching the 1993 episode when I came across it while flipping channels this weekend. I now have another reason not to watch any more of the I love the 90s series: I have chorus for “Informer” stuck in my head. Its been there for the last 2 days and I can’t get rid of it.

The problem is that I never could understand the lyrics to that song, so singing through the song once or twice (my usual method of un-sticking a song) won’t work. I did a search for the lyrics, but that doesn’t help much either, because I can’t fit them into the rhythm that is stuck in my head.

My only hope now is to find the song online at some free music streaming site, or try to get another song stuck in my head instead (preferably, one that I know the words to)

gah.

A Night at the Theatre

My mom and step-father gave my wife 2 tickets to the stage production of “The Lion King” in San Fancisco for Christmas. Last night was the show. It was Awesome.

We’ve both wanted to see this, ever since seeing a promo trailer on the big-screen at the back of the Disney Store at Newpark Mall. I was intreagued by the costume and set design even then. It was simply amazing how the show is put together.

I might try to write something more about it later, but I basically wanted to say Jenny and I had a wonderful time. If you ever have the opportunity to see this show – do it.

(note to Gossip: requesting “Theater” section, please)

Edited on Aug 6th 2004, 01:21 by Hooloovoo

The Rock Bottom Remainders

Jenny and I went with a friend of ours to see The Rock Bottom Remainders at the Fillmore last night.

(Looks like they need to buy more bandwith – here’s another site with some info.)

For those that don’t know, the Rock Bottom Remainders a band comprised (mostly) of notable authors like Amy Tan, Stephen King, Dave Barry and others. Jenny is a big Dave Barry fan, which is the main reason we went. The exact group composition varies from show to show. (For example: Stephen King did not perform last night.)

Barry claims that they suck, and has no idea why anyone would actually want to hear him and his literary cohorts play, but they really weren’t that bad. (Due, in large part, to Roger McGuinn, who is along for the ride for this tour, and “actually plays IN TUNE“)

Jenny got an autographed copy of “Tricky Business“, while I purchased a RBR hat and CD.

A couple of my favorite highlights from the show:

  • Robin Williams as a “suprise guest” to open for the band.
  • Amy Tan in a cross between a biker and a dominatrix outfit singing “These Boots Were Made for Walking”.

Last night was fun, I’m glad we went.

Edit: At least I’m consistent in my inability to spell “Barry” correctly

Edited on Apr 25th 2003, 21:51 by Hooloovoo