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Agents of Bloopers
Jun. 2nd, 2019 01:19 amLOL! I love these bloopers.
Agents of SHIELD Season 5 Bloopers,
Agents of SHIELD Season 5 Bloopers,
Jun. 2nd, 2019
Dave Randall "Sound System: The Political Power of Music" (Pluto Press)
One thing I learnt from this book is that the military are the biggest employers of musicians in Britain.
Obviously, the powers that be know the power of a good tune. Why else would American children be forced to sing The Star Spangled Banner every day at school, sacred music be an important part of many religions, advertisers spend millions on jingles, and songs thought subversive or sacrilegious find themselves banned? It seems incredible, but until as recently as 1997 the BBC used to send us off to bed at night to the strains of God Save the Queen. Apparently, Radio 4 still does!
In this very readable and highly enjoyable book, Dave Randall shows why it is important for our side to understand and use this power too. He traces with passionate dedication the role that music has played in mass movements, most notably, of course when opposing the National Front in the 1970s, and in continuing to undermine racism today. He also details its motivating role internationally in struggles as diverse as those in Palestine, South Africa and Poland.
Most importantly, this insightful book aims not just to be an interesting academic read, but also a guide to action. The Rebel Music Manifesto provides some simple steps to harnessing the unsettling, inspiring and motivating power of music to help promote social change. He advises valuing honesty above virtuosity, thinking creatively about the choice of venues and use of social media, and above all not being scared to mix music and politics, to link musicians with movements.
In this way, it can help us create a better world, one in which, of course, the production and consumption of music will be revolutionised too, so that all children will have proper access to it in schools, and a world in which we certainly won’t be marching to the military’s tune.
One thing I learnt from this book is that the military are the biggest employers of musicians in Britain.
Obviously, the powers that be know the power of a good tune. Why else would American children be forced to sing The Star Spangled Banner every day at school, sacred music be an important part of many religions, advertisers spend millions on jingles, and songs thought subversive or sacrilegious find themselves banned? It seems incredible, but until as recently as 1997 the BBC used to send us off to bed at night to the strains of God Save the Queen. Apparently, Radio 4 still does!
In this very readable and highly enjoyable book, Dave Randall shows why it is important for our side to understand and use this power too. He traces with passionate dedication the role that music has played in mass movements, most notably, of course when opposing the National Front in the 1970s, and in continuing to undermine racism today. He also details its motivating role internationally in struggles as diverse as those in Palestine, South Africa and Poland.
Most importantly, this insightful book aims not just to be an interesting academic read, but also a guide to action. The Rebel Music Manifesto provides some simple steps to harnessing the unsettling, inspiring and motivating power of music to help promote social change. He advises valuing honesty above virtuosity, thinking creatively about the choice of venues and use of social media, and above all not being scared to mix music and politics, to link musicians with movements.
In this way, it can help us create a better world, one in which, of course, the production and consumption of music will be revolutionised too, so that all children will have proper access to it in schools, and a world in which we certainly won’t be marching to the military’s tune.
Just Wondering
Jun. 2nd, 2019 07:42 pmAre you good at reading body language?
Have you ever seriously misread someone's body language?
Do you blush easily?
Have you ever seriously misread someone's body language?
Do you blush easily?
Book 52 - Linda Dahl "Stormy Weather"
Jun. 2nd, 2019 07:52 pmLinda Dahl "Stormy Weather: Music and Lives of a Century of Jazz Women" (Pantheon)
This hardback book that I found on one of my charity shop visits is fantastic and full of information. Sadly, it is mainly only the female jazz singers who gain any sort of fame while other talented musicians fall by the wayside. However, Stormy Weather does not leave out the many talented females in jazz history and clearly explains their importance and how much we miss if we leave these women out of the spotlight. (Don't worry, it does not leave out great singers either) Women musicians played with and even mentored the more familiar male names that mark the pages of most jazz histories but are paid little attention.
Many jazz standards were composed and arranged by women. This book not only tells you the importance of the women but many the colourful details of their experiences in the jazz scene and the wonderful stories bring these women, and the men they played with to life, with all the depth of real people, not just distant gods of jazz.
The book is as fascinating as it is educational. I must say it served as the perfect starting off point as I delved into the lives of many amazing Jazzwomen, but it also was the standard I kept coming back to in writing my report. It is written with a wonderful clarity that is too seldom found in any history texts. It aids understanding as to what happened when and the ways the various movements in Jazz evolved. This is a great introduction to some amazing women and also aided my understanding of one of the main music genres that I love - Jazz - in a more general sense. However, the best part of this book was how much life is brought to the page and the personal details that are so often left out of histories.
This hardback book that I found on one of my charity shop visits is fantastic and full of information. Sadly, it is mainly only the female jazz singers who gain any sort of fame while other talented musicians fall by the wayside. However, Stormy Weather does not leave out the many talented females in jazz history and clearly explains their importance and how much we miss if we leave these women out of the spotlight. (Don't worry, it does not leave out great singers either) Women musicians played with and even mentored the more familiar male names that mark the pages of most jazz histories but are paid little attention.
Many jazz standards were composed and arranged by women. This book not only tells you the importance of the women but many the colourful details of their experiences in the jazz scene and the wonderful stories bring these women, and the men they played with to life, with all the depth of real people, not just distant gods of jazz.
The book is as fascinating as it is educational. I must say it served as the perfect starting off point as I delved into the lives of many amazing Jazzwomen, but it also was the standard I kept coming back to in writing my report. It is written with a wonderful clarity that is too seldom found in any history texts. It aids understanding as to what happened when and the ways the various movements in Jazz evolved. This is a great introduction to some amazing women and also aided my understanding of one of the main music genres that I love - Jazz - in a more general sense. However, the best part of this book was how much life is brought to the page and the personal details that are so often left out of histories.
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