Time for another musical parody.
I’ve always loved Peggy Lee’s rendition of “Fever.”
Years ago I wrote a parody which I performed for a Classical Revolution PDX when we regularly performed at The Waypost in NE Portland (hence the references to “The Waypost” in the song).
Here I am accompanied by bassist Rob Busey with whom I perform in the Newport Symphony. Thanks, Rob!
Hope you enjoy it.
Stay safe, secure, and sane, friends.
Here are some assorted links I find delightful and amusing:
1. Cats, marbles, and dominoes:
2. Scientists put ants on stilts to test and verify that ants count steps as a way of determining distance.
3. 6 y.o. Performs and sings “I Wish You Love”
4. Squirrel foiled by greased bird feeder pole
5. “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square” performed by Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen & Michel Petrucciani
6. American Hedgehog Warrior: Course 3
My last music offering was on the serious side. Here is something upbeat and humorous. It is my parody of Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass.”
When I first heard her hit, the idea to rewrite the words as “All About That Bratsch'” came to me immediately – “Bratsche” (“Brah-cheh”) is the German word for “viola.”
The words came pretty quickly to me, and then I arranged it for string quartet.
Here are my friends, Casey, Mitchell, Dana, and Erin backing me up on my parody.
Fact: There are more jokes about the viola than about any other musical instrument or vocal range.
You can verify this by looking at the de facto compendium of music jokes, hosted at MIT. So numerous are the viola jokes that they split them into two sections.
I picked up the viola two decades ago and was smitten. I still play my violin, but it mostly sits silently neglected in my dual case while its larger companion is removed and played regularly. My blog post of a couple days ago was one of those rare occasions where I played my violin.
Many people do not know what a viola is and how it differs from the violin. I gave a little talk a few months ago on this very topic. Click this link to see my presentation slides (28 slides in total):
“The Viola: A light-hearted look into a serious instrument”
It talks about the history and development of the instrument, why there are so many viola jokes, and famous people and composers who loved the viola. I hope you enjoy the slides while learning about the viola.
I borrowed quotes from Jennifer’s Stumm’s excellent Ted Talk about the viola: “An Imperfect Instrument.” She includes several excellent musical excerpts in her talk demonstrating the sound of this lovely instrument:
Here is an excellent performance by my friend, Aurora Giselle Torres Cuevas performing the Prelude from Bach’s Suite No. 2 in D Minor which really showcase the viola and its unique sound and rich tone.
Why do I love the viola? I composed my own soliloquy to the viola twenty years ago (with all due respect to the violin and the wonderful people who have mastered that beautiful instrument):
The violin is like a high school or college student: full of fire, energy, passion, and ego…but not much emotional depth.
The viola is the blues singer. Her voice has been destroyed by cheap booze and cigarettes. She’s loved and been betrayed…many times. When she sings of happiness, it is tinged with pain, because we know it won’t last. When she sings a sad tune, it cuts deeply, for it comes from personal loss.
Toby Loftus
If you have any questions about the viola, feel free to comment and I’ll respond as best I can.
There are so many really good online videos being produced. Some funny, some heartwarming, come clever, and some with a bit of everything.
Here’s an assortment of some of my favorites:
Two episodes of John Krasinski’s funny, heart warming, and moving SGN (Some Good News):
Episode 1 (including 15th anniversary of “The Office” with Steve Carell, and adorable Coco)
Episode 2 (surprise “Hamilton” for Aubrey)
Jimmy Fallon, Sting & The Roots Remix “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” (At-Home Instruments)
TwoSet Violin: Musicians During Quarantine (You Laugh, You Practice)
Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest performs excerpt from Beethoven’s 9 Symphony in isolation:
New York Philharmonic perform Boléro tribute to healthcare workers:
Yesterday I was feeling a little wistful and melancholy, and these two beautiful songs from “Fiddler on the Roof” kept going through my head. So I decided to record them. This would be my first ever duet with myself.
I haven’t played my violin in a long time, so I was a little apprehensive how it would sound. Regardless of the many imperfections, I hope you will still enjoy these.
These are my own duet arrangements for violin and viola for “Sabbath Prayer” and “Far From The Home I Love.”
For my dear friends who celebrate it, I wish you a Happy Passover.
Today is my friend, Melissa’s birthday.
Last year there was a big birthday bash for her, but I could not attend, so I created a surprise birthday video for her. With her approval, I’m sharing it publicly for others to enjoy. This is one way you can celebrate someone’s special day while still maintaining social distancing.
Happy birthday, Melissa, with many happy returns!
During this time of need, I love learning about how businesses and individuals are stepping up to help however they can.
Oregon has a number of distilleries, and many of them are converting their production away from booze and starting to produce much-needed hand sanitizer.
Oregon Grain Growers in Pendleton produced 125 gallons of hand sanitizer yesterday alone to be distributed for free to local nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and first-responders.
“I sleep better at night making hand sanitizer than alcohol right now,” says owner Rodney Bullington.
Hood River Distillers has produced 1,000 in the past couple weeks and is aiming for another 11,000 gallons soon. It is working with the Oregon Health Authority to distribute to health care and food service workers.
A number of Portland-area distilleries are stepping up including New Deal, Stone Barn Brandyworks, Rose City Distilling, Shine Distillery, Aria Gin, Freeland Spirits, and more.
Stillwagon Distillery in Charleston, just two miles down the road from where I grew up, owned by and operated by dear friends, and producer of the best rum I’ve ever tasted, is now joining the cause. They will provide hand sanitizer to local healthcare workers and hospitals
Owner Richard Stillwagon says, “This will pass. Humanity has experienced pandemics, wars, and famine many, many times. What we will be remembered for will be what we did and how we acted during that crisis.”
All these distillers are, like most businesses, struggling through this difficult time. Most will make no profit or lose money doing what must be done. Please consider them in your purchases now and in the future.
Some assorted humor to brighten your day:
1. Museum Asks People To Recreate Paintings With Stuff They Can Find at Home, Here Are The Results
https://www.sadanduseless.com/recreated-art/
2. Star Trek TNG – Data Bloopers
3. Watch 66 Oscar-Nominated-and-Award-Winning Animated Shorts Online, Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada
http://www.openculture.com/2019/02/watch-66-oscar-nominated-and-award-winning-animated-shorts-online.html
Two men, a world apart and riding in opposite directions meet in the unlikeliest of places: the middle of the Kazak desert.
“If you listen to people, you’ll never go anywhere…It’s best to go out and explore and realize the world is a good place.”
Noel Kegel, American cycling from Lisbon, Portugal to the Pacific
This is an epic journey told fragments switching between these two cyclists, one riding westward, the other east.
Enjoy!
What Happens When Two Strangers Trust the Rides of Their Lives to the Magic of the Universe
Blatant Calm 