I have read that according to etiquette experts it is acceptable to say “Happy New Year” for the first seven to ten days of the year. I admit, it seems odd to me to use that phrase anytime after January 1. I am rethinking that this year. I wish you a Happy New Year!
On the route I often take to work in the mornings there is a lady who stands and waits for the bus. The road is a busy, narrow, four lane with a hectic intersection where I always get stopped at the traffic light. Just to the right of where I wait on the light is a bus stop. The bus stops in the right lane between 8 and 8:15 every morning. There is a grassy strip of land next to a Walgreens parking lot where people stand waiting for the bus. It is not level, but hilly and uneven. It is a very unlikely place to see a dancing lady.
Pieces of paper are important to me. Sometimes they become a song lyric, a blog idea, or simply a reminder of a past event that is meaningful. I have often typed the phrases or sentences into the computer and printed them out . . . but, it simply, is not as much fun or evocative of that moment when I jotted those ideas down.
From the 1940s onward, there has been a greater diversity of sounds and instruments used in country music. Right along with the fiddle, steel guitar, banjo, harmonica, and mandolin—the harpsichord is included on occasion—even as far back as the late 1950s. I admit that I found this very surprising.
Harpsichord continues to be used in recordings—sometimes only in the background, but often it takes a prominent role. I find it fascinating how many ways this versatile instrument is used.
This blog is the third in a series that explores the use of harpsichord in popular music. The harpsichord continued to be used after the 1960s to provide a background filler or a distinctive timbre for solos.
In the 1940s and 1950s (outside of classical music) the harpsichord had been more or less a prop or novelty instrument in jazz and popular music. During the 1960s, the harpsichord became an unlikely star. It was everywhere and in all kinds of music—from TV and movie themes, to jazz, country, soul, easy listening, and of course pop . . . especially Baroque Pop and psychedelia. This blog is the second in a series that explores the use of harpsichord in popular music.
Several years ago, much to my surprise, I realized that I have been hearing the harpsichord in literally hundreds of songs on the radio and in recordings for years. Why have I never noticed that? I decided to research the use of harpsichord in popular music.
Scientists say that on average it takes sixty-six days for a new behavior to become automatic—it can depend on the person and the circumstances. In some instances, experts say it can take as long as 254 days for people to form a new habit. I confess that consistency has never been my strong point. However, over a hundred days ago I committed to composing music every day.
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