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Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Friday, November 18, 2016
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Love Actually - a Christmas staple
I'm on the bus listening to my music on shuffle and a great song, Songbird by Eva Cassidy, comes on and reminds me of one of my favorite soundtracks in one of my favorite films, Love Actually. How can you get through the Christmas season without watching this movie at least once? Many movies have tried to copy its intertwined multi-story format but haven't been successful in eliciting as strong emotions.
A big reason why Love Actually works so well year after year is the brilliant writing of Richard Curtis. (By the way, he also wrote one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes, Vincent and the Doctor.) Although we only get short vignettes of every storyline - in some cases literally just a beginning, middle, and end - the characters are so well-developed we instantly become attached to them. He also manages to navigate a range of emotions in short succession. The movement between funny, poignant, cute, heartbreaking, solemn, and romantic is seamless.
It also helps that the cast is full of talent. Liam Neeson expertly plays the tortured father, but his "special set of skills" in this movie is less violent. Emma Thompson makes us all cry when she tries not to cry. Bill Nighy brings out his wild side, delivering a strong performance as we'd expect from him. Colin Firth and Hugh Grant each bumble in their own way, as they know how to do so well. Laura Linney is just stellar. This film also happens to be the first time I saw Joanna Page, Martin Freeman, and Nina Sosanya - all of whom are some of my favorite actors now. And that's just a partial list of the cast.
In addition to the writing and the acting, what really makes the film work is the music. I can't talk about the music without mentioning the amazing voice of the then 10-year-old Olivia Olson. I prefer her "All I Want for Christmas" over Mariah Carey's. That song and almost every song from the movie are on my commuting playlist. The soundtrack is one great song after another, and the way they're used in the background makes each scene have more impact. Richard Curtis mentions in the commentary that he always has music playing when he's writing, and the songs picked in the final edit really fit what he's written.
So whether you kick back and watch Love Actually or take part in another tradition, I hope you have a relaxing and wonderful Christmas.
A big reason why Love Actually works so well year after year is the brilliant writing of Richard Curtis. (By the way, he also wrote one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes, Vincent and the Doctor.) Although we only get short vignettes of every storyline - in some cases literally just a beginning, middle, and end - the characters are so well-developed we instantly become attached to them. He also manages to navigate a range of emotions in short succession. The movement between funny, poignant, cute, heartbreaking, solemn, and romantic is seamless.
It also helps that the cast is full of talent. Liam Neeson expertly plays the tortured father, but his "special set of skills" in this movie is less violent. Emma Thompson makes us all cry when she tries not to cry. Bill Nighy brings out his wild side, delivering a strong performance as we'd expect from him. Colin Firth and Hugh Grant each bumble in their own way, as they know how to do so well. Laura Linney is just stellar. This film also happens to be the first time I saw Joanna Page, Martin Freeman, and Nina Sosanya - all of whom are some of my favorite actors now. And that's just a partial list of the cast.
In addition to the writing and the acting, what really makes the film work is the music. I can't talk about the music without mentioning the amazing voice of the then 10-year-old Olivia Olson. I prefer her "All I Want for Christmas" over Mariah Carey's. That song and almost every song from the movie are on my commuting playlist. The soundtrack is one great song after another, and the way they're used in the background makes each scene have more impact. Richard Curtis mentions in the commentary that he always has music playing when he's writing, and the songs picked in the final edit really fit what he's written.
So whether you kick back and watch Love Actually or take part in another tradition, I hope you have a relaxing and wonderful Christmas.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Autumnal bliss
Autumn is here! Not only is today the day of the autumnal equinox but also it's feeling like autumn - with a cool breeze in your hair, pumpkin spice lattes in cafes, and candy corn on store shelves. It's my favorite season of the year.
It makes me happy just strolling outside, where the temperature is ideal and the sky is usually overcast. You really feel the crispness of the air. When I was a child, my dad and I would go on hikes, and I'd collect the most beautiful fallen leaves and acorns (don't worry, there were plenty left for the squirrels). I still love seeing the leaves change color, but it's a little more difficult now that I live in a city. At least it's better than when I was living on the west coast, since I can at least go to a park that has trees . . . or enjoy a stranger's bike decoration on the street:
Thinking about autumn, my idealized autumn, brings about a calm. I'm ready to relax with a cuppa tea and listen to one of my favorite jazz standards, Autumn Leaves.
It makes me happy just strolling outside, where the temperature is ideal and the sky is usually overcast. You really feel the crispness of the air. When I was a child, my dad and I would go on hikes, and I'd collect the most beautiful fallen leaves and acorns (don't worry, there were plenty left for the squirrels). I still love seeing the leaves change color, but it's a little more difficult now that I live in a city. At least it's better than when I was living on the west coast, since I can at least go to a park that has trees . . . or enjoy a stranger's bike decoration on the street:
Thinking about autumn, my idealized autumn, brings about a calm. I'm ready to relax with a cuppa tea and listen to one of my favorite jazz standards, Autumn Leaves.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Musicals - because life is better with a score
Since middle school, I have loved performing in and watching musicals. Some people may find them cheesy and unrealistic because characters will be talking and then break into song and dance. But I say, we need to break into song and dance more in real life!
In a way, we do break into song in our everyday life, but it may not be as melodic or entertaining as in a musical.
In a good musical, songs don't just come up at random. There is always a motivation and a reason for a song. It highlights something significant and is a vehicle for characters to express something that spoken dialogue can't do as powerfully. It heightens the level of storytelling.
In everyday life, we all have those moments where we're trying to convey something, but we just can't find the words to make the other person really understand what we mean or how we're feeling. Our voice and speech changes from what we use for normal chit-chat. We might repeat ourselves or use words that don't entirely make sense at face value. We may even get so animated that our body's doing a badly choreographed dance.
In those moments, wouldn't having a lyracist and score with an appropriate tempo, instrumentation, and melodic progression help? In our most devastating and joyous moments, don't we connect more deeply with the moment if an appropriate song is playing at the same time on our iPod? I know I always feel better after blasting a song in my apartment and singing at the top of my lungs - although my neighbors may not appreciate it.
So I say again, life should be more like a musical! At the very least, it's nice having a soundtrack playing in the background as you go about your day.
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Here are some of my favorite musicals and songs, available on iTunes, in case you'd like to check them out:
Evita
In a way, we do break into song in our everyday life, but it may not be as melodic or entertaining as in a musical.
In a good musical, songs don't just come up at random. There is always a motivation and a reason for a song. It highlights something significant and is a vehicle for characters to express something that spoken dialogue can't do as powerfully. It heightens the level of storytelling.
In everyday life, we all have those moments where we're trying to convey something, but we just can't find the words to make the other person really understand what we mean or how we're feeling. Our voice and speech changes from what we use for normal chit-chat. We might repeat ourselves or use words that don't entirely make sense at face value. We may even get so animated that our body's doing a badly choreographed dance.
In those moments, wouldn't having a lyracist and score with an appropriate tempo, instrumentation, and melodic progression help? In our most devastating and joyous moments, don't we connect more deeply with the moment if an appropriate song is playing at the same time on our iPod? I know I always feel better after blasting a song in my apartment and singing at the top of my lungs - although my neighbors may not appreciate it.
So I say again, life should be more like a musical! At the very least, it's nice having a soundtrack playing in the background as you go about your day.
--------
Here are some of my favorite musicals and songs, available on iTunes, in case you'd like to check them out:
Evita
- Buenos Aires
- Another Suitcase in Another Hall
- You Must Love Me
- Once Upon a Dream
- In His Eyes
- Someone Like You
- This is the Moment
- I Dreamed a Dream
- One Day More
- On My Own
- Why God, Why?
- The Last Night of the World
- I Still Believe
- I'd Give My Life for You
- In a Little While
- Shy
- Yesterday I Loved You
- Goodbye My Love
- Your Daddy's Son
- New Music
- Wheels of a Dream
- He Wanted to Say
- Back to Before
- Make Them Hear You
- Wheels of a Dream (reprise)
- One Song Glory
- Out Tonight
- Another Day
- I'll Cover You
- Take Me or Leave Me
- Without You
- What You Own
- Your Eyes
- Tonight
- One Hand, One Heart
- Somewhere
- A Boy Like That/I Have a Love
- Defying Gravity
- For Good
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