Well, really iTunes rocks! I love music. Can’t sing but I can hear and I was blessed with an ear for listening. Every song has meaning. To my untutored ear, the creator of the music provides one message, the arranger offers another, while the author of the lyrics defines another vision. When all three meld beautifully, the song will serve its higher purpose of uplifting our spirit with a message of entreaty, love, hope or all of the above.
Here are two examples of what I consider as my gift of hearing and listening. By the way, I thank my high school English teacher for instilling in me the need to both hear and listen.
Earlier this year, I was browsing through a variety store at the airport in Jamaica while waiting for my flight. Mostly, I indulge my love of literature by searching for books but since I was travelling alone my ears were tuned in to all the sounds around me and not the chatter of a travelling companion. Like most stores today, there was a sound track running. In the background, I could hear the notes and voices of the gospel song which was playing. Beyond the sound of the choir ringing out over the speakers, was another lone voice. I realized that the young cashier was also caught up in the music, apparently knew and loved the song, and was singing in the sweetest voice I have heard in a long time.
I didn’t turn around but allowed the recorded music from the speakers to flow over me while the voice of the young woman brought a heartfelt emotion to the words. I couldn’t catch everything but long after I walked out of the store, the theme stuck with me as well as the final words of the chorus. ‘he chose the cross instead’. For some reason, I kept and held everything about the experience.
Weeks later, I still couldn’t forget the song, the words, the music or the voice. Eventually, I knew that I would have to figure out where to track down the song. How I was going to do that without a title or the name of the choir struck me as absurd. To be honest, I spent a lot of time kicking myself for not taking a moment to ask the young girl for the information.
Recently, I found myself in a similar situation. My current hero, Barack Obama was struggling though the last days of his campaign. His voice was almost lost in the rounds of endless appearances around the country. About three days before the election, I waited online along with others for an appearance in some small town in Ohio because I could never tire of listening to his message of hope, voice or not.
The President was late getting to the advertised venue and I wondered if he had lost what was left of his overstrained vocal chords. None the less, I waited, keeping one window on my computer opened at The Obama Diary waiting for notice that he had arrived.
After awhile, I just opened the C-Span channel and waited since I had nothing else to do and was tired of refreshing my computer. I went to the venue site and waited. There was a large crowd. The music in the background hadn’t started in on the usual Springsteen or Stevie Wonder tunes, a sure sign that the President’s arrival was not imminent. I continued to wait. The crowd was beginning to rock in anticipation. Suddenly, it wasn’t the crowd anymore but the tune which began to get under my skin and I knew I had to figure out what it was.
Ok, so its not the airport in Jamaica. My fabulous cell phone is handy. By the time I was able to pull up my Soundhound app, the catchy song ended and the music moved on to another tune, still nice but not the one which moved me.
Forgetting about the president, who I had heard almost every day for weeks, I went back to The Obama Diary to ask if anyone knew the tunes which were played at the venues to entertain the crowds while waiting for Mr. Obama to appear. No immediate response. In desperation, I googled several variations of the words, ‘music, president, venue, etc.’ I finally found the answer under ‘President’s playlist’.
There were several songs. Some I recognized immediately, others vaguely and some not at all. After copying the list, I crossed out those I knew then went straight to itunes. Here my two stories converge.
The complex mechanisms which comprise the iTunes program make my musical search missions a very interesting endeavour. My effort combined with the availability of an awesome list of songs will result in success if I listen and hear. The 90 second preview is usually enough to figure out if I am going in the right direction.
Finding the match to the words ‘he chose the cross instead’, was the more difficult of the two. There were several songs with the same or similar words. I ended up having to buy at least four songs before the wonderful tune by the Crabb family began to play out on my computer. Indeed the words and music were as lovely as I remembered. I have since played it on a regular basis when I am on the road. Recently I also introduced it on my playlist for Gospel night at our healing meditation services.
After listening to the first five of the pieces on the President’s playlist, which were new to me, I heard this wonderful song performed by Ages and Ages, entitled, No Nostalgia. I have to say, that it was as inspiring through my ear phones as it had been playing in the background while the crowd of thousands waited for the president. I can see why that song was on his playlist.
If music, words arranged beautifully can uplift the spirit, inform and broaden the soul even while it teaches the very practical skills of listen, hear and seek then those songs are surely worth sharing.
I don’t know if there is any value or recongizable skill in being able to track down a song with very little information but I am happy to be able to do that because one uplifting song can make a difference to one hour of my day, one day of my life, one year. Without music, I couldn’t write, I couldn’t offer hope and healing to those who are distressed, I couldn’t get myself up to make life’s journeys when the spirit falters.
Not every song search is so difficult. Case in point, listening to Blossom Dearie sing Touch the Hand of Love on the radio, stopping the car to make a note of the information, tracking it down on YouTube then finding a classically beautiful version by YoYo Ma and Renee Fleming, Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer. Every time I listen to it, I am thankful for having the opportunity to bring it into a moment when I need to remind myself to be thankful for family and friends.
I hope all your songs bring you the same joy.
Writing a series
July 30, 2012 by vetivera24
Last night or rather early this morning, I completed chapter 19 of my 10th online book in the Beauty and Beast series. After a few days, my mind will turn once more to another chapter which I hope will keep readers from all over the world coming back. My thanks to fanfiction for allowing us to see where in the world people are enjoying the stories.
I don’t know what it is about series writing that I love but I think getting the chance to watch characters evolve, change and grow is exciting. Of course, having a sort of superhero and now heroine make for interesting challenges. I want them to be believable as people as well.
The original TV series Beauty and the Beast was inspirational to so many. It inspired me to write two published books and of course this series on fan fiction. I doubt that this love of writing could have returned to me without sensing someone elses underlying love of the printed word.
There are many who write in this genre in fanfiction. There are some who revision or add to the stories which already exist in the time frame of the original series but my stories differ because they are current.
The idea that Catherine and Vincent had a child whose adult life could be remarkable drove me to create just such a character. And, because I am also a balanced person, he needed to have a wife/partner who could balance his energy.
The original series was chock full of interesting characters who provide fodder for ongoing stories. I hope that Jacob and his amazing wife Cathy will continue to grow and find their full range of gifts even as their own love story grows.
I am always grateful to the backdrop of Vincent, Catherine and some of the original cast of characters who brought love to life in a way that moved all of us and when I can give them active parts in the new series I will do so to honour the originators of the series and the writers who produced the TV program from 1987-1989
Lastly, I have to thank that handsome Russian actor Vasily Stepanov whose face, hair and stature gave me the initial impetus to pursue this story line. He is the epitome of Jacob. I am still looking for a visual of Cathy but she is a remarkable woman, coming into her own.
This past year, I was able to add some Canadian content to the series. I have to admit being proud of my home having a place within the context of the story and one that didn’t feel contrived.
These plot lines continue to evolve from one another in the recesses of my mind. I can’t tell you how one will end until I write the last lines of each book. This also makes it fun for me and the readers who enjoy the cliff hanger type adventure.
Thanks to all who read and write me with your comments.
Posted in Beauty and Beast fanfic, Comments | Tagged Beauty and the Beast, catherine, cathy, jacob, tunnels, vincent, writing | 32 Comments »