A. J. Lee all grown up and still singing

 https://youtu.be/VcRZdmJtVwY  2012, 8 years old

https://youtu.be/Ra7h7lvHbuc  2019, 

https://youtu.be/lALQAUn2QTo   2022, 18 years old

A young lady worth watching. A. J. Lee. This would be a great group to see at Lakeside.

Exercising in the morning

 Saturday morning TV/radio is rather. . . boring and bland.  Rehashes of the week's news and garden shows.  So while riding my indoor cycle this morning (6 miles) I brought up Cheddar, a channel that seems to specialize, at least on Saturday early a.m., short documentaries and films.  Week-days it's a  regular news and technology channel and the target is millennials (obviously, not me). It was founded in 2016 by Jon Steinberg. Today I watched one on suspension bridges vs. cable bridges, their design, span and replacement; two on music how brain-sound researchers are manipulating the background music for exercise, shopping, workings, etc. and the changes in hip-hop and rap (and I assume pop and country-western) by young producers using the internet to sell "beats"; and two more on the military, the use of drones primarily during the Obama administration in military targets, and how the military, particularly the Department of Defense has had a cozy relationship with Hollywood ever since Wilson needed to convince the American public to go into WWI. All very interesting, and I can see how the millennial crowd becomes very jaded and cynical.  Especially with the stories about drone strikes.  Until someone investigated (in 2017) not much was known about the U.S. military branches helping Hollywood.

How the U.S. Military Influences Hollywood on Cheddar

How Focus Music Hacks Your Brain - Cheddar Explains - VoiceTube

Hip Hop's Underground Beat Economy on Cheddar

Watching the Cheddar channel

I've seen the Cheddar app scroll by on my screen, so today I decided to try it.  Sunday is not a regular news day, so I don't know how typical it is.  It was offering a subscription to a service called Curiosity Stream. I came in the middle showing how a change in type face saved the New York transit system--Helvetica, one of my husband's favorite fonts.  But it went on to discuss LEGEND which has been studies to show improvement in reading speed.  I don't need an additional service, have too much TV now, but some good documentaries would certainly be a relief from some of the distasteful, overly sexualized and violent offerings. How the NYC Subway Was Saved By a Typeface on Cheddar 

CuriosityStream to Go Public via Reverse Merger Deal on Cheddar

As seen on Cheddar--why is all the Great Christmas music from the 40s and 50s  https://youtu.be/4bK1inqVb_Y 

I've always thought "I'll be home for Christmas" (1943) is the saddest of all holiday songs.

Philip Vincent Bruce, 1968-2020

Philip Vincent Bruce was born November 25, 1968 in Columbus, Ohio, and died April 21, 2020 in the home of his parents, Robert and Norma Bruce, in Upper Arlington, Ohio. He so longed to be in his own home in Canal Winchester where he'd lived for many years, however, a diagnosis of glioblastoma on October 1, 2019 meant he needed around the clock care in his last months. Phil attended Tremont, Jones and Upper Arlington High School, graduating with the class of 1987, enjoying all the amenities of the pools, parks and athletic leagues growing up, and the spiritual guidance and programs of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church where he was confirmed. He later took a few business classes at Columbus State. Although Phil learned to read before kindergarten, what he really cared about was not books or degrees, but people.  From the time he could walk, his interest was gathering a crowd for play or friends to visit, or standing on a stool to reach the kitchen wall phone. In pre-school at First Community Church, story hour and sitting still were not interesting; the playground or playing in the corner with other "busy" boys was his idea of a good morning. And that never changed. To the end of his life, he maintained friendships from his old neighborhood, elementary and high schools, the work place and church.

For both socializing and alone time, he loved music, especially guitar. Although he did have a few guitar and piano lessons, for the most part he didn't have patience for that and preferred working out the details on his own, and for that he would be absorbed for hours. He loved to put words together and wrote his own music.  It was his solace in alone time to unwind after a hectic day at work and his main vehicle for building friendships and socializing. Phil from the beginning was spiritual--and often would express his tenderness in comforting or visiting the suffering. His parents heard many stories about his reaching out to families of his friends or to co-workers in difficult times.  But he was also religious and enjoyed the sacraments, structure and organization that holds Christians together when we gather to worship Jesus as the visible church. As a little guy he would comment that he could feel the water on his head while the pastor gathered the children to watch a baptism. The last decade of his life he participated in the fellowship of Gender Road Christian Church and enjoyed playing in the praise band. He dearly loved his church, and even at the end of life would talk about going back to church in a week or two. His last communion was on April 14. A final prayer service with his family was held at his bedside after he died with Pastor John Romig of GRCC and Pastor Paul Ulring of UALC.  At this time, the funeral at Gender Road Christian Church has not been scheduled until we can gather freely and remember Philly B with stories and songs.

Phil is survived by his parents, Bob and Norma Bruce, his sister and brother-in law, Phoebe and  Mark Doncevic, many aunts and uncles, Jean and Bob Poisal, Debbie Sterling, Rick and Kate Bruce, Joanne and Nelson Miller, Stan and Casey Corbett, and many cousins, especially Joan and Dan Poynter, and some who sat on his lap as babies and then grew up to be bigger than he was becoming good friends as adults, and devoted friend to the end, Sara Reichly.

Phil was blessed with many grandparents and knew and loved them all--great grandparents Joe and Bessie Corbett, great grandmother Irma Byrum, Jim and June DeMott, Howard and Olive Corbett, and Bob and Rosie Bruce. Two brothers, Stanley and Patrick Bruce, died before Phil was born, but he always included them. Phil had been married and divorced, and for many years enjoyed being a step-father.  Phil loved animals, and after his last dog Rosa, a chocolate lab, died in 2018, he didn't get another dog, but started a pet sitting business and loved each client as his own.

For most of his adult life Phil had worked in the automotive repair business, in Grandview Heights with his Bruce Automotive Services, with Jack Maxton as the Quick Serve manager in Worthington, and most recently with Jeff Wyler in Canal Winchester.  He also had been an insurance agent at Collins Financial Services.

Baptism, 1969

With Grandma Corbett at the farm, Franklin Grove, IL 1971

With Grandma and Grandpa DeMott, Phoebe and Mom, Indianapolis

Phoebe and Phil at cousin Joan's for Christmas holiday

2018 Praise Band, Gender Road Christian Church 

2019 high school friends

Rolling in the deep is 9 years old? 2011?

When I was a teen, we had to go to the furniture store to buy records.  Listening to a popular song that was 9 years old would have meant—well something from the mid-40s I couldn’t relate to, so I was surprised to see that Rolling in the Deep, 2011, Adelle, was from 2011, and that I actually knew some of these titles of Best of the 2010’s.

And who could forget Happy, 2014,  Pharrell Williams.  It seemed to be everywhere.  And you really did feel happy after listening to it. Terrific video with great cameos.

Uptown Funk, 2015, Bruno Mars.  Yes, I remember this one. It was a great song, and I’m not sure how I heard it—maybe bumper music on the Fox channel?

I don’t remember Love Yourself, 2016, Justin Bieber, although I seem to remember the line about my mom doesn’t like you and she likes everyone. But what a great video—fantastic choreography.

The Shape of You, 2017, Ed Sheeran, I remember from when the Lifetime Fitness played videos—on and on and on and on.  That one seemed to be on all the time when I joined in 2018.

So I did know a few from this real live Dairy Queen’s blog. https://www.dairycarrie.com/2019/12/31/top-10-songs-of-the-2010s/

Psalm 92

Today, Psalm 92 came up in my meditation time.

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
and your truth in the watches of the night,
on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute,
with the murmuring sound of the harp."

Our son Phil enjoys giving thanks to the Lord with his church's praise team. He loves the music, being part of worship, and the friendships he's developed through the music.

I wasn't sure what a 10-stringed lyre looked or sounded like, so here's a video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbmyggia4qs

Phil had brain surgery for a malignant tumor on Tuesday and was released from the hospital on Friday evening.  He had a good night at his home, and is working on his routine. We’re hoping the guitar playing will be therapeutic for his right hand which is weak.

Music theory song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF074CL5vjI

Music is good for you, especially in your later years

“Music, the most-studied art reviewed, has been shown to have a number of benefits. One landmark study compared older adults who were invited to join a choir to those not invited. Twelve months after the study began, choir members showed decreases in doctor visits, falls, and over-the-counter medication use. Improvements were seen in overall health rating and number of activities performed. In a larger study that randomly assigned individuals to a choir program or a control group, the choir partisans had lower scores on a depression/anxiety scale, and higher scores on a quality of life scale. A survey of older amateur singers before and after joining a musical group showed increases in emotional well-being, social life, quality of life, and self-confidence. In studies of instrumental music, 98 percent of 1,626 survey respondents said that playing an instrument in a group affected their health in a “uniformly positive” way. A study of organ players not only showed decreases in anxiety and depression, but also revealed increases in human growth hormone, a molecule associated with a number of positive health outcomes. Another study that compared the length of time a musical instrument was played (from zero to over 10 years) showed a possible linear relationship between the amount of playing and cognitive performance. However, not all studies reviewed showed such significant results, and in some cases the positive impact of a musical program were not maintained as early as three months after the program was completed. It should be noted that the studies with significant results were considered to be more rigorous.”

http://www.investigage.com/2014/01/22/can-music-dance-and-other-arts-programs-enhance-healthy-aging/

If you used to be active in the arts, but no longer are, perhaps you need to rethink why you’re enjoying life less, why there is more anxiety and depression, why you don’t feel well.  Pick up the trumpet, or sit down at the piano, or join that choir.  It’s good for you.

Beautiful sacred music

To find inspiration for my morning bike (stationary) ride, I type in to Google, Choral sacred YouTube, so this morning I found

AGNUS DEI - Sacred Choral Music - The Choir of New College, Oxford. (recorded 1996) Album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRwhkBAeheM

Likewise, about 3.5 million others have also been listening to it.

I wonder where the performers are now, 2 decades later?

Director Edward Higginbottom

College of New College  web page and schedule of performances

 

You can listen to the actual songs of Selma

Knowing how bulky old tape recorders were (I could hardly carry mine at all), I’m amazed this man could record these songs.

http://www.smithsonian.com/smithsonian-institution/listen-freedom-songs-recorded-50-years-ago-during-march-selma-montgomery-180953904/

“Carl Benkert was a successful architectural interior designer from Detroit who had come down South in 1965 with a group of local clergy to take part and bear witness to the historic march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, for voting rights.

In addition to his camera, he brought a bulky, battery-operated reel-to-reel tape recorder to capture the history all around him, in speech but also in song.”

What does the Fox say?

http://www.today.com/video/today/53254690#53254690

Over 350,000,000 YouTube hits  and it was all a joke.  That’s how difficult it is to write a hit song at least for Bård Ylvisåker and Vegard Ylvisåker.

Thursday Thirteen Christmas season 2013

Christmas  these days seems to begin around Halloween when Christmas themed merchandise appears in the stores, although for some retailers it’s even earlier and you see craft and decorating items stocked in strategic places.  This year Thanksgiving was the latest it could be and so the festivities and shopping had one less week. Our holiday season was saddened by the death of brother in law John Sterling, whom we had visited in October in California. He died the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  For us, Christmas more or less began at Thanksgiving when we began to discuss how we would do the holidays.  Usually our daughter has Thanksgiving dinner, but her father-in-law who lives in  Cleveland and who has been ill, was unable to travel, so they needed to be free “just in case,” so we had dinner here, and decided that I would host the family on Christmas Eve, and then we’d all go to our daughter’s for Christmas Day. I fixed a huge turkey, and we’ve had leftovers off and on since.  So beginning with Thanksgiving, we all went to church together at the Lytham Road campus of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church at 10 a.m. where we had worshipped when the children were growing up (began attending in 1974 and joined on Palm Sunday 1976).  Pastor TJ Anderson, our new senior pastor, gave the sermon. At this service we bring sacks of groceries to be distributed by the Lutheran Food Pantry. Our location of UALC has a traditional style worship with hymns and organ; Mill Run has contemporary style worship with praise songs and communion.

1.  On Wednesday, December 4, we attended with our neighbors Tom and Joyce the annual Conestoga (friends of the Ohio Historical Society) Holiday Party at The Boat House at Confluence Park. It was a lovely venue with views of the river and the downtown skyline lit up for Christmas.  Conestoga has 203 individual members and we learn about Ohio history, travel around the state together visiting historical places, and have fund raisers.  All the money supports the Ohio Historical Society. Our current endowment is about $66,000.

2. Mid-week day time Advent services are held on Thursday at the Lytham Rd. location, and we served communion on December 5.  Wednesday evening services are held at our Mill Run Campus. Usually serve at all these Thursday services, but this year we had conflicts on the other two dates. These services are followed by lunch in the fellowship hall.  Generally, it’s an older crowd, and follows the Thursday morning Bible study.

3.  On December 7, the combined choirs of Lytham and Mill Run presented a wonderful Christmas Concert on Saturday evening, “Glory, Peace, Joy” with conductors Brian Carlton and Michael Martin, with an orchestra. Members of our pastoral staff gave the readings from Isaiah, Colossians, Luke, and Matthew. I sat with the other women of our SALT group—our husbands were at home watching the OSU-Michigan football game, and they missed a beautiful concert.

4. On Sunday December 8, we attended our own service (8:15) and the 9:30 Celebration Service at Lytham, so we could participate in the installation of Pastor Thomas J. Anderson. Pastor David Wendel, assistant to the NALC Bishop performed the installation, with Pastors Brodie Taphorn and Buff Delcamp participating. Pastor TJ follows Pastor Paul Ulring who ended his service with the church in September. Pastor TJ said, “My primary mission is to kick you out of the nest.”

5. We were thrilled to have our friends Martti and Riitta Tulamo of Helsinki, Finland with us December 11-13.  We did some touring of the OSU campus where Riitta was a student at the veterinary college in 1978-80.  We spent a lot of time together in those days, so our children remember them well, and we had a dinner here on Friday night before taking them to the Brens where they would enjoy a few days, then going to the Rigolli home in Worthington before returning to Finland. We attended Advent services on Thursday and then stayed for a very nice lunch of lasagna and salad.

6. On Saturday December 14 our church’s Mission ministry had a pot luck at the home of the Camerons to meet with our missionaries Dave and Pam Mann who teach in Haiti and are home during the month of December.  It was so good to see them, and hear about what is happening at the school and clinic.

7.  On Sunday December 15 members of Conestoga were invited to a buffet and program at the Ohio Historical Society.  We went with our neighbors the Rieslings. The theme for this fall/winter has been the 50s—and there is a Lustron on display, so it was decorated with the much more simple décor of the 1950, including an aluminum tree and plastic poinsettias.

8.. Party with Faith of our Fathers study group Monday Dec. 16 and my  first training session with the Pregnancy Decision Health Center on Wednesday Dec. 18 where I hope to continue volunteering.  This is a Christian ministry that saves lives—of babies, but also mothers who may be in great distress with a pregnancy

9. Party for condo association hosted by the Thompson and Rieslings on Sunday Dec. 22.  The Thompsons had their twin 18 month old granddaughters with them, which really enhanced the environment. Joan and Joyce put out a beautiful spread of of wonderful food, and I think I gained back all the weight (6 lbs) I’ve struggled to lose during the fall.

10. We had a get together after exercise class at instructor Christine’s home on Monday December 23, and will have a 2 week hiatus.

11. We hosted our family for Christmas Eve for dinner—ham, roasted squash, potato salad, mixed fruit, cookies. Then together we attended the  UALC  9 p.m. service.  On  Christmas Day, we opened gifts at home after a leisurely morning, then attended church at 10 a.m. where we served Communion, and then went to our daughter and son-in-law’s for a lovely Christmas dinner and more gifts. Such lovely thoughtful gifts, and my daughter spiffed up my wardrobe, something I always look forward to.

12.  Friends of ours are hosting events in their homes in the next week, on Saturday December 28  the Sloughs, and on Monday evening December 30, the Zimmers.

13.  We will attend the New Year’s Eve Jazz Concert and Worship with Communion at our Mill Run church on Tuesday December 31 beginning at 5:30 for music and 6:00 for worship.

What’s on the I-pods of the Occupiers?

Take the Money and Run; Eat the rich; Let’s go crazy; Shakedown; All I need is a miracle; Tax man; Been caught stealing; Money for nothing; Money’s too tight to mention; Smooth operator; Money changes everything; Little lies; Burning down the house; Money, money; Material girl; 9 to 5; Gold digger; Putting on the Ritz; Free money; The pretender;

4 chords, 36 songs

Do the songs all sound alike to you? Maybe they are. Here's a fun way to review a little recent music history.



HT Opining Online

A great music blog

Music isn't one of my hobbies or strengths, but I still enjoy reading David Meyers' blog about the local Columbus music scene. Columbus is a musical crossroads (also the title of one of his books), and David is a meticulous researcher and entertaining storyteller. His recent reminiscences about Earl Wild formerly of Columbus and Ohio State who died January 23 at age 94, and Pat Wilson and her autobiography Yesterday's Mashed Potatoes which you can look through on Google, are a great read.

A blog about prisons

I've been in a number of prisons, not as a prisoner, but as a visitor primarily following the same guy through the system until after seven years or so he was "shock parolled" after his 5th wife was murdered by her boyfriend leaving a baby to raise. I guess the parole board thought he was the guy to do it. The reason he had a baby was that he had escaped in the prison garbage truck and they left town together.

Yesterday the Conestoga group met at the Ohio Historical Society (now open only on Saturdays due to budget cuts by the state) to hear David Meyers talk about the local music scene. Wonderful presentation with great photos. David has over 4,000 pages of manuscript on this topic and a huge rare record collection--that's sort of what a fascination with local history can do. But he has also written about Ohio's prisons, and his latest book is out. While checking that web page I came across his blog, Central Ohio's Historic Prisons. Because of Dave's encyclopedic interests in music, records, film, prisons, local history (he also worked on Columbus Unforgettables series now out of print), screen writing, religion and family, he somehow manages to merge all of them in his blog--with photos. See the record labels about the great Ohio Penitentiary fire, April 21, 1930! And did you know the Professor of psychology at OSU who coined the term "moron" was once the coach of the USC Trojans? It's all on Dave's blog. Ah, a blogger after my own heart.

He's also on Facebook, and a member of UALC for you locals.

Friday family photo--Kirby

I was tracking back through some visitors to my blog that had stopped at my story about my cousin Kirby Johnson and his time with The Lincolns, a group of friends from the University of Illinois which later changed their name to the Wellingtons, and found this photo (p. 75 of Mouse Tracks in case this shows differently on your page).

The fun way to change behavior

Probably works better than lectures and finger wagging from the nanny state.

The science of music

There's an interesting display on the science of music at the Science and Engineering Library at the Ohio State University. Also links to some books (including e-books) you might enjoy. I had no idea. . . I'm practically next door and I probably won't make the trip over, but you can see a lot from the web site.

There's a link to History of the 8-track. I think I saw a box of these in the basement yesterday when I was looking for the box of Christmas dishes. We used to have a HUGE collection because my father-in-law (the Indiana one) worked for RCA. I can still remember him saying that the cassette would never have the good sound quality of the 8-track. When it comes to technology, never say never. Our first 8-track player was in our 1968 (?) Olds Delta, 4-door, dark forest green. We had two baby seats in the back and still could have had room for the grandparents, all 6 of them.

Lakeside 2008 Week 9 Civil War Week

There's so much to do this week I clipped the article from the paper and attached it to the refrigerator. Monday I attended the very interesting "Military commanders and their wives" presented by U. of Akron Professor of History, Lesley Gordon, which focused on 12 famous couples and the ways in which the war affected their unions; Monday evening I attended a showing of the documentary film "Johnny" about a boy soldier from Ohio, Lincoln Clem; on Tuesday I attended "Through the eyes of soldiers; battle of Wyse Fork, NC" by Tom Edwards, a former director of Lakeside, 1981-1988 who still maintains a summer home here but lives now in SC; on Wednesday I enjoyed Cathy Kaemmerlen, a storyteller and historical interpreter from Marietta, GA performing the diaries and letters of Confederate women during Sherman's March to the Sea; today the theater was filled for the Abraham Lincoln Portrayal by Pete Raymond of Wooster who incorporated some of Lincoln's speeches in his presentation; I went back in the afternoon to hear a program "Musical history of the Civil War," by the Fifth Michigan Regiment Band about antique instruments, the role of the bands during the Civil War, and the most popular tunes; tonight at Hoover the band will perform again. Tomorrow I plan to hear an archeologist talk about Johnson's Island and in the afternoon will go there for explanation about using radar and electromagnetic tools to locate graves and other items. We'll also walk to Fort Johnson, the only remaining fortification (there were 3) constructed to protect the prison from Confederate invation.

For those of you not familiar with this area, Johnson's Island was a prisoner of war camp during the Civil War. The first POWs arrived in April 1862 and it was closed in September 1865. More than 9,000 prisoners, including 26 Confederate generals, were confined there over the years, and there are more than 200 men buried there. There were many escape attempts, but most weren't successful. The cemetery received a memorial statue of a confederate soldier in 1910 erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy. Approximately 4,000 people attended its dedication.

If you are a Civil War buff, next year's Civil War Week is August 24-28, 2009.