Thanks to a friend on Facebook, I recently came across a short little article about Mister Rogers.......of Public Television Fame.....and the videos in the article were wonderful. I want to share them with his other fans. Are you a fan? I was one of those kids way back when who watched Mister Rogers. I never could stand Sesame Street.......but Mister Rogers, he was for me. :)
The article tells a sweet anecdotal story about Mister Rogers that is definitely heartwarming........but what I enjoyed most about the article were the two videos. If you are a fan, it will warm the cockles of your heart to watch these two short videos.
The other is a video list of 35 things to know about Mister Rogers. Did you know that he was an accomplished pianist and composer? And that his mother knit all of his sweaters? Fun and entertaining. Well done, Mental Floss.
If you follow this link......it looks like you can watch many episodes of Mister Rogers.
I heard this little musical gem while I was driving home from work last week. I loved it!
I cannot seem to get Youtube to let me embed this video......so I will leave you with the link instead.
Short, and nice background music for checking your Facebook or reading our blog...or any blog!
The piece is YOUTHFUL RAPTURE (click here to listen) and the cellist is Julian Lloyd Webber.....yes, brother to the famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.........composer or CATS and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, among other awesome musicals.
I have never heard a Julian Lloyd Webber performance that was not perfectly wonderful.
The composer of YOUTHFUL RAPTURE was PERCY GRAINGER, an Austrailan. I love that he was only 19 years old when he composed this piece. And, I love the title of it.
When I was growing up in the seventies, I loved the Bee Gees. My stepmom was into their music and so I followed suit. I was promised by my parents that I would be taken to see a Bee Gee concert if they ever came to Los Angeles. By the time they did show up in my town.........I had moved on to different music and groups.....not that they did not have a special place in my heart. I was fifteen years old when I went to their concert. I was so embarrassed......it was 1979 and it was not cool to like them......so I never told any of my friends that I was going to the concert. :) And while I was at the concert, I kept my eye out just in case someone saw me. My step-mom informed me that was silly.....if someone did see me, it would mean they were at the concert, too. Aw, well. I never saw anyone. But, see....they might have seen me, but not let themselves be seen. See? ;)
Anyway.......the concert was at Dodger Stadium......home of my beloved Dodgers....and a place I had visited frequently for baseball games. For the concert, it had been transformed into something wonderful. The concert was at night...of course......and the light show was fantastic and perfectly in tune with the music. I loved that part of it.
I was not sorry I was there......and was particularly thrilled when teen heart throb little Gibb brother made a surprise appearance. Yep. You guessed it. We got an Andy Gibb mini-concert. How much more blessed could Bee Gee fans expect to be?!
I was so glad to have gone to that concert......and as far as I know......none of my friends ever found out about it...... ;)
....Haha.....I think I wore my ugly (but I did not know it at the time) satin Dodger jacket to the concert......who knows? Maybe that is just a random Dodger stadium memory.....
Sooooo, back to the topic at hand....
All of their early lives, I kept all of that music (Bee Gees and other post 50's music) out of my kids' hands, and spared their ears. I filled their souls with classical, folk, lullaby and Celtic music. And lots of it! All six of them love music.
And now.........they listen to the Bee Gees. And like it!
Who could have expected this?
This YouTube video is from that same concert in 1979, apparently. I had a sneaky suspicion that I would be able to find video from that exact day....crazy world that we live in! While it is a fun video to watch....if you don't mind the Bee Gees........I am bummed that they totally ignore the absolutely amazing light show that was happening with the beat of the song. I still retain that memory. Too bad I cannot remember anything of current importance..... :/
And now, just out of curiosity......who else was a Bee Gee fan way back then? Who still listens to them today? Who tries not to expose their kids to the stuff?
Off and on this summer, one of us gets this tune in our head and we start humming. The next thing you know.....all of us are humming it.........we are all going crazy.
We like the song.........but not.all.day. everyday. in our heads!
A reprieve of a week or so comes. And then........it starts again.
Last week, it was me. I could not stop humming this song. The kids were begging me to stop. Begging.
I finally downloaded it from iTunes onto my iPhone. Now, I can have it whenever I want. Wicked laugh.
Haha. They don't know it yet. And now I have figured how to make the song repeat. Over and over and over again. I am going to make them crazy. ;)
Actually, my little man knows. I put it on last night and chased him around the house with it. :) He was begging me to stop.
A friend recently called to borrow our DVD copy of WEST SIDE STORY. She and her girls were in the mood to watch it. After calling the few local video stores we have in town (are we down to one or two now?), she called us.......she thinks we may own the only copy in town. I am not sure about that.......but it may be one of only a few.
I chatted with her a couple of days later about WEST SIDE STORY and that is when I remembered this hilarious parody. I am sharing it here for Leslea and for me...so i could find it anytime I need it. Too funny.
This piece is lovely. I love hearing the melody play throughout, with the different instruments. Can you or your children recognize them?
The picture in this video does not change.........but it is a gorgeous snapshot of the Aurora Borealis.
Just a little note:
If you want to expose yourself or your children to Classical music, but do not know how or where to start, simply playing these videos will be a good place to start. Play them many times over a day, a week, a month. Let them become familiar. Keep it simple. See if you can find more by the same composer at your library.
Play this music in the background while you work on the computer or surf the Internet or work in the kitchen, do art with the kids......clean house. Anytime!
Enjoy this peaceful music in this Passiontide of Lent.
You are going to love listening to this and watching it! This is so wonderful! This music will make you happy!
I am a huge lover of music. I love all genres. I am probably most fond of Classical music. My favorite XM Radio station is Symphony Pops. Every time they play great music (which is almost all.of.the.time!), I write the piece down so that I can find it later for myself or to share with you. This trumpet Concerto of Haydn's is simply wonderful.
If you want to expose yourself or your children to Classical music, but do not know how or where to start, simply playing these videos will be a good place to start. Play them many times over a day, a week, a month. Let them become familiar. Keep it simple. See if you can find more by the same composer at your library.
Play this music in the background while you work on the computer or surf the Internet or work in the kitchen, do art with the kids......clean house. Anytime!
This particular video has the added bonus of close-ups on the various instruments as they play their parts.....children will love that. I love that!
Josf Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in E flat major (part 1)......and don't miss part 2 below....follow one after the other.....
....and part 2......
I would love to share excellent Classical music pieces with you regularly. Please let me know if this is useful to you......
Maybe some day, when I can catch my breath, I can do a Composer of the Month series, like I do at home for my kids periodically. Ah, someday.....
ENJOY!!!
Lenten Blessings,
Chari
PS I love music so much.....that I have to deny myself during Lent. :) I limit myself to Classical music only......and only sometimes. It is a great sacrifice.....but it frees up my mind more for praying......I like to bring more QUIET to our home and to our car. It works!
One more thing: I will put all of these video recommendations under the Label: Take Up and Listen so you can find them all on one page.
