Graduation Day

 

In the midst of getting ready (both mentally and musically) for Blue Lake this last weekend I completely forgot to post about my singing at the commencement ceremonies for the Houston campus of Texas Woman’s University last Sunday.  The event was held at the George R. Brown Convention Center and, though I’m sure I must have gone at some point in my childhood, I can’t actually recall doing anything but driving past the behemoth building since moving to Houston.

Get it, George!

 

One of the perks of being part of the podium posse is that you don’t have to gather with all of the riff raff commoners before the procession (aka the graduates).  I didn’t really take many pictures at the event but managed to snap one of the faculty ready room.

 

For those of you interested in the musical selections for the event, I sang the National Anthem (duh), the TWU Alma Mater (set to the tune of the Russian National Anthem), and a little ditty called “To The Texas Woman’s University.”  Whenever I first told Catherine I got the gig she immediately went: PUH-LEEAAAAASE tell me you’re going to be singing “Climb Every Mountain”?!?!?!?!?!?!?  Though the answer was obviously no, amazingly enough as I was driving home from the commencement I turned on the radio and I kid. you. not—it was playing on NPR.  What syzygy! So, because apparently Catherine needs a bit of a Rogers and Hammerstein II fix… I must oblige.

CLIMB IT, SHIRLEY!!!!!

 

I never particularly get over to this area of the city and it was nice to get a different vantage point of the downtown area from the convention center.

I LOVE THIS CITY!!!!

 

It really is hard to believe I’ve been out of school for a year already, and in the spirit of the day (and because I know I haven’t put one of these pictures up on the blog yet) here are some snapshots from my own college graduations!

Baylor University 2006     

 

     

  U of M 2008 (confession: I didn’t go to the ceremony)                                     U of M 2010  

 

Artist: Kanye West/ Album: The College Dropout

Diamonds are Forever

 

I’m sure many of you heard today that Elizabeth Taylor passed away, and even Jan commented to me something along the lines of “I figure you have a blog post in the works!”  To be honest, I think I’ve only ever seen one movie she’s been in, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but it’s one of my favorites and I usually end up watching it at least once a year.  So… looks like tonight will cover me for 2011.

“Why don’t you love me Brick?!  Oh BRIIIIIIIIIIIICK!!!!!!”

 

I believe the first time I saw the film was during high school (we had read Tennessee Williams’ original play in English class).  Yes… studio executives would only greenlight the project if blatant character cuts were made. And yes… it does kind of change the whole underlying meaning for the protagonists’ marital problems.  BUT, the performances of Miss Taylor, Paul Newman, Burle Ives, et al are quite fantastic and well worth seeing.

 

Artist: Shirley Bassey/ Album: Twenty of the Best

A Foggy Day

If you've ever listend to a mix CD while riding in my wonderfully Texan truck, affectionally heretofore referred to as "The General", then you probably know I have a particular affinity towards singers of the British and female persuasions.

It all began with Amy Winehouse... you know, before the beavers moved into her hair weave and started construction on a semi-aquatic rodent equivalent of the Empire State Building. Then came Adele, a more demure, introspective, sober, and yet no less soulful doppelganger of Ms. Winehouse. Just think of it as a mirror with two faces. You know, one squeaky clean and the other covered with dust. And by dust I mean cocaine. Next came Duffy... whose voice is just SCREAMING to sing the next Bond theme song. Sexy, gritty, sweepingly haunting. And just for good measure I've thrown in a little Shirley Bassey, who HAS sung Bond songs and could beat you to a bloody pulp with fabulousness and class and most likely a double prescription of Boniva. Take that Sally Fields!!! She's 73 and sings Pink better than Pink WISHES she ever could. I mean, "Get This Party Started" is veritable Cuisinart of Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut meets J. Strauss' Die Fledermaus meets Bond title sequence meets Snow White's "mirror, mirror on the wall" meets Marie Antoinette via Alexander McQueen. And that's quite a bit of introductions to manage concomitantly.

Now, though, I am completely ub-sessed with Florence and the Machine. Their CD "Lungs" is FULL of great songs. It's the rare type of CD in which I can listen to it over and over again and each time I think I have a favorite song until the next track starts. Well, to be frank I don't quite like track 2, but the rest are buh-rilliant.

Below is what I can only imagine is Florence and the Machine's ode to Rusalka, as well as videos from those other great dames of Anglo-Saxon singing mentioned above. It's all great, so WATCH THEM-- you'll be a better person because of it. Sure, some of these may been more antiquarian than au courant, but it doesn't make them any less amazing.

Florence and the Machine- You've Got the Love:



Amy Winehouse- Tears Dry on Their Own:



Adele- Hometown Glory:



Duffy- Mercy:



Shirley Bassey- Get This Party Started: