Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Any ideas?

So, I have a quandary. And I need all of your wisdom and creative genius.

I'm trying to decide what to do for our winterguard show next year. (I know, total insanity since we aren't even finished with this season, but that's how it goes...)
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I have like a million show ideas in my head that I want to use at some point ("Cruel Sun" by Rusted Root, a show about rain using a bunch of different music I've found, a couple of Josh Groban songs, "Wild Horses" by Natasha Beddingfield, etc, etc.) and I have a song that I absolutely LOVE picked out for next year. (I've been debating about whether or not to post which song it is because I am so in love with it and so paranoid that someone is going to find it and use it before I can that I have had multiple nightmares about showing up at a competition and seeing some other guard perform to it, but I'm going to do it anyways...) The song is called, "Lullabye for a Stormy Night" by Vienna Teng. And it is the most gorgeous thing in the whole wide world. Aaaahhhh - I love it!
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Anyways, so I had that song all picked out, but then, recently, various things have made me think that I want to save this song for another year or two, so that we can really do it justice and do it well. One of my reasons is that I feel like a young group like mine would really do well with/enjoy a faster, more upbeat song next year, based on their personalities, maturity levels, and experience. We did a slower song this year, which they have enjoyed, but achieving appropriate expression has been a bit over their heads because they are so young and new to the activity and I think they have gotten a bit bored with it as the season has been winding down. And I've heard a lot of them make comments now and then about how cool someone's (fast) show is or how fun it would be to do a fast song.
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The only problem with deciding to do a faster/more upbeat song is that I am feeling totally uninspired in that arena. I think something faster would be really fun, but I can't think of any song like that to use next year. It can't be just any catchy song or one that you hear on the radio all the time. If you are going to use a song that is really popular and that any old joe off of the street would know, your show has to be done EXTREMELY well or else it is just trite and corny, gets old fast, and maxes out way to early. Since my guard is young and still learning and I am not some top, professional, hot show writer, I think we should stay away from those type of songs. So, the music needs to be something relatively unheard of to the mainstream public, something with good dynamic highs and lows, something with a good beat, something fun, interesting, etc. Does that make sense? It's not that I'm looking for something that NO ONE has ever heard of. It's just that you don't want something that everyone is hearing/has heard on the radio fifty times a week. Some good examples from this year: AF's show - "Walking on Air" by Kerli (some people know it, but a lot of people hadn't heard it before) and West Jordan's show - "Ramalama" by Roisin Murphy.
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So, with that said, I have two questions for you all:
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1. Where do people find new, unheard of music? My main source for hearing new music is the radio, which is lame. What sources do people use to be the first to discover new music? Or just to find music off of the beaten path? A lot of awesome music comes from less well-known artists, but how do you find them? (Okay, that was like five questions, but we're going to say it was only one.)
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and most importantly of all....
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2. Do you have any ideas for music we could use? (please, please, please!) Throw them out there - any and all. I need help brainstorming and being exposed to new things.
oh and p.s. the music does not have to be "new" and it can be instrumental or have vocals

8 comments:

Dave and Loretta said...

Hi Bri...and Eric & Elena!
Just reading thru your blog & thinking about music...I LOVE "Lullabye for a Stormy Night" also...that brought to mind another CD that I have. The artist is Brian Crain & he writes his own music. He is a pianist & does beautiful work...some slower, but some upbeat. I'll email you a couple from the album that I have, but if you are interested, he has a website & I think that you can play some of them...
Mom's blog is GREAT!! I love her "reflections"...and she is FAR from old!! I don't even consider MYSELF old!! It's all in your mind.
Give baby boopers hugs & kisses for me...hope to see all of you soon. Dave & I are going to be in St. George the fore part of May, then Colorado the first part of June. Sounds like we may be headed for Michigan (hopefully) the end of April...keep us in your prayers! Hugs...Gramma Lori

emuhle said...

yay for music! i don't usually listen to the radio so i have to find my music from other places (usually when people recommend it to me). some good ones i've found lately that might be more relate-able for high schoolers:

lullaby- jack johnson & matt costa (i have yet to find an audio track of this one, but i'll let you know if i do if you want it! you can watch them perform it on youtube)

mr. pitiful- matt costa

adele is an up & coming artist from england- she's super bluesy & has an amazing voice. right as rain, my same, daydreams, & chasing pavements are good songs from her

if you want something that probably no one has ever heard, then look into the album that robert plant (lead singer from led zeppelin) & alison krauss put together. totally an unexpected combo, they're actually super chill & use more of her fold/bluegrass/country style than his rock (although there is a bit of it in there...) good songs are gone, gone, gone, trampled rose, killing the blues, stick with me baby

anyways, there are my 2 cents on music! good luck & let us know what you decide on!

-megan

Lisa said...

Wow... I'm bad in this department! I always have music going, but its the radio and always the same ones over and over... I wish I could help! I'm going to check back and find out how to find new music though, I need some new tunes myself!! Good luck

The Copelands said...

Briana! I love Megan's suggestions! Also, I looked through my iTunes to see what I could find...

1.Iron and Wine...more indie style

2.Jamiroquai, Digjtal Vibrations is only instrumental, but you know some of their other stuff too.

3.Kings of Convenience I'd Rather Dance, and their other songs are pretty good too. The lead singer of Kings of Convenience did a side project, calling his band, THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE. This stuff is similar but a little more electronic.

4.Mogwai is rock instrumentation.

5.And Joshua Radin is lovely and chill like Matt Costa.

If you want, I can find you specific songs if you decide you like any of them. Let me know! And good luck!!!

Love, Emily

Anna said...

Try Pandora radio (online) you type in a song you like and it brings up similar songs by different artists.

Christy said...

yes, try pandora! that's a great idea. another idea would be to think of artists you already like and then listen to their songs that aren't on the radio. you usually don't hear a bunch of someone's songs unless you get the cd (only the top ones make the radio.) good luck!

Ryan said...

I made a playlist on our computer for you for the next time you come over.

Alyssa said...

try feist! 1234 and my moon my man are my favorites!

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