The Power of the Pause

A momentary silence in music or in other forms of art can be powerful. It's the power of the unknown, the power of anticipation. All you new piano players out there: Remember to take your foot off the pedal once in a while. I know it's a little scary sometimes to hear all the notes and the rests more clearly. But you'll be glad later if you get into the habit of paying attention to your pedaling.

Also, the special powers of Ancient Airs and Dances by Ottorino Respighi. "The Cure for Everything".

Notice in the linked video how the smooth transitions between minor and major keys and/or related modes lead you deeper into the music. They're like subtle surprises - changes in mood which you can't quite predict. Even if your mood matched the somber key or mode in which the piece starts, you are swept up by the insistent flow of the music into lighter feelings, with an occasional break into major chords. There is tension between the light, airy tempo and the serious key signatures which dominate the piece. No dramatic silences, no dramatic changes in tempo. The shifts in key are a subtle way to keep you anticipating what comes next. And, of course, the piece ends in a positive major key.

"It will make four hours at the lathe with a bad foot a trip to the confectioner's."

Well, maybe for some people.

Hawaiian Stress Reduction

Our friend, Brandy, recently asked which music "refills your well". I may have missed the point a little in the comments. I included "feel good" types of music in addition to the inspiring, soul-filling kinds. But sometimes I have to work up on inspiring, "fill the well" music with less lofty or contemplative, but still recuperative, music.

When Sister Lee was here, we became more familiar with Hawaian music and instruments. Just being around Hawaiians can help you take on a more relaxed attitude. . The music also tends to reflect this. We bought some IZ, ukulele and slack key guitar CDs. We even bought some ukuleles.

Here are some examples of music from, or with some tenuous connection to, Hawaii or Hawaiian instruments. All are good for taking the edge off the stresses in your life. Here's some slack-string guitar, where even the strings are tuned to low-stress. For fun, some ukulele background. Heavy metal from Hawaii. Slack key taropatch ukulele if you don't want your ukulele strings to be uptight. Baritone uke in slack key. Arthur Godfrey sometimes played a baritone ukulele with Ukulele Ike. Here, Ike does a little ukulele, plus the complete version of "When you wish upon a star", which he performed for Disney.

The Baritone ukulele is tuned like the four highest strings of a guitar when not in one of the slack keys. I figured that four strings would be easier to handle than 5 if I wanted to learn to play. I already have enough trouble with guitars because they seem backward from a piano. The strings on a baritone uke are spaced about as far apart as guitar strings, so guitar players can transfer a lot of their knowledge directly to this instrument.

And of course for real feel-good music, there's that Hawaiian institution, IZ (Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole) performing Over the Rainbow, some beach party music, and a couple of my favorite hulas.

Back from our little trip

Well, we returned yesterday from our little trip to Utah. We were tired, but had good traveling weather both ways - Rain in the desert on the way - 69 degrees going into Las Vegas and 81 in the city itself - at 2:00 p.m. in August! Moderate monsoon weather continued in Utah - cool and overcast, a little rain, with one hot afternoon (hottest of the year) at 101 degrees.

Going home, we stopped at a casino in Mesquite in the afternoon. Our room was partially subsidized by gamblers. Only 103 degrees at 3:00 p.m. We parked in a shady spot. Skipped valet parking. The "real people" part of town - supermarket, Walmart, etc., are easily accessible from the freeway. Mesquite is in quite a pretty setting, surrounded by mountains. It's near Bunkerville, where our deceased friend Sylvia's family was from. She was born in a tent in Las Vegas, where her father was mining (I think), Early settlers in Bunkerville didn't have much more than tents. How spoiled we are.

We left Mesquite at 3:00 a.m. Clark County, Nevada, where Las Vegas is, must be huge. County fairgrounds are near Bunkerville and Mesquite. Settlers were able to establish dairy farms to serve Las Vegas after a road to the city was built. Hidden Valley Ranch is between Bunkerville and Vegas. The city is still more than an hour away from Mesquite even at freeway speeds.

It was 68 degrees outside Vegas (a "lake of lights" before dawn, as David put it). If you have to go through Vegas, that's a beautiful time of day to do it. Only 81 degrees in Baker. And as low as 64 degrees in the high desert.

David's Mom and Dad stayed with the animals, who mostly did fine. Maggie, Troy and Little Buddy refused to go outside once and Grandma had to show them a broom (don't know how they knew about brooms). Lucky went on strike for a while and wouldn't eat (he even refused chicken) or go outside. He demanded sympathy and love from Grandma. He broke his hunger strike with peanut butter and toast.

This trip was a very nice change for us. The dogs were thrilled to see us - raced around the yard. Geriatric Sparky and Dottie looked contented. Cats took everything in stride. More later on the family reunion, etc.

Fiddlin' and Feet, Nova Scotia style

Just for fun. Pretty girls. Maybe could use a little performance costuming. But never mind. Watch their feet.