Monthly Archives: July 2007

Songs Make Me Smile

July 30, 2007
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Music and lyrics by Ethan Husted, Tessa Husted, Jimmy Melitski, Sophia Meritt, Jan W. Midtskogen, Katerina R. Midtskogen, Chapman Odlum, Molly Odlum, Karana Stokum with Mark S. Meritt (facilitator)

This song was written from scratch on July 30, 2007, during the second test run, the first with all kids, of the Potluck Creative Arts Songwriting Workshop. It took 135 minutes with breaks, starting only with music as the topic. Learn more about the Songwriting Workshop which uses Appreciative Inquiry to foster collaborative creativity.

Music and lyrics by Ethan Husted, Tessa Husted, Jimmy Melitski, Sophia Meritt, Jan W. Midtskogen, Katerina R. Midtskogen, Chapman Odlum, Molly Odlum, Karana Stokum with Mark S. Meritt (facilitator)

The original workshop performance was by Ethan, Tessa, Jimmy, Sophia, Jan, Katerina, Chapman, Molly, Karana and Mark on July 30, 2007.

Watch the video right here by just pressing Play immediately below. Or, visit YouTube to see the video or post a comment.

Lyrics

Whenever I listen to a song
I turn up the dial
‘Cause in the car or at home
Songs make me smile

Whenever I dance to a song
My body gets riled
‘Cause Macarena, Chicken or ballet
Songs make me smile

Whenever I sing a song
I sing it with style
‘Cause soft, in between or loud
Songs make me smile

Whenever I play a song
It’s really wild
‘Cause whatever instrument I play
Songs make me smile

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Fear the Monoculture

July 28, 2007
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I fear the monoculture
because I know in the time of choosing
which culture will win out:
The Dominant One
the one that eats forests for breakfast
and oceans for supper
skips lunch because it’s too busy
and can’t afford the calories
The One that never sleeps because
it’s too busy planning
its next acquisition

I fear that loss of cultural diversity
because if we all start acting the same way
we’ll be a world of bullies
in search of new victims
and only the planet itself
will be left to suffer
That would be our undoing

Our Place By the Sea

July 27, 2007
By
Music and lyrics by Jen, Sophia, Teresa with Mark S. Meritt (facilitator)

This song was written from scratch on July 27, 2007, during the first test run of the Potluck Creative Arts Songwriting Workshop. It took 90 minutes, starting only with the topic of Mystic, CT, where the participants have for many years had a family cottage. Learn more about the Songwriting Workshop which uses Appreciative Inquiry to foster collaborative creativity.

Music and lyrics by Jen, Sophia, Teresa with Mark S. Meritt (facilitator)

The original workshop performance was by Jen, Teresa and Mark on July 28, 2007.

Watch the video right here by just pressing Play immediately below. Or, visit YouTube to see the video or post a comment.

Lyrics

There’s a seaside cottage we’ve gone to for years
Where we’ve had lots of laughter and shed a few tears
As we walk on the dock and remember the past
We know Mystic memories will last

Come along to our place by the sea
It’s fun for you, and it’s fun for me
There’s food and family and history
At our place by the sea

From a walk downtown to a ride on the boat
You can sit in a kayak or tube afloat
A big family meal on the deck in the breeze
Then a s’more by the fire, if you please

Come along to our place by the sea
It’s fun for you, and it’s fun for me
There’s food and family and history
At our place by the sea

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

How I Xanadu

July 15, 2007
By

Here’s me playing the song Xanadu on the piano, and starting with the second verse I start messing with the musical style a bunch.

According to the website for the Broadway musical, Xanadu means “to express oneself through the arts with abandon.” Well, this is how I Xanadu!

In the spirit of expressing oneself, if you like me playing this, you might like an original song I wrote, called Come Out.

For the record, I did this because the Broadway show was having a “Share Your Xanadu Contest,” in which you could win two tickets to the show by submitting a video of yourself “showing how you XANADU.” I don’t just go posting videos of myself doing this sort of thing for fun. But maybe I should!

Update, December 10, 2007 – I was informed today that I won the contest and that everyone involved enjoyed my piano Xanadu a lot. Hazzah!

View the YouTube Video

The video was captured and posted by Mark on YouTube on July 15, 2007. You can watch the video right here by just pressing the Play button immediately below. Or, you can visit YouTube to see the video or post a comment.

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