Tag Archives: challenge

Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens! (Little Dorrit “Challenge”)

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Charles Dickens at his Desk in 1858 – This was from Wikimedia and I make no claim to ownership

Today, February 7, is Charles Dickens’ birthday. This an author who needs little or no introduction, being perhaps the most famous 19th century English language author.  Even if they haven’t read a word, everyone knows A Christmas Carol, can quote the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities and most likely can summarize Oliver Twist.  There are other big name books, like David Copperfield, Bleak House, Great Expectations, etc. 

Dickens is known for some of the most colorful characters created in the English language.  He also pushed for social reform and helped improve the lot of the average British citizen.  He is often thought of as the greatest, most influential British author since William Shakespeare. 

Anyway, the man is well known and well respected.

Continue reading →

Music That Means Something Day 2

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Pyschodelic Music

This is Day two!  I’ll tell what album I chose in a minute.  Look here for my intro.

Don’t know this challenge?  Here is the basic idea (which I’ll semi-ignore):

Post a song a day for five consecutive days. (will do, well album, not song)
Post what the lyrics mean to you.  (Optional) (nope – instrumental)
Post the name of the song and a video. (will do – a song from the album)
Nominate 1 or 2 bloggers each day of the challenge. (Well…, All of you)

(I was “volunteered” to do the challenge by Sue Vincent ;) )

— —

Yesterday I talked about one of two albums that I heard as a very small child, Tommy.  Today I want to talk about the other one Wendy Carlos, Switched on Bach (she went by Walter then). Continue reading →

Music That means Something – Day 1

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Pyschodelic Music

This is Day one!  I’ll tell what album I chose in a minute.  Look here for my intro.

Don’t know this challenge?  Here is the basic idea (which I’ll semi-ignore):

Post a song a day for five consecutive days. (will do, well album, not song)
Post what the lyrics mean to you.  (Optional) (nope – instrumental)
Post the name of the song and a video. (will do – a song from the album)
Nominate 1 or 2 bloggers each day of the challenge. (Well…, All of you)

— —

Sometime when I was five or six years old I visited some cousins on my dad’s side of the family.  I’ll admit now that I’m not 100% of exactly when it happened and believe it may have been two different visits, but there were two albums that I fell in love with.  One, which if it was two visits would be the second visit, I remember very well hearing it the first time, asking questions and all (next post).  The other, must have been the first visit and I don’t remember much about it, but my mom tells me that I was completely entranced and made them play it over and over and over…

My mom ended up buying the album for my brother for Christmas.  It is possible it was that same year, in which case I would have been five.  I quickly learned all of the words and listened non-stop to the instrumentals.

So when other kids my age were singing itsy-bitsy spider, I was singing about child abuse, pedophilia, bullying, tripping on acid, cult-religions, etc., etc.  Have you guessed it yet? Continue reading →

Music That Means Something – Intro

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Pyschodelic Music

I’m sure you’ve all seen the Song-Challenge, Song-of–the-day, Music-that-means-something-to-you- challenge or some combination/variation of those ideas floating around lately.  Anyway, Sue Vincent gave me the challenge.  So, to paraphrase Frank Sinatra, I’m going to do it my way.

Here is the basic idea (which I’ll semi-ignore):

Post a song a day for five consecutive days. (will do, well album, not song)
Post what the lyrics mean to you.  (Optional) (nope – instrumental)
Post the name of the song and a video. (will do – a song from the album)
Nominate 1 or 2 bloggers each day of the challenge. (Well…, All of you)

Continue reading →

Challenge Me! (Again)

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Hamlet Symphony - Trent P McDonald

A few years back I followed a music forum.  One cool thing about this forum was the recurring composition challenges.  Everyone would submit a piece of music on a given theme.  The compositions would be posted anonymously.  We would then be given the opportunity to vote on our favorite.  The winner had the honor of creating the theme for the next challenge.

Of all of the challenges I entered and all of the pieces I created for them I liked Challenge 13 and the piece that sits at the top of this post was my favorite.  Obviously I enjoy the more obscure themes that challenge the imagination and force me to expand my boundaries.  To me the simple themes that many of the participants liked were a little boring, musical chewing gum if you will.  Listen to this little country dance Continue reading →

Challenge Me! (Again!)

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Hamlet Symphony - Trent P McDonald

(Originally posted January 7, 2014 – slightly edited – Also note – you have to be on my site to play the music)

A few years ago I followed a music forum.  One cool thing about this forum was the recurring composition challenges.  Participants would anonymously post a piece of music on a given theme.  We would then be given the opportunity to vote on our favorite.  The winner had the honor of creating the theme for the next challenge. Continue reading →

The 777 Challenge – in Part

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Fireborn

I was tagged by Ali from over in Chronicles of an Orange-Haired Woman! for the 777 challenge.  The idea is to turn to page 7 in your current work in progress, go down 7 lines and copy the next 7 sentences.

My current work in progress is still The Fireborn.  I’ve done 4 main drafts and a handful of quick revisions looking for typos and such. Continue reading →

Love, the Question – an Answer for the Love Challenge

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I love the beach...

Love, that bitter curse
Sweet love, highest dream
What mystery love is!
None painful as love
Love pleases the most
With love we know
Only questions, love brings
All risked for love
Love is the answer
Oh love, reveal thyself!

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“It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all”. 
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind”
William Shakespeare

“Doubt that the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move his aides, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love”
 William Shakespeare

– Continue reading →

Challenge Me!

5 Replies

Hamlet Symphony - Trent P McDonald

A few years back I followed a music forum.  One cool thing about this forum was the recurring composition challenges.  Everyone would submit a piece of music on a given theme.  The compositions would be posted anonymously.  We would then be given the opportunity to vote on our favorite.  The winner had the honor of creating the theme for the next challenge. Continue reading →