kapachino

Tag: Music

  • Obsession: Glee Channel On Pandora Radio

    I’ve never seen a single episode of Glee, but I’ve heard so much hype about it for so long that I, a huge fan of musicals, decided to at least listen to some of the songs. And since I’m cheap, I hit up Pandora Radio and created my very own Glee channel. When the second song that played was “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid my heart may have skipped a beat.

    (Oh come on, don’t pretend like you don’t know all the words to it and never swam around in the pool acting out the life of Ariel – especially the part where she climbs up on that rock and the waves crash around her and she’s singing I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but I know something’s starting right now, watch and you’ll see, someday I’ll be part of your world…which is kind of the way I feel about life a lot these days, so really it’s a great metaphor.)

    But back to the music!

    Here are some of the other songs I heard on my first listen to the Glee channel:

    • “Somebody To Love” – Queen
    • “Here Comes the Sun” – The Beatles
    • “Everything” – Michael Bublé
    • “Lucky” – Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
    • “All My Lovin’” – Across The Universe Soundtrack

    Amazing, right? I kept thinking how it’s only a matter of time before I hear “My Kind Of Town” by Frank Sinatra, the only good thing that came out of my time as a server at Johnny Rockets in high school. It’s surprising that I still like that song, actually, considering I was forced to perform to it over and over using a ketchup bottle as a microphone. Incidentally, do you realize how annoying it is to be a server in a restaurant with jukeboxes? Especially restaurants with jukeboxes that contain certain popular song choices that require the wait staff to perform dances to them? VERY ANNOYING.

    Man, the Johnny Rockets chapter of my life is a good one, but considering it only applies to the subject of this post by quite a stretch, I’ll have to save the stories for another time. What I’m trying to say is that I haven’t even started perfecting this channel to my exact specifications – except for the nix I put on John Mayer – and it is already awesome. Makes my 5:30 a.m. drives to work bearable, bordering on enjoyable, even. And that’s saying a LOT.

  • Sing, Sing, Sing

    Some of you have mentioned that you’d like to hear me sing, so to make that happen I wrangled my brother into recording this video with me. I find his expression hilarious throughout the entire thing. First of all, he is The Silent Man. Secondly, check out his overgrown mustache/weekend beard combo. And finally, you can tell by his eyes that he is super distracted. That might be because I made him do this during the fourth quarter of the Texans game, which was on mute right in front of us.

    Anyway, this song is called “White Horse” and it’s by my favorite band, Over the Rhine. I don’t do it nearly as well as they do, but I sure enjoy singing it. The guitar is kind of soft, but we’re not exactly operating with top quality recording equipment here. If you like what you hear, please tell me so! If you don’t like it, please don’t tell me–I am a delicate flower.

    Merry Christmas week!

    White Horse Cover from Kathleen Forbes on Vimeo.

  • #41. Attend A Messiah Sing-a-long

    hallelujahOr, How I Met My New Best Friend.

    I wanted to go to a sing-a-long of Handel’s Messiah because I sang it for four years in college when I was in choir, and I miss it. I wasn’t even going to blog about this event, but that was before I sat next to Gladys.

    My mom and I were looking for the soprano section, as there were no signs and it wasn’t our church. I noticed that many of the people had on maroon collared shirts, so I figured they must be the church choir. We walked up to one of the rows and were pleasantly surprised that we had found the right place. Gladys graciously scootched herself over to make room for us.

    She was an older black woman, slightly hunched over but with a gorgeous smile. I thanked her for letting us sit there and she replied, “Honey, I don’t own any of these pews so you can sit wherever you want to!” As the performance got started I could tell that her voice was probably past its prime, and she was having a bit of trouble reading the music. It made me wonder how long she’d been singing in that church choir.

    During one of the solos, Gladys patted my hand and pointed to my wedding ring. “When?” she whispered, eyes twinkling. I cupped my hand around her ear and said, “A little over a year ago!” For a moment I felt like I was newly engaged all over again. Back when I couldn’t stop looking at my ring, when I knocked it against things and constantly snagged it because I wasn’t used to the weight. Now it’s just an extension of my hand. “Oh, you’re married already? Wow!” Gladys replied.

    A while later, after we had just sat down from singing one of the choruses, Gladys looked at me and said, “You have such a pretty voice. It’s sweet.” I tried to clarify that my voice is soft, but she wasn’t having it. “It’s sweet. And you are so pretty.”

    During the Hallelujah chorus, I noticed that she lost her place in the music and couldn’t find it. She was using a different score than the rest of us and couldn’t go by our page numbers. She searched and fumbled and finally just put her music down and sang. Something about that made me sad, that she tried so hard to find her place but couldn’t. It didn’t seem to bother her, though. Even when she began singing the wrong part, it didn’t matter. She was singing Hallelujah one way or another.

    At the end of the night, after the long Amen, Gladys and I exchanged at least three hugs. I kind of didn’t want to leave, because I will never see this delightful woman again. I don’t know much about her, but tonight she made God proud. I’m sure of it.

  • Burning Questions

    Y’all have been there for me in the past, so answer me these questions!

    1. I need some new music. Suggestions?

    I like acoustic guitar and piano-based stuff, but not exclusively. Over the Rhine has become my all-time favorite band, but some of my other favorites are Nickel Creek and Sandra McCracken. Recently I’m really enjoying Katie Herzig. I need some new Christmas songs too, just not the cheesy ones that they play on the radio.

    2. What are your favorite kitchen tools and gadgets?

    I’m still working on my Christmas list (even though it is super long already) and I want to know what I can’t live without.

    3. What are your favorite iPhone apps?

    I’m especially looking for the best Twitter app, the best camera app, and some good games, but anything useful is appreciated!

    And go!

  • The End Of The Summer

    I’m gathering that most people are ready for summer to end. It’s been a hot one, it’s true. People are ready for cooler weather, sweaters and boots, school supplies, football, the leaves changing colors, the smell of autumn in the air, holidays, new TV shows, and the colors of fall.

    Some of those things have already arrived, but today autumn officially begins.

    I’m enjoying most of the things that come along with the new season, but I can’t help but mourn the passing of summer. It’s my favorite season. To me it’s nostalgia, warm nights, tank tops and sandals, barbecues, swimming, bright colors, road trips, fresh fruit, romance, fishing in the ocean with my husband, and everything green.

    This song by Dar Williams haunts me at this time of year, and I want to share it with you.

    Listen to that and tell me that you’re not a little bit sad about summer ending.

    Summer ends and we wonder who we are…