Rejections are wonderful sources of motivation
Minh Tan
wonderful
Bring the Mighty Uke Movie to Halifax!
I returned home today to a message from my friend Lis regarding The Mighty Uke Movie.
Well, that hit a note and struck a chord!
The ukulele
In the 1980s, the musical instrument of choice taught in the Halifax school system was the ukulele, led by Chalmers Doane. I was one of many many children who took it up and went through that program. It was my first instrument to music in Canada, and I progressed far enough to make the prestigious A Ukulele Group. That ukulele musical experience left me with many great memories. I remember a couple of thousand of us kids played for the newly wed Prince Charles and Lady Diana as they visited Halifax in 1983. When I was in grade 8, we had an exchange with an outstanding group in Langley, BC, which was my first trip really far away from home. There were lots of good times and rehearsals in between.
Now, as the trailer said, the ukulele is sometimes said to be perceived as being a bit of a joke. Well, anything is until a lot of people embrace it, and there seems to be that going on. Ironically, I had switched to guitar during those school years and now, though I can still do more on a ukulele than I’ll ever be able to do on a guitar. It’s just a lot more versatile being a smaller instrument for a little guy like me. However, I’m very much keen to take it up again seeing there’s a revolution going on. That F# string is going to make be say a few things starting with F#, though, I’m sure, given it’s a semi-tone off from the G-string on the guitar while the strings surrounding it are the same. But I’ve got a lot of muscle memory left. I can still do the Jazz Pizzicato riff as well as ever.
But in case you think the ukulele is a joke, have a listen to a couple of pieces below. The first is the late Israel Kamakawio’ole playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World like you had never heard it before him. Nice and simple, but just gorgeous.
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But for those of you who needs a little virtuosity in an instrument to prove its worth to you, check out this Jake Shimabukuro guy playing an instrumental While My Guitar Gently Weeps of George Harrison fame. Yowza!
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Or try the MUCH cuter version! WHO IS this kid???
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My ukuleles might have been put away, but they are coming back out! That’s right. That’d be plural! Cause like pistols, a real man carries two!
The Might Uke Movie is making its Toronto premiere soon. I hope they will bring it to Halifax! They had better!
Check out ukuleledisco.com for some good, bad and ugly ukulele performances!
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Reading Level: 6.8
Doris Day Sings “A Wonderful Guy” with the Original Lyrics
Doris Day
In the musical South Pacific, there is a well-known song called (I’m in Love with) A Wonderful Guy. What’s not well known, though, is that the song had a life before South Pacific, with the original lyrics.
So what? You’re saying. And quite frankly, I have to agree. So what?
Sorry, readers, but this post’s for me, first and foremost… though there’s great music here.
I’m working on improving my singing and one of the songs I like to sing is A Wonderful Guy. I love it enough that I don’t care that I’m a guy singing the thing! Mind you, I’d bet money that one day, I’ll rewrite the lyrics to get a version I can really sing, as I’m also a songwriter.
Anyway, the best version of A Wonderful Guy I was able to find is one sung by the fabulous Doris Day. However, it was not from South Pacific. Too bad, as she would have been so perfect for it, in my opinion. Doris Day sang the original song lyrics and so for my singing practice, I went to piece it together since there was no page I could easily find with those lyrics! Imagine that! Something so well-known so well hidden on the Internet!
So because I either have something new or is just too hard to find on the Internet, I turned into a blog post. New or added value content, that’s my raison d’être to blog. I don’t think many people would be interested, but that’s OK. It’s for me to use, first and foremost, and anyone who wants to enjoy it.
Btw, my blog does not count my usage of it, in case anybody is thinking I’m pushing traffic my own way. 🙂
I expect everyone of my crowd to make fun
Of my proud protestations of faith in romance,
And they’ll say I’m naïve as a babe to believe
Every fable I hear from a person in pants.
I’ve been known to share your satirical attitude,
Thinking that love could be kept in its place.
‘Til all of a sudden that lyrical platitude
Bounced up and hit me smack in the face.
That’s how I turned out to be
The happy young woman you see.
I’m as corny as Kansas in August,
I’m as normal as blueberry pie.
No more a smart
Little girl with no heart,
I have found me a wonderful guy!
I am in a conventional dither,
With a conventional star in my eye.
And you will note
There’s a lump in my throat
When I speak of that wonderful guy!
I’m as trite and as gay
As a daisy in May,
A cliché comin’ true!
I’m bromidic and bright
As a moon-happy night
Pourin’ light on the dew!
I’m as corny as Kansas in August,
High as a flag on the Fourth of July!
If you’ll excuse an expression I use,
I’m in love, I’m in love,
I’m in love, I’m in love,
I’m in love with a wonderful guy!
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South Pacific version of italicized verse
Fearlessly I’ll face them and argue their doubts away,
Loudly I’ll sing about flowers in spring,
Flatly I’ll stand on my little flat feet and say
Love is a grand and a beautiful thing!
I’m not ashamed to reveal
The world famous feelin’ I feel.
