We all dress accordingly: a bit of flamboyance a bit of sincerety.

When all is said and done, and the ring has come completed; we are ready for a new school year.
Grades have been set, we got the results of a long season's hard work and the only thing we look forward to is the vacation we get, knowing no long list of handed in files will have to be graded during nights and weekends.
This is when we fall apart, regain composure and slowly find the excitement to get started anew.
We have exams every year, sometimes it is more draining to us, than it is to the students.
Hope, nerves, excitement and disappointment, all at the same time, do take its toll.

To celebrate all of this, and to celebrate those of our coworkers who leave, for whatever reason, and those who have had an anniversary, we have one last gathering and then a big lunch.

The fun, unexpected twist this year, was a concert by the artist Tommy Fredvang. We knew he had been entertaining at the graduation ceremonies, and rumor had it he was ever so cheeky about our principal's red pants. Which we love!, by the way, but which we understand can catch anybody off guard. (I love that even more!) To me, those pants represent us as a school and staff. We are teachers.

Anyway, we understood fairly early on that this was going to be a concert with the theme "love lost".
Which could have become a mushy seance, but added a healthy portion of irony, sarcasm and jokes became a rather enjoyable time.

I just couldn't stop myself from thinking how young he is. Quite pleasant to look at, and fairly well dressed always helps. He appeared not too flamboyant, and not too sincere... just a healthy combination of the two. But to me he was first and foremost just very young. And funny.

Love takes many forms. Some times we mistake other affections and excitements for a romantic kind of love.
This summer I have been married for 24 years, to the same man. (Maybe he being away so much has something to do with that. Maybe it is all his credit, but we are still a couple.)
Back then I was young, and perhaps funny. And I thought that love would stay young, and new, as well. I thought that as long as I chased for forever living in delightful bliss, our sensation of being in love would be kept alive.
It doesn't.

I was fortunate to fall in love with my future husband in spite of a lot of things: it was 1986 and the cool guys had long hair with perm... among other strange fashion features. His hair was down to his waist, and yes: he, unlike me, had hair which took to perm very well! Today he has no hair at all... it is safe to say he has nothing but improved with age.

Through time, changes, weight and sickness he loves me. Some days in the quiet way, which holds no other joy than the assurance he accepts I have major flaws. Other days he is proud to be at my side.

Anyway, Tommy (I find that someone trigging that kind of soulsearching pondering must accept being called by his first name) sang and played one cheesy, sad lovesong after another. Very sentimental, and as it turned out fit for food for thoughts.

It was a great concert, regardless his theme.
Maybe it was his ongoing comments about our principal's pink pants. Maybe it was his honest sound with vocals and acoustic guitar, no room for hiding any notes out of key(... he had very few).
Perhaps it was his cover version of Ed Sheeran's Thinking out loud, maybe it was "Vampyrane", "Love is running low" or maybe it was my slight disappointment he didn't perform any Justin Bieber song... I mean, anyone who can bring Wham's old hit "Careless whisper" into a new and enjoyable era, can make decent music worth listening to, of anything musical, which has been wrecked before.
I would rather enjoy that, I think.

There is a good chance he thought we would be square and boring. Well, for anyone who hasn't encountered a crowd of teachers outside the classroom, I tell you a secret:
Square and boring just doesn't cut it. If you want to be a good teacher you need to be a bit of everything and everybody.

We were so happy it's last day at work we laughed just he asked how we were doing.
But on any everyday we are updated, easy going, good... no: great! at what we do and how we perform our work. We are firm, yes, yet we listen, show respect and show lenience. Our best feature is variety, and down the list of character treats you should have as a teacher you will find: remember variety is spice of life.

We deal with both hard working, serious students who strive to get good results and achieve both understanding and knowhow, and we deal with rascals who have spent years of their life to learn how to appear careless.
No day is boring, even though some days are hard.
(Some days, I admit, I hope one or two don't show up, just because I am tired... but they always show. And I love that about them.)
At one point Tommy wondered what we did to our students, who chose to stay behind, talking for hours, after the graduation.

We put on a show every day, and in that respect we are much like artists. The core is: We care. We show them that it matters to us they do well. And by doing well, I don't mean they should get top grades; I want them to become the best version possible of themselves. That is a form of love as well.

And we are not afraid to dress accordingly our job. With flamboyant sincerity.

another Monday

Monday...

Last Monday, was one of those days when I just should have stayed in bed. Not because I was tired or anything, but simply for the sake of others.

I was in such a terrible mood, annoyed at everything and everyone, and it's so easy to find defects in everything from the fruit basket in the kitchen, to the boss at work.

And no, I couldn't blame it on "the time of month", which funny clowns at work suggested. They won’t do that again, as I gave them an excessively loud and lengthy discourse about gender discrimination, and modern feminism; Fully deserved! (Oh, yes! did that ranting off feel good!)

It's just that some days everything’s just wrong. You just know it before you uncoil from the sheets, and get up.

Mood, and state of mind, was close to depressed, my body felt exhausted, my hair looked like a haystack seriously neglected and I suspect I was wearing an uneven pair of socks. They were both white, but one reached a little farther up the leg. It's possible it happened during laundry, but I think I just slipped up when I sorted, paired and folded them.

Even the coffee on Statoil tasted wrong. The cup of coffee I refill at the gas station every morning, on my way to work, usually is pure elixir of life. Monday it was just like an acidic brew.

The only revigorating happening was that the car started.

My son's car didn't even though we started it on Sunday ... with cables, and with the neighbor (a mechanic) as delighted spectator. He thinks that my great fear of being electrocuted is hilarious! I am happy to amuse him, but I must say it felt somewhat humiliating when he pulled out his cell phone to film me putting one clamp on the battery and the other one on the chassis.

Anyway, I came to work in a terrible, lousy mood, and while I was at work waiting for internet to work, so I could get some reviewing done, unsuccessfully I may add, the notion came over me that there is a good chance the whole world is against me.

Sun made an appearance and showed off the winter dirty windows and lit up a sparkling ray of dust that hung in the room.

I daydreamed about a walk in the woods.

It was like nothing got done, so I figured that to cheer myself up, I should write a list of everything I have to be thankful for. Had I been in a good mood, the list would have been long and creative, now there was only one statement: Weekend is coming up soon! And this optimistic and motivational phrase I wrote down a Monday!

There are many reasons why days sometimes feel off and louse, and strictly speaking it is quite normal to have bad days. It doesn't have to be me there is something wrong with, sort of. Life is, after all, a rollercoaster of impressions and feelings, so things goes a little up and then a little down. You know, like it should. You can't taste the sweet if you don't know the sour or bitter.

It's just that... sometimes the lows are just overwhelming and feels neverending, the bad days come around more often and last longer. Eventually I somehow don't hold any big expectations that something good will happen.

Therefore, I have compiled some great tips online about what one can do when one is in a bad mood, to get in a better mood:

to socialize > meet friends

Excellent tip! If you have friends who are patient enough to bother try cheering you up at all hours. I have such friends! but I get so guilty knowing they are wasting a whole lot of time and energy thinking about me and my petty issues, I just crumble up inside.

So I spend the last two hours we are together apologizing I am such a bad friend. And then I feel even worse because the longer I listen to my own voice, the more excruciating I know my friends' night gets.

They're going to have a lot to talk about tomorrow ... and thinking about that doesn't make things better ... I know they will text each other, and others, with sighs and groans and the lamentable story of my puny person.

think through why you are in a bad mood / rectify the situation which causes a bad mood

If I knew why I'm in a bad mood, it wouldn't be a problem. Then I could have dismissed the whole thing as not important. In many ways I'm lucky to have my priorities in order. I know what's important in my life, and strictly speaking it's certainly not often important people in my life makes me crabby.

Things and situations, the yearning for a dream or memories I never got to experience; Those things can make me despondent and yes, straight out sulky.

training / go for a hike

Of course I know that you have to eat right and stay fit in order to be a healthy person. It's of crucial importance for state of mind and mood to get out and exercise; however, time is an issue here.

That said, I'll be honest. Last Saturday there was glorious weather. The sun was shining and the temperature outside was not pleasant, but quite nice. There was no wind and the whole atmosphere was like a touch of spring. Marvelous!

I did not go for a hike.

I could and should have gone for a ride on my bicycle with my son, I should have gone for a long walk with the dog, I missed the opportunity to post gorgeous pictures, like most of my facebook friends did.

But I didn't.

Instead I charged the scary, enormous pile of dirty clothes, towels and sheets with purposefully stifled; clothes were sorted, washed, tumbled, hung, folded and put in place, gradually, throughout the day and evening. I made a great Sunday dinner and cleaned the kitchen. I sat nestled in the new, yellow IKEA chair and read a book, and then it was suddenly evening and dark and the glorious day was over.

There was time to exercise, I had the opportunity too, but it was just that other stuff  was given priority. Chores that otherwise in a week is not done as systematically and thoroughly as I would like. I just needed to get rid of that  dark cloud of guilt which hovers over every day. Reading fiction I take almost no time for, even if it is pure mental hygiene.

At work, even if I depend on being present in the present with the students, my working day is so full of moments that go snowballed, that much of the time my mode is on autopilot.

There are always new classes, rooms and time. Here the classes have their own classroom, and teachers move between classes. I wish I had my own classroom.

Some days just flies by, with the help of nice and funny teenagers. Other days, like today, there is only negativity. Everything is "crap" and analysis of the short story is a true ... well, nothing good anyway.
It takes so much energy and effort to not be angry and mad at the wrong person.

It's not their fault that I'm not in a good mood, but their unwillingness to work in class on the tasks given does not exactly help my mood. Maybe it was me who ruined their day. I can never know, but no, it does not help to be officious today. It only adds reasons for my bad mood.

Listen to music

Later. On my way home I listen to the radiostation P4 and the show "King Of Pop" and laugh at the participant who fails the three artists. I will go shopping for groceries, and go home and make another 20-minute dinner while playing music full blast. Then I think I'll be happy again, maybe.

Music tends to help with anything that is not in order. The best therapy in the world is to lie on the floor while the music is pounding, and feel the rhythm, tones, words and mood wash over me.

cry 

I rarely cry. Most often it is when I see or hear something that moves me. It has almost never happened that I've cried because I have hurt or feel sorry for myself. Guess I have a good life. 

Oh, now I think about what a good life I have, and how difficult many others got it, and it makes me feel unreasonable for not being satisfied. You know, happy and satisfied because life has actually given me gifts like a good man, fine children, a good home, love, laughter, arranged finances ... everything just adds to the favorable feeling of having accomplished something.

Gratitude gives happiness and better handling of stress, they say.

comfort food

I belong to the club who believe that chocolate helps heal everything! Absolutely everything! But after eating lots of chocolate I feel so guilty that I put unrealistic plans on how to jog down the sidewalk with a happy dog ​​...

And then I remember that I do not exercise ... and then I think about how the scales never really has been my friend, and I turn both untrained and friendless with a guilty conscience ... inside my head, mind you, but that's where I feel the mood best, after all.

... And then days passed by, and every time I opened my blog to complete this post, I was totally disheartened and uninspired, for whom bear to just focus on the negative all the time?

To just see problems instead of challenges is not really me!
Actually, I'm the one who has realized and live by the rule: Wherever you are in life, thatit is the right place to start the continuation. It may be something better, different, new or something you put aside, and planned to pick up again later, sometime long ago.

Sometimes it just requires a little more planning, or willingness to implement even though you really do not have the energy. That's actually when you really need the satisfaction you feel afterwards, when you took that 40-minutes walk around the block.

Okay, so the sun shines out there today, and things got a little brighter (apart from my windows, I honestly am really disgusted by them!).

It's Sunday, and I'm thinking that Monday morning is quite OK, after all.

And now I'm humming as well. Guess internet was right: music did do the trick!

Timeless, timed, forever music?

I don't know what I would introduce to my life, if music didn't exist. To me music is essencial. Music absorbs my senses; sets the rhythm to my body, life and thoughts, as if it keeps me going, alert and present.
The feeling of a roar tingling down my spine makes it physical.

It is hard to explain how music compliments your heartbeats. How it throws a blow at you, and strikes you right to the the core of your body, soul and mind.
And then I experience the times when I curle up inside with dislike, or I cringe in fright. But hey, those are emotions too, right? It can still be great music, just not my taste then and there... or ever.

It's so hard to explain how music compliments my heartbeat, how it strikes me right to the core of my body, mind and soul.

You can always tell, can't you, who sings and performs music and lyrics which are significant and important to them.
When what you hear is that genuine, you recognize a part of who you are in that music.

Then you have those who perform and/or sing music which follows the predictable recipe. The designed music, made for alternative purposes... like making money.

Impact from my surroundings and my situation at any given time, creates a jumble of chaotic impressions which rumble and disturbs me, it's a "thing" I have. When I feel challenged, music allows me to gather myself and sort my mind out. It gives me the calm I need to focus on how to stay present.

I often struggle to ease my mind, and use a lot of energy to stay sound. Music helps to settle my mind. Regardless of genre, music boost my energy. That's probably why I think of myself as a liker of all kinds of music, but most often what I listen to is chosen by my mood.

It's almost funny, when you think of it, how music can adjust, direct or enhance your mood. I think music affects all of us, some more than others, though, but still.

It's common knowledge, too. It's not something I make up. If you google Shopping music, you get a vast number of hits. Even soundtracks especially designed for malls. One site like that states:

"The shopping experience should be a pleasant one. Our talented DJs have designed this background music playlist to entertain your diverse range of clients while they visit your store or eat at your restaurant." 

We like to be entertained, and my guess is that we stay longer and buy more when there's music played. In addition music makes us associate to a lifestyle, a mood or a memory which triggers and push our feelgood buttons. The movie industry is really clever at this.

Music serves as a motivator when I need to be inspired to do chores, work , exercise or just relax when I am worn out and tired.

Cleaning the house without dancing with the mop would be an gigantic hurdle. In fact, I am not sure I would clean the house as often and as well if I could not turn up the volume and be accompanied with driving rhythms.

And then we have remembrance; Those tiny pieces of glimpses from life; good, bad, happy or sad, whether it deals with feelings or thoughts, events or people from the past, which is often triggered by what I hear or experience through music. I really enjoy hearing something that is entertaining, but it is even more fun to hear something I haven't listened to in a while and remember the people I was with, or that were in my life, at the time I last heard that particular song.

The way we express music has from the beginning of time, been determined by the instruments, the technology and present talent available.

Or, talent is a bit off... some time along your lifespan a talent stops being a talent and becomes great, skilled... or even genious. To be declared a talent your whole life can't be very inspirational. I think I would have been pretty disappointed if I never really were considered good at what I really knew, and performed, well.

Funny thing about the difference between a talent, a great talent and to be good, great or bad, is just that: To be great you have been determined to have full-fledged your potential... but keeps up the curiosity, the exploring and the willingness to try out what comes next.
A talent is, by the very nature of the expression, aspiring yet not complete in finding your sound..

For some reason there is an expression called "timeless music". I don't know why, to me that is a strange expression because it points towards the future, rather to the past. Timeless is like referring to the unknown, because only time will tell if it can stand the standards we don't know yet. Musical timelessness happens when two factors are involved: originality (or innovation) and a personality that's very hard to replicate, but it is worth a try.

Even though the notes are the same; have been for hundreds of years, you can still recognize the time the notes were put together to a melody.
Mozart was the rock star of his time, and today listening to his music gives us a sensation right here and now, while we accept it was created way back then.

Even when Ekseption made their versions in the 70s, it's still music we identify as music from second half of 1700s. It was probably controversial back then, but to us it is what it is.
A modern setting doesn't change it. Same thing with Dan Mumm: music composed in the past, performed today.
Some like it, others think it's disrespectful. And that's all fine.

We are supposed to have our very own perseption, and opinion, on music.

Art is always a product of its time. It will always hold aspects sprung from impacts given at the time of creation.
Music will too.

I guess what I am trying to say is that music, like any other artform is put together at a set time, but will forever give the listeners a tune to their spirit.

So how is the music you embrace doing today? Timeless or timed? Will you bother listening to it next month?
I have always thought about music as forevermore.I don't like the expression timeless music, to me music is timed... but also forever.


Do take time to read this as well:

For Black MarchingBands, It’s About Rhythm,Precision and Flair

By David Gonzalez

Just because...

Brunettes Shoot Blondes - Knock Knock

Questioned good.

A couple of weeks ago Bob Geldof gathered quite a few famous artists to record another version of the "bygone", 80s hit: "Do They Know It's Christmas". Again his aim was to use music and a few good household names to raise money for a worthy cause.
This time for the benefit of ebola victims. 

When we heard this event was to take place, we knew what to come next, people are so predictable: "Humiliating", says Liberia researcher Robtel Neajai Pailey to al-jazeera.

Stars like Bono, One Direction, Sinead O'Connor, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith and Coldplay's Chris Martin showed up in the studio in London to do their thing, and 36 hours later they were done. The CD single goes on sale December 8th.
Of course critical voices were raised:

The well-known and reputable TV channel al-Jazeera has been in contact with a number of African prominent and renowned scholars, activists and analysts questioned whether Geldof thus hanging out an entire continent as a black hole, completely unable to take care of themselves and depend on help from the rich part of the world.
- Nigeria and Senegal have had outbreaks of Ebola and handled this efficiently. As has Congo, says Abdullahi halakha, an analyst from Kenya.

He does not deny that he also believes that Ebola epidemic has been devastating, but a song recorded out of charity reasons does not solve the problem.

Robtel Neajai Pailey claims that this type of music is overbearing, redundant and out of date.

She points out that a number of artists from the Ebola-hit countries have written and published songs with a view to educate the population about ebola.

She tells Geldof to cut it out. It is great that They record and release songs to educate people, but... thing is: If an African artist, famous in Africa, releases a song which is educational about the disease and people listen and learn, and they raise money to secure research, medicines, medical personnel and additional care; Can they really afford to say no, thank you, to funds which will support and ensure further effort?

SolAbout Lemm, writes in an article that a study from 2001 showed that Bob Geldof's "Live Aid" project meant that 80 per cent of the British population only associate developing countries with poverty and misery.
I am sorry, but it is not new of date that many countries are developing countries. I refuse to believe Bob Geldof's "stunt" is what caused this perception. Western population was made aware, yes, but it was old news.

This new recording is the fastest selling song in the UK in 2014, and it sells faster and more than the original version in 1984. The online world shows its excellence in applicability; it is easy to download and play music we take an interest in. In other words: serious money are into the matter.

Isn't it flippin' annoying? Of course the cred police here at home feel the need to stand out and claim the song just isn't up to standards of good music. Too popular music never is, you know. Good, I mean.
Thank God we have people who take the task seriously and call a spade a caterpillar.
The most enthusiastic contribution here in Norway has probably come from "Dagbladet"'s music critic who gave the song a dice 1 under the heading "Totally f_ _ _ ed up!". She isn't satisfied with the artists who contribute and cuts right to the core: "What motives, those who spend their time doing this, really? They can't possibly care all the while the vocals are flat as a cookie?"

Since we are talking about glitterati artists, it is fair to wonder what the artists really care about in this project: is it the ebola or the image?" It is commonly known that when state of celebrity sinks in, the sense of empathy and social engagement runs out. Apparently, according to public scandalmongers.
And that's not all: several of the artists she has not even heard of. Why are they included in this elite of musicians? Well, all I can say is that if you are a music critic, but unwilling to follow the rising of up and coming artists, perhaps you should start writing your memoirs.

It never even crossed my mind that to feel a sense of capital liability, and spend effort, time, talent and fame to raise money in an attempt to do some good for somebody should be a bad thing.

If Ebola victims in West Africa only knew. If only they had known what lay behind the care they now receive. Had Ebola victims known that several of the artists who contributed are totally unknown to 40- and 50-year-olds in Norway, they probably would have thought twice before they agreed to get help and treatment. They would most likely go to see Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which treats people where the need is greatest. An international medical humanitarian organisation, probably run by love, care and air.

Yes it does!

Why Music?

credits unknown, but I just liked it.

When the going gets tough....

I admit I sometimes wonder if it is all worth the while. I look at the mountain (literaly) of laundry and think about how pretty the kids are when they are clean, I take a look at the dirty dishes piling up in the sink and think about how pleased everybody are when full, I take a look at the filthy floors and remember how happy they were as they charged in without taking their shoes off...

So, I roll up my sleeves and clean up, put everything back in place as I turn the stereo up to full volume. Yes, good music makes it pretty ok after all... And yet: some times I worry:

Radio Luxembourg and me

Facebook opens up to new horizons in unpredicted ways. One of the groups I really enjoy is, the Radio Luxembourg 208 fans Group. Getting to know the facts and history behind this radio station is to me a real treat.

I am by no means scientific about it or a person with profound knowledge about Radio Luxembourg… actually I know nothing about the facts and figures related to it, neither do I know a lot about the people behind the transmission, but I really enjoy picking up bits of history from the archive gathered, and the memories, posted on the facebook group page. It is as if I now get to learn about what I actually took an interest in as a very young teenager.

Still, in spite of my ignorance, Radio Luxembourg has had a great impact on my life. When I was a young teenager, even as young as 11, I used to tune in on the channel at night and have a field day (or night, rather) with music; both chart-toppers and music outside the mainstream musical liking. (Apparently, the reason why I couldn't pick up on the signals too well during daytime has to do with sunray and activity...?)

I used to record the transmission, edit the talking out and by that got tape cassettes with collections of great music. I still got them; drawers full of tape cassettes I have just started transferring to Mp3 files. Without my idiot proof 5 in 1 stereo I would never have taken on the projec (I think) no matter how nostalgic. Good thing I am a living evidence that lazy people find good solutions to demanding tasks.

Listening to my recordings now, it is easy to imagine I must have had an ear for music… or perhaps it was just the influence my much older siblings had on me, which kicked in. They played in various bands, playing just about any instrument they fancied.

In retrospect I think I to some extent took part in the infancy of rock and pop by listening to the transmissions from Radio Luxembourg. I was introduced to new genres at an early stage and learned how to appreciate them. Some of my peers were really dubious to my liking for music they had not heard before and my style in clothes reflected my willingness to embrace and accept different musical genres.

As a teenager I spent most of my spare time writing and performing music. Then I got less time on my hands and had to prioritize, and music was one of the things that gave way first. Passion for music never decreased, but I left it up to others to create and perform. 

Living in Norway, at that time, meant we only had one TV channel and one radio channel. What was broadcasted was main stream and to a large extent in Norwegian, apart from detective series like Derrick, Columbo and McCloud… and The Eurovision Song Contest (Still remember how to give points in four different languages). English was our foreign language in school, but often the teachers had less knowledge of the language than the students. I derived huge advantage pronunciation wise from listening to Radio Luxembourg. I guess the hosts and dj’s “rambling on” back then are to blame for the quasi British accent I have today.

Pop music is a genre that will always be around. And it will continue to upset, thrill and comfort people. The beat and the lyrics not only support people’s mood and life situation; it also reflects the lifestyle, values, fashion and trends. People will always listen to music and music labels and radio stations will continue to track what songs people are listening to. Radio stations will still be important for introducing artists and musical styles new to the market. For as long as radio stations are transmitting (whatever form they may take in the future) and people are playing and listening to music, there will always be a chart-topper, musical icons and evolvement in use of instruments and various effects. Music will surround us where ever we are, but Radio Luxembourg is history. Part of my history.

Musical social workers...

Music is universal, even more so than body language(!). The combination of rhythm, melody, harmony and sound, along with a “dress code”, which many (most) adherents use to show belonging, create both a sense of identity and display your stand, political values or other views on life.

Music creates a mood and very often visualize a lifestyle.

A study conducted by Adrian C. North, “Lifestyle correlates of musical preference”, shows this to be true. http://pom.sagepub.com/content/35/1/58.abstract (I like it when I find science which support my own personal opinions based on observations.)

Some people think that only a few of the genres are accepted musical forms. They have the opinion that either you love what they enjoy themselves, or you are not a connoisseur of music.

I suppose I find that strange because in Norway all genres of music are being approved of being part of the musical “family”.

Or so I thought: I need to modify my “all genres of music” a bit: In Norway, someone clever came up with the idea to rule out the category of HipHop/Rap entirely, and include them in the genre of Pop. (I never really thought they were the same, but then again; I just base my opinion on how I myself comprehend the issue in my mind. I’m not an expert.)

In addition best female and best male artist is ruled out, just to prove how equal they think the sexes are.

Anyway. When I take a look around the musical world, it kind of strikes me how different musical genres are used as tools in society.

There are numerous foundations, i.e. within classical music, which work to educate future musicians or promote visual arts.

 

Jon Bon Jovi opened in 2011 The Soul Kitchen, a "pay-what-you-can" restaurant with his wife Dorothea.

 

 

In Australia a Metal Band, Nekrofeist, just released an album which raises a voice on troublesome issues in their country:

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1330435/band-offers-heavy-metal-with-heart/?cs=2387

In addition Nekrofeist’s vocalist went to teach kids rock music in Ti Tree, Northern Territory.

Music Outback Foundation is an organisation that uses music and the arts as a powerful and creative tool to help improve education, health and other critical social outcomes on remote Indigenous communities in Australia. With a collective of over 50 committed workers and volunteers, working in partnership with remote community elders, parents, kids and schools  lenke.

These are just a few examples, but it seems to me that all the different genres of music have a social purpose: chosen causes they feel they need to highlight and support, in lack of good enough support from society and the governments in general.

They raise people’s awareness and by that make a difference.

Keep up the good work; don’t allow anyone to reduce yourself and (your) music to a limited (often stigmatized) venue.

Musicians are not just pretty faces; Music breaks frontiers, at all levels, regardless of genre.

 

The full music experience...

I listen to music, a lot of it and most genres. I talk to people about music, and most are into one, or just a few, genres because of the beat or lifestyle connected to it.

I am not very hung up in genre, I am interested in what artists have to say. Or perhaps express is a better way of putting it. That is where I focus.

It's the artists that give me good, present texts I continue to listen to, those who give me challenges in

addition to the music; Regardless of instruments, beat or image.

I like the songs I feel that I totally understand. Music which express a mood, feeling or stand, in addition to contents. I so admire the skills some musicians have to work their instrument, to tear sounds from their instrument, or voice, which express emotions and create harmony in me. At times I just turn the volume up high, lie on the floor and let the music wash over me. Feeling as one with the elements.

I admit it: I'm a word freak. I do not always notice the sound cheating or if the bass sounds a bit sour. Maybe because I do not listen hard enough, and instead think: I know these songs, I know the lyrics, I know the pauses, the phrasing, the transitions, the voices... But I love to hear them again and again directly mediated through the intense communication between me and the music. I anticipate the text, a line that I might hear something new into, that gives me a new way of perceiving the song.

And often, when I hear the songs I listen to them, over and over again: the first, the second, and third time...

And listening to the music often gives me just as much, if not more, as if I read literature. You know; proper literature, reputabel literature, written by authors highly regarded for their wordcraft.

Music provides the chance to experience a contemporary community that's there without having to talk about it. In many ways both music (with its sound and lyrics) and literature activates some of the same receiver unit in me. I open myself to someone else's thoughts and engage in dialogue with another's view of the world.

I try to understand and harmonize with this view of my world, and to make it something I can relate to and understand.

When I read, I listen to someone’s voice, his view upon life, just like I do when I listen to, or read, lyrics

Sometimes I communicate with a particular song, almost arguing with it, and then I find I relate indifferent to it. It depends on how I set my mind there and then. I don’t always feel the light attitude towards life. It is not always the right thing for me to live in the moment... but some times it is.

Music is all about movement. It's all about rhythm, the communication that may change between performances in different settings.

If you know the songs well, you notice the differences in performances.

Music has two dimensions to create their expression, whereas text has one. Musical highlights invites text into dialogue with it; it can verify it, or it can disprove it.

Both the music and the text reaches the listener and goes together in a whole. The lyrics with its poetry or prose creates meanings and engage in dialogue with the reader or listener. The musical setting limitsthe lyrics. The music can be changed and varied, while the text remains unchanged.

A song engage me differently if it is performed by a band with full power, or just vocals and guitar or saxophone. Rock beat gives me a completely different experience than when I hear it acoustically. Same text, different perception; Same contents. The whole package; setting, beat, lyrics, mood... gives me a different inner experience of the contents every time I listen. And to me, that is the gift music gives me: The possebility to admire how someone out there express my own existence so much better than I can ever possibly do myself.

Ten Sing

When I was a teenager I joined the local Ten Sing choir.  This was around mid 80s and Ten Sing was huge in Norway. It was fresh, hip, liberal, social and gave many opportunities the kids would never have been able to experience otherwise:

We would go on Ten Sing weekends (90 teenagers and very young leaders. Imagine the intense social life!), give concerts with lightshows, microphones and mixing unit, smoke machines, impetuous rhythms and loud instruments.

We learned how to read sheet music and those who wanted to play an instrument were taught how to play. We had dancers with choreography and outfits. It was all very new and exciting to us. We enjoyed both listening to and performing music together.

Everybody was welcome, and everybody was encouraged to sing out loud with whatever voice they had.

Our Ten Sing choir was one of the biggest in Norway and thinking about it now I have to say I admire those who took charge and the responsibility. The commitment was amazing. Maybe they were too young to realize what they took on, but we were rather successful and quite good too.

Being part of a new concept and run by very young adults situations occurred;

We were threatened to be excluded when we performed Eric Clapton’s Cocaine… it was changed into “krokan” (= almond brittle) but apparently it was not good enough. People suspected it was not the original intention of the song.

I was offered and tasted alcohol for the first time on a weekend we were to practice for our grand tour. I was not the only one, and it was merely a sip or two… not a big deal for anyone other than me, but not good timing and place nevertheless. Thinking about it now alcohol should of course never have been brought to such an event, and it was strictly forbidden, but maybe the setting of people you could trust and who cared was the best possible. Not saying it was ok, just trying to ease my conscience and justify the misbehavior. After all it was a choir founded on Christian values.

At the end of the day it was all very good-natured and including, both ideologically and in practice.

A great many of the active musicians in Norway today have Ten Sing as the starting point of their career.

Highlight of my Ten Sing career was to me, like it was to all the others in our choir, the tour in Germany. Close to 90 teenagers, 2 full busloads of kids, equipment, a nurse, 2 drivers, (those three were also the parents, who were (and still is) usually required as adults in charge) and baggage hit the road and ended up in Germany. We were to promote Ten Sing and get some publicity. We did. We held concerts outdoors and in gyms, at schools and tourist attractions from Köln to Hamburg and Kassel. We had a lot of fun and it was a lifetime experience. We wore ugly (at the time we thought they were cool) light blue sweaters with our logo on it and jeans. Very mid 80s.

When introducing a new song, we were always asked if anyone would like to sing solo. Many wanted, and a few more often than others. I never really volunteered, but I was pushed forward ones… maybe because they thought it would be fun to see me fail, I do not know, but in any case I ended up singing a rather, to me, challenging song by Amy Grant, a rocked up, breathless version of Love of Another Kind. Listening to the tape today, I still think I did fairly well. Even my brothers gave me credit for that one, and on our tour I got roaring applause, just like everyone else. I had my minutes of fame and I was part of something important to me. And I have to admit it was sweet.

Today Ten Sing is far from as popular as it was then, I know we have a few choirs left, but nothing compared to what it was like. I wonder how kids get to love and live music today?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Sing

Not very mainstream

I do not consider myself a musical snob, but I have strong feelings when it comes to music and musical performances.

Music must be passion, joy, brutal, psychoactive, symphonic beautiful and engaging. And many other things, but never insignificant, thoughtless and physically painful bad.

There are so incredibly many really good musicians out there, who create really strong music and lyrics. And no, I'm not a narrow-minded person who hates pop, and feel that the only true music is one specific genre. I like the whole spectrum.

My brothers are a few years older than me, and they have always been interested in music. They played themselves and recorded a couple of cassette tapes, and they introduced me to Earth, Wind and Fire, Dire Straits and Yngve Malmsteen when I was only a small child.

In the beginning I liked mostly rock. New forms of music came along and I was more than ready to explore and embrace.
Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Willy Nelson and, of course, Johnny Cash taught me to appreciate outlawcountry, country music has an undeserved bad reputation in many circles, there is a lot of excellent country artists worth the while listening to.

Motorhead made me, who was fond of symphonic music ala Vangelis, realize that everything you need to create a massive wall of sound is two or three devoted musicians who give everything they have, and then some. Blood, Sweat and Tears in practice.

Leonard Cohen taught me that one can say a lot even if one is low-key. And later Jeff Buckley showed me that one can always do things better than the original, as long as it has soul and character.

Before he became raving mad Brian Wilson showed that 3 minute pop could be written into eternity as long as it was smart and with heart and soul involved.

Satiricon hit me with a bang in 1990s and made me realize that wild and brutal music can be incredibly beautiful, if you just listen. Past my younger youth I still discovered hidden treasures.
Screaming Jay Hawkins and The Blues Brothers made me like the blues, and later more artists added to the list, which goes on. The night we watched the Blues Brothers three times in a row is still a precious memory, maybe because it was a mad thing to do, but we had fun. It was great.

I could have rattled off singersongerwriter Robert Wyatt's incredibly strange low-key music, for example the song Goccia with Cristina Dona. The strange collective Current 93 which presents goth somewhere far to the left of the one and only Nick Cave.

I like the love Bach strive to describe, through his divine inspiration, through the mighty organ pipes, but I also think Kurt Cobain, Faith No More and Alice in Chains are excellent.

Beethoven's Fifth and Ninth Symphony are powerful, passionate and tumultuous beautiful. But sometimes, instead of weather, you need Kate Bush's strange universe.​​When craving some quality time, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and all the other dead rockers from the 60s-70s, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and the rest of the gang from the eighties. Grunge in the nineties and old pop included.  A little country, not too much but some, and of course gems like Meatloaf, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, but preferably from the old days, and plenty of metal from the time when men wore tights and had long hair, flow like a mind blowing force of nature from the speakers. Maybe even Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon and their black-minded friends are compatible to my mood at the time.

Positive bands in the recent past is System of a Down and Wolftmother bright steady. The latter makes me always think of hard rock's childhood with Sabbath, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Thin Lizzy and a whole lot of other brilliant bands, while it sounds new and fresh, and makes me believe that maybe the best of things is not over.

It certainly sounds far-fetched for people of today, but I did not actually own a stereo system until I was an adult and moved out from my parents’ house. I listened to music from a tape recorder, it was not fixed either, at first it was a little mono cassette player, the stereo soundblaster was the first thing I bought when I got my first paycheck; I was 13.
The miracle of music sounding was still present. It was not just music, but the joy of having music in my power.

In a world with no MTV and only one channel on the radio playing music primarily addressing the older generations I found Radio Luxemburgh. I would sit by my radio/cassette recorder and record the songs played, using the pause button to edit away the talking. My tape cassettes were a wonderful collection of what went on in Europe as far as music was concerned.

I left my family and friends behind and went abroad, not yet 19 years old. I was supposed to stay away for three months… and came back home a year later. During this year the locals tried to convince me that Bob Marley with his reggae was the only true way to experience music. I was never quite sure if Bob Marley was merely a symbol of a lifestyle or actually the best music they ever heard. I still love Bob Marley, but I never fell for the temptation of adopting the lifestyle. Music was the only drug I needed.

 
The list goes on and on. There are thousands of good artists, and thousands of brilliant songs, probably enough to not have to play the same song over again the first year if you play music constantly non stop.

So, why this list of strange bands who I enjoy and love so much? Even though we have a vast plentitude of radio channels, we very seldom get to hear music played by these great musicians.

We are presented the top 100s or designed music, produced to tickle our ears in order to create high ratings and fast cash, often accompanied with distinguished looks. Image is far from bad, it does emphasise identity and the sense of belonging to a group of like-minded people. But too often image is used to increase the factor which sells the best: sex.

I want to hear Aerosmith, Beatles, Biosphere, Black Debatth, Black Sabbath, BlurBob Dylan, Bobby, Boyd Rice, Bryan Adams before he went ballads (but I admit I have my romantic moments), Turbonegro, Camel, Cat Stevens, CC Cowboys, David Bowie, Dum Dum Boys, Elvis, Euroboy, Frank Zappa, Gary Moore, Genesis before PhilCollins began to sing, Gwar, Hawkwind, Him, Jefferson Airplane, Judas Priest, Kinks, Kyuss, Led Zeppelin, Manowar, Marlin Manson, Megadeath, Mike Oldfield, Mike Patton, Nazareth, Neil Young, Eagles, Oasis, Ozzy, Tough Men, Prince, Queensland, Radiohead, Raga, Rammstein, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Saxon, Sepultura, Sex Pistols, Simon and Garfunkle, Skunk Anansie, Slade, Sliverstein, Soundgarden, Steppenwolf, Talking Heads, The Byrds, The Cure, The Mamas and the papas, The Rex, The Streets, The Sword, The Who, Van Halen, Yngve Malmsteen, ZZ Top, and many more.

But save me from Kim and her girlfriends

Music is a girl's best friend.

It is not diamonds, like Marily Monroe sang, which is a girl's best friend. Not always, anyway.

In my case it is music. Music has always been a passion of mine. My best moments are spent on the floor with loud music washing all over me. That is how I relax when I feel life just overwhelm me.

A long gone friend of mine plays the piano, very musical, don’t know how to read notes but he plays by ear, faultlessly.

Many years ago I lived abroad for a year, and it was during this period of time I met him. It is great to meet people you can have uncomplicated fun with. We would do things like play chess, and even if he is brilliant and I barely know how to move the pieces, we laughed a lot.

He was learning the language of the country, with his terrible strong British accent, I would correct him and we still had fun.

I was there when he decided he wanted to start playing the piano. He was allowed to use the theatre/ concert hall at the facility when there were no rehearsals going on. So I joined him, helping to place the grand piano on the stage and just listened.

Sometimes I wish I could do what he did… he just sat down, let the fingers run over the keys and then he played: Chopin, Vivaldi, Mozart, Metallica, Aerosmith, Prince, Michael Bolton, Toto… I would lie under the grand piano and it was intense.

Sometimes he would ask me to sing. I am by no means a singer, but with some luck I hit the key now and again, and we had a great time.

When he left to go back home I missed the fun and the laughter, but even more so I missed his ways with music. I missed having fun around music, I missed not taking it all so seriously, I missed that someone smart, with great talents, took my friendship for what it was and made me feel good about it.

Since then music has not been only a passion for me. In many ways it is my very best friend.