Music
I am fortunate to have the Yamaha P-515 portable electronic keyboard. I love this instrument! I also have a Taylor guitar and enjoy singing with that guitar. Music has been and will continue to be a major part of my life. I am very much looking forward to getting back to a music routine when we get to Japan!
LET THE TUNES BEGIN!
As I was playing our beautiful Yamaha P-515 tonight, I had this "out of the blue" thought that it would be cool to have music with my pictures. So, let the tunes begin! This is a recording that I made 12 years ago!
First, you need to click on "Read More." It usually
takes a bit of time for the music to load. You may need to refresh your
screen. You can then click on the arrow on the left side of the
recording picture.
The pictures are some of the best from our recent trip to Kyoto. More details to come! Enjoy!
All the best,
Bob
A TRIBUTE TO OUR SEATTLE FOLKS!
There are not many songs that pertain to Seattle. One of the few is a song titled "Seattle" that was written by Hugo Montenegro back in the late 60's. It was used in the television show "Here Come The Brides." My recording of this beautiful song is dedicated to my brother and his family as they live in that great city. Love to Drum and Monique and all!
These are again photos from our amazing trip to Kyoto. I took 3000 photos in 5 days! Glorious sights! The orange posts are from the world famous Fushimiinari-taisha Shrine. The stairs wind up for a mile as you walk through the passageway that goes between the posts! Amazing! It was a little challenging to get photos without humans in them as there were so many people. However, the further up I got, the fewer the people. Luck and patience!
The other two photos are from the Byodo-in Temple. Again, what an exquisite site! A fun story. I was photographing the Temple when I got a phone call from Setsuko. She was literally standing a few hundred feet away. However, she did not want to leave her spot as she had sighted the beautiful great blue heron that is pictured in this post. After getting over my petty frustration from being interrupted, I joined Setsuko and took 300-400 pictures of that bird as it was so close!
Thank you to Setsuko for making this such a memorable trip!
All the best,
Bob
TO THE COLORADO HECKELMANNS!
When I think of Colorado and music, I think of John Denver. This is a recording I did of one of my favorite Denver songs, Perhaps Love.
I would like to dedicate this song to my sister and her family, as they have lived in the Denver area for many years. Ty and family, I hope you enjoy this song!
The pictures were again taken during our trip to Kyoto. The picture with the bridge in it was taken at the Imperial Palace, the former home of the Japanese King and Queen. What a beautiful garden!
Another one of the highlights from this trip was spending time with Dana and his family. They used to live in Oregon, where we had the good fortune of working with Dana and his two sons in our tennis program. The younger son, Ryoma, is now an up and coming star on a university tennis team. Go Ryoma!
Dana is extremely bright
and has traveled the world doing corporate development work. In the
process, he has been at the cutting edge of that industry. I had the
good fortune of going for a long walk with Dana through the beautiful
countryside near their home, just outside of Osaka. In the process, Dana
shared some of his pearls of wisdom. What a treat!
All the best,
BobHERE'S TO THE BLOOMS!
This is a recording of "Try To Remember" I made on my Yamaha P-515. I would like to dedicate this song to the Blooms. This has always been one of my my sister's favorite songs!
These are more pictures from our Kyoto trip. What a gorgeous place!
All the best,
Bob
THANK YOU SETSUKO!
This song has a special place in my heart as I played this Neil Diamond classic, "Play Me," at our wedding. This is my way of saying thank you to Setsuko for such a wonderful Japan experience. Love you lots!
IT IS LUCY THOMAS TIME!
These photos were taken at a Festival we attended last Saturday night. The top photo was taken during a very cool live performance. I was mesmerized by the beautiful clothing they wore!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXWmHR7pPA
The above link is to an amazing performance by Lucy Thomas when she was 13 years old. She has a voice that is out of this world! I dare you to not get goose bumps when you watch that video!
Lucy is now 19 years old. She just came out with her fifth album and is due to be starring in the musical "Rosie" in 2024. Without a doubt, she has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard!
She has also recorded some gorgeous duets with her sister. What a talented family! I love her song selection as she has recorded a number of songs from musicals.
One of the things that is so amazing is the passion she puts into her singing. She sings with a maturity that is much more typical of someone twice her age.
The good news is that you can access almost all of her music online. With that said, I just got the mp3 version of her first CD. I will almost assuredly be buying all of her music!
All the best as we head into the holiday season!
Bob
BRING HOME SETSUKO!
Setsuko had her total knee replacement surgery last Tuesday. The operation was successful and she is recovering very well. She will be coming home from the hospital this Thursday. Yeah!
The pictures
were taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max, and are all from the Tama
Cemetery, which is very close to our house. I do not know the name of
the person in the first picture. The engraving is part of a beautiful
tombstone.
I made this recording of "Bring Him Home" on my Yamaha P-515. I am very proud of this recording as I think it is the best recording I have ever made. I think the reason is simple. I practiced and practiced this piece!
My plan was to play this song at an "Open Mike" event at the school where I work. I also offered to play background music as people were arriving. I thought I would be playing "Bring Him Home" later in the evening. However, with other performances and karaoke songs, I never got the chance. Here is my replacement!
With these recordings and my preparation for the "Open Mike" event, I have changed my approach to playing the keyboard. For years, I have focused on playing whatever I felt like playing, thereby playing a variety of songs in one sitting. It has been a long time since I have consistently worked on one piece. I am now doing exactly that in order to play a given piece up to my expectations.
I am enjoying this new approach as it is pushing me to improve my skills. I am pleased with the improved quality of my playing.
I wish all of you the very best as we head into spring,
Bob
Bring on the Guitar and Let's Sing!
Happy Spring!
Sorry to be out of touch! It has been a busy spring! Several people have asked me to record my singing. Here we go! Although I certainly am no pro, I have really enjoyed working on my guitar and singing skills. More to come!
The cherry season has come and gone in our area. However, the good news is that I was able to capture some of the incredible beauty of the cherry blossoms. What a treat!
The top photo was taken at Rikugien Garden, a gorgeous garden in the Tokyo area.
The second photo from the top was taken from the entrance to the American School, the school where I work.
The third and fourth photos from the top were taken in the Tama Cemetery. I have the good fortune of walking through that cemetery on my way to work. A real joy!
The three photos at the bottom were taken at the Jindai Botanical Garden, one of my favorite gardens close to our house.
I hope you enjoy the music and the photos.
All the best,
Bob
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