Mozart's Sister

I don't have time to pick out a song today, but I still wanted to drop in and say hi. So, "Hi!" This past week has been a whirlwind of new classes and new roommates. (They're wonderful, by the way, although I am alarmed at how quickly one of them pounces on dirty dishes; she washed two of mine today before I even had time to go grab a rag. But I am not complaining.)

Last Saturday, I took a break from work and homework to attend a screening of Mozart's Sister, which is a film about Nannerl, who was--as the title says--Mozart's sister. It's funny at times--the actor playing the Dauphin has such an intense gaze that my friend and I had a hard time not giggling at tense moments--but mostly it's sad, because, like her brother, Nannerl possessed incredible musical talent. Unlike her brother, however, she didn't get to use it, because she was a girl. The movie (which is speculative, so the following might not be true) focuses on a time when Nannerl was acquainted with members of the French royal family, and in which she composed some music for the Dauphin. Later, she devoted her life to her brother's music. As far as I know, none of her work survives.

Here's the trailer, which is subtitled, because the movie is in French. (I just came from French class. Hmm.)

Happy Monday,

Musical Monday (72): "How Dare You" by Thao & Mirah

Better late in the day than never, right?

I first heard of Thao and Mirah on NPR.org's First Listen, where I listened to their collaborative album that was released this spring. (You can't listen to it there anymore, though . . .) I recognized Thao from her song "Violet," which was stuck in my head for about a month after I featured it on a Musical Monday. (This song also inspired part of a workshop on incorporating text in artwork in my drawing class. I may turn parts of the workshop into a painting.)

A workshop in charcoal and white acrylic paint on a large piece of crappy paper. The bits of text are from Thao's "Violet" and the poem, "Winter: My Secret" by Christina Rossetti.

Anyway. "How Dare You" is on Thao and Mirah's self-titled album, which I have enjoyed listening to both in the studio and at my laptop.

Thao & Mirah "How Dare You" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Last but not least, I am officially done with my junior year of college! Which means more posts here :)

Wishing you a Marvelous Monday,

A zombie-free campus & a French film

Happy Monday! (If I fake enthusiasm, maybe I'll begin to feel it?) There is no song today because I wanted to post about other things.

First, in the war between humans and zombies on my college campus, the humans won! Hooray! One of my friends who played the game and managed to stay human until the end informed me that the humans won by detonating a cookie bomb that made all the zombies human again. A campus-wide e-mail announced their victory and explained what a cookie bomb is:

The eight-day saga finally ended Wednesday afternoon when a brave group of Human Resistance fighters were able to construct a Zombie Virus Cure Bomb using ingredients that they had to gather from around campus. (When combined, the cure’s ingredients doubled as a recipe for chocolate chip cookies… Who knew, right?)


Despite suffering key personnel losses at the hands of a fierce zombie contingent, sixteen Resistance members were still able to hold off long enough to detonate the Cure Bomb, sending the Zombie Virus Cure into the air . . . and turning everyone immediately (and hopefully permanently) back into a human. Breathe a sigh of relief, campus – no Zombie Apocalypse this year!

I miss the spontaneous Nerf gun fights in between classes, but I'm glad the paranoia is over. Some people got really, really into it. Zombie patrols outside dorms made it difficult for humans to sneak out to the cafeteria for supper. One of my friends who was playing explained that it was hardest on the underclassmen, who had to go to the caf (because they're required to have meal plans), but that they should have stocked up before the game...just like in a real zombie apocalpyse. She said this with a straight face.

I also miss seeing this on the bulletin board by Student Development near the coffee shop:

Risk of Zombie Attack: High

But I'll get over it. There was a Zombie-Human Peace Fire on Friday night that was advertised as:
S’mores. Campfire songs. Conflict resolution. I didn't make it, but it sounds like it was a good opportunity for both sides to make up and move on.

Aaaand second, I spent part of my Saturday afternoon at a mandatory film event for French class. We watched Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis, which is translated as Welcome to the Sticks. I'm not sure why; there's nothing about sticks in this movie. But it is funny. Here's the UK trailer:

My French prof is from Belgium, and she explained that Shtis is a dialect in the north of France. She's from southern Belgium--not too far from the part of France that speaks Shtis--so she understands it. Apparently they turn a lot of "s" sounds into "sh." This film reminds me of New in Town (trailer below), but...funnier.

Wishing you a Marvelous Monday,

My favorite stage of drawing

Happy Monday morning! There is no song this week because:

1. I'm still listening to Eisley.

2. Uploading a couple of pictures from my phone is quicker than choosing a song, and I am rather busy this week. One of the things that is keeping me busy is the copy of an Old Master painting due in Drawing this week. I chose Diego Velazaquez's The Spinners, and while I love the composition, I'm beginning to think it was too ambitious a choice. Here's the lower left corner of my copy on last Wednesday:

I love this part-finished/part sketched out stage of drawing.

Aaaaaaannd an hour later...

...only this much more is done.

I've never been the fastest person in the studio.

Wishing you a Marvelous Monday,

Anti-Musical Monday (4): Art History Edition

This book is why there is no music today:

I need to read it really, really quickly for my Later British Literature class, which is a seminar focusing on Victorian literature and social protest. I adore the class, but I'm having mixed feelings about Adam Bede. I'm over halfway through, and not much has happened yet. People are just going about their lives, getting crushes on the wrong people, going to church, going to work...and I think that's part of the point. George Eliot (aka Mary Ann Evans) turned ordinary lives into art, which was a pretty bold action.

(I think. I am not expert on anything I'm typing in this post.)

I know more about the conventions in visual art at the time. (But I'm still not an expert. You'll keep remembering that, right?) There were formal academies in countries like England and France, and in France there was an annual organized exhibition called the Salon. Realist paintings like The Stonebreakers by Gustave Courbet caused a big stir:

It's a large painting with ordinary people in it. The horror! Large paintings usually signified (or, as the working people in Adam Bede would say, "sinnified") important (rich, powerful, etc.) subjects. And the style? I'm not going to get into that because of Adam Bede, but I can certainly talk about scandy paintings and the--gasp!--rebellion against the Salon later.

Happy Monday,

Anti-Musical Monday (3) on a Tuesday + a Contest worth entering

There was no song yesterday because...

1. I'm moving back to my dorm room next week, and I have packing to do.

2. I'm not usually at the library when the elementary school across the street lets out, but I dropped in yesterday afternoon to help out with a short-staffing problem, and at 2:45 a bajillion kids ran in and dumped their backpacks in a corner. It was like a backpack sea. School years are fun :)

3. My aunt Charleen, who lives on the other side of the country, flew in last week. We've been hanging out and eating cupcakes.

Char and me with our sweet treats

4. (Not a reason for lack of music, but why stop numbering things? ) Gayle Forman (author of If I Stay) reviews some intriguing fall reads in this post. She's also giving away some ARCs of books like Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (there's still time to enter her contest, btw), and all you have to do to enter is answer a simple question and leave a comment. It couldn't be easier.

Happy Tuesday,

Anti-Musical Monday (2)

I have no song to share this week because:

1. I've just been camping, and I can't share the sound the of crackling fire wood, crickets, and lake waves with you, but they're lovely noises if you ever get to hear them.

2. I would rather finish reading this book and catch up on Facebook than think of one.

3. I'm almost done with my first attempt at sewing an apron. Fun pictures will probably come sometime :)

Wishing you a Marvelous Monday,

Anti-Musical Monday (1)

I have no song to share this week because:

1. It's spring (not that you can tell from my banner)! The weather is more beautiful than my computer, which I have seen far too much of lately due to the three papers I turned in last week.

2. I'm finally out of my reading slump! I didn't post that I had one, but I did. While I've been crazy busy this semester, great books can usually wriggle into my schedule, but I've started and put down a lot of books over the last few months. I'm not going to jinx my shiny new literary love and tell you what it is, though, just in case it doesn't end up working out. I'm fickle.

I'm going outside. And I'm reading. (But first I have to go to class. Sigh. I want a Nature Day.) Enjoy your Monday :)