Skip to main content

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

Most Popular of All Time

Confidently Wrong: The Art of the AI Tall Tale

In this episode, A chat with Adamas the Chef on hidden recipes causing digital hallucinations. Pull up a chair and pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee—and please, for your own sake, taste it first. We need to have a quiet chat about why your computer sometimes decides to reinvent reality with the confidence of a five-star chef who has clearly lost his mind. In the world of technology, we call it a  hallucination . It sounds pretty dramatic, doesn’t it? As if the computer decided to ignore your instructions altogether in favor of a vivid, technicolor imagination that simply hasn’t met reality yet. But in truth, an AI hallucination isn’t a breakdown; it’s just a very confident, very polite mistake. Think of it like our friend Adamas , the Chef. Adamas is a master of the kitchen, but he is also a bit of a romantic who refuses to say “I don’t know.” When you ask him for a classic recipe he hasn’t made in years, he doesn’t stop to consult a cookbook—that’s far too pedestrian. Instead, ...

Ode To Gemology

For over 80 years, students of gemology have struggled with spectrums, bewildered by birefringence, and simply plagued by pleochroism. The following sonnet is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, a glow to your heart, and a simple reminder that students of life and gemology rediscover nature's gifts every day.  Ode to Gemology , by a GIA on-campus student. Dispersion, fire, adventurescence. Orient, sheen, or iridescence. Refractive index, high or low. The luster should indicate that, you know. Polarization, double or single. What to do now, they intermingle. Pleochroic colors you really should see. Was that only two, or actually three? Birefringence should help you a lot. Use your polarizer and watch the spot. Now, did it jump most on low or high? Sure, you can get it if you really try! Your liquids should be an aid, I think. Does it float, suspend, or slowly sink? Just use your imagination now. (He doesn't see me wiping my brow.) Solid inclusions or only bubbles? Huh, th...

The Cowardice of Corporate Jargon

Picture this: an email lands in your inbox. A colleague—maybe even a friend—needs a favor, a second set of eyes, a moment of your time. You sigh, stare at the glow of your monitor, and type: “I’d love to help, but I just don’t have the bandwidth right now.” Hit send. Problem solved. Conscience clear. Except it shouldn’t be. Most of us have said or sent that line at least once, hoping it would land gently. On the surface, it’s perfect—efficient, polite, even self-aware. And that’s exactly the problem. It lets you decline without ever quite telling the truth. You didn’t just say no; you softened the discomfort of being human until it barely felt like a feeling at all. Instead of admitting, I’m overwhelmed , or I don’t have the energy , you reach for the sterile vocabulary of a server room. You turn a feeling into a metric. A boundary into a system limitation. Apologies, my data transfer rate is capped. Please submit a ticket to my emotional help desk. It’s a clever little trick—and an un...

Tuck, Roll, and Rain

In this episode, the interactive obstacle course of the San Marcos bike path. (Sunday, April 12, 2026) It started out as a beautiful day for a ride—our usual 30-mile Sunday trek to Escondido. The weather was moody, with brooding dark clouds threatening rain, but the streets were mostly empty. The traffic was light, and the bike paths were eerily quiet. It gave off the distinct, yet entirely false, illusion of a peaceful sanctuary. We were headed home, and I had settled into a smooth, hypnotic cadence on the path across from Palomar College in San Marcos. I was listening to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field, minding my own business, and dressed to be seen. Between my colorful jersey and my cherry-red vest, I was illuminated like a human traffic cone. You could spot me from low Earth orbit. Apparently, that wasn't visible enough. Up ahead, I spotted another cyclist. He was cruising along in a state of pure, unhelmeted zen—completely unburdened by the earthly concepts of peripheral vision ...