FinishMySong Blog

This evening marks a difficult anniversary for my family: it was 11 years ago tonight that my big brother, Anthony, was killed in a car crash on King Street in Aberdeen.

The official recorded date of his death is 1st December 1995, but it was on a night out with the Aberdeen University Exploration Society on Thurs 30th November of that year that my brother (who we used to call A'yi) drank with friends then accepted a lift home from one of the lads, to his and our great cost. The driver, you see, was well over the drink driving limit by the early hours of the morning and had a tendency to show off in his big, black Audi Quattro. But, on that bitterly cold winter's night in Northern Scotland he lost control of the car, just yards away from where A'yi would have gotten out at his digs, crashing into a sold granite wall in excess of 93mph, killing not only Anthony but also himself and his girlfriend. The one thing that consoles me is that Anthony's passing would have been very quick.

If this isn't the kind of event that should inspire others to avoid drink driving at all costs then I don't know what would. Anyone who has seen the physical results of a high speed crash couldn't fail but to think twice when getting in any car at any time - Anthony died of huge head injuries and to see him in that state in the funeral home was very difficult, to say the least. I couldn't try to describe that experience in any written language without massively understating the horror that we all went through over Christmas 1995. And all for the sake of a few of pints of beer.




But, what I think is most important when you find yourself on the other side of these kinds of events is to remember how your loved ones lived while they were here, and try only to take lessons away from the manner of their passing; dwelling on the details of the death itself can be incredibly destructive and is certainly rarely helpful.

So, I want to say a few things about my wonderful brother, A'yi, on this painful anniversary. I want to say that I don't have to wait for a day like today to be thinking of him - so many things in this life remind me of him each day and it saddens me that he is no longer here to share them with me. Anthony was a profoundly intelligent individual who was passionate about the conservation of Britain's natural environment, and particularly the wildlife in his adoped home of Scotland. He surrounded himself with the plants and animals as regularly as he could, often combining his love for nature with his interest in outdoor sports, from mountaineering to potholing.

I often see Anthony in myself, not least in the physical appearance of my gradually aging face. At the time of his death at the tender age of 23, he had not yet finished his journey of spiritual discovery and, although interested in the principles of Christianity, he really epitomised the word 'agnostic' - his mind was open to any ideas about the nature of our conscious existence. In fact, sometimes I think he must have known that he was not long for this world because he seemed to try to fit so much living into the little time he had, expressing his deep-seated respect for life through poetry, art and music. And, despite never having received any formal training in the subjects, Anthony had a truly artistic and musical streak, and he loved every moment that he spent participating in those pursuits, even if that only meant going to the 'Lampie' (The Blue Lamp) or The Lemon Tree to watch folk performers do their thing.

As much as I'm proud of Anthony for all these aspects of his life, the one thing that makes me most proud is when I think about his sense of morality - a truly humanist condition. I have a clear memory of him telling me that he could not stand prejudice in any form, and his actions were true to this belief. He had respect for all living things, whatever their size, shape or colour. I want so much to follow this example, although I've got to admit to failing regularly and often on this score. Thinking of A'yi keeps me trying, though. He always did bring out the best in me.

I reported last month that Duke Special were something seriously special - I saw them at a Divine Comedy gig in Leeds at the end of October. And, I see since then they're making it bigger and bigger each day.

A week or so after Martin and I saw them play, they appeared on the Later with Jools Holland television show. Then today I see an interview with them on the website national French commercial radio station, NRJ. Seems like my view of them as "brilliant" is becoming increasingly shared by various other music lovers. Take a look at their stuff if you get chance! It'll be well worth it!

Labels: Duke Special

Ok, another one of my friends has a car for sale :

Sometimes you hear a song that you can't help but be touched by. It might not have the most beautiful tune or the most amazing playing or even the most interesting lyrics but somehow it still manages to grab you.

I first heard New Slang by The Shins back in summer, in the movie Garden State, and experienced exactly this sensation: total awe in the sounds I heard coming from the television speakers in the house where my friend, Ed, lives. This music is just stunning; beautiful to the nth degree and yet I struggle to tell you why. Certainly, the opening is nothing special - a simple fade in of a relatively simple guitar riff (with percussion and vocal humming added as garnish). The lyrics, although carefully placed on and off the beats that you would normally expect each syllable to nestle in, are intriguing but they don't especially grab me:


Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.
Only, i don't know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet that i was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree
And i'd a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and i'm lonely.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, i'd 'a jumped from my tree
And i'd a danced like the kind of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns 'till they melt away.

I'm looking in on the good life i might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
Well i'd a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.


The melody includes some nice glissando's that are common in the vocal style of James Mercer, the lead singer of The Shins, but is unremarkable if you discount this feature; Mercer has a really Morrissey-esque habit of understating the melodic line, which comes across well but wouldn't usually attract column inches in the musical press. The tempo is steady and nothing special happens with the tonality. There is a bit of a guitar solo but, again, this is very understated. So why did this song grab me with such potency? Perhaps it was its placement in the wonderful and moving film Garden State??

But, then, I heard it again this evening as it was used for the ending of an old episode of Scrubs. Now, any reader of this blog will know how much I also admire the genius of this programme, and particularly the way Zach Braff (John - J.D. - Dorian) and John McGinley (Doctor Perry Cox) weave their way through a brilliant script, but I didn't see most of this episode. What I experienced again could not have been my admiration for the programme's content projected onto a mildly soothing song. No, there is something about this tune that gets to me for reasons that I just can't explain by musical analysis.

These are exactly the stumbling blocks that pose a serious problem for those of us who believe that everything in this world can be explained through science... there are just two many things that pick holes in the argument, from the most heroic altruisms witnessed through history, to the way a moment in an otherwise plain song can rip a heart out.

Earlier today the BBC News website reported that videos available online at sites such as YouTube are resulting in people spending less time watching television. Perhaps this is true and it's understandable when you look at the great diversity of entertainment available on the internet as opposed to the 400+ channels of reruns on television.

Of course, the internet like any form of 'open' media is loaded full of all the rubbish that Joe Public feels fit to publish (just look at this blog! *grin*) but there are some great examples of why it is still worth trawling through it to find the jewels that are hidden just around the corner. Last night I came across just such a diamond (part II is here) - a couple of videos of Richard Dawkins doing a book reading at the Randolf-Macon Woman's College, followed by a question and answer session. A part from the fact that I mostly agree with Dawkin's viewpoint on the issues of creationism / intelligent design, these films are definitely worth watching for the sheer brilliance with which Dawkins tramples all over the ridiculous arguments posed to him by various moronic students and lecturers from RMWC and 'Liberty University', the latter of which Dawkins suggests isn't a real university after one of its students suggested that it claims to hold a dinosaur bone that's only 3000 years old. Truly hilarious stuff!!!

Can the five finalists on X-Factor (two of which are groups) really be the five most talented musical acts in the UK today? Could they even be the five best acts of the many thousands who originally applied to be involved in the competition?? Let's break it down:

We have Leona, who has a beautiful voice, although her performances come across as a little shaky and unsure at times. Ben has that whole husky-singing style going on and as much as I like the strength and timbre that he's able to give over, the songs he sang on last night's programme did nothing for him whatsoever; they came across as simplistic and formulaic. The McDonald brothers are just so bland it's beyond belief and one of the two (the dark haired lad) cannot sing in tune to save his life. Ray has been consistently dire throughout the series but, to be fair, he did pull of a couple of good songs last night. Just a shame that his personality is unbearable to watch even on the rare occasions when he sings well. And then there is Eton Road. Well, what can I say: a really badly constructed group of wildly different vocal sounds, some of whom have ongoing intonation issues, not to mention their lack of direction thanks to being mentored by the idiot Louis.

I find it hard to believe that, even among those egos so hungry for fame that they're willing to put themselves through this kind of thing, there aren't more able musicians and entertainers out there. I find it interested to note that so often people with genuine ability and drive don't get anywhere in these Pop Idol type shows, leaving the dregs of the musical world to push forward to grab their 15 minutes. The naivety that's associated with it is cringe-worthy aswell - how Ray so excitedly proclaims that he's now had a taste of fame and that he wants it for the rest of his life. Well, my lad, I'd take a look at the tabloid media output on any random day before jumping on that wagon and you'll find that our fickle gutter-press is just as quick to drag the likes of you down as it is to raise you onto that pedestal in the first place. So, you'll get just what you deserved in the first instance!

It's no coincidence that the aritcles on this blog are largely very positive about the live music events that are taking place in Bradford, West Yorkshire and beyond, whilst being largely critical of the various 'artistes' that seem to make it big and find their way onto our television screens and radios. The popular music market, you see, is flooded with utter crap, pedalled as talent by various groups who have the idea of making large amounts of money (or continuing to do so) closest to their hearts. These people know and care little about good music, let alone think of artistic integrity. It's all about making a quick buck at the expense of Joe Public who seems all too willing to buy into whatever rubbish they happen to be pedalling this week.

Take Jordan as an example: I'm ashamed that I even know this girl's name given that she's famous for absolutely nothing. Last night, when I got in from teaching singing to the Northern Academy of Performing Arts kids in Skipton, I switched on the tv and flicked through a few music channels, chancing upon Jordan and her hubby, Peter Andre (who, by the way, is also famous for very little... oh, apart from that awful single in the early 90's that the public have been sucked into buying twice so far!) singing A Whole New World, from the great Disney movie, Alladin.

Now, don't get me wrong - I like this song a lot. It won awards for the best film song the year that it was released and really turned the farce-comedy that was Alladin into a romance film for youngsters. All good stuff - but, PLEASE... have you heard Jordan and Peter singing this??? Well, actually, I've been doing the song with various groups of children from primary school kids to fairly advanced theatre-types over the last month and I can tell you that it sounds considerably better when the latter sing it than Peter and Jordan's attempt. Frankly, the producers of the J&P version have done a very lame attempt to rip off the 'reprise' recording made by Luther Vandross and Vanessa Williams (recorded at the time of the film's release), even down to the music video recorded in short black and white scenes. Why must the people who run our music industry put us through this?? There is SO much talent in the UK - just drop in at any amateur show, whether it be a metal gig, a folk group or a musical, to see what potential the musicians of this country have. I fail to understand why the public is willing to continue buying rubbish just because the faces on the sleave are a bit famous, if only for having large breasts.

Speaking of live musical talent, it's the Topic Folk Club singaround tonight at the Cock and Bottle pub in Undercliffe (at the top of Church Bank, in Bradford), so get yourself along for a friendly drink and some great alternative tunes.

A Belgian company, Arpege Music, is offering free downloads of their music software on the internet. The programme is called Pizzicato Light 3, and claims to provide the following features to users:

- Writing music theory exercises or didactic scores,
- Listening to the score and playing or singing with it so as to learn the rhythm and melody,
- Making musical dictation exercises,
- Learning and reviewing music theory,
- Creating little personal compositions, etc.

It sounds like a similar programme to Sibelius but with emphasis on the educational aspects of notation manipulation. I've got to admit that I haven't tried it yet but you can be sure that once I've had a tinker there'll be a review appearing on here. In the meantime, you can download a copy yourself to try it out. I have 30 promotional codes to give to my associates so anyone enquiring about music services with FinishMySong is welcome to one of these free of charge. It should allow you to download and run the full programme on either AppleMac or IBM compatible PC's.

Drop me a line if you're interested or have any more info on this.

The great thing about blogs is that literally anyone can say whatever they want and get some kind of reception, if only a couple of mates reading it. It's a wonderful demonstration of the principle of freedom of speech. But, then, some people actually post useful stuff on their blogs... it does happen now and again! For example, here's one I came across the other day :

http://virtualmusicteacher.blogspot.com/

As you might have guessed from the title, this is a resource designed for us aspiring music educators. A couple of days ago there was a list of online references posted that I will certainly find useful. If you've come across any other useful blogs stick the URLs in the comments of this post - I could do with reading something decent on the internet for a change! :)

An established and well qualified piano teacher, I provide lessons to anyone in the West Yorkshire area, whatever their age, experience or ability level.

Having played piano and a variety of other instruments since I was a child, I have lots of practical experience to back up the high standard of musical education I received during my time studying music and creative music technology at Hull University. This combined with the drive and enthusiasm to find new ways of passing on this knowledge to anyone and everyone who has the inclination to learn about the subject makes me the ideal piano tutor to help you or your child strive for any musical aspiration and to achieve more than you ever thought was possible.


Already, I'm supporting many people in the Bradford area with their efforts to learn a skill that until recently seemed totally alien to them. They are finding not only that they get a great deal of enjoyment out of playing an instrument but also that coming to lessons each week and practising at home gives them a real sense of achievement as they see themselves progressing quickly into increasingly complicated and more fulfilling musical activities.

My students are finding themselves realising that each of us has more than enough talent to play, write and understand music in a totally natural, healthy and fun way. This is because I believe that a fairly informal approach is an important part of gaining the trust of new students and developing an atmosphere that encourages learners to express themselves openly; to find their own way of mastering instrumental technique whilst enjoying ongoing support by way of the sound knowledge and experience of a professional tutor. Everyone learns according to their personal outlook - we all have something new to offer - so the teacher and student partnership I try to form with each individual I teach is always flexible enough to accomodate new approaches to well established methods and concepts.

To find out more about the structure of my lessons, the teaching philosophy I employ and to enquire about taking up piano lessons for yourself or your child, click here to send me a message or ring 07771-541400.

I am based in Baildon, West Yorkshire, and conduct my lessons from home. I am fully CRB checked.

The Bradford Catholic Players will be putting on a run of Me and My Girl from this Monday and through the whole week to Saturday 25th November. I sat in on one of the earlier rehearsals for this show and I've got to say that I was massively impressed by the performance standard even then. Given another month or so of rehearsals, I would expect this to be a show and a half.



Me and My Girl will be playing at the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford and you can contact the booking office on 01274-432375 or 01274-637349.

This month's Bradford Music Club meeting is taking place this Sunday evening at 7pm. Everyone will be getting together at the historic Rawdon Quaker Meeting House in North-West Leeds for what will be another great evening's entertainment.

BMC invites anyone to join in, either as a member of the supportive audience or as a performer. Even people with little or no experience of singing / playing in public are welcomed with open arms. The whole premise of the music club is to encourage people who would not normally find themselves on a stage to get up and perform something.

Get yourself down there this Sunday night and find out more. I'll be accompanying a couple of singers at the piano but you can email me if you need any more info.

I've got to admit that the job of teaching piano, guitar and singing can be frustrating for more than practical reasons. For a start, there's the ethical issue of whether or not it's right to devote all my time to helping people learn a skill that is, when all is said and done, often considered no more important than any other fun pastime. This consideration sometimes overwhelms me, especially at times like I've had over the past couple of weeks when I've found myself visiting hospitals full of staff dedicating their time to the wellbeing of others. These people presumably consider what they do of greater importance than any musical activity but I console myself by trying to consider what the world would be like without art and music. Perhaps we could all go on in full health, hearts beating and lungs filling and emptying each second, but we'd be infinitely poorer for losing the means to express ourselves. I once wrote that "music is society" and this is why it's important for people to continue in the tradition of teaching and learning the skills required to keep a healthy musical society as well as healthy bodies.

So, then, it has to be acknowledged that the act of playing an instrument or singing is not just about the technical means of producing sounds at certain pitches, but actually about creating something that is worthwhile both personally and as part of society at large. This idea alone means that my job as a music teacher is not as straightforward as it might first seem - there are so many different views out there of what does and does not constitute 'good' playing, whatever that is, and how it is achieved, not to mention the thousands of musical genres, styles, approaches to composition and musical arrangement. Then the teaching styles offered by each tutor differ greatly. For example, a friend of mine was telling me recently that she takes weekly piano lessons that rotate between two subject areas: the playing of pieces and the practise / perfection of scales. Her teacher sits with her to play nothing but scales for an entire lesson one week then the next week dispenses with the warm-ups and goes cold straight into the Mozart, or whatever. Now, I find this a peculiar way of going about teaching piano, but who am I to say whether this is more or less effective than the way I teach, incorporating pieces and exercises into all my lessons? More to the point, can my method work better with some people and my friend's teacher's approach work better for others?

Rhiannon Schmitt covers these dilemmas in her article about the decision to teach music, called So You Want to be a Music Teacher? The crooks of her point seems to be that sitting down with people who are learning an instrument is much more challenging than many non-teaching people would think; it requires patience, careful planning and the willingness to scrap everything that you just planned at the drop of a hat if you realise that you're trying to force a square block into a round hole. The truth is that I can be very hard on myself when I perceive a student's lack of progress as a failing on my part, and reading Rhiannon's article really helped me to find a sense of perspective in all this: the skills I'm trying to teach are hugely complicated. They cannot be learned overnight, so a music teacher needs to be patient both over the period of a single lesson when a student may be struggling with something but also in the long term; to realise that mastering these skills can take many years and each student will learn at their own pace according to their level of innate ability and commitment to the task. But, rest assured that if you give the student enough guidance and allow them the time they need to pull it together, it will mostly work out good in the end, one way or another. I'll try to bear this in mind in the coming months and years!

Over the last 6 months that I've been properly freelancing full time as a music teacher I've found that one of the most frustrating aspects of the job is that the services I offer are sometimes viewed as just that: a service that someone can take or leave according to their whim. This is all very well from the customer's point of view but as private music teacher relies on the income from appointments that are made then often broken with little or no notice given. When this happens, of course, that teacher does not have enough time to rearrange his/her schedule to book in other work.

My website has always stated that I charge for lessons that are cancelled or rearranged without sufficient notice but it has now got to the point where I am going to have to get all my current students (and anyone who signs up in the future for piano, guitar or singing lessons) to sign a written agreement stating that they understand this policy. Frankly, one regular, reliable and committed student is worth four others who may or may not turn up for lessons, and this is why I've had to resort to this measure.

It's a real shame too because until recently I really tried to be flexible and fair with people. As usual in this life, it's always the minority that spoil the situation for the majority of people who do reciprocate that level of respect and decency.

For those who are interested in taking piano lessons with me, click here to download the agreement I have drafted, or see below for a brief list of the main conditions:

The fixed rate for these lessons will be £20 per hour (or a pro-rata calculation based on this rate), plus any agreed travel expenses. The teacher reserves the right to amend this rate in the future, in line with market prices.

When a lesson is booked, both the student and the teacher are committed to sticking to that appointment and showing up promptly for it. They are only usually committed to the next lesson that is booked, unless more than one appointment has been made in advance.

Any cancellation or rescheduling of a pre-arranged lesson must be agreed at least 24 hours prior to the appointment. If a student cancels (or wants to rearrange) a lesson without giving a minimum of 24 hours notice, or doesn’t show up at the arranged time and place, the lesson will be chargeable in full and the balance will be due at the next lesson. If the teacher is unable to give 24 hours notice then the next regular lesson will be given free of charge.

Where extenuating and unavoidable circumstances occur that result in the student failing to give 24 hours notice to cancel, as they sometimes do, this charge may be wavered, at the teacher’s discretion. An example of such an occasion would be a medical emergency.

Students will behave in a respectful manner at all times when dealing with the teacher.

When Charles and Camilla got married I saw what I think was the best headline ever in a British tabloid newspaper: "Boring Man Marries Ugly Woman. Who Cares?" Cruel but funny and entirely appropriate.

I feel the same way about the recent controversy over Britney Spears - various court appearances with regard to a magazine article accusing her of having made a home sex movie, and now her filing for divorce from dancer and rapper husband Kevin Federline. I mean, seriously.. why is this considered big enough news to make the national headlines? Some little slapper who pretends to be able to sing gets married, has sex and then gets divorced. Do we REALLY need to know the ins and outs of this case??

Call me old fashioned, but I'd like it much more if news was actually newsworthy, especially when it's on public channels such as those run by the BBC.

It's been hard to get myself blogging over the past couple of days for a few reasons. For one, Blogger is undergoing some fairly major upgrades that have resulted in an interruption to its normal, regularly interrupted service! I've also been so busy, what with giving lessons and attending various rehearsals all over the place. A shame, really, because this weekend has definitely been one for reflection on so many issues from the remembrance services around the world to thoughts on the principles of freedom of speech following BNP moron Nick Griffin's acquittal.

Well, I guess I can try to cover these two main issues in one blog because it seems pretty obvious that they're very much related. It's clear that many people in the armed forces gave their lives (and continue to do so) because of their belief in a free society where people have the right to express themselves openly without fear of persecution. And, as much as I totally disagree with what Griffin and the BNP hooligans have to say, I think we must stand by our principles that they have every right to their views and to air them. The idea that the British government is thinking of changing the law in order to lock up Griffin for his viewpoint is another link in a seriously worrying chain of events - yes, Griffin's views are abhorrent but we can not put him behind bars simply because we disagree with him. This kind of cowardly behaviour was not what thousands of young men and women fought the Nazi's for.

Many on the far left believe that it is wrong to grant the BNP a platform on which they are able to stand to spread their distorted version of the truth. My personal view is that we really have two choices: to counter the arguments made by Griffin's cronies in a rational, clear and honest way that leaves no doubt that the BNP are nothing more than National Front thugs in suits, or simply to ignore the British National Party altogether; don't make it illegal for them to speak or to hold meetings but also don't report anything about them in the national and local press. Treat them as the thick racists that they are - not worthy of serious debate or scrutiny. Of course, if Griffin or any other BNP member is suspected of carrying out any unlawful act, such as harassment or violent assault (as many of them already have) then come down on them with the full force of our judicial system. But, let's honour those who lost their lives in the two world wars (often against their own will) by standing up for the principles of freedom in our country. Let the racists say what they want but make sure they are not handed publicity on a plate by our newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations.

I've been listening a lot to Lily Allen recently. The reggae / dance groove that goes on throughout her debut album, Alright, Still, seems to chill me out when I'm driving to various appointments to teach piano or give singing classes to groups of teenagers who sometimes give me the impression that they'd really rather be somewhere else! Maybe it's just the jumpy-type beat that does it or perhaps it's the openness of the lyrics, but something about this music draws my focus away from the hordes of people in their little cars all around me who don't seem to want to get to where they're going, or else are determined to take a few lives on their way there.

But, then when the internal lens sharpens the image on this Lily Allen stuff it gets me wondering why on earth I'd want to listen to it. Some of the lyric content is nothing short of vulgar and the whole album screams out to me that the writer of this stuff has one serious chip on her shoulder. But, for some inexplicable reason, I like it. Let me give you a few example of what I mean... here are some select extracts from various songs off this album:




Just a little taster there, for you. For what it's worth, this is what Amazon say about the album:

Being, as she is, the daughter of prominent British actor Keith Allen, the cynics could easily dismiss the rise of Lily Allen as an act of backroom nepotism, talent-free starlet helped to the stage by the right connections. One listen to her debut album Alright, Still, dispels any doubts about young Ms Allen’s star quality. Possessed of a feisty wit and taste for urban storytelling that should see her compared to Mike "The Streets" Skinner, these eleven tracks of sunshine-friendly reggae pop cover topics including frustrating potential closing-time suitors ("Knock ‘Em Out"), being happy when your ex is having a bad time ("Smile"), and having a little brother who likes a bit of a smoke--and not just of the tobacco variety ("Alfie"). Wisely, however, Allen doesn’t let the grittiness of the subject matter tarnish the golden pop suss of the songs, a suite of gleaming productions by names including Mark Ronson and Gwen Stefani collaborator Greg Kurstin that take inspiration from at the lighter end of reggae and vintage rocksteady. Doubtless some corners of the press will pillory her as a poor role model, but there’s an engaging honesty to the likes of "LDN" - a love song to a city filled with teenage muggers, pimps and crackwhores, narrated by someone who’s cycling because "the filth took away my license". Like father, like daughter.

So, maybe I'm not altogether mad for liking this record, even if I do find some of the lyrics difficult to stomach. Having said that, Amazon are trying to pedal copies of it, aren't they?!

I've often written blogs that cover life's big issues - really my internal agonising about how much of life passes us by while we're too busy getting concerned over things that seem important on the surface but don't really matter at all. I've tried hard at times to write these thoughts down in a clear and concise way in blogs such as Walking in Shadows, What Life is For and What Life is For, Part II, but I'm rarely happy with how it comes across.

Then yesterday, while chilling out in the afternoon reading through some poetry, I came across something written by Philip Larkin that summed up the feeling completely. The piece is called Next, Please and here is it is in completion:


Always too eager for the future, we
Pick up bad habits of expectancy.
Something is always approaching; every day
Till then, we say,

Watching from a bluff the tiny, clear,
Sparkling armada of promises draw near.
How slow they are! And how much time they waste,
Refusing to make haste!

Yet still they leave us holding wretched stalks
Of disappointment, for, though nothing balks
Each big approach, leaning with brasswork prinked,
Each rope distinct,

Flagged, and the figurehead with golden tits
Arching our way, it never anchors; it's
No sooner present than it turns to past.
Right to the last

We think each one will heave to and unload
All good into our lives, all we are owed
For waiting so devoutly and so long.
But we are wrong:

Only one ship is seeking us, a black-
Sailed unfamiliar, towing at her back
A huge and birdless silence. In her wake
No waters breed or break.


A little dark, perhaps. But, the message I take from it is live for today rather than hoping something better will come along tomorrow. I must read more of this guy's stuff!

What I've always hated about working for private companies over the years has been the sheer lack of clear, honest communication between management and the workforce - while they tell you that you're working for a company that is right behind you what they mean is that they're in the ideal position to stab you in the back. It works in shades of grey - those on the first or second rung of the management ladder start to learn that they get places by being deceitful and dishonest, mainly at the cost of those who work beneath them, and the more they rise the thicker the lies have to become.

The BBC news website today features a classic example of how this all starts off: with corporate jargon. Here are some corkers that I bet you've heard your manager come out with in meetings =

Blue-sky thinking: Idealistic or visionary ideas - not always with practical application

Push the envelope: Improve performance by going beyond commonly accepted boundaries

Joined-up thinking: Taking into account how things affect each other - not looking at something in isolation

The helicopter view: An overview

Low-hanging fruit: The easiest targets


Of course, it's all utter nonsense designed to make managers feel intellectually superior and baffle the bejeezuz out of everyone else. This use of jargon-phrases like "joined-up thinking", in fact, epitomises everything that makes working in a business environment in the 21st Century a thoroughly degrading and unhealthy experience. Your choices are either to buy into the system, inventing new and sillier ways of saying perfectly straightforward things, or else get pushed out of the ring, either by some of the more aggressive jargon-talkers or by your own sense of decency and self-preservation. The latter case is how I came to be a freelance music teacher, and there's no way I would ever look back!

I believe sincerely [that] as soon as people want peace and they’re aware that they can have it, they will have it. The only trouble is they’re not aware they can get it. They really think it’s inevitable the way things are; there’s nothing they can do, ya’ know. But they have all the power…. The people have the power.

I think the words above, spoken in interview by John Lennon more than 30 years ago, still ring true to this day. It makes sense to me that there is no reason for us to turn to violence in order to solve our problems. It has been proven time and again that violence breeds violence – buying into the game might seem like the only sensible option for the sake of self-preservation in the here and now but it also condemns us all to another round of the same crap we’ve had to put up with throughout human history. The cycle of violence and pain can be broken, though – John believed this and so do I. You may say that I’m a dreamer but I’m clearly not the only one.

To me the response I often get to my announcement that I’m a pacifist is telling: mostly people bring up the second world war and ask me what I’d have done if I’d lived through that time; if I’d have accepted the inevitable label as a deserter along with the knowledge that I had in effect assisted the German efforts to conquer Britain. They ask leading questions about how it would have been if Hitler’s Nazi party had successfully overtaken Europe and they suggest that pacifism wouldn’t have helped the world a great deal back then so, by extension, they claim that the men of war are responsible for the relative peace that we enjoy today. Now, I’m no holocaust denier but it’s got to be pointed out that history is always written retrospectively – it’s all well and good to look back at the 20^th Century and conclude that we fought the good fight, but the fact is that when the allies in Europe drove the Nazi’s back, they had no idea about the atrocities that were going on in death camps like Auswich. British troops did not die to save little Jewish kids, but to look after their own roost.

Not that this ultimately makes any difference because the peace we all celebrate on Nov 11^th is a false one anyway – wars continue to be waged and people continue to fall in a storm of bullets, by their brother’s knife or in explosions that defy any logic. The men of war who stood up in 1939 have not won that war because the fight goes on and people continue to die in their thousands, maybe not in Europe but the disease is still very much rampant throughout our world… so what did WWII actually achieve? The same as any other fight, I guess – it made sure that we’re alright, Jack.. at least for a while.

And this is the crucial point that so many seem to miss about the pacifist view: it is not about surrender any more than it’s about cowardice. And there’s one simple reason for this – that the ideal of pacifism crosses all political and ethical barriers. It doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong. We all think we’re right anyway so there’s little to distinguish between us. It is simply to accept that war is not solving anything so people – ALL people – need to lay down their arms and find a way to get through this life without violence, for it will never achieve anything. As Lennon said so many times, we’ve tried war and it doesn’t work. So, why not give peace a chance?

Sure, if the whole British army had decided not to bother fighting Hitler’s ongoing offensive then this part of the world might be very different right now. But, what if the German army rejected the plan to fight for whatever cause their politicians were pedalling that day? Now, that really would have made a difference!

For those of you wanting a giggle to pick you up on a grey Monday morning, you might want to visit my Silly Email Forwards page... I've recently updated it with a few more bits and pieces that have found their way into my inbox, most notably the hillarious Tommy Cooper Style jokes - I LOVE these... they definitely cater to my juvenile sense of humour!! Hehehe...

Enjoy!

It's one of those annoying dinner party questions, isn't it: if you were stuck on a desert island on your tod for the rest of your life and you happened to also have with you a HiFi system and an endless supply of AAA batteries, which 10 CD's would you most like to get sent over there on mail order? Something by Barry White, perhaps, for a chance encounter with a particularly curvaceous mermaid? Or maybe a bit of Glam Rock to get you through those bleak winter evenings??

But, I think we're missing the really important question in all this: sod the CD player - which TV programmes couldn't you live without? And for me the answer is simple...

There are only two programmes on telly that I think really are good for the soul. Firstly, those survival type shows with Ray Mears, just because he has the most gentile knack of reminding you that you're basically worm-food and all the things that you go around believing are important actually don't matter a jot. You really can live without them but try making dinner with only what you can find on the floor of a very moist rainforest. Get that right and you could really be free... at least until you get eaten by worms.

The other show that gets me through the night, as John Lennon might put it, is Scrubs. Now this really is something special because it holds a mirror up to the mundane concerns of the everyday. It uses the trials of a newly qualified doctor to parody the lives of all of us, employing a mixture of slap-stick comedy and a genius script to leave every viewer with that cosy 'it's all gonna be ok' feeling. Part of the magic of the show is the ongoing monologue by J.D. that usually acts as a commentary to the show (but also is now and again used to poke fun at this very technique) but by far the most important aspect for how Scrubs gets to you is in the Dr Cox character. He is the stereotype grumpy, miserable sod with a heart of gold and some of the things he comes out with just stick. A* to the script writers for gems such as this :

Dr. Cox: It's time. Sit down, and listen up Newbie. I suppose you want me to say you're great? That you've raised the bar for interns everywhere?

J.D.: I'm cool with that!

Dr. Cox: Well, I'm not going to say that. You're doing ok. Someday you might even be better than that. But right now, all I see is a guy who's so preoccupied with wondering what everyone else thinks about him, that he doesn't have anytime to think whether or not he believes in himself. DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY I TOLD YOU TO WRITE YOUR OWN EVALUATION?

J.D.: I don't have a safe answer for that. I just figured that... you...

Dr. Cox: Clam up Newbie! I wanted you to think about yourself... AND I MEAN REALLY THINK!... What are you good at? What do you suck at? And write it down. Not so I could read it, or anyone else could read it. BUT SO YOU COULD READ IT! You see in the end Newbie, you don't have to answer to me, or to Kelso, or even to your patients for Gods sake! The only one you have to answer to Newbie, is you! There, YOU ARE evaluated. Now get out of here, because you truely make me so damn mad I might just hurt myself!

So, if I really have to be stuck on Tuin Island with neither a copy of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks or an Amanda Donohoe lookalike to keep me company, then there better be a VCR and a stack of Scrubs videos to hand!

It's not been a good week for blogging. Apart from the ongoing appointments, chores and other engagements I need to keep up to, I've also been trying to fight off a bad case of Man Flu. This incurable illness that only effects blokes carries all the same symptoms as women experience when suffering from the common cold, except that these very symptoms stop a man in his tracks and leave him helpless for days.

So, I've been stumbling through life now for over a week: nose sore with wiping, head aching and somehow woolly inside, ears ringing in dissonance with one another, throat and chest constantly full of phlegm, and mood relentlessly low. How is anyone supposed to think in these conditions, let alone teach piano, work through vocal harmonies or, for that matter, write witty or informative blogs??!

But, one must battle on. Infact, the workload I'm managing now is getting fatter by the day so I really need to get the hell back to the land of the living and sort through it sharpish. To say nothing of the urgent need to feel well enough for drinking shenanigans this weekend. Let's hope the man flu has passed fully by then!!!

In the meantime, I'll curl up in front of a couple of repeats of Becker and feel sorry for myself. See you at the other end of the tunnel!