A wrench in the works for my project of listening to compact discs, one at a time, all the way through, touching at least once on every band or artist in my collection: I bought a new turntable for the basement listening lounge! I have been distracted this week by vinyl and paused my project toContinue reading “Notes Toward a Musical Autobiography: Volume VI, Letter C”
Category Archives: Music
Notes Toward a Musical Autobiography: Volume V, Letter Costello
It happened when I was listening to The Beatles; I couldn’t choose which record to listen to. It happened again with The Boomtown Rats, again with Cheap Trick, and now, in my mission to listen to one cd from each artist represented in my collection in alphabetical order, I am faced with choosing a singleContinue reading “Notes Toward a Musical Autobiography: Volume V, Letter Costello”
Notes Toward a Musical Autobiography: Volume IV, Letter C
Welcome to Volume IV of my crazy project of listening to a single compact disc from start to finish from each musical artist represented in my neglected cd collection and then writing about it in a blog post. Wow, that was a mouthful. The B section was bountiful; it took two volumes of blog and manyContinue reading “Notes Toward a Musical Autobiography: Volume IV, Letter C”
Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume III, Letter B
I’m betting you gave up on me. I almost gave up on myself. What with a trip to Disneyland scheduled for spring break, National Poetry Writing Month, and some illness in the family, it looked hopeless that I would ever get through the project of listening to at least one CD from every musical artistContinue reading “Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume III, Letter B”
#158: Shopping for Records on the Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride
On the 240th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride, I ride to Music Millennium for Record Store Day. I wait in line for an hour to get inside and while I wait I see a former student of mine whose friend (just along for the journey) is offered $100 by some dude with an ankle injury toContinue reading “#158: Shopping for Records on the Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride”
Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume II, Letter B
Herein you’ll find volume two of a written record of the experience of attempting to listen to at least one compact disc from every artist represented in my collection. I think I’m crazy and I don’t know how long I can maintain or persist in this folly. I managed in two weeks and aboutContinue reading “Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume II, Letter B”
Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume I, Letter A
I have often thought of my record collection, now mostly a compact disc collection, supplemented by the occasional download and maybe 100 vinyl LPs, as a kind of musical autobiography. Listening to records for me has always had the same kind of effect as looking through a photo album, or reading old journal entries. TheContinue reading “Notes Toward A Musical Autobiography: Volume I, Letter A”
#140: I Was Raised By. . .
Another mentor text, this time the one we used with our freshmen, to inspire poetry about who or what we credit for “raising” us. The wonderful thing about using a mentor text, learning explicitly the moves of a writer we admire, is that all the 14 year olds end up writing these lively, effective poems.Continue reading “#140: I Was Raised By. . .”
Radio Silence (An Interview)
It’s been quiet around here on the Michael Jarmer blog. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Don’t think I haven’t wondered what had become of that guy who was wont to be so prolific with his blogging. Don’t think I haven’t worried about him just a bit. Well, me and this Michael Jarmer guy happen toContinue reading “Radio Silence (An Interview)”
#126: On Meeting Colin Meloy at the Beach
My friend and I walk down Laneda Avenue in Manzanita when his wife, also a friend of mine, calls the cell phone and says that Colin Meloy is inside the Cloud and Leaf signing books, and, like a teenager, I start running down the street. Having been earlier inside the bookstore, having thought about purchasingContinue reading “#126: On Meeting Colin Meloy at the Beach”
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