Music Magic

Podcast - Music Magic . . .

It was the Danish author Hans Christian Anderson that said, “Where Words Fail Music Speaks.”

This reminded me that music is all around us and easily accessible in this digital age we’ve stumbled into. At 63 I’m finding new ways to experience the joy of guitar.

It's Magic . . .

Well, not really, its persistent effort and practiced fingers dancing daily across the fretboard.

Lately, I’ve been listening to some new young artists on YouTube that is simply terrific. Josh Turner Guitar and Reina Del Cid. These artists play a wide variety of covers from Country, Rock, Folk, Pop, and Bluegrass. Not to mention they both write and produce their own original music.

While listening I’ll try to play along, in-time with the video. I’ve “graduated” from just listening to YouTube guitar lessons to strumming the harmony. Frankly, I’m amazed at how much strumming the Ukulele has helped me with the guitar.

It’s a lot of fun to “get into” an old familiar tune with a new take on the musical arrangement. For example, one of my favorites is a Bluegrass tune, Dooley, originally written and performed by the Dillards.

How many of you remember seeing the Dillards on The Andy Griffith Show back in the 1960s?

If you're a Bob Dylan fan, the Other Favorites cover of The Times They Are a-Changin’ is definitely worth a listen.

And of course, they present original music that’s arranged and performed with harmony, skill, and precision. Here’s just one example of a winner it’s titled - Number One in America by, The Other Favorites.

But let’s not forget the two young ladies Reina del Cid and Toni Lindgren. This talented duo also covers a vast arrangement of musicals venues with their own special touch. Here’s one of their originals you will enjoy, it’s titled 1970.

Toni's recent arrangement for guitar, and one of my all-time favorites, is Your Song, by Elton John.

If you’re interested in listening I’ve linked the song titles to the YouTube videos in my blog post.

Its Music Magic, enjoy!

This is Patrick Ball, thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Believing Is Seeing

🎄 In this episode, Believing Is Seeing . . . It's December, we bustle, we wrap, and we dash. We sort life into boxes— myths here, to-dos in a stash. We whisper of Santa (adult code: “Not Real”), but hold on one minute—let’s rethink this whole deal. For the stories we cherish, the movies we stream, hold more truth in their sparkle than we grown-ups may deem. So hop in this sleigh and hold on real tight— We’re chasing down Santa by the glow of his light! Scott Calvin once landed in the North Pole’s cold air, with elves, cocoa, and snow everywhere. He squinted and frowned—“This just cannot be so!” (Like thinking tangled lights will detangle if we blow .) Then Judy the Elf gave a cocoa so steaming, and said something simple . . . yet surprisingly gleaming: Seeing’s not believing—no, that’s not the key. "Believing is seeing!" Just trust, and you’ll see!” Kids don’t need a map or a satellite screen to know Santa’s workshop is her...

Stamps and Snow

In this episode, Stamps and Snow . . . You don’t usually walk into the local Post Office expecting a time warp . . . but here we are. All we wanted were stamps for this year's Christmas cards— yes, the old-fashioned paper ones that require licking, sticking, and hoping the Postal Service is feeling ambitious this week. But holiday errands have a talent for slowing you down, almost like the universe whispering, “Relax. You’re not getting out of this line any faster anyway.” So we waited. And while we waited, we talked (Are you surprised?). Because the Post Office is one of the few places where people still look up from their phones long enough to talk . . . Maybe it's because they're holding packages. It’s the modern town square: part civic duty, part free entertainment, part sociology experiment. The discussion began with holiday specials streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, and other services during this time of year. One gentleman who has lived in Vista since 1958 told us,...

Night Before Christmas

I n this episode, Night Before Christmas . . . (In the spirit of Edgar Albert Guest) I’ve wrestled with the tangled lights the way I always do— With just enough patience left to see the project through. I climb the ladder carefully; the years have taught me how. To take my time with every step and keep a steady brow. We hang the faded ornaments I’ve known since I was small, the chipped, the cracked, the tilted ones—I love them best of all. Santa’s lost a bit of paint, the stars’ leaning right, but oh, it casts a holy glow across the room tonight. The kitchen hums with activity, with laughter, and with cheer, as voices drift like echoes from a long-forgotten year. The floor is strewn with paper scraps, the clock is ticking slow, As Christmas finds its own sweet pace and sets our house aglow. The hallway grows a little still; the lights are dimmed, and low, Small shoes are lined in messy pairs to wait for morning’s snow. The fire's warm, the room is full, the world is deep and wide,...

A Holiday Reflection–Mother's Love

In this episode, How a Mother’s Love Built My Memories– A Holiday Reflection As this holiday season approaches and the world buzzes with shopping, planning, and busy schedules, I find myself embracing something wonderfully simple: taking a moment to pause. Not to check off a list or recharge devices, but to breathe deeply, remember fondly, and honor the person and place that have shaped my sense of home long before I had the words for it. This year, after regaining my strength from a lingering post-travel fog, my mind didn’t wander to exotic destinations or future adventures. It drifted backward—across oceans and time—to Cuba, Illinois, in the early 1960s, and to the woman whose love built the foundation of my world: Mauricette Elaine (Bontemps) Ball. My Mom . We came to Cuba after leaving La Rochelle, France, in 1959—a transition so dramatic I only appreciate its enormity now. My mother, barely in her mid-twenties, stepped off that plane and into the Midwest with a courage that s...

On The Fly

Search This Blog