In high school, our music teacher/school disciplinarian (a terrifying combination, by the way) used to give us some fairly creative assignments. As much as she and I butted heads on the discipline stuff, she nonetheless really inspired me to explore music in ways I hadn’t previously considered. She once sent us home to work on reinterpreting a piece of music in another style without changing anything but the tempo and instruments. Since this was during my Andrés Segovia phase, I turned “Dueling Banjos” into a classical guitar piece with a slow walking pace, and I still remember how proud I was of how well it worked. (Guitar players, try it sometime. It’s surprisingly lovely!)
One of my favorite assignments was when she told us to write and sing (or play) a new harmony with a recorded piece of music. I chose my favorite Simon and Garfunkel B-side, April Come She Will. The song (and my harmony) has stayed with me for 30+ years, and I love it still.
Just imagine me harmonizing along . . .
September 23, 2015 at 8:27 am
I find this very interesting. I’ll take your Dueling Banjos challenge. I’m not much of a singer and greatly admire you folks who can sing harmonies. I can get a phrase now and then but it ultimately falls apart. Can’t seem to unlock the secret. And after listening to April Come She Will, I think I’ll turn on my S&G Pandora station. Hope you have a great day.
Joe
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September 23, 2015 at 8:58 am
Thanks, Joe! You, too!
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September 23, 2015 at 9:15 am
A great choice – Simon and Garfunkel always inspire deep feeling with wonderful melodies, harmonies, and poetry.
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September 23, 2015 at 9:22 am
I really think their partnership was meant to be. Their voices were so perfect together.
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September 23, 2015 at 9:17 am
Oh yes, love Simon & Garfunkel. Thanks for this bit of beauty this morning.
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September 23, 2015 at 9:22 am
I’m so glad!
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September 23, 2015 at 5:11 pm
Terrifying combo of a woman in many ways…. I have permanently deleted most memories she has anything to do with… This was nice, very nice. Thanks for sharing something K.S. did that was good!
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September 23, 2015 at 5:52 pm
Poor you. She was a right beastie, but I still feel like she did me some good.
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September 23, 2015 at 9:01 pm
This afternoon I’ve been listening to Ryan Adams’ cover album of Taylor Swift’s 1989. I think your music teacher would be impressed.
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September 23, 2015 at 9:06 pm
I haven’t listened yet, but the reviews are entertainingly bad. I’m glad you like it. Will give it a shot!
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September 23, 2015 at 9:56 pm
It’s all very meta. Dude’s started a conversation, for sure.
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September 23, 2015 at 10:31 pm
Looking forward to it!
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September 24, 2015 at 6:43 am
It’s the record’s album cover that does it. Or, do I say: It’s the LP or vinyl’s cover now? Mine’s a bit chewed by shelves and time and maybe a cat.
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September 24, 2015 at 12:37 pm
“Shelves and time and maybe a cat” is a lovely phrase. Alas, I lost all my vinyl (and my record player) in Hurricane Sandy, so now it’s digital all the way for me.
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September 24, 2015 at 3:29 pm
Ah, the everlasting memory of sweet vinyl and the fleeting diachronic loss of the digital, what are we to do, what are we to do?
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September 24, 2015 at 3:33 pm
Have you heard that a few of the labels are considering bringing back vinyl? That would be great!
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September 24, 2015 at 4:01 pm
The stacks of Barnes & Noble are very strangely filled with them, crispy new.
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September 24, 2015 at 4:22 pm
Really? I need to go see that for myself!
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September 25, 2015 at 7:46 am
Your noting that phrase was an inspiration, thanks! Take a look. 🙂
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September 25, 2015 at 8:53 am
I love it! And everyone’s White Album SHOULD be a little trashed!
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September 25, 2015 at 12:08 pm
Oh, good, I’m glad you do. It’s nice to have written a little piece dedicated, really, to someone you don’t know but who’s noticed a little something…so thanks, again.
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September 25, 2015 at 12:11 pm
And it’s lovely to inspire something wonderful!
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September 24, 2015 at 6:49 am
Re-interpreting Simon and Garfunkel ala Alan Zweibel.
Cast as fiction, but it’s his actual story.
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September 24, 2015 at 12:45 pm
I am dying. This has to be tomorrow’s entry. It’s too fantastic to risk it being missed. I can’t thank you enough!!!
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October 13, 2015 at 11:54 pm
That album should have been retitled “SHUT UP.”
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October 14, 2015 at 12:42 am
Ha! Sounds of Silence is my favorite song to request when I’m in a piano bar and the pianist is terrible.
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