We’ve been talking about albums in the car as we drive around this weekend. Mairin has been at the Google Summit, so that means there is some really loud music playing, air drums and guitar on the steering wheel, and singing going on as we traverse the island.
“Back in my day, artists put out albums. There was no Spotify or Youtube, so you could pick and choose random songs. You bought the album and listened to it as if it were one complete piece of art. You paid attention to the opening song. The last rack. The pacing of tempo from song to song. So we are not gonna hit shuffle on the Family Car playlist today, we are going to listen to an album from start to finish. This album is called Vs by Pearl Jam and the first song is called Go.”
We proceeded to listen to most of it at top volume for the rest of the day.
Later, we explored Ben Harper’s Fight For Your Mind.
“Do you know what oppression means? It is when one group of people holds another group of people down and doesn’t let them do what they want. Or they take their freedom.”
“Why would anyone want to do that?”
“That’s a really good question. Some people are just ignorant or scared or racist or all of those things and they can’t stand to see everyone happy and free. Anyway, that is what this song is about.”
We drove. We listened We went to sewing class and basketball. We picked up mommy from SAS. Twice!
After a nap of the dead, staying up till 3am is not okay for this aging body, Kaia and I were lounging on the couch when she asked if we could watch Lemonade by Beyonce. I had mentioned that I wanted her to see it, so I said okay and we watched.
It was weird and uncomfortable but in the best way. I so wanted to know what she was thinking as she saw the images, heard the poetry and listened to the songs. We listen to the album a lot in the car, so we are all well-versed with the lyrics and the themes, but to watch Beyonce takes things to a whole other level. She is so empowered and beautiful and amazing. So to watch Kaia watch her was a treat. There is nothing that is explicit or -obscenely sexual, so that was okay. There is some language, but we are always talking about the beauty of “bad” language and how it is not actually bad if you know when and how to use it. Skye was a bit shocked after the first few F-bombs, but we all got over it.
There is so much texture and richness in that film. The make up, costumes, dancing, music.
It is so exciting to share music and art with your kids. Expose them to it all and let their brains marinate in it. Soak it up. Be molded by it. I love High School Music, Tay Tay, and Kidz Bops as much as the next guy, but you gotta balance that out with some Perl Jam, Ben Harper and Queen Bey. I really we wish we had a record player so they could get the whole experience of losing yourself in an album.
…
In other news, I finally signed up for The Standard Charter Half Marathon. Last time around I swore to myself around kilometer 18 that I would never do that again, but here I am doing it. I am so behind on my training that it feels like I am starting over, but tomorrow it’s go times. Back to the routine. One step after another.
This week I will plan and organize my talk and workshop for Leaning 2 in Saigon in a few weeks. Lots of big ideas and broad brush stroke thinking going on, but time to pin it down and give it flesh.
My new profile pic epitomizes where I am right now. Looks a bit scared and tried but happy and excited. Confident but vulnerable. Worried but weirdly self-assured.
“Back in my day, artists put out albums. There was no Spotify or Youtube, so you could pick and choose random songs. You bought the album and listened to it as if it were one complete piece of art. You paid attention to the opening song. The last rack. The pacing of tempo from song to song. So we are not gonna hit shuffle on the Family Car playlist today, we are going to listen to an album from start to finish. This album is called Vs by Pearl Jam and the first song is called Go.”
We proceeded to listen to most of it at top volume for the rest of the day.
Later, we explored Ben Harper’s Fight For Your Mind.
“Do you know what oppression means? It is when one group of people holds another group of people down and doesn’t let them do what they want. Or they take their freedom.”
“Why would anyone want to do that?”
“That’s a really good question. Some people are just ignorant or scared or racist or all of those things and they can’t stand to see everyone happy and free. Anyway, that is what this song is about.”
We drove. We listened We went to sewing class and basketball. We picked up mommy from SAS. Twice!
After a nap of the dead, staying up till 3am is not okay for this aging body, Kaia and I were lounging on the couch when she asked if we could watch Lemonade by Beyonce. I had mentioned that I wanted her to see it, so I said okay and we watched.
It was weird and uncomfortable but in the best way. I so wanted to know what she was thinking as she saw the images, heard the poetry and listened to the songs. We listen to the album a lot in the car, so we are all well-versed with the lyrics and the themes, but to watch Beyonce takes things to a whole other level. She is so empowered and beautiful and amazing. So to watch Kaia watch her was a treat. There is nothing that is explicit or -obscenely sexual, so that was okay. There is some language, but we are always talking about the beauty of “bad” language and how it is not actually bad if you know when and how to use it. Skye was a bit shocked after the first few F-bombs, but we all got over it.
There is so much texture and richness in that film. The make up, costumes, dancing, music.
It is so exciting to share music and art with your kids. Expose them to it all and let their brains marinate in it. Soak it up. Be molded by it. I love High School Music, Tay Tay, and Kidz Bops as much as the next guy, but you gotta balance that out with some Perl Jam, Ben Harper and Queen Bey. I really we wish we had a record player so they could get the whole experience of losing yourself in an album.
…
In other news, I finally signed up for The Standard Charter Half Marathon. Last time around I swore to myself around kilometer 18 that I would never do that again, but here I am doing it. I am so behind on my training that it feels like I am starting over, but tomorrow it’s go times. Back to the routine. One step after another.
This week I will plan and organize my talk and workshop for Leaning 2 in Saigon in a few weeks. Lots of big ideas and broad brush stroke thinking going on, but time to pin it down and give it flesh.
My new profile pic epitomizes where I am right now. Looks a bit scared and tried but happy and excited. Confident but vulnerable. Worried but weirdly self-assured.
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