Inspiration comes at you sideways

Don't click the links until I say otherwise you'll miss out on the experience.

This could be a subject I've blogged on before but I'm really not sure. If I have, I couldn't find it on this site anyway.

I'm not sure whether this is bragging or not, but I have the most talented family in the entire universe and possibly beyond. I'm not kidding. Not to oversell it but musically the Fam is just oozing with concepts and execution of composition of musical themes that are both innovative and auditorially pleasing. (What auditorially isn't a real word?)

See I can say it's not bragging simply because I'm not including myself in the bragging. Additionally I have proof of their brilliance listed. I've heard it said thousands of times that "It's not bragging if it's true".

Alright, I may have oversold it a bit but the songs that you're going to hear are really good IMHO.

Ok. You can click the first one. On her MySpace page click the second song "Home" in a new browser (Right-Click and select "open in a new window" for the noobs), then come back and read.

http://www.myspace.com/nellieriddle

Ok. This is a simple intro, but just wait it gets good. Listen to the lyrics and imagine the sweet little girl that singing.

Now we're getting to the Chorus. Great theme. And then the hook. At this point you should be getting chills. I do anyway as I listen and write this.

Nellie is the youngest in my family and she's had a little bit of a rough time. All the older siblings want to keep her safe and she gets frustrated that we don't think of her as a grown up capable of making good decisions, even now that she's married.

Back to the chorus. How can anyone listen to this and not be inspired. The message is great. Even the weakest amongst us can succeed and even excel when we get the help from those around us that feel personally invested in our lives. We all get to support each other. "Home" of course takes on a deeper meaning when it's thought of in a spiritual context. But the concept of being edified through lifting someone else is a universal one.



Ok. Now on to Aaron.

Same as before, open in a new window and listen to.... let's see. 3rd song "Time won't wait"

http://www.myspace.com/amicuscuriaeband

My favorite part of Aaron's music is the minimalism of it. Just him, a guitar, and I think some beat boxing. The harmonies are all him if you couldn't tell. But the choices that he makes for the harmonies blow me away. Instead of making it barbershopy or fifties-ish he adds them together in a fashion that sounds almost new-waveish.

Let it keep playing to the next song Stars.

Now this song could be on Scrubs. Just mellow and like Nellie's song, inspiring.

Don't forget to look into the stars. The idea being, let yourself be encircled by the awesomeness of creation and realize the duality of your insignificance in the vastness of an endless universe, and the importance of your existence as part of this universe that is so amazing.

Songs like these impress me so much because these are the two youngest in our herd of 10. You expect wisdom and depth from folks that are older by virtue of their experience. These youngest though ..... I'm just so lucky to have them as family. That I get to associate myself with them makes me feel like the message that their music conveys, better than I am because I'm a part of something better.


One last one.

Wayne has one of the best male voices I've heard. Here he is doing Les Miserables

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdaNF8WBC_0