A Little Listening

A little listening is a good thing, especially if one really, truly listens.

My feelings were hurt last night when my completely loved wife said (and by no means is this the first time she's said this) "It just feels like you never listen to me." That this was stated in response to my wandering around the house looking for my Surface RT device, which she had told me earlier was in the living room on the sofa with the dots on it, and that this statement wounded me in any measure, are but indicators of the emotional range this week has in store.

Those who know me already know that my dear Miranda Lee is marrying this week. And you already know that I am elated. We all are. These two humans were made for each other if ever any two humans were. Don't worry about the wounded brat, dear reader. It's all better now. Nothing a little snuggling and a few hours sleep can't completely fix. Any other husbands ever hear a similar claim from your loving spouse?

I arose an hour ago, at 5am, when Ruby the Cat launched into a particularly frenzied version of the Song of her People, reminding me that I had not listened to her last night as she tried to convey to me that I had not served her dinner.

After feeding the menagerie I logged into my laptop in the family room with a fresh cup of java, and   I gifted myself the 7:04 minutes required to listen yet again to my future (very near future--hell he already is) son-in-law wail expertly on a jazz track without a drum track. He posted this last week as part of his burgeoning work in rhythm education, and I at the time noted it on The Book of The Face and had failed to get back to it (I hadn't listened) until just yesterday, when I revisited it and started sharing it. I want to share again, and then I want to share one of the results returned from Google searching, in quotes, my incredibly beautiful daughter's full name. This may help you understand, in some measure, at least from one perspective (of the many), why I will be happy to walk my daughter down that aisle on Thursday.

For now, maybe I want to prove I can listen. Maybe I want you to. Maybe I just want to add a gigantic glow to the rest of your day. Here are my two Monday morning gifts to you:


and


Have a lovely week (we will) and when you see the Nashville Buells after they return from their honeymoon in Mexico next week, tell them you listened.

Son to the Boy Interview

My dear brother-from-another-mother Jimmy Morrison (he's one of the only people left who call me Scotty), mostly known as James, was featured in an interview at LA Canvas blog, and I think you should read it. The last line is something that goes a long way toward explaining why artists make art:

Interviewer Jacob Rohn asked him:

"JR:  What is your ultimate goal?

 He answered:

"JM:  Any kind of music has to be supported by playing live.  I’m working to put a band together and play a few shows.  But ultimately, music lives inside you, it’s up to you, the artist, the make sure that it doesn’t die inside you, cause just like anything else you can’t take it with you."

My dear departed daddy used to sum it up this way:

"Ain't no pockets in them shrouds." 

...although I must say he was talking more about his inability to save money and his great talent at spending it, whether it be on his family or his mistress of 20 years, than about creating art. But that's another story. This one, especially the public statement of my godson Seamus's victory over brain cancer, is well worth a read, and the music it describes is indescribably beautiful. Of course I'm most fond of "Lifeguard Girl," with the airy and mellifluous addition of my lovely daughter Miranda's voice weaving through its wry lyric so perfectly that Jimmy ended his recording with an instrumental version of the song as respite, replete with Miranda's voice as instrument. Go get it all at CDBaby or iTunes. Now.

Imogen Heap Sings with Miranda!

Okay, okay, it's the other way around, still...

I only wish we had audio that reflected the true warmth and fullness of the sound in the Ryman Auditorium that night, but here is the online video from Imogen Heap's amazing performance of her "Earth," backed up by the ad hoc (organized by my very own baby girl, Miranda Merrick--the beautiful one in the peach dress) "We Are Nashville." Visit Imogen's Charity downloads site soon to download the wonderful improvisation she did with a fresh mandolin purchased just that day from George Gruhn's shop. It looked from where I was sitting like an ancient Gibson A-model. Anyway, she should have the download available from her Nashville show within a few days. Meanwhile, enjoy:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays One and All

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful respite from the daily grind as we near Christmas and celebrate all that the winter holiday season has to offer. We here in Nashville have been enjoying the increase in family time this week and are looking forward to my brother and his wife passing through this very evening on their way to Priscilla's family in Oak Ridge.

I want to invite everyone in the states to turn on their televisions tonight to watch "Christmas at Belmont," an annual event this year guest-hosted by Tricia Yearwood and broadcast nationally on NPT, our National Public Television. Check your local listings, and see more about the show at the NPT Media Update site and at the page dedicated to the event at Belmont University's website.

Miranda, our beautiful and talented daughter, performs with her Belmont Chorale, an audition only "select mixed ensemble of 52 voices that performs diverse literature from all genres."

Lee Ann and I were 'way in the back of the audience, but if the camera pans over us at all, you'll recognize us as the parents who are beaming the brightest. We're remarkably proud of our girl.

Whatever your religious affiliation, you'll have to admire and enjoy the intricate arrangements and flawless performances of these talented singers and musicians.

Cheers, and hold tight to your loved ones!

Scott

Quick-flic! "Without You" video from April's Cabaret Night

Well, using DVDx to rip the video from the DVD sent to our family from the school, then editing the resulting .avi file with Windows Movie Maker took a while, but even though the video is iffy after all the compressions it's pretty tasty. Have at it:

It's a relatively long download, so I'll just link to it here:

A Personal Post: My Stellar Children!

I don't do "personal" on my blog much, or at least beyond the fact that I take my teaching and my learning very personally ;)...

However, last night at the annual USN High School Cabaret Night my two children, Colin and Miranda, banded together onstage (in a rare inclusion of a 6th grader into a High School performance evening) to sing a song they wrote together. I gotta share. Their performance was introduced by a skit about the songwriting performed by the evening's spectacularly funny trio of emcees; so Miranda takes the opportunity to clear the air just before 12 year old Colin hits the first chord to start the song. When he does, a funny thing happens.

I'm sooo proud of my urchins, pleased with Colin's progress in voice guitar (he's more accomplished at 12 than I was at 16!) and, as always, proud and amazed at my daughter's voice. Her instrument is her voice, and she plays a mean piano as well. Here's a promo picture of Miranda, flanked by two of our talented HS Chorus' young men:

Listen to "Without You," by Colin Merrick and Miranda Merrick, unveiled in public at University School the evenin' of April 3, 2008. Enjoy!

Miranda also performed a favorite of mine, Stardust, accompanied by Ben Easton on grand piano, then led the chorus into a beautiful rendition of Somewhere, from West Side Story. My audio may not be the best in the world, but my daughter is. Not that I'm biased. Enjoy...