22 May 08

7 students today. Last week Rice didn't show up because his first child was born -- congratulations to Rice, his wife and his little boy!
Someone asked if we are going to continue doing the class during Summer Quarter. I hadn't planned that far ahead! I have to ask BCC if a room is available.

I asked if anyone had any adventures since met last week. Pinar said she had been to Westport on the Pacific Ocean coast. Coincidentally a work friend of mine was at Westport on the weekend with a bunch of surfer friends of hers!

I mentioned that my favorite place on the Washington coast is Rialto Beach (photos). It's very far from Seattle -- about 4 hours by car, but it's so wild and beautiful! Well worth the trip!



The most important musical thing to note for this week was, of course, the upcoming Eurovision contest on Saturday.





I told the class that a Seattle band has the #1 album in the USA this week: The album "Narrow Stairs" by Death Cab For Cutie (bio) is the number one album. I said that I really like the first single from the album "I Will Possess Your Heart" (long video, short video, lyrics + interpretation) and watch the video multiple times each day. (The longer version of the song is better than the short one -- it builds up and allows more time for the song and video to develop.) After I pointed out some of my favorite lines from the lyrics Pinar mentioned that she liked them -- she hadn't really understood the lyrics that way before I explained them.

Since the songs is so clearly about the pursuit of passion I asked the class if they know about the book The Alchemist (info) by Paul Coelho. Most of them knew about this book. It is one of my favorites.

I mentioned that I had gone to a concert by Yoshida Brothers (info) last night. It was a lot of fun. What was also great about the evening was that I heard about the Yoshida Brothers from one of my Language Of Music students almost two years ago and I was able to go see the show in Seattle with her!


The concept that the Yoshida Brother's do of combining traditional music with modern touches inspired one of the students to show a video from China of the Twelve Girls Band (女子十二樂坊) (info) where 12 women play traditional music, but clearly with a very modern presentation (video).

I asked if this kind of music is usually played by men or women in China. The answer was, "It's usually men, that's the selling point of the Twelve Girls Band!" I'll have to keep my eyes open for their next (first?!?) concert in Seattle!

I remembered that I wanted to play a song for Marianna, who likes heavy music. The song is "A Tout Le Monde" (video, lyrics) by Megadeth (bio). I wanted to play it for her because Marianna likes women heavy metal singers and this song the woman singer from Laguna Coil (bio). I don't think Marianna had heard this song before but she said she likes it. It's a very commercial song for Megadeth, but I have to admit to liking the vocal melodies a lot.

As a further example of the singers that Marianna likes she played "Broken" (video, lyrics) featuring Amy Lee from Evanescence (bio) together with the band Seether (bio).

Suddenly we had a theme for the class -- duets between men & women!


Someone chose Mariah Carey (bio) + Boys II Men (bio) "One Sweet Day" (video, lyrics). Pinar, our resident opera singer, said she can't stand Mariah's "breathy" style of singing. I have to agree.





The next duet chosen was Ricky Martin (bio) with Meja (bio) "Private Emotion" (video, lyrics).








Next duet: Dido (bio) (who was unknown when she did this song) and Eminem (bio) "Stan" (video, lyrics). An inspired choice!







From one classic (of one genre) to another classic (of a completely different genre): Andrea Bocelli (bio) and Sarah Brightman (bio) "Time To Say Goodbye" (video, lyrics + story).






The last duet (and song) of the day was "Try Touching" (or is it just called "Touch"?) (video) by Younha (bio) and Wheesung (bio).