Music Monday: Dylan Arms (American Idol Season 12)

I haven't done a Music Monday in a long time, and since it's Monday I thought I share something.

I discovered Dylan Arms because of American Idol. Sadly, his audition was never aired, neither was any of his time in Hollywood before he was sent home.

A pastor I follow on Twitter gave a shout out to Dylan the night the auditions for his town were shown. I looked him up, discovered a much-too-short album on iTunes and fell in love with this guy's voice and style.

Dylan's style reminds me of Phillip Phillips or Kris Allen, so he must've been up against some tremendous competition, as both of them are American Idol winners!

This video is Dylan's "Road to Hollywood" interview. Impressive young man.

Be sure to check him out on iTunes, too! You'll love him!

Dylan Arms: "So Much To Say", $4.95




Read my next post: Do You Face-Time

Music Monday - "Set Me Free" by Casting Crowns

Yesterday I visited a friend's church. There was no formal sermon, just the sermon of people giving their testimonies of how God has set them free of self-hatred, control, victim-mentality, anger, fear and so much more after being on a retreat. It was very exciting to see how God has so radically changed people!

At the end of service they showed this video. Wow! This is a great picture of how God wants to set us all free of the things that control us and keep us from living in freedom.

(This is by a group of students at Victory World Outreach Center)

Music Monday - "Anything Goes"

JHS "Anything Goes" Set

Last week my son was in the pit orchestra for his high school's musical production of "Anything Goes". There have been months of rehearsals, a week of performances and now it's over. Another "last time" item checked off the list before graduation in two months.

The kids did a fabulous job. We have an incredible amount of talented kids in our area so the spring musicals are always fun to attend.

The music and lyrics for "Anything Goes" are by Cole Porter. I had not heard of this musical before, but certainly many of the songs are familiar, like "Friendship", "You're the Top" and "It's De-Lovely" being the most popular.

This week's Music Monday is a song that I don't have on my iPod. **gasp!** But in honor of "our" kids, and my son, I'm sharing "Anything Goes" by Ethel Merman. This is a 1979 television version, but she played Reno Sweeny, opposite of Bing Crosby's Billy Crocker, in the 1936 movie. Before that, Merman originally played Reno Sweeny on Broadway for 420 shows, beginning in 1934.



Read my previous Music Monday post: "The Woodpecker Song" by Glenn Miller
Read my previous post: Birthday: Mother-In-Law (A Tribute)

Music Monday - "The Woodpecker Song" by Glenn Miller

What a great winter this has been! And now we've jumped right into June! Record temps in the 70s and 80s with sunshine has made March perfect so far! (And more to come this week!)

And with these warmer temps and sunshine, I've been enjoying laying out on my deck to get some color, along with a strong dose of vitamin D. Last Friday while I was half napping in the sun I was struck by how many birds I heard in the trees behind my house; it was almost like being in the wild! I heard robins, doves, and a bunch of other birds that I don't even know what they are.

But over all of them I heard a woodpecker! First at one tree, then another. It made me think of this fun Glenn Miller song. So here it is, from 1940:

"The Woodpecker Song"



Read my previous Music Monday post: Fight Songs
Read my previous post: Why You Don't Want To Be Like Her

Music Monday - Fight Songs

With March Madness (college basketball) in full swing, I thought this would be a good time to share the genre of "Fight Songs"!

I love fight songs! Horns, flutes, clarinets, drums, cymbals....and all so upbeat and happy. I downloaded an album of fight songs from iTunes and listen to it from time to time. Ya just can't be sad when you listen to a fight song.

I chose the fight song from Northwestern University for Music Monday because it was the tune my high school used for our fight song. Ah, the good ole days!


Go, Holland High School!



Go, Holland High School
Fight for victory
With our colors flying
We will cheer you all the way
Go, rah, rah
Go, Holland High School
Fight for victory
Fight for the fame of our fair name
Go, you Dutchmen, win that game

Read my previous Music Monday post: "Hi" by Psapp
Read my previous post: WE WILL and Fresh Start

WE WILL and Fresh Start

I saw a preview for this album WE WILL a few weeks ago through an ad on David Santistevan's blog. I kept the tab open on my browser so I didn't forget to check out the entire album on March 6 when it was released.

Wow! Awesome!

WE WILL is from The Life Church in Tennessee and it is fabulous! I love the sound, not the typical worship sound for some of the songs; but then there are a few that bring me back to the Vineyard Worship days. I also like the variety of lead worshipers, not the same voice all the way through.

The songs are very God-focused and I like that. I think sometimes we sing too many me-focused songs - songs about God blessing me and moving in me and not enough about Who He is and what He has done that we can thank Him for.

This song, Fresh Start, is by far my favorite. I cry every time I hear it. I could listen to this one over and over.



I am soaking this album in!

So if you're looking for something new, check it out!

Don't have iTunes? Order the CD here.

Read my previous post: Bearing Fruit

Music Monday - "HI" by Psapp

My daughter emailed this video to me a couple of years ago. It's unique and different and we both really like it. I bought this song for my iPod along with a few others from Psapp.

Psapp is from England, comprised of Galia Durant and Carim Clasmann. They're fun to listen to when I want something besides guitars and drums. They use "squeaky" toys, footsteps "upstairs", xylophones, and other interesting instruments. The vocals are clean to listen to, and for me, easy to sing with. Oh yeah, they do their own artwork too.

Grey's Anatomy fan? They won four BMI awards for writing and performing the theme song.

This video, "HI", was nominated for an MTV Woodie. I guess that's a good thing.

Genre: Electronica



What do you think? Like it?

Read my previous Music Monday post: Xavier Cugat
Read my previous post: Birthday: My Daughter
Read my next post: Bearing Fruit

Music Monday - Xavier Cugat

This week's Music Monday is Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra.

I first heard Cugat's music while watching old movies on American Movie Classics when it still played the old classics from the 20s, 30s and 40s. Now I watch those movies on Turner Classic Movies.

One of our favorite movies, Neptune's Daughter, has a scene with Xavier Cugat (1900-1090) playing a song while the Red Skelton and Betty Garret characters sing and dance. Great stuff! (The movie also starred Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban.) (Watch the trailer here.)

I bought this album, Mambo At The Waldorf, a year or two ago and love it! It's full of happy, fun songs, and of course I LOVE all of the saxophones!

A few songs from the Mambo At The Waldorf album:

Cuca: (Ahhh, listen to those tight saxophone harmonies!)


Jamay:


Mambo Gordo:


La Cumparsita:


Have you heard of Xavier Cugat before? What do you think? Aren't these songs fun?

Read my previous Music Monday post: John Denver
Read my previous post: I'm Going To Victory Lane
Read my next post: 8 Lessons We Can Learn From Snoopy

Music Monday - John Denver

One more week of super sappy, nostalgic music from my past, then I have a great variety of musical styles lined up for this series!

John Denver will forever be linked, in my mind, with my childhood.

When I was in elementary school, probably about 4th grade, my mom fell in love with John Denver. In my memory, John Denver was all she played on the record player if there was any music playing at all. For years it seemed he was all she listened to. (I'm sure he wasn't, but that's how I remember it.)

We even saw him in concert at Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo....twice! The first time we were on the main floor about 9 rows back and when he entered toward the stage he used the aisle next to us. It was a thrill. I remember the concerts to be great shows and some of my favorite songs (or versions of his popular songs) are from his live album "An Evening with John Denver".

But I got sick of John Denver. By high school I didn't care if I ever heard him sing again.

About 10 years ago my brother downloaded some music onto my computer, with a few John Denver songs included. One day I sat down to play Solitaire and clicked on the music to listen. Something about hearing those old John Denver songs ripped at my heart and tears welled in my eyes. There was a certain comfort in the music, a transporting in time back to my childhood. 

Even today I still get a little teary-eyed when I listen to John Denver, and I DO listen to him often. And when I do, I can still see my mom smiling and singing at the top of her lungs. I'm glad for that memory.

Back Home Again - Just because it's so easy to sing with.


Sweet Surrender - the song that, for an unknown reason to me, chokes me up quicker than any of his other songs. Please pass a Kleenex.


Mother Nature's Son - I had NO idea this was a Lennon/McCartney song until today; I always thought John Denver wrote it.


I could share tons of his songs with you, but I'll refrain. Some of my favorites aren't on YouTube or the quality is too poor to post. Bummer. Good thing I have them on my iPod!

What songs or singers do you remember your parents liking when you were young? Do you still enjoy them today or avoid them at all cost? :) Leave comments, I'd love to hear your story!

Read my previous post: Surrender
Read my next post: Apps: Pinterest

Music Monday - "The Pink Panther" by Henry Mancini

Pink has been my favorite color since I was old enough to know what it is. When I was 2 or 3-years-old my dad bought a blue and white teddy bear for me and I named him "Pink". (He still sits on my dresser.)

Naturally, as a kid I was a fan of The Pink Panther cartoons on Saturday morning. It may have been because of the cartoon that I also fell in love with the tenor sax. After listening to it on the "laugh-and-a-half hour-and-a-half show", how could I not?

So it should not be a surprise to anybody that I love the theme song from "The Pink Panther". (The original 1963 movie with Peter Sellers was great!)

I have the original Henry Mancini recording on my iPod and it is definitely best listened to with the ear buds for the full sound-effect!

This is some of the best music ever recorded! (Although this particular recording isn't very good, but the best I could find.)



To go along with that is The Inspector Clouseau Theme:



What is your favorite cartoon song?

Read my previous post: Today's Tackle: The Silverware Drawer
Read my next post: "Just A Thinking of the Past" (Part 1)


I would be remiss if I didn't mention the passing of Whitney Houston on this Music Monday. It is a sad loss for the music world and her family and friends are in our prayers. 

Music Monday - "Moon River", Andy Williams

I've been blogging on a private blog for years, connected with only a few close friends. Somewhere along the line somebody started "Music Monday". I thought it would be a fun thing to do on Nostalgic Tour since I love music and my iPod goes everywhere I go!

My music taste is very eclectic; I listen to everything from Mozart to JLo. (OK, I only have one JLo song, but I do have her on my iPod.) I love the music from my growing up years - almost anything from 1965 - 1982 excites me (well, except for disco). I also listen to jazz, swing, movie soundtracks, classic rock, funk, country, polkas, Sousa marches, University fight songs and so much more.

I listened strictly to Contemporary Christian for many years. I love Third Day, Toby Mac, Steven Curtis Chapman, Delirious?, Jeremy Camp, and my all-time favorite, Rich Mullins. But I missed the styles of various genres, as Contemporary Christian tends to have the same basic sound to it. I need the horn sections of a Chicago song, the funk bass of "Play that Funky Music" by Wild Cherry, and the smooth trumpet of Chris Botti. And I love this "Wandzia Polka"!

I like the variety that other genres bring. As my daughter would say...don't judge.

I've loved music all my life and it's been an integral part of who I am. It's because of music that I'm married to my husband and have the kids I have. I played guitar, violin, clarinet and tenor sax while in school. After graduation I continued with the sax in my church orchestra where I met my husband.

Both of my grandpas were musicians, one played his violin for silent movies at the theater in Greenville, and the other played his clarinet and bassoon in the Shriner band and for the Grand Rapids Symphony. My mom and her mom loved to sing in choirs. My dad played guitar and banjo and even learned to play clarinet when he was in his 40s.

I mentioned on my "About" page that I moved quite a bit as a kid. Because of being in so many different locations, and being a music lover, I'm able to quickly associate songs with a time-period. I remember sitting in my bedroom in Battle Creek and listening to "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, so I know that was 1975. I remember my friend singing "Babe" by Styx, to me in junior high in Allegan, so I know that was 1979. I remember roller skating in high school to "I Can't Go For That" by Hall and Oats, in Holland, so I know that was 1982. (It used to amaze my husband that I could so quickly name which year a song was popular.)

There are even people who I associate a song or a particular group with, like I always think of Scott M. from Allegan when I hear a Boston song or Dave M. from Holland who liked The Cars.

Anyway...you get what I'm sayin'. Music is extremely important to my life and I love a huge variety. I look forward to sharing my eclectic taste with you here, and hope that you discover somebody new and interesting to listen to along the way.

When I was 4-years-old, my love affair with Andy Williams began, so I thought it would be appropriate for the first Music Monday post to feature Andy Williams and one of his biggest hits, "Moon River". (And here's hoping I can get to Branson this fall to see him live!)



Which singer or song is from your earliest memory?

You may also enjoy part of my inspiration for this series, This is MUSIC?

Read my previous post: Ray Lewis - Leader
Read my next post: Don't Hold Back