The harmonica offers a unique sound, and its playing is often one of the more memorable parts of a song. The one song that always comes to mind when I think of the harmonica is Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. It's one of the best openings I know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5kXnq5IjdU The following background information comes … Continue reading Music Monday: A Little Bit of Harmonica
My wife and I had the chance to watch a wonderful movie this past weekend, The Peanut Butter Falcon. I highly recommend it. Here's the movie summary from Rotten Tomatoes, where it scored a 95% on the Tomatometer and 96% on the Audience Score: A modern Mark Twain style adventure story, THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON … Continue reading Music Monday: Selected Songs from the Wonderful Film, The Peanut Butter Falcon
It's known as the "curse of knowledge", a cognitive bias that occurs when an individual, communicating with other individuals, unknowingly assumes that the others have the background to understand. For example, in a classroom setting, teachers have difficulty teaching novices because they cannot put themselves in the position of the student. As a teacher, I have … Continue reading Music Monday: Can You Name That Tune? Most Likely Not
It's one of the all-time great songs of summer, "Under the Boardwalk". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKmKezVBdOQ Now I have never personally experienced the romantic overtones suggested by the lyrics, but nonetheless, it's still one of my favorites because of all the other wonderful imagery contained in the lyrics. The song came back to me as I reading a … Continue reading Would You Rather Be Thrown “Under the Boardwalk” or “Under the Bus”?
Was there anything better as a kid than plopping down in front of the TV with a bowl of Cocoa Puffs and singing along with the theme song of your favorite cartoon shows? I can hear some snickering, but I dare you to not sing along as you listen to a baker's dozen of some … Continue reading Music Monday: Some of My Favorite Cartoon Theme Songs
Probably more than any other day of the week, Monday is picked on by musical artists. We don't need to be reminded that it is our least favorite day of the week, and putting such thoughts into lyrics doesn't really change such sentiments. In fact, listening to such songs may just amplify our feeling of … Continue reading Music Monday: What Do Musicians Have Against Monday?
That is the motto of the Special Olympics, and it was in full evidence this weekend for the annual Fall Festival held at Villanova University. It is my favorite weekend at Villanova, and each year I leave impressed both with the athletes as well as with the Villanova students. Held during the first or second … Continue reading “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
After 12 years of Catholic school and thousands of Sundays spent in church, I've heard a lot of "church" music. Over those years, there are a few songs that have become my favorites, and this past weekend, while at a wedding, I decided that "Gentle Woman" is probably my favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERoQ1biLdE&t=92s Here are some of … Continue reading Music Monday: The Peaceful, Uplifting Sounds of Church Music
After five years of trying, Gayle King was finally able to land an interview with Springsteen, and as a viewer, it was worth the wait. The interview was originally split into a couple of parts. Below are parts one and two. (I've also included the full interview at the end if you'd prefer to watch … Continue reading A Wonderful Interview with Bruce Springsteen
Growing up, I always thought dancing was more of a girl thing, and so I just ignored it, sticking to my math problems and brain teasers. Sure there were times when I did it, but it was always the same basic move, just shuffling my feet back and forth, my upper body hardly moving and … Continue reading I’ve Never Learned to Dance, and It’s Probably Too Late Now
Borden's Blather 