Category Archives: Music

Tiny Desk Video Year 2 by Peter Banker

03 Wednesday Feb 2016

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Recently Wendy and I submitted a video we made to NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. They started the contest last year and, at that time, we submitted a video around Wendy’s song “Flowers”. This year, we decided to make a video for another song of Wendy’s called “Blue Skies” and it was a fantastic experience for a number of reasons. One was the fact that the videographer is a student of mine, Robert Moon, a senior at Weston High School. He’s a young man that I’ve always respected from afar, but gotten to know a little better in my classroom. It’s not been a great year for Robert as he has struggled with some issues outside the classroom, but one day he shared with my class some videos he had been making in his spare time and immediately I saw a chance to connect with him on this Tiny Desk Contest. After class I approached him about it and, after showing some surprise that I was in a band and so invested in it, he immediately agreed.

The student/teacher relationship is vital to effective teaching. Show a student some understanding and appreciation of what their life is like outside the confines of the classroom and they will do most anything in meeting you halfway. It’s that simple, but too many people in this profession are reluctant, even timid to reach out to students beyond what they are expected to do in the classroom and those teachers, in my view, are missing the best part. What Robert created, through his work with Wendy’s well-written song and our rendition of it, is really cool. It just is, and it captures the essence of the tune beautifully in addition to how much fun Wendy and I are having playing it. We must have played it thirty times that night in different places in the school and I never tired of it.

I hope it wins, no lie, but chances are slim. It’s a huge contest—hundreds and hundreds of entries. Winning is not the point though, because in taking on this project, both Wendy and I got to know a student much better and his potential is limitless. Robert’s production of the video shows that clearly. It also shows, at least to me, that there are no limitations in this venture Wendy and I have taken on. Who knows where it will lead us. The only limits, as we all know, are those we impose upon ourselves, and I’ve come to the point in my life where I just don’t see any anymore.

And it’s nice.

Enjoy it and tell us what you think.

The Making of a Tiny Desk Video

05 Thursday Feb 2015

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DSC_0176Bob Boilen, Host of NPR’s All Songs Considered and Creator of the Tiny Desk Concert Series has come up with a new idea, The Tiny Desk Contest. For those of you not in the know, the Tiny Desk Concert Series, founded in 2008, is a series of intimate video performances at Bob’s desk. Some more famous musicians who have performed at the NPR headquarters include Cat Steven, Trey Anastasio, Adele, and T-Pain, among others. This year, however, Boilen has decided to open a contest to all musicians across the country in which the winner gets to play a Tiny Desk Concert as well as be flown to Austin, TX to perform at the Lagunitas/ CouchTrippin/ Showcase in March. Sounds like fun, right?!

Since fun is what we’re after, we decided to produce a video and enter the contest. We chose my original song, Flowers, and filmed it in the High School where Peter teaches. Andy joined us on bass and without a lot of time or preparation, this is what we came up with…

There were over 5,000 entrants. Many of them very creative and overflowing with talent (you can check more out at http://tinydeskcontest.npr.org/final). The competition is steep, but even if we don’t win, we had a blast putting it together. As Boilin states in his letter to all entrants, “My favorite part of all this is not any one performance, but the feeling that comes through again and again: that making a video was a creative blast and a memorable time with friends. Everyone seemed to capture the spirit of the contest.”

The winner will be announced on or around February 11th, and I’ll be sure to let you know the result.

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2015!

06 Tuesday Jan 2015

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Our Annual New Year’s Day Party was as fun as always. For nearly 10 years (or more, I can’t remember), we have been having this gathering to celebrate the end ophotof the holiday season (phew!) and the beginning of a new year. (It is also my birthday but I don’t like to highlight that).

In addition to the cool and interesting people and tasty food and drink, there has been one element that is the hallmark of the party, Live Music. While my husband and daughters handle the details of party planning, I get to focus on what I love. Over the years, I have offered up a variety of acts from solo acoustic performances to full bands, the common denominator being that I get to play! I think that’s fair. After all, it is my birthday.

This year, I was very excited to play with Peter and also to bring in Rick Hess on drums and Andy Bollman on Bass. Andy and Rick were quick to get up to speed and really helped create a groove and round out the sound. We played for several hours and had a blast (as did the guests, I hope).

My daughter was able to capture a few of the songs on my ipad (quality not great but you get the idea). Here they are:

As far as New Year’s Resolutions go, here are mine:

Play More Music
Perform More Music
Sing More Music
Listen to More Music
Write More Music
Go to More Music Festivals
Learn More Music

Wishing everyone lots of music in 2015! Happy New Year.

Cat Stevens, Revisited.

28 Sunday Dec 2014

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cat-stevens-tea-for-the-tillermanI first remember listening to Cat Stevens (born Steven Demetre Georgiou) in the spring of 1985 while in my Junior year at Ithaca College. My roommate, Jane, had his album, “Tea for the Tillerman” and would play it often. I was particularly captured by “Father and Son” and “Miles from Nowhere,” both songs that delivered the deeper meanings of life on a melodic wave of sound. Stevens’ tunes were insightful and harmonic. They made me think, feel, and listen. I never did buy any of his albums, and as I moved on, away from my college years and into a more digital age, I left his music behind.

Stevens also walked away from the music in 1977 when he decided to give up his career as a popular musician and convert to Islam. He changed his name to Yusuf Islam and focused his efforts on educational and philanthropic causes. Since then, he has received several awards for promoting peace in the world including the World Award (2003), Man of Peace Award (2004) and the Mediterranean Prize for Peace (2007). It would be years, however, before I was to hear or even think about this iconic man again.

During a visit with my mother this fall, we had the good fortune of watching Harold and Maude, a 1971 film about a young man obsessed with death and his relationship with a 79 year old woman who teaches him that life is the most precious gift of all. Stevens’ music surfaces in the opening scene and continues throughout the movie. The soundtrack is 100% Cat Stevens (with the exception of one or two classical tracks). As soon as I heard the scratchy sound of needle on vinyl leading up to “Don’t Be Shy,” I was immediately propelled back to a different era. First to 1984, in my junior year apartment and then to the early 70’s when I was growing up. Both periods punctuated by feelings of freedom, independence, creativity, and thoughtful expression.

More recently, it has come to my attention that Stevens (or now Yusuf) has decided to revisit the music and embark on a full fledged American tour. He began releasing new albums in 2006 and just this year (2014) began his first tour since 1978.

Peter and I decided it was a great time to cover one of his tunes, and Peter brought “Longer Boats” to the table.

Here is our version.

We have since changed a few of the harmonies and are working on refining the arrangement and tempo. All the same, it is a great tune to sing out, “If You Want to Sing Out.” Enjoy.

Pulling Together Some Last Minute Tunes ….

09 Tuesday Dec 2014

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Wendy Darling and the Lost Boy will be playing this Friday night at Fortini’s Restaurant in Bolton, MA. Our goal has been to begin booking gigs after the New Year, but this one came along and we are really excited! We realized, however, we needed to add a few more songs to our list in order to fill up the 2 1/2 hours. This is what we came up with..

(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and made famous by Paul Revere & the Raiders, who recorded and released it in May of 1966 on their Midnight Ride album. The Monkees also released a version in November of 1966 which made it to the top of the charts. I recently heard Steppin’ Stone when I went out to see my brother-in-law’s band over Thanksgiving weekend. They did a splendid version and I immediately knew it would be a good one for us.

The other song we added this week is Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift. Covering Taylor Swift is not an easy task but after many requests from my 18 year old daughter, we thought it would be fun to try. We chose Everything Has Changed because it is not only a beautifully written song, but it also features British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran. This vocal and guitar duo seemed like a perfect combo to cover.

If you have the chance, come down to Fortini’s Restaurant (544 Wattaquadock Hill, Bolton, MA) this Friday night, December 12, and check out the rest of our music. We’ll be starting at 7.