Fleeting Moments

Beautiful Life | Fisher

So many of my clients have asked about the music on my photography web site. Since Day One, it's been "Beautiful Life" by Fisher, one of my favorite bands. 

Kathy Fisher and Ron Wasserman very kindly agreed to provide a license for me to use the music, and I'm thrilled to be able to use a song that fits my work so well! And not a week goes by that I don't have someone ask where to get a copy of the song or comment on how much they love the music.

Fisher just released a new album, which is available on the band's web site (as well as Amazon and iTunes) — I've ordered my copy from the Fisher site, so I'll have a few days to wait to hear Ron and Kathy's latest. While you're ordering "Water," be sure to get "The Lovely Years" as well so you can have your own copy of "Beautiful Life"!

It's a Big Day for Ben Folds Fans

...like me!

Ben's new album, "Way to Normal," was released today, and I've already downloaded my copy from iTunes.

If you're getting your Ben from iTunes and you're a parent, do yourself a favor and download his "Gracie" while you're there. It's a wonderful father-daughter song, and it gives me chills every time I hear it.

Is It Time For Christmas Music Yet?

I'm starting to hear Christmas music in stores and on the radio, so it must be OK to mention it here!

I started early -- I've been playing Christmas music in my car for almost three weeks. It may have something to do with living in Hershey, where commercial Christmas lights went up on November 12 this year. Between SweetLights and Hersheypark's Christmas Candylane, we've had literally millions of Christmas lights glowing since then.

But my fondness for Christmas music goes back a long way. I've always collected Christmas music: first on vinyl, then CD and now MP3s. iTunes tells me I have almost three weeks worth of Christmas music stored, and that means three weeks of 24-hour-a-day-music. So I *have* to start listening early!

Here's the compilation we've been listening to most often in the car:

• Jingle Bells  -  Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
• Alle Jahre wieder  -  Chor + Orchester Detlev Kasen
• White Christmas  -  The Drifters
• Who Comes This Night  -  James Taylor
• Carol For Another Christmas  -  Henry Mancini And His Orchestra
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear  -  Sixpence None The Richer
• Mary, Did You Know?  -  Kathy Mattea
• Children Go Where I Send Thee  -  Natalie Merchant
• Christmas Yodler  -  Konrad Plaickner Chorus And Orchestra
• Jingle Bells  -  Diana Krall
• Am Weihnachtsbaum Die Lichter Brennen  -  Children's Choir "Pueri Cantores" Merano
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen -   Barenaked Ladies
• Sleigh Ride (Instrumental)  -  The Boston Pops Orchestra
• Must Be Santa (Polka)  -  Brave Combo
• Wizards In Winter (Instrumental)  -  Trans-Siberian Orchestra   
• Lonely Christmas Eve  -  Ben Folds
• Joy To The World  -  Vienna Boys Choir
• Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)  -  Elvis Presley   
• Mele Kalikimaka  -  Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters
• Fantasia On "I Saw Three Ships"  -  James Galway
• Maybe This Christmas  -  Ron Sexsmith

There's a song in my head...

and I can't get it out!

Thankfully, it's one of the new Annie Lennox songs ("Dark Road" from Songs of Mass Destruction) and not something from Barney or the Wiggles. But that's usually a sign that I've been listening to one or two songs a lot lately, and I need to get out of that rut. "Dark Road" is one gorgeous piece of music, though, and Annie Lennox has the most amazing voice...it's not easy to move on to other music.

Another song I've been hitting the "replay" button for a lot lately is Regina Spektor's "Better." It's simple but beautiful. I have to say, though -- I like the voice + piano version (available on iTunes) more than the over-produced version in the video.

Hopping on the Bandwagon

Now THIS looks like something I could use! Actually, Bandwagon looks like a neat service for ANY music-loving procrastinator. I can't even begin to imagine the horrr if I lost all those MP4's I've purchased over the last few years. And all the time I've spent ripping my own CD collection...if I had to do it over again....OY. So I'll be hopping on the Bandwagon A.S.A.P.  Check it out!