Category: Musical Musings (Page 1 of 11)

A ‘White Album’: Pete Townshend – Who Came First

December 6, 2024 / laura bruno lilly / 29 Comments

Here’s a little something that’s totally unrelated to the holidays or all the stuff currently going on in my daily life – a draft post conveniently available for pubbing!

Note: my longstanding and growing personal list of ‘White Albums’ are albums inspired by the literal color-aspect of the Beatles’ White Album. Here’s one for you to enjoy.

October 1972

Okay, it’s December, 2024 – not October 1972. But the earworms I allowed into my brain following the last post are unrelenting. Nicely so. 😊

As I wrote my last post, I uncovered an entire musical soundscape I forgot was birthed in real time. Part of that setlist includes Pete Townshend’s first solo album, Who Came First.

Turns out, Who Came First was released in October of 1972.

I was introduced to the actual album by my boyfriend at the time. A college Senior to my Freshman innocence, he was more attuned to the happenings of the world. 😊

I had heard a few of the singles on the at-the-time underground FM station KLZ but didn’t know there was a full album forthcoming.

One day while on the hill in Boulder, browsing the music album bins at Albums on the Hill my boyfriend pulled out a white album and exclaimed, “It’s here!”

Yes, even then it struck me as a ‘White Album’ with Pete suspended upon a field of eggs.

Clever.

Not knowing I was living in a world of historic importance – musically and otherwise – this and other albums released that year and beyond were my companions as I walked those first years of young adulthood.

Two of my favorite tracks were and still are Pure and Easy and Let’s See Action.

Pure and Easy

These days I hear the echo of the phrase from the lyrics, ‘there once was a note‘, as literal as well as altruistic.

The path my music has taken is reflective of the literal aspect of inference. I have taken control of my life path in that I am not subject to the public’s perception of success. Instead, I have made my dent and continue to do so in the niches upon which I chose to focus. Touching (he)arts and getting to do what I love most…play, teach, collaborate, create, compose, record, perform – in ensemble as well as solo…

“I listened and I heard music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star…

…We all know success when we all find our own dream
And our love is enough to knock down any wall
And the future’s been seen as men try to realize
The simple secret of the note in us all
In us all”
excerpts, Pure and Easy, Pete Townshend

Let’s See Action

As a basic call to action for change within and without – with a carefree attitude – the attraction of the message lies in how it plays out in life.

I’ve been on both sides of this.

The not knowing of where I’m going or where it leads.
The confidence in knowing ‘I’ll get to where I’m gonna end up’.

Relevant reminders then and now!

“Let’s see action
Let’s see people
Let’s see freedom
Let’s see who cares…

…I don’t know where I’m going
I don’t know what I need
But I’ll get to where I’m gonna end up
And that’s alright by me”

Something to Ponder #1

October 5, 2024 / laura bruno lilly

note: I’m gonna go out on a limb here. Naming this post with a “1” after it implies there will be more to come…let’s see how well that works out. Meantime, enjoy the break from most things serious!

Way back when I was in the duo Laura & Thereza*, we came across yet another ‘Celtic’ song that we liked and consequently arranged and performed at various gigs. That song was: Whiskey in the Jar.

An example of a traditional rendering of Whiskey in the Jar by The Irish Rovers

While fooling around with our 12-string guitar/violin take of the piece, middle daughter tells us we should listen to how Flogging Molly plays that very song**.

Flogging What?

Therein lies my first introduction to the phenom known as 90s Celtic Punk.

…and the name of this group has haunted me for decades….

What does Flogging Molly mean, anyway?

That question re-visited me recently during one particularly hot & humid July night, when it was impossible to sleep even with the AC on.

I got up, grabbed a pen and listed out a few possible answers to this question, hoping that would ease me back to sleep.

It didn’t, but here’s my list.

1^st thought: Molly’s being flogged
2^nd thought: Molly’s doing the flogging
3^rd thought: it’s a description of their music as having a ‘flogging’ driving beat; relentlessly continuing on and on and on
4^th thought: an image of the drummer in the band as the ‘flogging’ force behind their music

What say you?

Oh sure, you can google the story behind the name of the band – but where’s the fun in that?

An example of Flogging Molly’s Celtic Punk style of music

*Laura and Thereza (from the liner notes of unexpected)- this duo was created when the pair first met as performing members of the Denver Mandolin Orchestra in 2001. They each recognized in the other a high level of musicianship, commitment to the music, and depth of technical training. They soon began playing together as a duo with Laura on classical & 12-string guitars and Thereza on violin & mandolin.

'Laura & Thereza' (Laura Bruno Lilly, right, Thereza Zacek Stephan, left)

**As I perused YouTube for that very song by that very group, I couldn’t find it. That makes me wonder – did middle daughter own a bootleg cd of that very group?!? Hmmm, yet another thought to ponder. 🙂

Weekend Notes 9/14-15/2024

September 15, 2024 / laura bruno lilly

‘Start with Now’ is a good umbrella catchall phrase which describes my on & off approach to feeding the blog with sporadic & unscheduled posts…That said, let’s jump right in!

I sorted through my ‘Goals for 2024’ to where I’m on-track with some, delinquent in others. I am basically pleased with achieving a tenuous balance incorporating prioritized focused attention on specific ‘goals’ with living life in its everydayness adding spicey bits of fun, delight and love as opportunities arise.
I set up a way to accrue points on time spent doing various aspects of specific items related to my primary music project goals and translated them into ‘reward time’. I call it the Ankara Reward because I’ve been itching to play around with the Ankara fabrics I’ve teamed up with Moda Grunge fabrics designated for a specific quilting project. Using this as a controlled ‘reward time’ helps when I’m in a slump and need motivation to keep going with my music, but mostly it prevents me from going down a rabbit hole of avoidance pulling me away from my primary focus.
I learned a valuable lesson while using the Ankara Reward as a motivator/break from my primary music project goals: delayed gratification of a reward earned results in diminished joy in reaching that ‘reward’ and makes it feel less significant as a motivator as I continue with the focused tasks.
- Instead of planning a time to redeem my ‘reward’, I decided to forge ahead reasoning that I was on a roll and would be happy to indulge my reward at a later date. The problem with that? I had no idea this would lessen the positive aspects of achieving the ‘reward’ plus deplete my drive to continue with tasks related to the goals they were attached to!
  - I learned that delayed gratification has a limit for its usefulness – kind of a weird example of the law of diminishing returns.
I renewed my driver’s license and bought my ‘Real ID’ star. What’s amazing is that my license photo came out uber well!
I found a recent photo of myself to crop and use in a professional application. What’s amazing is that it came out uber well!
- take a peek: I added it to my ‘About’ page just for fun
My birthday month is fast approaching. I love my birthday month. But this year I’ll be tipping over the 9’s into my next decade of life…and if I’m honest…The tipping point is kinda hard for me this time around.

Weekend Notes 8/17-18/2024

August 18, 2024 / laura bruno lilly

FYI: A few days ago, I received my “Happy Anniversary – you registered on WordPress 11 years ago” notification. It may be my last.

Let me explain.

Surrounded by my notes, I just now sat down, opened my computer and logged onto my WP account to begin this newest Weekend Notes post. What I originally hand in mind to write involved copying a paragraph from a previous post, so I hit the “All Posts” button on my dashboard. Instead of the usual listing of previously published posts, I was presented with a chaotic array of vertical post titles and empty space. An ominous sign that more such chaos lurked elsewhere throughout my website/blog.

That’s when I knew the script changed.

Please consider this my ‘message in a bottle’ that hopefully gets out there for all to view. Given the above intro – this bottle may or may not reach anyone.

Dear blogger buds, followers, friends, and readers of all sorts,

Most of you know the ups & downs, joys & travails of using WordPress. Many of you know I personally have experienced a huge increase in the downs & travails of it beginning March 2024.

This newest set of freaky developments are not quite the final push for me to chuck this platform.

However.

In order for this website/blog to continue I know I am in for multiple rounds of trying to decipher, redo, fix, wait for/give up on tech support answers, etc. I know I’m in for a huge dive back into the technical aspects in going forward with this platform. This all takes an enormous amount of time & effort to enable this website/blog to simply go on doing what it is meant to do.

Will I be successful?

Why should I be? I’m no computer programmer or WordPress technician expert. Nevertheless, I have learned numerous tricks, HTML bits, plugin compatibilities, go arounds and more of the technical side of WP functionality/maintenance than I ever thought possible.

Don’t get me wrong, I love learning and a challenge. But given the fact that WordPress solicits itself as a user friendly, no technical knowledge needed platform with abundant tech support, I feel I’ve gone way over and beyond the call of duty.

And now, more than ever, as I am entering into a long awaited focused ‘Purple Patch’, with my 2024 projects & goals, I resent this intrusion into my valuable time. After all, this website/blog serves my (he)art, not the other way around.

So, just in case the blog goes silent again, know I am trying my best to maintain my website/blog presence. You can always email me and/or use the contact form to get in touch, if you like. 🙂

peace

LAURA

Memo to self: Regardless of the project focus – It’s All About The Music

Goals, ToDos & TryOuts – part 2

July 9, 2024 / laura bruno lilly

First seen in this earlier post and then again in part 1, a certain coffee mug takes center stage as an example of a ‘quick TryOut’.

That said, the ‘quick TryOut’ to finish Aromatic Steam Arising is only as good as the sum of its parts. Meaning: one of those parts was to compose a soundtrack specific to the video. That part was right up my alley and I certainly had fun noodling around on both the UKE and CG for ideas. The noodling resulted in two separate 4 measure motifs which I then entered into my NOTION notation program and arranged as a duo. Adjusting for the duration of coffee mug’s stellar performance, I came up with the 34 seconds of music needed for use in the video.

That was the easy part. Next came the actual putting together of a cohesive video highlighting my raw unedited phone footage in sync with a NOTION instrument rendition of my ASA 34 Seconds accompanying audio track.

Enter stage left – the challenging part of my ‘quick TryOut.’

Armed with some working knowledge of Canva, I decided to go forth and dive deep into using their free tools for video/audio projects. It took me a few days but I learned much through the process.

As promised, here is my first attempt at making a video with my personal & original uploads using Canva tools. Enjoy!

Aromatic Steam Arising postcard — **An easier to read version of the ending page in the above video – yes, I need to ‘fix’ that! 🙂**

The Meaning We Make with Our Hands (Poem)

June 3, 2024 / laura bruno lilly

In reading about the stories we as creatives tell through our (he)art, I came across this phrase from a Quiltfolk blog article.

It resonated. I ruminated. I wrote a poem.

The Meaning We Make with Our Hands
Laura Bruno Lilly © 2024

I tell stories
I paint pictures
I touch hearts
		with sound.
Found sound
Composed sound
and sometimes spoken.

Phrases shaped
Rhythms formed
and all the silent in-betweens.
Peppered throughout with tone colors
                both nuanced and bold.

Listen
My music speaks
		its own truth.

Yep, Still Technical Difficulties, but I’m Back Anyway

May 5, 2024 / laura bruno lilly

And what should appear in my email but a notice from a certain Manc Bud Poet that he’d filmed a snippet of a song I love during a concert he attended just Friday night.

He wanted me to know that the vid was too large to send so – get this – he decided to post it on his blog instead…just so I could share in its musical delights!

Hop over and take a peek! The vibe of the venue is just what my psyche needed, too.

Ya know, WP has many, many issues, but why I stick with it is because of guys like Andy…and all you other guys, too!

🙂

Meanwhile, here’s Infinite Sun by Kula Shaker via YouTube – Enjoy!

NOTE:

Yep, my website is functioning, but on only 2 cylinders. I find it interesting that my desire to blog has increased during the ‘Sounds of Silence’ stage and this further stage of waiting for fixes to be suggested and then implemented.

Jetpack tech assistance in the wp.org Forums is still pending, stuff is still messed up, but I’m back anyway.

RIP: Michael Chapdelaine

November 28, 2023 / laura bruno lilly

Michael Chapdelaine
1956, San Diego, CA – November 16, 2023, Boulder, CO

“Please, play Michael’s beautiful music and smile with us. Share his love for the guitar with your friends and family.” – Suzanne Dove Chapdelaine

Michael Chapdelaine, a local, regional and international (he)artist with whom I was acquainted, was the only guitarist ever to win First Prize in the world’s top competitions in both the Classical and Fingerstyle genres – the Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championship at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield.

A contemporary colleague within the world of classical/acoustic guitar who was generous with his time, knowledge and playing, Michael’s presence will be greatly missed.

Multiple Meanings of ‘sus’

October 6, 2023 / laura bruno lilly

Multiple meanings?

Who knew? Not me!

According to those in the know ‘sus’ means suspicious.

When author/editor (and friend) L.Marie posted about current slang used among teens, the term ‘sus’ came up.

My comment to that post went as follows:

“Sus (suspicious)” HA! Had to laugh at this one. As a musician, ‘sus’ is common reference to a suspended chord and/or melodic line suspension. Often said, Csus7 as an example; or There’s a sus on measure 3, forth note.
My comment to L.Marie’s post on current slang

That’s my simplified attempt at using ‘sus’ in a sentence. As a musical, technical, theoretical term go here & here for explanations and examples of suspension.

Excerpts from pop music of where different ‘sus’ chords are used can be heard in the video to the left. Keeping in mind that this is a composition technique used in many other forms/styles of music.

The beauty of this particular musical sound is that once heard, most listeners regardless of musical acumen recognize this in whatever genre of music it is heard.

That sound can now be connected to its name – suspension, or ‘sus’.

Full pop song example of ‘sus’ chords in instrumental sequence (first begins ~ 0.18) – Enjoy the music!

Come Monday. That’s Today.

September 4, 2023 / laura bruno lilly

I cannot get past the coincidence of today’s Labor Day Monday and the Come Monday Monday also being a Labor Day Monday. It pushed me over the edge of posting on this Monday, Monday. But then, that’s a different Monday entirely!

While I like me a fine Margarita, this song (and video) by the late Jimmy Buffett is more reflective of the mellower times I remember in the 70s. Since it became a hit in 1978, I can imagine & remember the early days of being a newlywed. And our time as a couple with a newborn living in the Bay Area shortly thereafter.

Hubby was the country/cross-over fan, introducing me to Jimmy, Waylon and Willie! ?

Of those three, I’d say Jimmy was the one who grew into a good lookin’ old guy – respectfully written I assure you.

RIP Jimmy – an everyday musician who didn’t let his unexpected fame (via that other hit song) spoil his joyful, gentle, persona.

On a side note: I hope this Labor Day ushers in cooler weather for everyone. Take care, all!