Glorious Distraction and Bobby Mick

I sat down to do some administrative work and some lesson preparation, and got pulled into the vortex that is YouTube.  No mystery there.

Also no mystery is that I find myself sucked into the joy of Bobby McFerrin.  And so I thought to myself, "Self, you need to listen to Bobby McFerrin because listening to Bobby McFerrin makes you Happy".  (yes, capital H Happy).  Listening to Bobby McFerrin also makes an hour vanish like smoke.  My kids call him Bobby Mick.  They love him too.

It's not simply that I enjoy Bobby McFerrin's music, spontaneity, sense of play and simple giftedness - both musically and in his relationships with the people around him.  He is a rare breed in that he is equally comfortable doing blues or Bach; a man with a deep knowledge and appreciation that crosses every musical border.  He embodies MUCH that I aspire to (although I harbour no illusions of working on his scale in any sense of the word).  Inspired only begins to describe Bobby's effect on me. He makes me want to be a better musician, and a better person.  But that's not the only reason I turn to him for distraction.

Bobby McFerrin makes me Happy.  I don't just enjoy it.  I smile physically so that my cheeks hurt.  I laugh out loud - both at his improvisational play and his ability when performing Bach.  One of Bobby's strong opinions is that music should be a vehichle of goodness; he feels that music that spreads anger is an abuse of the medium.  I agree.  And he succeeds in scattering goodness through his presence and music.  His music and performance make me Happy.  Here are some links that I hope will make you Happy too:

Sing Day of Song

Bach-Gounod

Pentatonic Scale

With Richard Bona

Bach Festival

There are so many more - I hope you have an hour (or more). And for the record, I got my work done and then some, while listening and smiling! 

For those who were at my recent workshops, here is the information for the vocal improv CD (or download) course by Rhiannon.  It's called "Flight" and it's REALLY great for singing when you're at home alone or in the car!  One is the iTunes link, and one is the CDbaby link - depending on your technological bent. 

Flight iTunes

Flight CDbaby

So find some music that gives you joy today.  In the most famous words of Bobby Mick: Don't worry.  Be Happy.