listening to the blues is something i love to do. it's interesting that majority of the songs are sad (wonder how they got the name 'blues') but somehow it makes me feel so good. it could be the guitar parts, the amazing vocals, or even the beat of the drums. for some reason...the blues make me feel great!
speaking of the blues...i've been in this crazy running slump for the past few weeks. it's been really hard to go out and run. i know what you're thinking, "well tony...running is hard." although i agree...running has always been something i love to do and have fun almost the whole time doing it (almost = key word). so, for the past few weeks it's been freaking brutal to lace up my shoes and head out the door. it started with my job getting way more stressful/busier last month, so it involved me working longer hours and a lot of saturdays. a lot of my volunteer projects were/are in full swing and that takes up evenings. it's getting darker earlier now so any free evening i do have it's too dark to run by the time i get home. some sunday mornings i can make it out unless we have meetings early at Church and then i don't have time. i also complain a lot and that takes up time when i could be running. hmmm....
this running slump is exactly like listening to the blues. while i listen to one of my favorite blues songs, wednesday evening blues by john lee hooker, i hear him sing about his woman leaving him and a foot tap in the background and i can easily compare it to my running slump. bare with me here...i'm tying this together any second now. step inside my mind for a minute (careful...it's crazy in here) and go for a run with me. if you listen to that song by john lee hooker it starts with a high note played several times and goes into a sweet blues lick. that'd be the time when i'm trying to force myself to lace up my shoes and head out the door. he sings the first line, "you know she left me one wednesday evening..." and now i'm out the door running and it hurts. you can hear his foot tapping in the background so slow and it feels like my feet are hitting the ground at the same time as his. slow. he uses a real basic and simple guitar lick throughout the song. running is real basic and simple. the pain in his voice is like my breathing...i just can't get into a good rhythm like normal. the song is coming to a close and i am approaching the end of my run. nothing has really changed...his woman still left him and i'm still running. the only difference at the end is he got his stress out by playing that blues song and i got it out by making it through my run.
the point i'm trying to make is this (finally): although the blues are mostly sad and right now running is hard for me...i have to keep in mind how the blues (and running) make me feel afterward (which is awesome, remember). i think it was dean karnazes that said, "i've never gone out for a run and felt worse when i finished." this has been the case for me 100% of the time i run. i'm not a genius when it comes to statistics, but i think there's a good chance that next time i go out for a run...i'm gonna feel great when i finish. now where are my running shoes...
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
10.15.2011
10.23.2010
number one with a bullet
so, check it. i'm a music snob, okay? okay. now that we've got that cleared up and there is no argument from my side...we can move on. hopefully my snobitude won't offend anyone too much in this post.
recently, while hanging out with emily and my best friend, brett, i told them i had a list of my top five most disliked songs of all time. this came up when one of the songs off my list came on at a restaurant we were at. i said, "oh, man...this is one song that tops my list of songs i cannot stand!" they couldn't believe it. for a couple reasons. one, both of them didn't mind the song. two, who really has a list of songs they don't like...or lists in general? me. making lists is where it's at.
my top five songs (not artists, just their songs) i cannot stand, will not ever like, and wish i would never hear again (from least to most dislike):
5. saturday nights alright for fighting by elton john // i can't stand this song simply because the ending and how he repeats/yells "saturday" over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again...and then a few more times
4. i love rock and roll by joan jett and the blackhearts // to be honest...guitar hero wrecked this one for me.
3. sweet home alabama by lynyrd skynrd // although i've never been to alabama...it is not my sweet home. and unfortunately i don't have a specific reason to disliking this song.
2. with arms wide open by creed // i know i said i didn't necessarily dislike the artist of the songs...but seriously, anything by creed is a no go for me.
1. american pie by don mclean // i always feel kind of guilty about this one simply because of the "musical history" he wrote about...but it's still nine minutes too long. and the fact that websites like this exist is just insane.
i know it's obnoxious to make this list, but i had to put it out there. you may love one of these songs, maybe all of them, and that's okay (sort of) if you do. everyone is entitled to their own opinion of what they like/dislike. i'm just the one with the blog that spends the time to do stuff like this. but feel free to leave a comment if you feel the need.
i was really hoping to be able to come up with my top 5 favorite songs of all time, but quickly realized that would actually make me more insane trying to come up with just five. i'd almost prefer to listen to one of these songs above...not really though.
recently, while hanging out with emily and my best friend, brett, i told them i had a list of my top five most disliked songs of all time. this came up when one of the songs off my list came on at a restaurant we were at. i said, "oh, man...this is one song that tops my list of songs i cannot stand!" they couldn't believe it. for a couple reasons. one, both of them didn't mind the song. two, who really has a list of songs they don't like...or lists in general? me. making lists is where it's at.
my top five songs (not artists, just their songs) i cannot stand, will not ever like, and wish i would never hear again (from least to most dislike):
5. saturday nights alright for fighting by elton john // i can't stand this song simply because the ending and how he repeats/yells "saturday" over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again...and then a few more times
4. i love rock and roll by joan jett and the blackhearts // to be honest...guitar hero wrecked this one for me.
3. sweet home alabama by lynyrd skynrd // although i've never been to alabama...it is not my sweet home. and unfortunately i don't have a specific reason to disliking this song.
2. with arms wide open by creed // i know i said i didn't necessarily dislike the artist of the songs...but seriously, anything by creed is a no go for me.
1. american pie by don mclean // i always feel kind of guilty about this one simply because of the "musical history" he wrote about...but it's still nine minutes too long. and the fact that websites like this exist is just insane.
i know it's obnoxious to make this list, but i had to put it out there. you may love one of these songs, maybe all of them, and that's okay (sort of) if you do. everyone is entitled to their own opinion of what they like/dislike. i'm just the one with the blog that spends the time to do stuff like this. but feel free to leave a comment if you feel the need.
i was really hoping to be able to come up with my top 5 favorite songs of all time, but quickly realized that would actually make me more insane trying to come up with just five. i'd almost prefer to listen to one of these songs above...not really though.
9.10.2010
trifecta
my trifecta: music + writing + love = ___________________
the blank is the most exciting part. most times i have no idea what will be there. in today's case...it was a song that i wrote. i know you're probably thinking that's an obvious outcome when you combine the three, but it's not always true in my case. a lot of times it's just thoughts. boooring.
when i listen to music...i'm constantly breaking it down. anything from the lyrics and what they REALLY mean...to the guitar parts and what they REALLY mean. i listen for background noise, too. i always try to put myself in situations where i can apply the song to my life and break it down that way. in case that doesn't make any sense...i basically overanalyze music to the point where it's borderline obsession/psychotherapy.
writing to me is not a form of therapy. i'm not the type of person that goes through some situation and thinks, "dude...i have to get this down on paper or else i'll explode." i simply see it as more of a way to express my ideas/thoughts/personal findings/beliefs. that doesn't even make sense to me, so don't feel bad.
love...is awesome. did you know that the philadelphia international airport is the best airport for making a love connection, according to an online survey. seriously, i guess if you're on the hunt for that special someone...schedule a flight there.
anyway...back to the part about the song i wrote. my trifecta...music, writing, and love. all three were involved/happening when i was working on this new song i was calling "fight." creepy part is...i titled it before i had lyrics...dun dun dun! it'd be really cool if i had it recorded and i could put the song up here for all to hear...but i can't at this time.
this is what happened: a few weeks ago i wrote this cool guitar part and wrote it down. then, i kept playing it and kept changing things here and there until i liked what i heard. about a week ago i wrote some lyrics down and tried it out. it sounded okay...to me. i played it for emily (she's my honest critic) and she gave me some classic "emily's corrections to make this sound better, please don't hate me for being honest, but i think it could sound better, even though it sounds okay now, it should sound better than okay, please still love me" advice on how to make it better. i made the changes..and yes, it was better...and i still love her.
so today...i'm playing through the song and i make another small change. then it happened...it turned into the saddest song i've ever written and i think it's incredibly depressing. it's a song about divorce. see why the title is so creepy now? most people know that musicians don't always write about their own lives. obviously in this case...this is one of those occasions where the song isn't about me personally.
back in high school, i had quite a few close friends with divorced parents. i can actually remember each of them telling me when it happened. at the time...my reaction had to be meaningless. they knew i'd never gone through it, so what would i feel? mostly true...all i could do is feel bad and try to love that person through their tough time. hopefully i did some good. that's what i learned/re-learned through this song. no matter what happens to you, someone you know, or a complete stranger...love is always present. lennon was right...all you need is love. so now the "BOOYAH" part: if all YOU need is love...where are you getting it? is it healthy? if it's true love it is. this could very easily turn into some sort of "you need Jesus" speech..and as much as i believe that to be true...i really just want to love you and everyone else in the entire world. don't you think that if every human had this approach to life...the world would be a little better? please don't take this the wrong way...i didn't invent this and i'm not saying i'm the only person trying to live this way. there are TONS of people doing a way better job loving others than i am. i'm simply stating what i'm striving to do and hope that it might motivate someone to do the same. have you ever seen the powers of ten video? the universe is big...so what? like we can't make an impact by loving people. yeah, i guess you're right...we might as well not even try. ORRRRR...we could make an all out attempt at changing the world and making it as awesome as possible!
"love to an 11!"
-tony
the blank is the most exciting part. most times i have no idea what will be there. in today's case...it was a song that i wrote. i know you're probably thinking that's an obvious outcome when you combine the three, but it's not always true in my case. a lot of times it's just thoughts. boooring.
when i listen to music...i'm constantly breaking it down. anything from the lyrics and what they REALLY mean...to the guitar parts and what they REALLY mean. i listen for background noise, too. i always try to put myself in situations where i can apply the song to my life and break it down that way. in case that doesn't make any sense...i basically overanalyze music to the point where it's borderline obsession/psychotherapy.
writing to me is not a form of therapy. i'm not the type of person that goes through some situation and thinks, "dude...i have to get this down on paper or else i'll explode." i simply see it as more of a way to express my ideas/thoughts/personal findings/beliefs. that doesn't even make sense to me, so don't feel bad.
love...is awesome. did you know that the philadelphia international airport is the best airport for making a love connection, according to an online survey. seriously, i guess if you're on the hunt for that special someone...schedule a flight there.
anyway...back to the part about the song i wrote. my trifecta...music, writing, and love. all three were involved/happening when i was working on this new song i was calling "fight." creepy part is...i titled it before i had lyrics...dun dun dun! it'd be really cool if i had it recorded and i could put the song up here for all to hear...but i can't at this time.
this is what happened: a few weeks ago i wrote this cool guitar part and wrote it down. then, i kept playing it and kept changing things here and there until i liked what i heard. about a week ago i wrote some lyrics down and tried it out. it sounded okay...to me. i played it for emily (she's my honest critic) and she gave me some classic "emily's corrections to make this sound better, please don't hate me for being honest, but i think it could sound better, even though it sounds okay now, it should sound better than okay, please still love me" advice on how to make it better. i made the changes..and yes, it was better...and i still love her.
so today...i'm playing through the song and i make another small change. then it happened...it turned into the saddest song i've ever written and i think it's incredibly depressing. it's a song about divorce. see why the title is so creepy now? most people know that musicians don't always write about their own lives. obviously in this case...this is one of those occasions where the song isn't about me personally.
back in high school, i had quite a few close friends with divorced parents. i can actually remember each of them telling me when it happened. at the time...my reaction had to be meaningless. they knew i'd never gone through it, so what would i feel? mostly true...all i could do is feel bad and try to love that person through their tough time. hopefully i did some good. that's what i learned/re-learned through this song. no matter what happens to you, someone you know, or a complete stranger...love is always present. lennon was right...all you need is love. so now the "BOOYAH" part: if all YOU need is love...where are you getting it? is it healthy? if it's true love it is. this could very easily turn into some sort of "you need Jesus" speech..and as much as i believe that to be true...i really just want to love you and everyone else in the entire world. don't you think that if every human had this approach to life...the world would be a little better? please don't take this the wrong way...i didn't invent this and i'm not saying i'm the only person trying to live this way. there are TONS of people doing a way better job loving others than i am. i'm simply stating what i'm striving to do and hope that it might motivate someone to do the same. have you ever seen the powers of ten video? the universe is big...so what? like we can't make an impact by loving people. yeah, i guess you're right...we might as well not even try. ORRRRR...we could make an all out attempt at changing the world and making it as awesome as possible!
"love to an 11!"
-tony
7.19.2010
music is dead.
music is NOT dead. to some people i think it is. music will never die...i assure you that. i rest assured there will continue to be people out there like me who will not let that happen. when i hear people say, "dude. omg...i love music. i am so post-modern and you are not. where is my scarf?" it makes me nauseous. what? i hear that all the time. you don't? i guess i'm somewhat of a "music snob." the best way to understand what that means is to watch the movie high fidelity and get to know rob, dick, and barry. now, i'm not saying some of those people who say they love music don't actually love music...but i feel like people really throw that phrase around. maybe it's just the word "love" that's being thrown around. hmmm...that's for a different day.
usually when i think of something in my life...i can pair it with a song or something music related. does that make sense? good. for example: i just heard "work" by jimmy eat world and it immediately reminded me of when i first started dating Emily (now my wife.) futures came out fall 2004 and we started dating that winter...so it was playing a lot when we were hanging out. now "this day of change" by run kid run is on and it reminds me of my first day at lincoln christian college because my roommate (he ended up not coming to lcc until the following year, so he was never my roommate) played guitar for them. any song by c.c.r. reminds me of growing up because my parents listened to amazing music (60's and 70's mostly) when i was young. i am convinced that this is at least 60% of the reason i have such a strong passion for music today.
so, i'm listening to pandora right now. i was totally the first one to ever go to pandora.com even before the people who created it. that's how much i love music. have i mentioned i am a sarcastic person yet? good. i love it how they do so well playing good music based on your first band entry...and then out of left field they'll throw something awful in. why does that happen?
i bet i know more bands than you. maybe i love music so much because i create it, too? i am a musician. and i have a cd that i released july 2008. i love finding new music to influence the way i write. does anyone care? probably 11 or 12 people total.
compilation tapes...or mix tapes as some call them are awesome. of course in my generation these "mix tapes" were mostly "mix cd's," but you get the concept. i used to make tons of them.
Rob: I will now sell five copies of The Three E.P.'s by The Beta Band.
Dick: Go for it. [Rob plays the record]
Customer: Who is this?
Rob: The Beta Band.
Customer: It's good.
Rob: I know.
^ that part of the movie sums this whole blog entry up. amazing music affects people. now if everyone could just agree on what "amazing" music really is and then toss the other crap. that was a bit harsh.
usually when i think of something in my life...i can pair it with a song or something music related. does that make sense? good. for example: i just heard "work" by jimmy eat world and it immediately reminded me of when i first started dating Emily (now my wife.) futures came out fall 2004 and we started dating that winter...so it was playing a lot when we were hanging out. now "this day of change" by run kid run is on and it reminds me of my first day at lincoln christian college because my roommate (he ended up not coming to lcc until the following year, so he was never my roommate) played guitar for them. any song by c.c.r. reminds me of growing up because my parents listened to amazing music (60's and 70's mostly) when i was young. i am convinced that this is at least 60% of the reason i have such a strong passion for music today.
so, i'm listening to pandora right now. i was totally the first one to ever go to pandora.com even before the people who created it. that's how much i love music. have i mentioned i am a sarcastic person yet? good. i love it how they do so well playing good music based on your first band entry...and then out of left field they'll throw something awful in. why does that happen?
i bet i know more bands than you. maybe i love music so much because i create it, too? i am a musician. and i have a cd that i released july 2008. i love finding new music to influence the way i write. does anyone care? probably 11 or 12 people total.
compilation tapes...or mix tapes as some call them are awesome. of course in my generation these "mix tapes" were mostly "mix cd's," but you get the concept. i used to make tons of them.
Rob: I will now sell five copies of The Three E.P.'s by The Beta Band.
Dick: Go for it. [Rob plays the record]
Customer: Who is this?
Rob: The Beta Band.
Customer: It's good.
Rob: I know.
^ that part of the movie sums this whole blog entry up. amazing music affects people. now if everyone could just agree on what "amazing" music really is and then toss the other crap. that was a bit harsh.
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