Category Archives: music

Random Running Commentary

Posted on June 28, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

First a confession: I did not run today. But I thought about running. I know, that does NOT count as running. However, I thought I could manage just a tiny blog post out of some of the stuff I thought about.

The fact is, as I run, I think of all kinds of things. Since I’ve written a blog, I mostly think of things I can put in a blog post about that run. Some of my posts about runs have been over 1,000 words. Yikes! And I do not include all the silly things I think. After I make the post, I always think, “Oh, I didn’t put in blah blah!” I know, some of you are thinking, “Oh, Cindy, you put in PLENTY of blah blah!”

Be that as it may, one thing that has occupied me lately when running has been the songs playing in my head. I absolutely never run with earphones on. Partly because I don’t own any, but mostly because I like to be aware of my surroundings. Also, I am skeptical of my ability to come up with a play list I would like. Suppose I wanted to run slower than the song that was next (I’m almost positive I would never want to run faster)?

As noted in various posts, I often hear the ice cream truck when I am running. I don’t particularly like being stalked by the ice cream truck (although I do like including the possibility in my post), but I must say some of those silly tunes are good to run to. It is not uncommon to have the music playing in my head after the truck has gone.

One song that plays in my head quite often is one from the ’80s that goes, “I know what boys like/ I know what guys want/ I know what boys like/ boys like/ boys like me!” Those are the only words I know. In fact, they may be the only words to that song. I must admit to feeling pretty good as I run along thinking all the boys like me (shut up! I can think what I like!).

A song that caught me the other day was one that goes, “All I wanna do/ Is have some fun/ I got a feeling/ I’m not the only one.” Again, those are the only words I know. And I’m pretty sure there are more to that one. For a little variety, I sometimes think it as, “All I wanna do/ Is run, run, run!”

When I was on the swim team in high school (about a hundred years ago), the girls used to compare songs they sang in their heads while they swam. One favorite was a part of a Journey song I cannot recall that went, “Nah Nah Na-NAH Nah, Nah-nah Na NAH Nah…” I may not have that right, but I bet some of you know the song.

Swimming, of course, is a different proposition from running, which is something else I started thinking about while I was running. I do best at running the more I think about other things. That didn’t work so well with swimming. I started swimming my fastest (which was never very fast) when I concentrated on the pure physical effort. Actually, I suppose that is what I do when I sprint, which isn’t often.

Well, I see I am over 500 words. And I thought this was going to be a tiny blog post. Well, it was fun to write. I’ll probably go running tomorrow. What song will my head play?

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Post Show Run

Posted on May 6, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

Subtitle: Mohawk Valley Girl Learns to Like the Young Kids’ Music.

Last night was opening night of Harvey at Ilion Little Theatre (I may have mentioned that once or twice). I didn’t get to bed till almost midnight. Still, it was Saturday and I was determined to run.

I ate a banana with peanut butter shortly before my run, because I was quite hungry. Normally if I eat I like to wait at least an hour, but I seemed to remember reading somewhere that a small nutritious snack was a good thing before a run. No time to look up how long before a run the snack was supposed to be, so I just waited a short time and hoped for the best.

The temperature warm, but a nice breeze was blowing. Traffic was not severe. Things looked good. I decided to run up to Herkimer County Community College (HCCC) the back way. I’ll just mention that the only day I had run since Sunday was Thursday, when we did not have rehearsal. I ran a half hour, at varying distances from the ice cream truck, usually close enough to hear the music. When I wasn’t close enough the music played in my head. I was actually close enough to buy ice cream when I walked my cool down with Tabby, but providentially did not have any cash.

I was out at pre-ice cream truck time Saturday. I crossed German Street with no problem and headed up the hill. I looked as usual at the pretty little stream running downhill (as of course streams do). I thought that it really wasn’t a stream to run by. It looked like I ought to be sitting by it, maybe soaking my feet in the nice cold running water. My feet hurt all the time lately. Must make my way to the Sneaker Store in New Hartford for some new running shoes.

When I got up to the college I could hear music. What was that all about? As I continued up the road by the reservoir, the music got louder. Where was it coming from? Somebody in the dormitory partying hearty really early? Somebody’s car stereo out of control? I saw several cars in the gym parking lot. I saw a young man walking along. Was it his I-pod thingy? Do I-pods get that loud? I don’t know from I-pods, but I’m sure they don’t. It sounded more like a stereo system.

As I got closer to the athletic fields I could tell the music was coming from there. I’m not really a fan of a lot of the popular music these days. At least, I almost never listen to it, so I’m not familiar. I certainly don’t like the hip hop stuff, which I find tuneless. I think a lot of the more tuneful stuff is overproduced. The voices seem doctored and the instrumentals smoothed out, if you know what I mean. I guess it’s the ultimate expression of Phil Specter’s Wall of Sound. I’m not knowledgeable enough to express myself properly, so I don’t know if anybody knows what I mean. In any case, I sometimes think the 21st century is too in love with technology.

Of course, one of my favorite sayings is “To each his how, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow.” I felt sure that whoever was playing a sport up ahead was liking the music. I had to admit, it had a forward moving beat that was conducive to athletic effort. I found myself pounding along in the “I can rock this” stage of my run that I so enjoy.

I ran closer to the field and saw people playing lacrosse. The banks on the side of the field obstructed my view, so I kept running. I ran into the little veterans’ park. I must go there with a notebook and write down the different organizations that contributed to it. It is just a little area, a mere few steps around as I ran in and out. I wondered if somebody would say, “That is not a place to run in, have a little respect!” Well, I do have respect. And since I learned to run, and to love running, in the army, I think it is entirely appropriate to run through a veterans’ park.

A sign informed me that a lacrosse tournament was in progress. If I didn’t have show to rest up for, I might go watch some. I learned on the Sports Box that HCCC is quite the powerhouse in their conference. I must catch some games. The Sports Box, in case you didn’t know, is a show on WVHC, 91.5fm, the college radio station. I’m not into sports, but I love listening to those guys.

I continued around the sports building. The music was growing on me. Good running tunes! This is why people run with those ear phones! The only thing I would have liked better would have been if they played that tune my sister likes that starts, “Every day I’m shuffling.” It took me a long time to get out of earshot of the music, because it was really quite loud. By then I was headed downhill and life was sweet.

It was a great run. Toward the end I even lengthened my stride and went for that loping run I see the young kids doing. I didn’t do too bad. I think I may have finally reached the “I love running!” stage of my training. Boilermaker, here I come!

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Music to Run By

Posted on April 8, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I realized I had left something out of my post about Friday’s run. I thought about that some more on Sunday’s run, so I thought, hey, that’s worth another post.

While running Friday I heard the ice cream truck. It’s a good thing I don’t carry cash when I run, or I’m sure I would convince myself that I could run just as well or better while eating ice cream. After all, the sugar would give me an energy boost, wouldn’t it? And when my hands got all sticky, I would be encouraged to run faster so as to get in the shower sooner. Well, we’ll never know about these things.

I had been noticing the ice cream truck lately and my first thought was that it was too early for such a thing. Then I thought, I eat ice cream all year round. And ice cream truck drivers have to make a living, too. I must confess, I’m not a fan of the sound of the ice cream truck. I don’t like the electronic music this one plays, and it plays the same song over and over. Sometimes you hear a different song, but then you hear that song over and over. Well I’m sure some people listen to it and all they hear is ice cream.

So there I was running and listening to the ice cream truck playing the same song I’ve heard for two or three days now. It was really OK, though, because it encouraged me to keep running and get out of earshot. We must take advantage of whatever motivation presents itself. I was happy when I no longer heard the electronic song (it’s quite out of my head today, though, so I couldn’t tell you which song it was). The funny thing was, a while later in the run, when I had been up and down the hill and had only to run on fairly level ground to home, I realized: my head was playing that tune and I was running in time to the music. I had to laugh at myself. I must admit it was a good pace to run at.

This morning when I was running, I did not hear the ice cream truck, but started thinking about playing the same tune over and over. I remember a period of time when I was getting a ride to work with a friend, and she kept the same cassette in her player (it was the ’90s). Every morning it seemed to be on the same song. I didn’t like the song, and it did not grow on me. Oh well, we learn to deal with these little inconveniences.

Then I started thinking about DJs who seem to like certain songs. In the North Country in the late ’80s, early ’90s, I listened to the radio quite a bit. One DJ played “Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down” every damn Monday. OK, we get it! You don’t like Monday! A DJ on another station played a Doors song every Friday, “Hello, I Love You, Won’t You Tell Me Your Name” (I realize I’m writing the lyrics instead of the actual titles of these songs, but I thought it would be helpful for people unfamiliar with the songs). I figured that’s what the DJ would say to some woman in a bar later that night. Do you suppose it was an effective pick up line? I should have called the station and asked him.

So I was thinking about all this as I was running. It was colder than I was dressed for, so I needed the distraction. Imagine my chagrin when I realized that for the latter part of my run I was running to the tune of “Hello, I Love You Won’t You Tell Me Your Name?” Where’s that ice cream truck when you need it?

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One More Post About Christmas

Posted on January 4, 2012 by mohawkvalleygirl

I hate to see the Christmas season end. I tried to stretch it out a little by playing Christmas music on Monday, and I was glad to hear a few songs I had not heard yet this season.

One was on a mix tape I happened to have in my truck (see previous post about how I like happy, peppy tunes, not ballady, emotional ones): The Count from Sesame Street singing “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” (or is it just “All I Want for Christmas”? But that opens up worlds of possibilities).

I’m not a huge fan of that song in general. I find the usual version, with the whiny kid whistling on every “th” and “s” sound, to be really annoying. The lyrics are fairly moronic, too. “Seems so long since I could say/Sister Susie sitting on a thistle.” OK, even assuming you have a sister named Susie, how often do you really have occasion to mention that she is sitting on a thistle? Even assuming she tends to do that sort of thing. I’m thinking it’s not usual. Oh, and he’d be so happy if he could only whistle. He makes a whistling noise every “s” he sings! How much damn whistling does he intend to do? I bet the kid in that song lost his two front teeth because somebody punched him in the face. Which just goes to prove that violence is not the answer.

Having said all that (I do go on, don’t I?), I like the Count’s version. For one thing, I love the Count. He’s fun, he’s a vampire, and he brings thunder and lightning wherever he goes. What’s not to like? His version of the song has an Eastern European swing to it. He even says at one point, “We love to dance in Transylvania!”

I would like to see a TV Christmas Special of the Count. They could call it “Christmas in Transylvania.” Maybe in 2012. In the meantime, I’ll pack away my Christmas music with a wistful smile and look for something else to blog about tomorrow.

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Christmas Carol Rant

Posted on December 26, 2011 by mohawkvalleygirl

I’ve actually ranted this rant a number of times. Most recently I went off on this stuff Christmas Eve, then said to my nieces they didn’t need to read my next blog post; they’d just heard it. The next day one niece asked if I had indeed blogged about it. I had not. So here it is.

I love Christmas music. I think it is one of the best things about the best time of year. I love Christmas music so much, sometimes it makes me cry. That said, I really REALLY HATE what some singers do to Christmas songs.

I like peppy, happy Christmas songs. I can be-bop to Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” all day long. I don’t like ballads in the best of times. And what I really can’t stand is a drawn out, slowed down ballad that you have no idea when it is ever going to end.

Singers, like all of us, can be self indulgent. Sometimes they indulge themselves with long, drawn out notes in ballady, emotional songs (my computer is telling be ballady is not a word, but I think it is descriptive). Sometimes they sing as if they are being paid by the hour, adding syllables where none existed or making the syllables that are there last way beyond their natural life.

I studied music in high school. I know that the different shaped notes mean you hold them for specific lengths of time: this note lasts a quarter beat, that note lasts two beats. How long a beat is may vary, but within those confines we have a specific rhythm which the songwriter intended. This is comforting to me. It means that a song, however many verses it may have, will eventually end. There is one — only one that I know of — symbol which placed over a note means you can hold it a little longer. This symbol usually is placed on one only one note in a song, often the last note. Many singers behave as if this symbol is over every damn note in the song.

I hate it! You never know when the song is going to end — you never even know when you are going to get to the next line! I listen to the song saying, “Get on with it! Go to the next note already!” I imagine there are songwriters turning over in their graves, or at least cringing as they cash their royalty checks.

This happens in music all the time, but I tend to notice it most often at Christmas. I believe it springs from a number of factors: I listen to music more at Christmas, and many Christmas songs tend to lend themselves to this sort of emotional self-indulgence. Christmas is an emotional time (hence my crying over Christmas songs).

One may ask, why am I being such a Scrooge or Grinch about this (choose your favorite fictional reference)? This person would say to me, “Let the singers sing how they want to sing! Some of us like to hear it that way!” Oh well, to each his own as the old lady said when she kissed the cow. If you like that sort of thing, listen away. You have plenty of opportunity. For myself, I will make some more mix tapes of my favorite peppy, happy tunes and dance and sing the rest of this Christmas time away. Happy days, all!

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