Say Something Nice & Then Play Some Music

I don't know, September has been odd. I've been soooo busy with soooo many projects. I started off the Labor Day weekend by sleeping for 15 hours straight. It was glorious, let me tell ya, but I've been completely out of sync until yesterday. I think it was yesterday. Was that Tuesday? Anyway, I thought about posting today with a "See ya in a few weeks when I get it together" message but I just love The Jungle and all of you, my sweet butterflies. So instead, I'll share a couple of videos with you. The first is "Say Something Nice" by Improv Everywhere, a "prank collective that causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places". Yea, I had a boyfriend like that once in college, but I digress. You can check out the back story on "Say Something Nice" here.

Just love that quirky fun from people's hearts.

The next video is totally different and will not necessarily appeal to all of you. It's sort of a music geek thing. Now the truth is out- at the heart of it, I'm pretty geeky, nerdy, dorky. Which makes me think of this cartoon (though I am not a Magic: The Gathering player)---

So anyway, thanks to my parents, my family has some strong musical inclinations. We all have played one or two instruments at one time or another, some (present company excluded) are gifted singers. We all have definite areas of interest, preferences, and abilities and those areas cover a lot of territory, musically.

Since I'm kind of geeky, I love the computer nerd things that folks do with music. I mean have you seen the guy who programmed his scanner to play Bohemian Rhapsody? I love that song, no matter how you play it or who sings it. Anyway, I started piano in early grade school and the trumpet not too much later so I'm familiar with musical scores. They are another form written language that can be read and interpreted and I've always found them visually beautiful.



Image by Associated Press via TampaBay



So I love what this guy does with a thing called The Music Animation Machine MIDI file player. I know, you true audiophiles out there are rolling your eyes at me for just now finding the bandwagon and you're hoping I don't get on. Too late!! I downloaded the program and have my first attempt all planned out, but with things being soooo busy and Christmas tapping at the window... who nows...


I can't explain this well enough to do it justice, other than to say that it is a visual representation of what you are hearing. OK, that's a musical score, but this is dynamic so that you can see exactly where the musicians are and who is playing and who is playing what. It's a written language being spoken out loud before your very eyes! How's that for cramming in all the senses? I can hear more of the music by following that bar graph. Do take a listen and I'm sure at least some of you will find it interesting. There are a variety of songs posted and though Beethoven's Fifth is not a particular favorite of mine it is familiar to most of us. Plus I played this in an orchestra once and it's a hoot for trumpet players!!

Thanks for visiting today- I am so thrilled with each of your visits. I have been doing a little cooking and a couple of crafty things so maybe I can get those, plus September's birthstone, posted before, oh, I don't know... October.

Now go say something nice and then listen to some good music with your eyes closed.