Emmanuel Fonte | Music | Art | Leadership
If music be the food of love, play on. Emmanuel Fonte website is about music, art, real estate, architecture, design and decor. Occasionally, I talk about my other passion, hockey.
Concert for the deaf may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s absolutely not. This inspirational story describes how a concert for the deaf works, and it seems awesome.
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It isn’t often one sees something as iconic as a grand piano get a makeover, but Peugeot Design Lab decided to buck tradition and bring this essential instrument into the modern age.
Though traditionalists may scoff at the sleek exterior, don’t jump to the conclusion that this startling instrument wasn’t lovingly and painstakingly crafted, as can be seen in the video below. It might not be your grandfather’s grand, but at least it’s not a synthesizer.
read all about it here.
For an imaged-based view of this, check out this older post.
While flipping through the channels a couple of weeks ago, I landed on the 1993 film “The Firm”. Dave Grusin’s score was composed for John Grisham’s legal thriller starring Tom Cruise. Considering all the scores that attempt to copy John Williams, this score, consisting of jazz acoustic piano pieces, is a surprisingly low-key, yet effective approach. When it came out, my assistant Cathy (a fine piano player) was so enamored with the soundtrack. I have to admit, it took me a little longer to go out and purchase the CD.
Grusin uses the piano as a melodic solo instrument, while at other times, he pounds away, exploiting its percussive ability. What was most astonishing to me are the grooves he is able to create with just two hands. That being said, on many selections, Grusin, accompanies himself – in other words, there are at least three, and to my ears, often four hands playing.
“Memphis Stomp” is a quasi-boogie-woogie groove that when you close your eyes you can picture yourself strolling down the streets of Memphis. “Ray’s Blues” is a slow pensive blues that I found very soothing. “The Plan” defies categorization. The accompaniment is as interesting as the melodic components. There are hints of a big band with snippets of jazz vocals, though played on an acoustic piano.
At times, the tunes reflect the mood of the scene so well. One such song is “Blues: The Death Of Love & Trust”. The heartache is evident in the melody and tempo. Even the timbre of the piano sounds introspective. “Mud Island Chase” is the only tune that has percussion added to the piano tracks. The mixed meter, along with the strumming of the piano strings, creates the angst and tension that the characters are feeling in the scene.
The CD is augmented with some pop and fusion songs by Jimmy Buffett, Lyle Lovett, and Nanci Griffith, to give a feel of the contemporary Southern locale.
Dave Grusin did an outstanding job of creating interest, color and musicality with a minimalist approach. Unlike some soundtracks, this disc stands on its own musically, worth multiple listenings. Since it is on the older side, purchasing this at a discount price should be pretty easy.
Depending on what type of job you might have, different songs and types of music can have varying effects on your productivity or working environment as a whole. For instance, while heavy metal might not be the best choice for, say, a kindergarten teacher, a trucker driving cross-country might benefit from the loud, fast music as it will help him stay alert and awake.
If you’re a desk jockey who works with boring numbers all day there is really nothing you shouldn’t listen to, as long as the song has a beat. If you’re working with programming, though, the ability to stay focused is important so you might want to skip over the heavier tracks or punk songs.
Today’s flowchart-style infographic comes from audio equipment outlet Sonos and gives you a chance to see what music might (and might not) be best-suited for your particular work environment.
For more examples and to see what tunes your job might be best suited for please refer to the infographic below. [Via]
Something John Cage would’ve appreciated—a pianist performs "the world’s ugliest music," which happens to be the world’s perfect submarine ping.
To see how that works—it has to do with mathematics, repetition, and what brains perceive as beautiful—check it out:
