What a Wonderful World Indeed

If you're asking me (and you may or may not, yet here we are), it is never the wrong time to remind ourselves that the sky is indeed still blue and trees are yet green; clouds are still fluffy and white, and even if they're not, life still demands to be lived.

With that being said, here's another offering in our incredible remote-recording series entitled The Incredible Remote-Recording Series. This time around we put our spin on a song made famous by that old pioneer of growly (yet delightfully smooth) vocals and splendid trumpeteering. Yes, it is none other than Louis Armstrong of whom I speak, and the song is that wonderfully positive anthem of positivity...

What a Wonderful World

As per the usual agreement, Jae took it upon herself to sing like only she can, while I fiddled around with a multitude of colored knobs and a vast variety of different-sized levers to make sure the music and video came out just right.

You may wonder how it is that Debra Birkhimer is tickling the ivorys while simultaneously performing the sultry alto background vocals you hear. It was no easy feat (let me tell ya!), and involved some highly technical lingo (and a couple of calls to tech-support). Suffice it to say the time-machine works!

I would also like to guide your attention to our newest "Incredible Remote-Recording Series" family member. For the undisclosed sum of ten-thousand and four dollars the ever so delightfully pleasant Amanda Birkhimer agreed to take on the excruciatingly difficult role of lead soprano background vocalist. If you stick around to the very end of the video you're in for a particularly awesome treat. There's a reason why we she was our first "pick."

Stay safe, stay healthy, and, most of all, don't forget that life is here to be lived... So go out and live it!

-T

Time Flies When You're Having Rum!

My, oh my, has it been this long already? I must admit, it is rather shameful to see that my last post was from Christmas Day LAST YEAR. This is no way to run a blog, and me thinks it's time for a heartfelt apology for having let the reigns dangle for so long. The team of blog-oxen (bloxen?!) needs a firm hand to guide them on their way to plow the field of creativity. Please forgive my tardiness, dear reader, and accept my sincerest apologies. To make good, I will do my best to entertain, enlighten, and engage, with a little catch-up post.

So, what's up, you ask. Well, let me tell you... Much has happened since last we spoke. The world has been turned topsy-turvy, and what once was up, now lays flat on its side, with a flushed face and sweaty brow. Life as we have known it, is no more. What in the world has happened to the world? A virus, you say? Yes, but we've had those before. Why the sudden panic? Why put an "Out of Order" sign on the world, and tell everyone to go home? It makes one think, doesn't it?

Now that we are either wondering why we're cooped up at home and not being allowed to go to work, or why we're forced to keep working while the rest of the world is cooped up at home, many of us wonder what to do with the time we now have. As a musician by trade I fall squarely into the prior category. I'm one of those "unessential" workers, as opposed to medical staff and supermarket cashiers (!!). Who needs live music when all venues and concert halls are closed?

Having been without a gig for over 2 months (my main source of income), and Mrs. Casual having been laid off, we sat and wondered what to do. Whenever there's work, one wishes to have more time to do the things one really wants to do. Well, be careful what you wish for... So, after pondering the situation for some time, and hoping that money won't run out before too long, Mrs. Casual and yours truly went into "Let's do this" mode. Inspired by the old adage about the relationship between life's troubles and the production of a tart fruity beverage, we adjusted the wording ever so slightly and turned it into "When life gives you COVID, make art." It may be slightly platitudinal, but applicable nonetheless.

With pep in our step and singing hearts, we ventured into our living/dining/bed/multi-purpose room, fired up the old idea machine, contacted Mrs. Casual-mother-in-law, and started recording. Below you will find the fruits of our labor; our renditions of 2 classic tunes, which we hold near and dear to our hearts. (The links lead to YouTube)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

(from the Wizard of Oz)

Hushabye Mountain

(from Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang)

The recordings were done in true quarantine style: Mrs. Casual-mother-in-law recorded her wonderful piano playing in her snazzy music room in Indiana, Mrs. Casual recorded her sultry vocals in our tiny (but over-priced) New York City apartment, and yours truly finished everything up by adding some of that orchestral sugar to our musical lemonade. Came out pretty darn yummy, if I may make so bold.

Now grab yourself some ice, pour yourself a cup, and enjoy. I'm sure you will not be disappointed. If nothing else, Mrs. Casual and I hope these songs will give you little break, a moment to breathe and let things be what they are. We do have a few more songs in the works, and depending on how long this quarantine will last, in the end we might have enough material to put out another album. We may call it "The Quarantine Session"... Silver lining, I guess!

In the meantime, stay healthy, stay positive, and keep creating!

-T

Reading, Writing, Oreos

With things being as they are in the world, I thought it might be a good idea to start this blog on a decidedly positive note. Here are some things I'm glad to be looking forward to, this week...

In lieu of

1. A garden to do garden work in (Did I mention that gardening is a fairly uncommon hobby in the Bronx?)
2. The fun prospect of moving cross-state (Did I mention that I'm quite passionate about hating moving?)
3. A 3-year old to visit an 82-year old with (Did I mention that I told my kids not to have kids any time soon?!)

I'm mainly looking forward to reading.

Last night I finished Sourcery by that man with the uncanny talent for fanciful wordsmithery, Terry Pratchett, which leaves me with the major task of figuring out whether I want to jump right into the next book in his Discworld series, Wyrd Sisters (can't get enough of Pratchett at the moment), revisit Solaris by Stanislaw Lem (another one of my favorites), or if I'll finally undertake the massive 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (it's been on my list for a little while)!. Whichever way I'll decide to go, thanks to the suggestions of some fine folks out there in virtual land, I've gotten myself a copy of Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin, which I'll delve into alongside the winner of my little what-to-read-next competition.

I'm also looking forward to writing, in the hopes of being able to string together three or more words in a somewhat sensible fashion, with the intent of getting the hapless protagonist of my opus in progressu—a fancy space tale expected to hit bookstore shelves sometime within the coming millennium—into even more trouble, so as to amuse, beguile, or perhaps even enlighten any future readers (presently myself).

It's a fine concept.

Alas, what usually happens is that I write the three trouble-inducing words and then find myself rather confused as to how to get the poor lad back out of said trouble. To solve this dilemma I quite often end up devouring a pack of double-stuffed Oreos, while trying to think up that elusive fourth word, which will surely make the previous three make perfect sense.

Last but not least, I'm looking forward to looking backward and saying: "Hey, it could be much worse." Although it'll probably sound more like: "Mh, hm phmm hmpf mhh hhfm." (Did I mention the Oreos?)

Prey, do tell, what might you be looking forward to?