live your life out loud
Almost a year ago we wrote about Judson Laipply’s “Evolution of Dance” video, which famously became the #1 most viewed video on YouTube. Well, now he has returned with the sequel. As is always the case when it comes to sequels, there is the risk that the follow-up effort will seem contrived (e.g. Get Shorty , which was amazing, followed by Be Cool, which was embarrassing). Did Jud pull it off this time or not? You be the judge.
It’s been raining and freezing here in San Francisco, and that got me thinking about the emotional effects weather can have on people. Some feel refreshed and invigorated after running in the rain, some curl up by the fireplace and read a book, some whine about bad drivers and wet socks…
Weather – and rain specifically – has surely inspired more than a few artists to write music. Let’s get nostalgic and take a look at some odes to rain from years gone by.
Gene Kelly – “Singin’ in the Rain”
Beatles – “Rain”
Dinah Washington – “September in the Rain”
CCR – “Who’ll Stop the Rain”
Led Zeppelin – “The Rain Song”
Milli Vanilli – “Blame it on the Rain”
Madonna – “Rain”
Missy Elliot – “The Rain”
Blind Melon = “No Rain”
And of course, one of YouTube’s own celebrities…
Tay Zonday – “Chocolate Rain”
Got any others? Leave a comment.
A global collaborative orchestra? Holy harpsichord, that sounds ambitious. Tan Dun, of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fame, has created Internet Symphony No. 1 “Eroica” just for the occasion. And Google/YouTube is, of course, facilitating the process.
Got what it takes to take part? You have till the end of January to download the sheet music, practice the shit out of your part (want pro advice on that one tricky bassoon or cor anglais part? check out the master classes), videotape it, and upload your submission. Then perform and record a second piece of your choosing. You know, that one that will make you stand out among hundreds thousands all those other people. Simple, really.
So, get to it. YouTubers around the world will be watching, listening and voting on the semifinalists in February (semifinalists will be chosen by real music nerds hailing from orchestras around the world – including the San Francisco Symphony, yay) . If you are an insanely awesome instrumentalist, maybe you’ll be chosen to play in the live performance at Carnegie Hall in April 2009!
…And for the rest of us realists, we’ll be watching and voting with interest. Don’t play an instrument at all? Venture Beat has a suggestion: “sing an instrumental part (if you can imitate the sound of a French horn) or beatbox the percussion part.”
I’m in one of those seriously shitty moods today, but still wanted to write. Did I try to find inspiration and write about something interesting going on in the music industry, an awesome new band, or some useful music 2.0 technology? Not so much. Maybe write a snarky post bitching about something that annoys me just as a way of venting my frustration? I considered making a list of musicians that bug the crap out of me: Mariah Carey, Vanessa Carlton, Sheryl Crow…but, na.
I’m not sufficiently pissed about anything in particular (you know those days where you’re just…blah) so rather than choosing a topic and ranting less-than-passionately, I decided to try and cheer myself up.
One thing that often cheers me up is watching videos on YouTube. You know, like all those funniest cats and laughing baby videos. Not the most prudent use of one’s time to be sure, but rather effective. On that note, here are some silly music videos that always make me smile.
OK Go – “Here It Goes Again”
Liam Sullivan – “Shoes”
Feist – 1 2 3 4
