We finally have some color in the trees surrounding the MENC parking lot here in Reston,VAAutumn, as a season has been slow in coming around here. Oh, sure there are pumpkins everywhere to buy and mums dotting the landscape, but frankly with all of unseasonably warm weather it hasn't felt much like fall. And to add insult to injury, we've had very little fall color here in northern Virginia. We've been speculating the foliage color will be off this year due to warm temperature and lack of rainfall.
Years ago when I was a newspaper feature writer I recall interviewing a botanist or some sort of tree expert about fall foliage and I recall him saying something about the combination of moisture and cool weather having an impact on the color. If you have any more information on that, share it with all of us, OK?
And so it was with a great deal of pleasure that when I pulled into the MENC parking lot yesterday and suddenly noticed the tree above, an actual example of brilliant fall foliage which I share with you. Reston is usually beautiful in the fall, so as the trees come on line, I will take some more photos. How is the foliage where you are?
On an entirely different matter, have you ever done something and had no recollection of later? I don't mean walking upstairs and not remember why you went up there for forgetting someone's name.
No, this time I am talking about Ipods. I have an Ipod Shuffle, (one of the first models) and I love it because even though I downloaded all of the music, the songs up up at random, so I never know what the next song will be. last night at the Y when I was working out on the weight machines, one minute I was listening to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dream Girls (Jennifer Hudson still gives me goose bumps). Even on the leg press.
Later I walked on the track to "Celebration" from Kool and the Gang
(good beat for walking.)
When I finally headed out my car as the Y was closing, I heard a song that was really bouncy and I was surprised to hear "R.O.C.K in the U.S.A" coming through my headphones. I love John Mellancamp but I do not remember downloading that song to my Ipod. Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits? Yes The O' Brother Where Art Though Sound Track? Yes. John Mellancamp, no. Like him, but no.
Last night, though, he performed an exuberant end to my workout. There I was, sitting in my car in the parking lot at the Y, drumming on the steering wheel and singing at the top of my lungs,
"Voices from nowhere and voices from the larger towns
Filled our head full of dreams, and turned our world upside down
There was Frankie Lymon, Bobby Fuller, Mitch Ryder (they were rockin')
Jackie Wilson, Shangrilas, Young Rascals (they were rockin')
Spotlight on Martha Reeves, let's don't forget James Brown
Rockin' in the U.S.A., hey!"
I suddenly noticed the guy parked to the right of me had arrived and was unlocking his door.
He looked at me singing and drumming along and the look on his face was one of sheer horror.
I was in such a good mood, though, that I wasn't embarrassed.
I found this neat 1986 video of the song on You Tube. I love the 60's vibe and the costumes.
Feel free to drum along.
Fellow staffer PF and I were discussing life soundtracks the other day and I agree that songs
kind of follow us around.
One of my favorite public radio programs is Weekend America which asks,
what is your weekend soundtrack.
Listeners have suggested a variety of songs.
If you would like to suggest your own soundtrack, visit here.
They might interview you. And even if they don't, I would love to hear what your soundtrack is,
weekend or not.
Last weekend my weekend soundtrack included the half-time show of my son's high school homecoming game. (They won in a clock-beating nail biter. Yea!) The marching band performed it's revolution show, which I have mentioned before. It sounded great. I share two clips below from the performance, which was warmly received by the crowd. Soon marching band season will be history for the year (I think we have three more football games at the high school) and then it will be time to move indoors for more formal concerts I am looking forward to that, too.
Well, another Thursday bites the dust, blogwise anyway. I am finishing up the December issue of Teaching Music news, but if you are interested the online version of November Music Educators' Journal news is already online. DP posted for me and has us way ahead of the curve. Way to go DP. Visit here for the news.
Til Next Thursday,
RF
