Peter Gabriel, even more “spacey” than usual

Three people living somewhere up there, higher than the blue, spoke with Peter Gabriel this month.  "Howard, CO sky" ©2008 ANVidean

Three people living somewhere up there, higher than the blue, overcame the limitations of space with Peter Gabriel.          “Sky in Howard, CO” ©2008 ANVidean

I just could not resist sharing this video of three astronauts on the space station quite literally “hanging” around, talking and sharing music with Peter Gabriel and his family at NASA.

The English singer, musician, and songwriter (Genesis), remains one of my all-time favorite lyricists, creative thinkers and humanitarians.

A YouTube video gem. You’re welcome. 😀

P.S. Share a link to a unique video about your favorite musician.

Landfillharmonic’s recycled orchestra

When you live on a landfill in Cateura, Paraguay, and in such poverty even your children must work in it, what do you do to bring them joy?

Landfill workers Favio Chavez, a musician, and Nicolas Gomez, a luthier, decided to build instruments from trash and create a children’s orchestra. The “Recycled Orchestra” movement even inspired a movie: Landfill Harmonic.

Since no release date is specified on the Web page, I assume they’re in need of financial support to complete the project. If you care to find out more you will certainly be inspired to help.

Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze.

What incredible musical activities can you share?

The Recycled Orchestra story is humbling and makes you profoundly grateful, especially when your own children get to participate in music, like my son Cutter's digital performance at ASU. @2011 ANVidean

The Recycled Orchestra story is humbling and inspires profound gratitude, especially when your own children get to participate in music far on the opposite spectrum, like my son Cutter’s digital performance at ASU.
@2011 ANVidean

Breaking Benjamin, Linkin Park, Ten Years and Brahms inspire novel-in-progress

Music and word lovers, join me in the journey where music enhances fiction! If you have a favorite artist/song and would like to see it potentially worked into my novel-in-progress, comment here with the artist name, song title and a bit about its style/genre/lyrics.

I’m mentioning inspiring artist’s songs in The Song of the Ocarina. It’s one of the elements readers liked most about my first novel Rhythms & Muse. (“Look Inside”–even just its first and second pages–on Amazon and you’ll see how songs play into and enhance the plot.)

Allow me to share a few songs mentioned in Ocarina, the first book in my Delfaerune Rhapsody young-adult series. (It’s a trilogy about 7′-tall, wingless, Celtic Fae saving the world in New Zealand.)

Linkin Park’s “Papercut relates to a moment when Lark, the heroine, feels a loss of identity.

• Lark, also the faerie realm’s musical prodigy, plays Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” on the piano in her bedroom after returning to the faerie realm from the human world.

• When Noel, the hero, sides with his estranged Dark Fae family, Breaking Benjamin’s “Crawl will inspire the mood.

• Uncle D’s “True Kiwi Way”is a little New Zealand ditty mentioned when Lark meets her kiwi “familiar.”

• Lark’s Noble Fae sister sings 10 Years’s “Through The Iris”  with her Dark Fae boyfriend.

• Brahms’s “Lullaby” is the first song Lark plays on the ancient magical zither when she holds it again for the first time in three years.

Steampunk music. Really? Yeppers.

Steam Powered Giraffe logo.

Creativity with goggles,
from Steam Powered Giraffe.

  • Music.
  • Steampunk with a back story.
  • Coolest graphics ever, even including a comic book.
  • Videos.
  • A card game.

How can you not love these San Diego creatives?!

The robot band members:

  • The Spine (David Michael Bennett)
  • Rabbit (Bunny Bennett)
  • The Jon (Jonathan Michael Sprague)

Their human assistants/band members:

  • Michael Phillip Reed, the “One Man Band”
  • Sam Luke, drummer
  • Steve Negrete, sound engineer

Learn more. (I promise weirdness and inspiration.)

So, what do you think of them?

Walk Off The Earth, Gotye cover: Today’s Pick

I blame these guys (my musical kids) for keeping me up on the latest hot music.

For creative writing inspiration, my nearly adult children introduced me to Belgian-Australian multi-instrumental musician and singer-songwriter Gotye (go-tee-yay) a couple of weeks ago. His video “Somebody That I Used To Know” is a new favorite of mine.

Now, I’m even more inspired by a cover of the song by Walk Off The Earth (WOTE) performed by all five band members on one guitar. This Ontario, Canada-based indie band formed in 2006 has built a huge fan base by making creative low-budget music videos of covers and originals, without record labels, booking agents or management. The band did recently earn a recording contract with Columbia Records.

Also, you’ll be intrigued by the intricate, eye-popping cardboard set featured in WOTE’s cover of “Little Boxes.” This 1963 Pete Seeger hit was written by folk singer-songwriter and political activist Malvina Reynolds.

Whose music inspires you, for writing or otherwise?

What’s In You? Lyrics

Rhythms & Muse Music CD
Track 1 (5:07) – Audio Sample

What’s in You?

Intro

Verse 1
At once when I saw you, I felt our full connection,
My mind whirled ’round with tangible inflection.
One look, music poured.
Unbidden, ballads scored.
Forewarned. How to learn, harmonious direction?

Intro reprise 1

Chorus
What’s in your look, that sets the music flowing?
What’s in your pose, that tells me you’re worth knowing?
What’s in your mind, that says it’s worth exploring?
What’s in your heart, that brings me thoughts adoring…

Bridge

Verse 2

The next time I saw you, my own life fell away.
Mystic joys and pleasure, came with you to stay.
One word, warming spread.
One touch, glimpsing red.
Create. Connection, never found astray.

Chorus

Bridge reprise

Intro reprise

Verse 2 (partial)
One look, music poured.
Unbidden, ballads scored.
Forewarned. How to learn, harmonious direction?

Chorus

Bridge reprise, ending

©2010 Ann Narcisian Videan

My Dreams, My Own: Lyrics

Rhythms & Muse Music CD
Track 3 (2:44) – Audio Sample

My Dreams, My Own

 

Verse 1
Dreams of tomorrow
I just can’t borrow.
Dreams, not surreal,
I truly feel.
My dreams, I find
Can’t be intertwined…
With dreams of another
Who’d cling and smother…

Verse 2
I need to call my dreams my own.
I want to own the dreams I’ve sown.
I’ll strive to own my future.
No other’s goal can fill my soul.

Bridge

Chorus
I am torn by swift, engulfing passion.
I must focus, in my solo fashion,
To stay true to my seclusion,
Not to follow your illusion.

Instrumental
(partial Verse 1 reprise)

Chorus

©2010 Ann Narcisian Videan

Not Far Away: Lyrics

Rhythms & Muse Music CD
Track 4 (3:55) – Audio Sample

Not Far Away

Verse 1
Oh, my friend,
I have a gift to give you.
Not something you can buy or touch,
But one to live within you.
There are many things I could give you,
To show you that I care,
But nothing you can touch,
Can show you what is really there.
And whether we’re friends or lovers,
We’ll often think the same,
We’ll hold the land close to our hearts,
And try to seek the way,
On the wings of air,
Not far away,
A friend is there.

Verse 2
Oh, my friend,
So many things we’ve shared
Since I first saw your face
I have always cared
So I am giving you
A thing you can’t feel or see
But, something you can listen for
Yes, listen when you feel the need
I am giving you my friendship
To last throughout your life
So you’ll remember that I care
And seek the way,
On the wings of air,
Not far a-way,
A friend is there.

Verse 3
Oh, my friend,
Our memories are treasures
The innocence of love and fun
The times just can’t be measured
The world is a circle
And some feelings that you feel
Go ’round in the circle
To show you what is really real.
They say, “If you let someone go,
and he returns to you,
Then you always had his love.”
And, you’ll find,
How to seek the way
On the wings of air,
Not far a-way,
A friend is there.

©2010 Ann Narcisian Videan

Mind and Time: Lyrics

Rhythms & Muse Music CD
Track 5 (4:52)Audio Sample

Mind & Time

Verse 1
How can I hurt so?
What have I done?
How could I hurt you?
My special one.
In one small week that never was.
I’m sure I dreamed it.
I’m sure because…it was so perfect, so very clear.
My senses sound when you are near.
And then you spoke your thoughts inside.
The dream came real. So much I’ve cried.

Chorus
Time…made us cry
Time, time…makes love die.
Time, time, time…I ask you why
Time…passed us by?

 

Verse 2
It was a script.
I was the star.
I played the part,
but played too far.
I fooled my-self with blinded hope
That in my real life I could cope.
How can typed pages become real life?
It was too perfect, no cares or strife.
We walked in green with the unknown.
In such a world, Love’s seed was sown.

Chorus

Verse 3
Those wondrous days
I can’t explain.
Who’d think such joy
Could bring such pain?
I cannot have you. The world’s unfair.
At least I had you, you once were there.
I want so now to be together,
To feel that spark, that intense pleasure.
Our feelings run so very deep
Yet, timing says that we must weep.

Chorus

©2010 Ann Narcisian Videan