June insisted that she record this video of me demonstrating how NOT to eat, after she found humor in a couple of my other, similar demonstrations while I was trying to impart some table manners. It was actually hard to chew with my mouth open after so many years and meals of not doing so!
Tag: video
“Memory” from Cats
I’ve been working on and off on accompanying myself to sing “Memory” from Cats with guitar. Here’s a recording of me playing it outside in the shed the other day.
Making Yogurt at Home
While living in Azerbaijan during my Peace Corps days, I would watch my host mothers make yogurt at home and relish the thick, creamy, sour taste alongside meals of dolma or fresh green beans and bread. When living on my own in that country, I learned to take large, clean, glass jars (bankalar) to a…
Breast Cancer Rap
I’ve been trying out a new genre…rap! Here I am spinning verses about my recent experience with breast cancer. Lyrics below. What is the Answer? I had a lump in my breast it turned out to be cancer. The doctors said surgery’s the only good answer. Would I lose my whole breast, or only a…
Children, Go Where I Send Thee
This song was a traditional African-American spiritual that later became known as a Christmas carol. I have drawn here from the secularized lyrics by Nick Lowe that I discovered in a Pentatonix recording to create a festive holiday interpretation that brings in some of the activities we enjoy most about the season. Enjoy! Major lyric…
Redemption Song
Here is my latest video, a cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” After I started experimenting with playing this song a few months ago, I discovered that Marley had been diagnosed with cancer when he wrote this. His widow, Rita Marley, has remarked that she really hears, within this tune in particular, her husband’s reckoning…
Living History in Death Valley
I recently uncovered a video of one of the living history tours I led in Scotty’s Castle in Death Valley in 2002 during my time with the Student Conservation Association and had it digitized. I was acting as a made-up character from the year 1939.
New Multi-Character Phone Recs
I’ve been experimenting with overlaying parts onto the Acapella app on my new used iPhone. First, the three-person song I love by Girlyman called “Everything’s Easy,” and then “Play a Simple Melody” by Irving Berlin, which is one I always used to sing with my mom growing up (but without the characters!). My daughter told…
Updated YouTube Channel
I’ve been realizing that most of my non-written work can be presented fairly well via YouTube, so I’ve added some more videos and audio pieces and broken my channel into playlists for better organization, including separate sections for Music Videos & Slideshows, Audio Documentaries, GlobeSongs, Fun & Movement, Cover Songs, and Travel Recordings. You can…
A Christmas Song
Taking a break from GlobeSongs to bring you a holiday tune: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane in 1943. I started teaching myself piano during COVID, and this is my first time accompanying myself on the keyboard rather than guitar. Wishing you joyous and cozy holidays…