Music and dance for mind and body

There is an old 8mm film somewhere in the universe of a baby Donald, arms held high by some adult as he attempts to do what sort of looks like a polka or some kind of dance. Well it seems like that was the start of things to come.

I often say that if I were to live my life again, I would have liked to have been a dancer. I´m not quite sure which kind but I know from a very early age, dance and music has played a very important part of my life. As young boy in the country pubs of Ireland, bands would play traditional music. I had no qualms to go up to women and ask them for a waltz. I am sure this caused great amusement but I was quite serious. After all, I had taken ballroom classes at the age of  ten for a while and before that had danced with my mam many a time. 

At thirteen, I am delighted to say that Disco was still very much alive and although I couldn't go to a real one, we regularly had school discos. Mainly at lunch time. For some reason, despite being the shy(ish) kid that I was, I didn't mind doing a ´shuffle´ to Michele Jackson or an impersonation of John Travolta to the Bee Gees´ Saturday night fever. In those days, boys rarely danced, they tended to hold onto the walls around the dance floor but together with my sister, I strutted my stuff with no inhibitions at all. So it will come as no surprise to learn that decades later at the age of 30 I discovered Salsa and took to it like a duck to water. ....

to be cont ....

A choral meditation - Agnus Dei (by Samuel Barber)

Sometimes, life shakes you up so much that you can find it hard to centre yourself. For me when this happens, I find a piece of music that is both helpful to meditate to but also leaves me in a kind of place that is sometimes referred to as being in ´higher vibrational state´. This piece is something I discovered some time ago but recently found a recording on loop. Whilst it might sound a bit excessive to some, it carries me away for as long as I want, be that 5 minutes or 10 hours. I listen through my earphones usually unless I am busying around, painting or studying, then I have it in the background. I felt compelled to share it with you today.  Also if you want to nerd out as I often do, here´s a link to find out more about Samuel Barber the 20th century American composer.

The beauty created by strangers working together - Jacob Collier - The Audience Choir