LUCIA MICARELLI AND CHRIS BOTTI -EMMANUEL

I believe all things are beautiful in their own way.  There are some examples, however, that exemplify beauty. Some people have dedicated their entire lives striving for perfection in their art, mastering it, and then they do a wonderful thing - they share their beauty with us.

The attached video pairs two of the most talented musicians in their field: Lucia Micarelli on violin, and Chris Botti on trumpet.  Alone, they are perfection and beauty personified.  Together, well together, they are just awesome!  ENJOY

JOSH GROBAN IN CONCERT/AWAKE

Here it is a video of Josh Groban in concert: singing "Awake", one very beautiful song    HERE

AFRICAN MUSIC VIDEO (This Time For Africa)

I have tried to introduce a lot of international music to this blog because the world has a lot to offer and I don't think Americans get much exposure to it.  I ran across this video today that was created to get Africans excited about World Cup Soccer.  Shakira's music and the dancing are infectious! Watch and listen HERE.

OK. So while I'm in a nostalgic mood, here's another story about my growing up.  Hey - it's MY blog, and I'll write what I want!  When the Beachboys were all the rage, it reminded me of when I still lived in California and going to the beach, so I just naturally loved their songs.  When my old buddy Jim Taylor and I rented a house, we didn't have any furniture except my Grundig stereo console and a bunch of foam rubber cushions scattered on the floor and we would play records all weekend long.  I also owned an Akai 7" reel to reel tape recorder and I soon realized I could record several albums on one tape and we could go to sleep each night listening to our favorite music.


The Beachboys were Jim's favorite group and together, we would actually sing along with all the songs, like Good Vibrations and Little Surfer Girl. We knew all the words by heart. Well, you know, we were just out of high school!  I still love their music and have seen them in concert twice.  Listen to Little Surfer Girl here.

JIM BOITOS VIDEO

A while back I wrote about an old high school friend of mine who became a really great sax player.  So good, in fact, he taught music at Illinois State University for more than thirty years.  I mentioned that I couldn't find any videos of him and today someone was on my blog and saw the post on Jim Boitos.  He or she emailed me and provided a link to a YouTube video that showcases his huge talent.  A surprise to me is that he apparently chose a clarinet for this performance.  I am very familiar with that instrument since I played it in band and throughout high school.  Boitos has mastered it.  Watch and listen HERE.