Behind the veil, a song reflects the most beautiful love of Christmas

Kathy Songbird

Carol Forsloff---Many of us are familiar with the singing duos of the famous deceased singers with their relatives, still alive, like Elvis Presley and his daughter Lisa, or Nat King Cole with his daughter, Natalie, or Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy.  But seldom do we see that combination between friends on Facebook or on other social media sites.  In the case of a December musical offering, it is the very example of how many ways love is shared at the holidays and other times.

The musician known as Kathy Songbird posted a song that indeed is a reflection of one person's love for another that goes beyond the ordinary.  She had met an elderly gentleman on SingSnap, a musician's site where performers sing to recorded instrumentals.   Kathy had performed the song "I've Got a Crush on You"with Jack, that elderly gentleman, some time before he died last week.  As a memorial, she has again performed the song, this time using his voice with hers in harmony.

Most of these videos on SingSnap are individually made through the site, and at various times singers combine their talents.  The result of Kathy's performance with Jack becomes a message of love that will brings tears to the eyes of those who learn the backstory of the song's production and the heart that brings it to all of us now.

Kathy Songbird is one of the more popular and beautiful songstresses of Fandalism, another site that attracts musicians throughout the world, and that includes those who play their own instruments, and those who don't, those who sing and those who don't, but all who perform music to share with everyone.  Her soaring soprano touches hearts many times. It is, however, the heart of the woman that goes beyond all that to bring this special Christmas gift.  For indeed it is a gift, to reach through the veil of death and return life to a voice we can all share, while she shares it in song.

The song is here, embedded in this article, as one of those moments that at holidays, or any day when we want to soar with the love of goodness, the song "I've Got a Crush on You" that most people could never hear again after this without thinking of how the song was made and why.

Enjoy for today and tomorrow the song, and the message of how one life touches another beyond death and across the digital world to offer all of us the highest example of what love means in all its beautiful ways.

Earning money in the arts threatened by technology

[caption id="attachment_20704" align="alignleft" width="232"] Frank Sinatra. Could he make it now?[/caption]

Carol Forsloff------Elvis Presley finds his fame at Sun records, after walking in the door of a small studio in the South, as did Johnny Cash, both finding some rejections but also a direction and a world where opportunities were not clouded by massive numbers voting and getting friends to vote as well, which prevents many talented people from ever being heard. This is a problem for musicians that spills over into painting and writing and all the arts.

Earning money in art, writing books and articles and performing music is often thwarted by some of the abuses in technology. Add to this a continuing focus on youth with whole towns who concentrate specifically on “their” particular relative or friend who can vote people in or out of competition. The quality of the performances at times becomes reduced, even with the influx of those who claim talent simply to be part of the community of art. Add to this the reality show entertainment aspect where the ridiculous of someone dressed as a tree with a large megaphone is selected to present based upon the unusual disguise, not the talent of voice or instrument.

One woman said, when asked her interest in Jackie Evancho, whom the judges and audience had ruled especially talented, “She's too young to be that good, so I wouldn't vote for her.” So Evancho did not win first place, nor did Susan Boyle, because there were people who voted in opposition simply to thwart the more serious talents from winning.

Step in a room where, if you are a seasoned artist and someone asks what you do, and you answer you are an artist. You will rapidly learn that nearly everyone around also claims to paint, play music, or write. All of that is good, as these creative avenues are useful in building morale and interpersonal skills. But many of these same people find that with certain technology they can sound as professional as anyone, despite the fact their talent does not rise to the level of the professional who has trained for years. New music software can change the vocal key, timbre, quality of almost anyone, including those who have said they can't sing. Digital technology allows for copying and corrections of artistic work in ways that simulate serious painting, again with limited talent.   And programmed outlines and software can turn out a book in a few hours with all the grammar and spelling errors that could make an English teacher fret.

Writing has its own issues, along with those in art and music. Journalists are confronted with hundreds of thousands of bloggers, many untrained in writing, who have strong political opinions and ideas but lack the knowledge to do comprehensive research and don't look on all sides of an issue in order to write in a fair and balanced way. So the typical reader sees an article online in a format that looks just like their local paper (but often with no contact information) and uses the information as if it were the truth, not an opposing notion by the traditional media. Furthermore that traditional media is often so downgraded by the bloggers, that many people now don't trust anyone except a blogging friend.  So reputable and experienced journalists are losing jobs and income as a result.

The answer to these issues is actually quite simple. If you are ready to “buy”, look for a hands-on demonstration someone can sing or play music with a live performance, even if that's in a living room somewhere. Look at original paintings and the artist in a gallery working on a project. And with news and information, check the background of the writer and find the contact information as well, so you don't end up with the wrong information from a 16-year-old who just knows how to create a great-looking website with technology skills.

The abuses in art, music and writing are established by many people to be barriers for artists who have spent years honing their crafts. But it is the citizenry that supports the mundane, the artificial and the popular friend as opposed to the talented that brings the cultural aspect of the arts to levels of ordinary that do not elevate thinking or interest or abilities.

 

 

Rare interview with master guitarist, James Burton, Elvis Presley's sidekick

James Burton

This is a major, and rare, interview, with James Burton. He has been a principal guitarist for Elvis Presley, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnnie Ray and others. This is a don't miss opportunity, the first and only time this interview has been provided for the public.

Burton was not one of the "Memphis Mafia," or at least not one of the members who were closely associated with Elvis and may have participated in the drinking, gambling, women and drugs that often enter into the world of music.  This guitarist is a family man with the same wife he had when he worked with Elvis.  He is one of the people in the sense that despite his fame, he is delightfully accessible.

In front of the Music Hall of Fame in Shreveport, a statue of James Burton stands across one of Elvis. Burton's office is across the street in a modest building that offers the same down home style evidenced by this simple and simply wonderful musician.

Enjoy the experience of listening to Burton speak of his music experiences as he did in a live two-hour interview.  It was a heart-warming experience for this reporter to learn directly from someone who literally was at the right hand of Elvis Presley, but lacks the arrogance of many people who hang onto the memories in a way that brings them fame in a self-centered fashion.  Burton is the very definition of generous in manner, personality and character, and the interview where this character is displayed follows.