22 January 2014 (Wednesday)

(Today's post written while watching the Grammy Awards. Proud of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (info) winning Best New Artist and doing a great performance.)

6 students came today to talk music. The theme for the day was "unrequited love" or songs about longing for someone. Or, as always, whichever songs the students have been listening to a lot lately.

The first song we listened to was "Louie Louie" (video, lyrics, song info) because one of the guys in the class is named Lui. I mentioned that in the 1980's some people tried to make "Louie Louie" the official song of Washington State, but it didn't make it. Instead, our officials song is "Washington, My Home" (video, lyrics + song info) :-( I have never sung this song, but I've sung Louie Louie a million times!

The next song was "Disco 2000" (video, lyrics, song info) by Pulp (info). The lyrics fit the theme of the day very cleverly!

Next we listened to a song from a new student: "El Amaken" (video) by Mohammed Abdu (info). The student said he is the most favorite singer among all Arabs.

The next song was back to our theme: "You Give Love A Bad Name" (video, lyrics, song info) by Bon Jovi (info).

The next song was "Ta Tienne" (video, lyrics, song info) by Carla Bruni (info). The student who chose this song said it is her favorite song while travelling.

The concept of travelling made me think of a video I have shown many times in class: "I Will Possess Your Heart" (video, lyrics, song info) by Death Cab For Cutie (info). I relate to the concept of this video of someone travelling alone throughout the world and I love the way the video and the music work together.

The next song chosen was "Moi Lolita" (video, lyrics, song info) by Alizee (info).

This reminded me of another song, "I'll Kill Her" (video with lyrics) by Soko (info). It's a funny song. The French accent that makes the singer sound like a weak little girl makes the song even more cute as she talks about killing her rival.

On the theme of wanting to curse or kill a rival to a lover, a student played a song by Miyuki Nakajima (info). I don't know the song's title, but here's the video: video, song info. Wow, she's *really* angry at someone!!

Next we listened to "Photograph" (video, lyrics, song info) by Def Leppard (info). This song was back to our theme of the day -- how someone wants to know Marilyn Monroe (info) but all he has is a photograph of her. Coincidentally the album "Photograph" was on, "Pyromania" (info) was released on this day 31 years ago!

Speaking of songs about Marilyn Monroe, I asked the class if they knew the song "Candle In The Wind", which most young people know at the song that Elton John (info) sang at Princess Diana's (info) funeral (video, lyrics, song info). But Elton John's original version of this song, from 1973, was written for Marilyn Monroe (video, lyrics, song info).

The next song chosen was "Heartbeat" (video, lyrics) by Tahiti 80 (info), which was the only song by a French band the student knows.

The next song chosen was "Love Email" (video, lyrics) by Nico (info). I can't read my notes very well, but I think the student heard this song through friends.

The last song we listened to was "How Soon Is Now" (video, lyrics, song info) by The Smiths (info). A few of the people in our class love Johnny Marr (info), the guitar player for The Smiths and this is a song which highlights his guitar playing. I personally also like the lyric when he sings "When you say it's gonna happen "now"well, when exactly do you mean?".

I wonder if the class has ever heard the version of this song by the Russian duo t.A.T.u (info) that had 15 minutes of fame in about 2003. Their version of "How Soon Is Now" (video). (I feel kind of bad posting this link since it's such a terrible version of the song...)

With that, class was over for the week. I hope to see everyone next week.The next theme will be "Which song have you heard the most times in the past week?"

15 January 2014 (Wednesday)

Today was the first day of back after a long break over the holidays and between Fall and Winter Quarters! 10 students showed up, mostly people returning but a couple of new people, too.

We started the class by catching up with what everyone did over the break between quarters.

When I said, "We should talk about music, too!" one student asked if I thought he should buy a ticket to see the upcoming Pixies (info) concert. Before I gave my opinion I decided to play a Pixies song and ask the class to give their advice on whether he should buy a ticket to the concert. So we listened to "Where Is My Mind" (video, lyrics, song info). In the end the class didn't seem to like the song very much and no one advised him to buy a ticket to the show. I agree it's not worth the money as the best, most interesting years of the Pixies were about 25 years ago, when Nirvana were still a garage band and trying to be like the Pixies...

Speaking of the Pixies just before writing this blog this evening a cover of the Pixies song "Cactus" (video, lyrics, song info) by David Bowie (info) came on my phone on shuffle, so I have to put a link here. I like this Bowie version a lot! I guess I should link to the original version for comparison.

The same student who was considering going to the Pixies said that concert is one day before Paul Simon (info) with Sting (info). He loves Paul Simon and is very much looking forward to the concert!

Another student mentioned she is going to the Justin Timberlake (info) concert in Seattle on Friday (17 January). I read a review of the Justin Timberlake concert and it sounds like it was excellent. I'll ask the student for her review next class!

Another student said she is going to see a concert by the band Imagine Dragons (info). I don't know that band so we listened to "Radioactive" (video, lyrics, song info).

The same student is very excited to go to the Franz Ferdinand (info) concert. To get a taste for FF we listened to "Right Action" (video, lyrics, song info), though the first song she ever heard by FF was "Take Me Out" (video, lyrics, song info), which she heard while shopping (as usual, hahahaha!).

It's a great experience to see concerts away from one's home city/country/culture, I'm glad so many students are going to see concerts!!

The next song was "Young Wild & Free" (video, lyrics, song info) by Wiz Khalifa (info). Yes, our Wiz Khalifa fan was back! :-)

The next song was "The Messenger" (video, lyrics, song info) by Johnny Marr (info). The student who chose this song loves British rock and feels that this recent Johnny Marr album is a masterpiece.

One of the students travelled to New Orleans (info) over the break so he chose "What A Wonderful World" (video, lyrics, song info) by Louis Armstrong (info), for whom the New Orleans airport is named (SZ note: cool!! Seattle's airport can't even decide which city it's in, Seattle or Tacoma, let alone have an inspired name) and who introduced jazz music to the world. I've always loved the lyrics to this song!

For a more modern, "rock" version of this song, I've always liked the Terence Trent D'Arby (info) version (video). And since I have your attention, I'll put up another Terence Trent D'Arby song that I like: Elevators & Hearts (video, song info). The guitar part on this song always remind me of his version of his version of "What A Wonderful World".

The last song of the day was "Fighter" (video, lyrics, song info) by Christina Aguilera (info).

With that our time was done for the first meeting of Winter Quarter. I look forward to next class! 

Theme for the next class will be songs of unrequited love -- either about a person who loves someone but they don't notice or still being in love with someone you broke up with -- or break up songs. Of, if that's too depressing, students can play any songs they are listening to a lot this week!

11 December 2013 (Wednesday)

This was the last class of the Fall Quarter: the class will take a break until Winter Quarter, starting again on Wednesday, 15 January.

Because it was the end of the quarter and a few students had already left Seattle, some regular attendees didn't show up. But we still had a group of seven.

We talked first about the students' plans for traveling over the break/holidays. Quite a few students were going back to their home countries for a visit.

The first song we listened to was "Black & Yellow" (video, lyrics, song info) by Wiz Khalifa (info). Yes, the student who loves Wiz Khalifa was in class today! 

However, I don't remember now as I am writing this blog post why he chose "Black & Yellow", sorry. In fact, I was very lazy over the holidays and am writing these notes more than three weeks after the class so I can't remember a lot of the explanations for the songs anymore; I'll just write out which songs we listened to...

Next was "Under The Winter Sky" (video with lyrics poorly translated into English) by Mintjam (website).

Then "One Love" (video with lyrics, song info) by Bob Marley (info).

Then "Same Love" (video, lyrics, song info) by Macklemore (info).

Then "Born This Way" (video, lyrics, song info) by Lady Gaga (info).

Then I suggested a song for all the people who like Smashing Pumpkins (info): "Lazy Eye" (video, lyrics, song info) by Silversun Pickups (info).

The last song of the day -- and the Quarter -- was "Within Attraction" (video) by Yanni (info) (we watched the violin duel from 3:50).


And with that the class and the Quarter was over. I look forward to seeing everyone -- and some new students! -- in January!