Track 8

Well friends,

This unexpected hiatus has not been for a lack of trying. On Friday, last week, I learned that the teacher that I had been planning to take over for so that she could take her maternity leave was having her baby.

Translation: Katie and I had to discuss whether either of us was prepared for me to be away during the day.

Prior to people having babies ahead of planned due dates, Katie and I had prepared for me to begin this prolonged subbing assignment at the beginning of April. At first, both of us leaned towards no way, but as we considered more we started to realize that the tight family bubble that we were living in would eventually have to expand.

Monday morning I woke around five in the morning, not because Noble was calling for attention, but instead because I needed to get ready for my day. From 7:30 to 2:30 I now devote my attention to 22 slightly older children in what will be my fifth grade class for the remainder of the school year. What this has meant, is that I have had to break myself back into the flow of a job where I am not my own boss who makes his own more reasonable hours. Really what it has meant is that around 4:30 or so in the evening I have felt whooped.

Katie and Noble are doing wonderfully, enjoying their days together. Noble is being pretty awesome through the night, only waking mom really when he needs to eat but otherwise sleeping well. (If you are reading this now please knock on wood for us.)

Track 8 came to us unexpectedly. One of the things that I was advised about for surviving a newborn was that I should be prepared to succumb to a lot of stupid TV. There was a bit of truth to this, especially in those two weeks where Katie and I were home with him 24/7. Somewhere in the midst of that I fell into a PBS wormhole. We found a very cool show called A Chef's Life, which I just not so subtly plugged, among other things and the best part was we didn't feel as guilty. The other thing that we came across was the Austin City Limits catalogue, where I found this:

http://video.pbs.org/video/2365424512/

Some of you may be familiar with tUnE-yArDs. I discovered them on NPR a few years ago and purchased an album which I fell asleep listening to and it did some very interesting things to my brain. Not sure that I can explain exactly what that means, but there you have it.

8. Bizness                             tUnE-yArDs

I love the percussion. I love her voice. It is raw and filled with energy and I hope that Noble will be able to have in his life the freedom of self confidence to let himself go for an art like this. If you weren't familiar with this music, then I hope you enjoy.

Cheers.  

Track 7

Hey Everyone,

Had a bit of a hiatus there as we enjoyed some pure family time for a little bit. I am pleased to report that Noble's umbilical chord has fallen off, good riddance to that stinky thing. The doctor confirmed today that he does not have Jaundice and he is consistently doing the newborn three: eating, pooping and sleeping, not necessarily in that order.

I wrestled with this next track because I want to be open and fair in this musical education that we are undertaking. Most of you know that I am not a huge fan of country music. I enjoy Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Chris Chirstofferson. I own Dixie Chicks albums as well as Zac Brown Band. All of this to say that if I was making a box set for myself that would serve me for the rest of my life and I was limited to only ten albums, I cannot at this time confirm that the genre of country would be represented. (I just read this paragraph to Katie and she said, "Bluegrass?" To which I said, "I just feel like it is different.")

Now, I have received suggestions from a few people who I respect, saying counrty's gotta be in the Playlist and so the other night I started looking into what they were telling me. I was actually surprised by how many put Garth Brooks so high on the list.

I couldn't quite get down with The Dance so I continued on. I found it interesting to learn that Garth isn't on Itunes or Amazon. I ended up on Youtube watching an old CMA video of him singing The River.

7. The River                                         Garth Brooks

I brought it in to the bedroom where Noble and Katie were resting and pressed play. Katie, who is actually a fan of country, was not a fan of this song. I talked her back into it because the words were so wonderful.


You know a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores...and

I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

One of my great hopes for Noble is that he never fears being a dreamer, that he might not ever doubt the pursuit of his greatest ambitions, that he understands what it means to lay it all out there. If he is able to achieve these great feats, then Katie and I will have done well as his parents. This song speaks to that dream in a rather beautiful way.

Thank you Riki and Jessica, please continue to be Noble's country music counselors.

Track 7

Track 6

Hello,

Today I have been thinking about entire albums. You know those classics where you can start from track one and listen straight through the entire set without once wanting to skip a song, because every single one is just that good.

Ben Folds Five Whatever and Ever Amen is one. Sargent Pepper's Lonely Heart Club is another. Led Zeppelin IV, Blister in the Sun, Nevermind, Doc Watson's Southbound.

There's something special about discovering an album like this. It's like finding a buried treasure. Around my middle years in college I discovered the treasure that is Graceland. It influenced a significant portion of my life.

In 2000, when I decided to walk from Georgia to Virginia, Paul gave Adam and I the mantra, "Who am I to blow against the wind?" It was actually Adam who reminded me today about Graceland. He said, "I had two tapes with me while we were hiking, Graceland and Bob Marley Legend. Two albums one could listen to over and over and never get tired of. I particularly remember hiking and you singing "He sees angels in the architecture Spinning in infinity He says Amen! and Hallelujah!" From call me Al. Maybe start there. Love you guys Excited to see the list expand."

There was also a summer at ReCreation where Graceland was on a bit of a loop every night in the kitchen.

Somewhere on this road Noble will hear Graceland from start to finish, today I selected Under African Skies

6. Under African Skies                             Paul Simon

Joseph’s face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shown in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under African Skies

This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain

In early memory
Mission music
Was ringing ‘round my nursery door
I said, “Take this child, Lord
From Tucson, Arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony

And she won’t bother you no more”

There is so much strength in this song. The kick drum is like a heart beat steady and true and the lyrics paint a clear picture in my mind. I hope that Noble will know the powerful pulsing of love in the vein and I dream that he will be one with the roots of rhythm. The wings to fly through harmony would be magic.

He was laying on his mother's chest as the song began and as you can see, clearly he understood the gravity of this one.

Track 6.

Thank you Adam, we love you guys too.  

Track 5

Hey Friends,

You Are My Sunshine has been a strong contender for the next track, but I need to have a moment of honesty with you all. You Are My Sunshine was the first track on Noble's playlist. Katie and I decided a long time ago that I needed to play the guitar for Noble while he was still in the womb and we felt strongly that we should have a song for him. You Are My Sunshine was his song. I sang it to him on the night he was born, minutes after actually, and played it on the guitar for him the next day. I was wonderful seeing that he knew it and the calming effect it had. At some point I am going to post a video of the version that I have written for him so, You Are My Sunshine will officially be up soon.

Last night, around one in the morning, I had one of those creative bursts that I sometimes get in the middle of the night. Once I woke from a dream around this time and made a note of the vision that I had had. An old fashioned man standing on a dock next to a giant cleat. My view then panned out and he was at the dock where a giant rubber ducky was moored. I made a graphite drawing of this and it is one of the first pieces that I sold.

Last night the creative freight train was Michael Jackson. The first album I ever owned was Thriller. I have distinct memories of laying on my parents bed looking at the pictures inside the record cover. You might recall that inside Michael was laying with a white tiger. He was so cool. I also owned a poster of him in a yellow sweater vest. I have another distinct memory of a Christmas time at the mall where we looked hard for a single sequined glove.

Michael.

When the anniversary album was remastered a few years ago, I quickly purchased it. I have another lovely memory of my fourth grade class at the beginning of the morning. I put the album on, had them all stand up and we danced. Put it on and I dare you to tell me that it doesn't make you want to move. Mama-say-mama-sa-mamah-cou-sah!

This morning Katie and I were on the couch. Sunlight streaming through our window when I pressed play. Even in his deep sleep, as soon as it started, he smiled. That's my boy.

5. Wanna Be Startin' Something                    Michael Jackson

Track five... or six.      

Track 4

Dear friends,

Today was another lovely morning. Peaceful, happy, snoozing baby. Reasonably rested mom and dad. Just beautiful. There is something special in the quiet of the morning. Like the day gently tiptoes into our home, the birds calling out its arrival and we just get to bask in that moment.

I knew what the track should be this morning a few moments after Noble and I bedded down into the couch.

One of my first friends to drive when I was in High school was Carrie Specksgoor. I have a distinct memory of laughing and riding in the back seat of her car as we rode to the mall for our pre-rehearsal dinner. It was in the back of the car that I first heard Joni Mitchell. I don't know that I can articulate it, but I liked her from the start.

As I began to learn to play the guitar Joni was one of the first artists whose music I was interested in playing. I remember looking up several of her songs and being so intimidated by the alternate tunings and complicated chord progressions, I set that idea back on the shelf.

Pretty quickly this morning I knew that it was a Chelsea Morning.

4. Chelsea Morning                           Joni Mitchell

I don't know if I could think of prettier poetry but it's almost as if it is tangible, like you can feel these words wash over you. I didn't even need the music, right there I sang to my son:

Woke up it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I heard
was a song outside my window, and the traffic wrote the words (Love this imagery)
it came ringing up like christmas bells and rapping up like pipes and drums
Oh, won't you stay, we'll put on the day and we'll wear it till the nights comes (Today was a day to wear for sure.)

Woke up it was it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I saw
was the sun through yellow curtains, and a rainbow on the wall
blue, red, green and gold to welcome you, crimson crystal beads to beckon you
Oh, won't you stay, we'll put on the day there's a sun show every second. (YES!)

Woke up it was a Chelsea morning and the first thing that I knew
there was milk and toast and honey, and a bowl of oranges too (I've never had this breakfast, but somehow in this song it sounds so delicious.)
and the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all our senses (This just seems like the perfect metaphor.)
Oh, won't you stay, we'll put on the day and we'll talk in present tenses

If you haven't heard this song, you must, and I am not kidding go to your itunes right this moment and purchase it right away. I recommend listening to it twice on the first go through.

Track 4

Cheers

Track 3

Hello friends,

First of all I must say that the responses that we have received have been incredibly moving. There is something special about the personal connection that can be attached to a song that is just powerful. We already felt an amazing outpouring of love from so many family and friends, we didn't realize how magnified something like this could make it.

Today's track was one of the first responses we received, after the first post, from Katie's mom. Here is what she wrote:

Just read your message. Think we are sharing some of the same feelings regarding music love. Had just said prayers for you and Katie and Noble to know God's love, peace and joy. Crying also with so much gratitude for you and your gentle caring spirit and the happiness you give Katie and will give Noble.
One song I love is Morning Has Broken. I played it on the piano a lot when Katie and Cris were little. I would like to add that to Noble's playlist.
Think we all agree about the power of music. Love you all!


This morning we had this blissful time around 5am. Katie had been awake with Noble reading in his room to him and then she came back to bed. He had fallen asleep and she was going to try to get some rest too. I heard him stirring, like he was uncomfortable and I realized that that he was a little cold. I picked him up and put my right hand on his head and my left hand on the core of his body. Pretty quickly he settled into a deep sound sleep. Eventually, we all had a good snooze, my hands never leaving his head and his body. It was just wonderful. Around 8:00 Katie and I started stirring and from our bedroom window we could see the beginning of the day taking shape in the trees.

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word

Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from Heaven
Like the first dew fall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where His feet pass

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the One Light Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day

Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning

Praise for them springing fresh from the Word

It was perfect and beautiful.

Track 3

Thank you so much to those of you who have shared. We look forward to what comes next.

Cheers  

Track 2

Hello friends,

Night is approaching. Full moon rising. We had a lovely day. Noble got to meet his great grandmother and spend more time with the one and only Aunt Sue, he ate, he slept and had a great deal of gas throughout.

Track two is a personal choice. It is a reflection of my own music history and discovery. I grew up on oldies radio and could sing along with most of what played by the time I was ten or eleven. I don't recall any real interest in making my own music choices until I was in the 8th grade. I didn't have a lot of angst or frustrations about being a teen. Really, I was just kind of floating along.

Two bands entered my field of vision when I first elected to consider my music. Dave Matthews Band and Rusted Root. I have always been a percussionist, following in the tracks of my father. Carter Beauford baffled me with his speed and distinct sound. As an eternal romantic I loved Dave's poetry and his unique chord progressions and guitar fingering also wowed. Rusted Root always left me feeling like I was a part of an aggressive tribe.

2. Where Are You Going             Dave Matthews Band

I whispered, "Your dad can play this one buddy," as the guitar led in then proceeded to sing. Got a little choked up at the chorus:
I am no superman
I have no answers for you
I am no hero oh that's for sure,
but I do know one thing...
That's where you are is where I belong.
I do know where you go
That's where I want to be.

It is just quite lovely. My buddy chilled right out just like Dave might have wanted.
Track Two

Thank you so much to those of you who shared your beautiful stories and music. My wife and I read them together in tears. Please keep them coming.

Cheers