Thursday Interlude: Stating the Obvious

Happy, you know what. I know some people love, love, love Valentine's Day while others believe it is a day that is a worldwide conspiracy promoted each year by greeting card companies, florists and chocolatiers. I personally love Valentine's Day, because I think it is a great time to let people know you care about them, whether significant others or others in your world at large. That said, I hope you have a good day, whether you celebrate or not. Every day is great when you get to do something you like. Hopefully like me chatting with you on the blog today (shameless pandering).

I really liked SR's posts yesterday about songs. I have mentioned previously that I love all kinds of music. I don't know a lot about many of them and that is when I need to do some research. Opera is one of those genres.

I found the Aria database Web site a while back where you can find information. The Web site includes a description of the opera plot, characters and links to where you can buy sheet music or recordings. My favorite operas are Aida , Carmen
and A Midsummer Night's Dream?

We have talked the past week or so about our new MENC Web site and our Web writing training. I am so psyched that I will be able to give you news more quickly than I do now. I will continue to provide the news for our two magazines, Teaching Music and Music Educators Journal, though, which also will be fun.

The discussions have been fun and we have a great group of MENC staffers working on the Web project. I already enjoy working with this enthusiastic group.

Oh, before I forget, are you getting into American Idol yet? I find it slowly reeling me in. Comment and let me know what you think about this year's crop of singers. Among the top 24, my favorites so far are Amanda Overmeyer, Syesha Mercado and Colton Berry, who is 17. He is from Staunton, Virgina, where he has performed in community theater productions like :"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."

Gotta go. April Teaching Music looms, as to do various other projects related to the MENC Conference in Milwaukee in April. Visit the conference link to see the cool array of events and sessions.

Til Next Thursday, Happy Hearts Day
RF

Thursday Interlude: Leavin' on a Jet Plane (I Hope)

Hi
Just a quick note here. I leave in a few hours for a visit with my family in the Midwest for a few days. I am thinking positive, though, because snow is on the way here and it is already snowing out west where I am headed. My friend BS here at the office told me to think positive and I am doing that. I.will.be.airborne.this.afternoon!

So did you catch Amercian Idol on Tuesday and Wednesday night? Apparently fewer of you did. The ratings were down. I watched on Tuesday from Philly. Seemed like a nice mix of zanies, really good singers who also looked like pop idols (whatever they look like), and tear jerker stories. Yes, that was me boo-hooing when the 16-year-old female linebacker sang in tribute to her (sniff, sniff) got a group hug when Paula and Randy and Simon had to tell her that, well, she can't sing. Her Mom and dad were sad, too. I gotta give her props for trying out.

I also liked the guy named Joey who has lost a gazillion pounds and also was told by Randy, "Dude you can definitely blow. Welcome to Hollywood, dog!) He did a Maroon 5 song, which sounded pretty good.

My week this week was pretty crazy, as I continued to work on both March Music Educators Journal (stories finished, thank you very much) and February Teaching Music pages (finished
ditto).

I also started to make plans to go out to North Dakota in March for the NDMEA conference where I will do the MENC resource shop. I went out there two years ago and really enjoyed it so I am looking forward to going back. Hi North Dakota folks!

Well, fellow blog babies, I shall leave you two neat stories I heard Tuesday on the NPR story Fresh Air, about a German photographer from Hamburg who photographed the Beatles before they were the Beatles. In the same show there was a story about Vee-Jay Records, a blues and R&B label done in by its own success. This link will take you to both stories.

Well, til next Thursday.
RF