Art and Music

I have been thinking about both recently. Art because I recently have encountered a couple of people who are talented artists but I had no idea. Like me, they have some ability (possibly, if not quite likely more than me) but they haven't put pencil to paper in ages. Their lives have taken up too much of their time, a situation I well understand. I recall taking a drive last year (last year!!) and finding some sights that inspired me to sketch for a while, but I haven't taken that trip again since that day.

"art" versus "Art" is another of those topics that I have been musing over recently. Having spent a little bit of time vacationing in the museums of the renaissance and onwards, I have an appreciation -- although not always a real understanding -- for Art. I admire the skill and the talent it takes to put something together. I enjoy the impact of a well-crafted piece. But, even though I have taken a few fine arts classes, I tend not to overthink the meaning and symbolism said to be inherent in the thing.

Maybe it's because my own personal version of art tends towards the simple. I wish I had the imagination of others that are able to design something from the mind's twistings, but I tend to be more inspired and more interested in the real that surrounds me. And so, I go in for "art."

***

Music is my sanity.

I was once asked by a friend (not always the most tactful or well-thought friend) why I like music so much. It's not as if I play an instrument, he remarked. I hadn't realized he was such a musical snob.

I love it because of it's ability to fade into the background as my own soundtrack, or it's ability to bring me directly into the emotion of a moment. The desire it can create in me for spontaneous eruption of song or dance. The energizing, or the equally calming, effect it can have.

And I love the accessibility of it to so many. And that it takes no membership card to do so. Apparently my point of view and my friends don't quite sync up.

It is this love of music that drives me to share it with people. For a friends birthday, I gave him music. But I had such a hard time choosing, I ended up giving him 11 CDs worth. When I get asked to DJ, always I end up trying to narrow down fifty or sixty songs to a mere twenty or twenty-five. My passion runs a little too deep maybe.

Hooley Success!

Hi! High? Pecadoss's 2008 Hallowe'en Fancy Dress Hooley was a smashing success, if off schedule from the first minute on. Loads of people, some inspired - and some less so - costumes. Some dirty and some disturbing costumes. But then, what is Halloween if not an opportunity to be the skanky self you might not usually be? Plenty of music -- fabulous music. And again, Eshico burned the place down, showing why they are well worth the hype of having a TV crew on hand. Even live art, performed before our very eyes, accompanied by classical piano. All in all, an excellent chance to see and chat and dance with people who I haven't seen much of recently. Even Kaori, in from the capital, was on hand.

As for my costume? Well, my definition changed depending on my mood when you asked me. Diane's lesbian lover, porn star, madam of a bordello, mafioso, superstar DJ, Bonnie (as in "& Clyde"), queen of the universe, queen of her own mind, evangelist, foreigner... Much like my own life really, the change you see reflected in my own mind's state.

God, it is so time for bed now...

Drunk Mailing...

I had an impulse as I went to bed last night to perform some irreverant drunken emailing... The bizarreness stemmed from my sobriety. The urge was strong though - very strong - but the force was mine to be wielded and instead, I fell into a fitful sleep wherein I was haunted by numerous songs that refuse to flee the confines of my mind. Normally, only one song is trapped, spinning round and round and round, but my mind seems to have gone supernova on me and kept expanding to include more tunes. Last week it was "Ballroom Blitz." Last night, the blitz returned with company -- "Cry Baby," "Bananza (Belly Dancer)," "I'm not going to teach your boyfriend how to dance with you," "U Can't Touch This," and last, but certainly no the least -- in fact, perhaps the most pervasive of them all -- "Heaven for the Weather." And yes, I realize my capitalization is erratic...

Literary Languishing

During my fabulous summer holidays, I managed to acquire several intriguing books and a list of others I wish to hunt down somewhere or other. And now, the only time I really spend reading is the 10 to 20 minutes before I fall asleep... Or instead of this, I suppose.

Although, I am supposed to be also preparing my Saturday night set... So far, U Can't Touch This is my number one pick.

Fukuoka Ahoy?

Off for the weekend to Fukuoka with a scattering of random Niimi folk, a lot of whom I know already. Apparently I am to bring fair loads of cash to prepare myself for the copious quantities of alcohol we are expecting to drink. I love how this trip is qualifying as study / research and will probably recieve some funding from the city.

I also love how the city owns a building that anyone under 35 is allowed to use for free at nearly any time -- it has reasonably supplied music studio where I have been going to thump on the drums lately. It is also equipped with a pool table that I am looking forward to making use of some time soon.

As for other things, well, there is a St. Patrick's Day party coming up on the 17th; last weekend was drums, driving, drinking and drawing (and volleyball, but the 'v' doesn't really fit with the whole alliteration thing I have going on); the week before was absurdly skillful bowling (on my part anyway), driving and munching on strawberries. And what will follow? Who knows, but I am looking forward to it.

Live it up baby, live it up.

Murmurs, Mumbles, and Meanderings

Welcome to my 151st post! And just to warn you, I have nothing to say! Ha-hah! I do however have a curious predilection that involves overusing my exclamation mark!!

My set for the Christmas party is polished off, and it looks like I have decided to make this one a venture into funk and motown. Get a little nostalgic, shall we? Although I can't even really claim it as my own nostalgia, being a bit too young. But I suppose listening to it on my parents' radio station throughout my childhood could claim some of this retro-reminiscing as my own?

I have to say I am actually nervous about this one, and not entirely because I am unsure how my set will go down, but also because of one of the boys I am bringing. The same day I get to check him out on the drums, he gets to check me out on the decks. Here's hoping it goes so well as I should like it to...

I am currently sporting a new coiffure, short and sporty looking, with just the right amount of sass to keep me happy. Not nearly as pleased with this cut though as I was with the last one, as the hairdresser persisted in using those horrible thinning scissors that my hair desperately doesn't need. Next time, I will definitely ward her off, paying due heed to the words of wisdom Diane uttered.

Diane and Hiro's house is coming along very well. To repeat a statement I made many times wandering through the framing, it's absolutely huge! Looking forward to seeing this when it's done, and can completely appreciate the enthusiasm with which Hiro is filiming every step of the way.

Christmas shopping is nearly done -- the only person left to shop for is my father, and I am once again stymied. Books? Tools? Music? Clothes? Who knows? And I will only have 1 day after I arrive in Canada to take care of it, flying in as I do on the 23rd. Lord loves shopping that close to Christmas...

Adventures in badminton last week have shown me that I may be better at badminton than I am at volleyball, or they could have shown me that the people I was playing with are worse at badminton than I am. I am not sure yet which way I should lean on this, although my spike (volleyball) is getting better, but my serve remains weak.

The Christmas party is 3 days off and I am looking forward to it, however slightly less than normal as one of my favourite Yonago boys will be missing as he visits a very ill grandmother. Here's wishing him a safe flight home and hoping things go as well as they can.

Halloween Touring

Last weekend was the big event -- combination of the infamous Yonago Halloween party and the more sedate but no less fun Touring rally round Niimi.

Having gotten all my music sorted and decided with a couple of days to spare, I was left with the eternal dilemma -- what to be? Once again, I decided I had to wear the boots, seeing as how opportunities to do so in Niimi are few and far between, and that is as far as I got. I coupled it with my favourite and only leopard print cowboy hat and a smashing red shirt which works well in my favour and decided to go as a woman with a theme song. The theme song? "Hot girls in good moods" by Butch Walker and the Let's Go Out Tonites. Who needs a costume when you have a theme song.

The party this year ended smashing all previous records as 205 people attended, as much for the booze as for the music and dancing. There were a variety of clever costumes, from my favourite fallen Mormon to our hated North Korean president, to a flamenco dancer, a sexy and furry black cat, a pirate with a penchant for mascara, a white faced monster, a cute army captain, and on and on and on. My favourite Mormon, being the generous fallen soul that he is was good enough to treat me to dinner before the party, which was made even better for the company, followed by meeting up with more friends too long not seen. The music rocked, the venue was packed and favourite peoples abounded -- really, what more could I want from a party? Maybe not having to drive back to Niimi after, but that was my choice which also led to more fun.

Sunday morning's touring rally round Niimi with my two-meat sated navigators -- they feasted on yakiniku the night before, not really taken with the veggies so much as one might hope. The weather was gorgeous and has been for weeks. I have this fear that winter is merely hiding and laughing waiting the perfect moment to leap out and snow me under. We got our maps, which were barely that, and set off on our meanders around Niimi, losing roads and finding others, no arguing but lots of laughing and very little speeding. Each stage was followed by some kind of quiz or activity, and of the three I have discovered that I have a lot to learn when it comes to ground golf, a curious cross between golf and croquet. Hopefully I will do so before the tournament on November 19th...

Oh, and by the way, my lovely navigators, Datte and Ikeda Kun, and I managed to win the rally by a single point, despite constantly losing at rock scissors paper.

Prima Donna Demands

When asking me if I would be willing to DJ at the next Hi!High? event way back in April, Cian asked if I had any unreasonable demands I wanted to make. I said, yes, I require 50 green peanut M&Ms. Time is getting down to the wire, and Wednesday night I got a phone call from Cian.

"Not a single green M&M. I bought and opened 23 packets -- nope, 22-- 22 packets of M&Ms and there's not a single green one. I thought you might be putting me on, but there is a picture of the green one on the package. "

I couldn' stop laughing. I told him I would willingly accept red or something, but he said no, he was determined to succeed, and was going off hunting again last night in search of more. I have yet to hear how that turned out.

Saturday Set

My set is all decided -- the music is all there, the order is generally decided, and I love it all. It remains to be seen whether that holds true for anyone else, as I will be ranging from classics to classic cheddar to some absolutely rockin' rhythms. Starting with a well-known Groove Armada track, and making the trek through things like Goldfrapp, Space Cowboy, Rihanna, Soft Cell, Blondie, J-Lo, Kylie, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys all they way down to a complete unknown (unless you were or are a fan of the Canadian music scene about 8 years ago) called Pure. Looking forward to it. I am thinking though that I might do well to try and switch for the first set. I know, giving up the prestige of the last set is a big step down, however I am wavering in my belief that I can actually stay awake until 2am and be enthusiastic about it. Hmmmm....

Oooh, and now I have another job interview -- this one on June 24th in Hiroshima. I think they are perversely picking the days I have commitments on purpose - a friends wedding nijikai is a little hard to get out of.

Spiderweb

Once again all wound up in music. Planning and plotting and dreaming about my next set at Hi! High? for the World Cup Party. Should prove a busy day, as I have to catch a 6:30am bus to Osaka for a 2 hour job interview at 11am. Arriving back in Yonago at 6:30, I rush straight off to Hi!High? to mess with the decks before going home to change and eat dinner. My 1am set will be followed by a PTA volleyball tournament the next morning. I seriously think the world is having me on right now. Maybe I can use the excuse of my messed up back to get out of it?? (My kids -- I love 'em, but the little bastards are trying to break me.)

Music is my Sanctuary

Music is my retreat, my sanctuary, my energizer, my revitalizer, my reviver, my relaxer. And Saturday night, it was my paycheque. At Steve and Tom's club in Tottori City, I got a chance to play DJ for a couple of hours, beginning the night, and then being sandwiched between a hip hop and a trance set. My sandwich set went fairly well despite the nearly complete and utter lack of bodies on the dance floor. God, can't wait to do it again...