This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

You Might Be Smarter Than You Think!

Turn up your volume if you'd like to hear samples of popular songs that have classical origins.


          Are you intimidated by the Timeless Twelve Classical Favorites list?  Are you thinking that you don't know anything about classical music?   Ponder for a moment--you are probably familiar with more classical pieces than you think.  Who doesn't know at least the opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony?  If you are a fan of Disney's Fantasia then you were listening to a whole series of great classical works.  The hauntingly beautiful piano piece "Clair de Lune" was in the movie Twilight--come on I know you fans are out there.

          Orff's "Carmina Burana" has been used in plenty of scary movies.  The entire soundtrack of 2001: A Space Odyssey was great classical music.  Old classic cartoons like Bugs Bunny often resorted to the musical classics.  Likewise you frequently hear classical music on the television commercials.  Just check some of the soundtracks of your favorite movies and you will often find at least one classical work listed.  For that matter many of your favorite rock groups may have done one or more versions of great classical works.  Transiberian Orchestra's version of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" comes to mind, not to mention many other classical interpretations they do.

         So you say you never listen to classical music?  Think again.  I guarantee you that you do and are apparently not aware.  What do you say--are you willing to toss out your classical favorites on Monday June 14.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy.  It doesn't even have to be twelve.  I hope you will join us for this next list.
Sign up on the Linky list at the top of the page and tell us what you like.

       And special kudos to Yvonne at Welcome to My World of Poetry!!!!   Yvonne has not only submitted something to every single music list so far, but she has done so in poetic form.   If nothing else on Monday, make sure you check out her versified favorites list and while you're at it check out the lists she has put together for the past several Mondays.  She never ceases to amaze us!

       The lists don't stop with the Timeless Twelve Classical Favorites either.   On Wednesday June 16 some of us are doing two lists:  10 Favorite Drinking Songs and 10 Favorite Driving Songs and we'd love for all of you to join us.  Now we're not endorsing drinking, and we're certainly not encouraging drinking and driving, but we just recognize that there has been a long standing tradition of drinking songs and in our modern car culture many songs have been written about driving or are good road trip songs to drive to. These lists are a conglomerate brainchild of Discconnected and Stephen T. McCarthy and have merged into another McBirdDogg production.  Once again you don't have to get real fancy about this--just make a list of songs if that's what you want to do.  Sign up on the Linky at the top of my sidebar and join in the fun.

       Are we going nuts over lists?  Sure, why not?  It's not stopping with the above lists either.  Here are some other lists we'll be doing in upcoming weeks:

Monday June 21-- This is a biggie.  Alex J. Cavanaugh's The Movie Dirty Dozen Blogfest.  We have 34 signed up for this one at the moment I am writing this and I'm sure many more will be adding their names to this one--after all who doesn't like to talk about their favorite movies.  A Linky list for this one appears below today's post.

 Monday June 28 --  10 Favorite Love Songs and 10 Favorite Break Up Songs.  Here's one especially suited to the ladies, but of course we guys have ours too.  It might be interesting to see how the male and female choices compare--these could be very telling lists

  Monday July 5 -- Ten Hot Latin Picks which will include anything from Latin America or Spain and also anything that sounds like that.   This is like the Classical list in that there might be more music that you know about that you just don't think of as Latin music.  You always have Julio Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Santana, and Ricky Ricardo.  You probably like more Spanish influenced music than you'd care to admit.

       Sometime after that maybe you can do a list of the top ten bridges you'd like to see me jump off of for doing all these lists.  Hey, but everybody loves lists don't they.  I read somewhere that lists were a good thing to put on your blogs to maintain interest.  Yo!--Carol, from Under the Tiki Hut, back me up on this.  Will someone please pop on over to her blog and let her know I need her help?

        Okay, I admit it, I'm going list crazy, but it's a crazy world.  And speaking of crazy--

It's award time!


Rock Star Blogger Award from Alex J. Cavanaugh



            And because I'm so busy making other lists I don't have time to make a list of bloggers to pass this on to, so here's the deal:    If you are going to do one of the lists this week you can have this award.  Just let everyone know where it came from and why you got it--because you Rock for doing this week's lists.  Sounds fair to me.   Thank you Alex!  Now let me get busy making my lists.




7 comments:

  1. Hi Lee thanks for another wonderful informative blog. I niticed you had Chasing rainbows , the music was by Chopin which I always loved, you mentioned about your list, how about LISZT????
    Thanks also for the mention very kind of you.

    HAVE A GOOD WEEK-END.
    Yvonne.

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  2. I always feel smarter after leaving your blog. I may be a genius in two or so more weeks.

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  3. I'll probably devote that whole week to movies, too. I've already an interview with the Hollywood Spy scheduled to post in addition to the blogfest.

    And I can do driving songs!!!

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  4. --> "Sometime after that maybe you can do a list of the top ten bridges you'd like to see me jump off of for doing all these lists.

    HA!-HA! [:-O)

    Shoot, I hate to even bring this up now, but for the longest time (probably even longer than you, Arlee, have been blogging here) I have been intending to post a Blog Bit listing my Top 12 or so all-time favorite Silver Screen/TV villains/villainesses.

    Don't know when I'll get around to that, but it's just something YOU also might want to possibly give some thought to.

    ~ "Lonesome Dogg" McTroublemaker

    Postscript: And incidentally, it was actually my friend Mr. Paulboy 6 who suggested the Drinking and Driving Songs lists. DiscConnected and I (and you, too) just kind of picked up that ball and ran with it.

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  5. Kudos on the award. And just loved this...

    "Okay, I admit it, I'm going list crazy, but it's a crazy world."

    LOL, true dat!

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  6. Yvonne -- I have really enjoyed your participation in all of our Favorites compilations. Sadly, Liszt will not be on my list-- so many great composers to fill 12 slots is indeed difficult.

    Betty -- I will be handing out diplomas in Musical Studies at the end of the series. There will be a test and there will be essay questions.



    Alex -- Make sure you at least give us your favorite driving songs on Wednesday. After those lists it's hard not to devote a week to the details of what was on your list and what was not. Maybe I'll do a week of movie related posts as well. Look forward to seeing what you do.

    StMc -- I knew that about who came up the drinkin and drivin idea -- I just forgot. I'll make credit is given appropriately on Wednesday. And sure I like the Bad Guys and Dames list--- somewhere in the future I will plan for it unless you decide you would rather instigate it. Maybe Mid July? Unless of course I get a lot of bridge lists submitted to me.

    Marvin -- You know what I'm talking about you "Old Silly". We're all just blog crazy.

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  7. O.K., I'm excited now! I love classical music. I am not well versed in the composers but I do love it. Look forward to this! Love Di ♥

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