Here’s a fun fact for you: children are much more likely to do what you say if you sing it to them. I have discovered this through almost a decade of experimentation, and today I share the results with you. So here are my conclusions: singing at your children instead of yelling at them makes […]
Category Archives: Music
Bad Second Careers For Opera Singers
Look, being an opera singer is hard. Many people undertake years of training, only to find themselves with no work and no prospects. Some singers make a go of it for a while, but then either the jobs of their voices dry up. And there are still others who are legitimate opera singers, but who […]
Please Don’t Give Me Up For Lent
Well, it’s that time of year again. The time when Christians the land over disappear from social media for 40 days and 40 nights in an attempt to reconnect with God by disconnecting from Facebook. And this is a fine and laudable thing. I do not want to disparage anyone who feels that a brief […]
The Missing SNL Song
Like the rest of the country, according to the ratings anyway, I spent my Sunday night watching the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary special. Like any episode of SNL, it had its ups and downs, but overall I really enjoyed the trip down memory lane, with classic sketches, characters, and catch-phrases popping up almost faster […]
The Song I Refused To Sing in Church
I sing a lot of things in church. I have sung hymns, anthems, spirituals, arias, and chants. I have also sung contemporary Christian songs and pop stuff right from the radio. I have sung “Some Nights” by Fun., and “Don’t You Worry Child” by Swedish House Mafia. I have sung Owl City, Nico & Vinz, […]
The Last Word on Earworms
I’ve made a huge mistake. Last week I wrote a post asking you about your worst earworms of all time. In an attempt to rid myself of the musical demons that plague me, I sought solidarity with you, my loyal readers, and thought that perhaps enduring together would be easier than enduring alone. But instead […]
I Can’t Stop SINGing! (Yes I Can)
Today I would like you to watch a short video of my son, dancing around the living room to a tune that he wrote. The video was funny enough on its own, which is why I started recording it in the first place, but the twist ending, in which he learns not to wave his […]
The Worst Earworms of All Time
Chili’s Baby Back Ribs jingle. That, according to a study, is the most vicious, most pernicious, most unbeatable earworm of all time. Now, this is an old study, from over a decade ago. Maybe there are newer earworms, or songs that just won’t get out of your head, but for now, we have to assume […]
A Fun Game to Play When Faced With an Audience
There I was, sitting on stage for a concert of Magnificats. First row, front and center, surrounded by a chorus and hanging over an orchestra, I had nowhere to hide and nothing to do. First was an a cappella setting by Tallis that I was not singing in, and then came the Vivaldi version. That […]
You Are a Genius
You are a genius. I am a genius. Hey! Wow! We are both geniuses! Isn’t that awesome?! In fact, most people I know are kind of brilliant. At something anyway. Now, I don’t know what your specific IQ is, but the way we measure intelligence around here is seriously questionable if you ask me. And […]