Music + Sports + Writing = Therapy
music
Beer and ball
Aug 26th
For me, music and sports go together like milk and fresh-from-the-oven brownies. Whether it’s hearing Alabama’s Rammer Jammer cheer or “Crazy Train” when Atlanta’s Chipper Jones steps up to the plate or “I’m Bad” while working out, music gets me fired up.
So as the Boys of Summer get ready to make a run for October and the Boys of Fall kick off their season, I’ve got singer/musician Chris Blake here to talk about how music makes the sports we love even better.
Chris, whose latest EP Girl is just out, explains why sports and music are so intertwined. “Music does so much to bring the game to a new level–particularly baseball,” he says. “Music accompanies celebration, loss, traditions like the 7th-inning stretch. It adds to the tension, like when the organist plays Charge! during a two-out, bases-loaded situation.
“Music also keeps us entertained in a big way during the breaks between innings–like when the little kid starts playing air guitar to Don’t Stop Believin’ at Dodger Stadium!”
While Chris enjoys a few college football match-ups each year, baseball is his real love. The Southern Cal Trojan says, “The only reason I ever really watched football games back in college was to drink beer.”
However, he figured out that baseball was much more conducive to beer-drinking. “You could lose an entire inning waiting in line for a Coors Light and still come back to your seat and not have missed anything.”
A Chicago White Sox fan, 2005 was a big year for Chris and his family as the team won the World Series. “Along the way (catcher) A.J. Pierzynski brought (Journey’s) Steve Perry along for the ride, and now, even though I had such strong childhood memories attached to ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ ’, all I can think of when I hear it now is how amazing it was at that moment when the Sox somehow managed to go all the way.”
Want to know more about the 7th sexiest man on Twitter? RSVP for The Music Mamas Twitter Party happening Friday night from 8-9:30 Central, and join us for a chat with Chris and a chance to win an iPod touch and his CD Girl.
Below is a playlist of Chris’ favorite get-pumped songs. What tunes do you crank up when you want to get your adrenaline pumping?
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Hard times, good tunes
Aug 4th
Everyone has hard times. And when they come, music can help you feel the pain and then find a way through it.
Today I’m doing Breakup Songs. What are your picks? Next, I’ll do Get Over It Songs, then maybe Makeup Songs.
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Happy Ending
Jul 25th
I first heard this song during Riley’s dance recital rehearsal and loved it. It’s beautiful and sad, and the dance that was done with it was gorgeous. I finally downloaded Happy Ending by Mika today and found this video.
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Summer Breeze
Jul 11th
Summertime and the living is easy … mostly. Riley’s at day camp every day while Ryan and I work (this week she’s in Town Creek with my parents), we’ve been spending lost of time with friends, and we’ve spend lots of time at the softball field since she made all-stars. (We played two tournaments and didn’t do so hot, but the experience was so good for Riley’s confidence and her desire to win. But that’s another post.)
Anyway, these are the songs we’ve been listening to this summer–some old, some new. Riley enjoys most of them, but don’t worry, I keep the dirty words to myself. And I’m not including her HSM songs, because, really, when they’re playing year-round they don’t make the Summer Playlist.
Pardon Me–Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights
Baby, Baby–Justin Bieber
All I Do Is Win–DJ Khaled, et al
Baby Jane–Rod Stewart
Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight–Amos Lee
Not Afraid–Eminem
She’s a Bad Mama Jama–Carl Carlton
I Want A Love I Can See–The Temptations
Carryout–Timbaland, Justin Timberlake
The Ballad of Jayne–L.A. Guns
Your Love is My Drug–Ke$ha
Love Uncompromised–Jason Castro
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Show me your hearing
Jun 30th
So I got this email the other day from Jennifer with the Hear the World initiative about a photography contest, sponsored by Phonak, called “Show Us Your Hearing.” The project wants to see you in a “conscious pose of hearing” (hand cupped behind your ear) and aims to raise awareness of hearing loss, which affects 16 percent of the world.
Each year in the United States alone, 12,000 babies are born with hearing loss, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery reports that 1.3 million children under age 3 have a hearing impairment.
Clearly, hearing loss affects every aspect of a child’s life, from academics to developmental to social issues. Most of you know our story: Our daughter, Riley, was diagnosed with profound deafness when she was around 18 months old. We were devastated, but with education and information we made the right decision for our family. Just before she turned 2, she had cochlear implant surgery and now at age 8, she is a bilateral CI user headed to the third grade, an all-star softball player and an incredible dancer.
Some big names in music are part of this initiative including Annie Lennox, Rod Stewart, Common, Billy Idol, Harry Belafonte, Joss Stone, Lenny Kravitz. Singer-songwriter and photographer Bryan Adams captured each ambassador in the “hearing pose,” which “demonstrates the importance of being aware of your hearing at every age.”
Check out the Hear the World photographs—including ones of Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Moby, and Amy Winehouse.
Now the initiative wants you to submit your own photo! Details are below.
Show Us Your Hearing
Photography Competition
WHEN IS THE CONTEST DEADLINE? Monday, July 12th
HOW DO I ENTER? To enter, follow these 5 easy steps:
1. Register: You will receive an email registration confirmation from Hear the World. If you don’t receive an email, please check your Junk Mail folder.
2. Visit: Click the “enter the contest” button, and enter the entry form.
3. Upload a photograph of you, a friend, or family member in the “Conscious Pose of Hearing.” The photo must be high res (300dpi), between 1MB – 3MB.
4. Give your photograph a title and provide a description of up to 100 words describing the importance of being aware of your hearing at every age.
5. Click “Send.” Your Entry will not be officially entered into the Competition unless you click the final Send button and receive a confirmation screen that states that your Entry was accepted.
WHY SHOULD I ENTER?
- To take a moment to think about your sense of hearing and the sounds you are grateful to hear every day.
- To support the Hear the World initiative, which is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of hearing, while also educating the public about the consequences of hearing loss and the available solutions.
- For a chance to win a Polaroid 300 Instant Camera and for a chance to see your photograph published in the award-winning Hear the World magazine.
WHAT ARE THE JUDGES LOOKING FOR?
- Most visually appealing–50%
- Originality–30%
- 100 word description–10%
- Self-explanatory–10%
HOW AND WHEN WILL THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER BE DETERMINED?
1. The public will vote on their favorite photo between July 13 – August 3.
2. The top five entries that receive the most votes will be judged by a panel of judges between August 4 – August 10.
3. The grand prize winner will be announced on August 16 on the Hear the World website. Winners will be notified by phone and email.
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That’s the way I like it
Jun 21st
Here’s a fun music survey from Music Savvy Mom. Post your answers on your blog and link back to me and MSM. 
What is your favorite band/artist? (Specify “right now” or “all time”)
Elvis. See below for why.
What is your least favorite band/artist? (Specify “right now” or “all time”)
Rascal Flatts
What genre of music do you LOVE? (Gotta pick just one)
Rock ‘n’ roll
What genre of music do you HATE? (Gotta pick just one)
Electronica, or whatever you call it.
What is a song that you love?
You’ll Never Walk Alone (Elvis)
What is a song that you find incredibly annoying?
Anything by Rascal Flatts, except Fast Cars & Freedom
What is your favorite “embarrassing guilty pleasure song”?
I don’t feel guilty about any of the music I like, even New Kids on the Block.
If you were in/involved with a hugely popular band … what “position” would you most want to fill & why?
Biographer … I’m a writer, and I’d like to travel and see what road life is really like.
What “position” would you NOT like to attempt & why?
Publicist … I don’t lie very well.
If you could meet one musician who has passed away, who would it be and why?
Elvis, because he took the best of rock and the best of soul and melded them into a whole new experience.
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Dance the night away
May 29th
Riley’s dance recital was two nights last week. Her first night was ballet; the second night was acrobatics and jazz. She did wonderfully–she knew where everyone was supposed to be, and she helped get them there. She loves dancing and it shows! We are so proud of her and everything she has accomplished in her two years on stage.
Getting ready backstage before One Dance
Riley waves to her adoring public after the first-night finale
Waiting her turn for her one-handed cartwheel during Cotton-Eyed Joe
Backstage getting ready for Jailhouse Rock
Proud parents with our dancer girl
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Random thoughts
May 26th
My fantastic friend This Belle Rocks awarded me with Gorgeous Blogger and Versatile Blogger awards. Sweet!
So in the spirit of following the rules, here are 7 random things about me:
1. I have a widow’s peak, so no blunt bangs for me.
2. Summer is my favorite season. I love hot weather.
3. When I was little I wanted to be a gymnast or a dancer.
4. I’m psyched that Riley loves both those things.
5. I have two crooked toes on my left foot.
6. I experience deja vu and a sort of ESP thing a lot. But I keep it quiet.
7. I’m addicted to Mountain Dew.
Tag! You’re it:
Val at Cochlear Kids
Nanette at Say it, don’t spray it
Mari at Mari’s Virtual Notebook
Meg at Exile on Main Street
I haven’t been around much lately because I’ve been busy with work, end-of-school activities, softball and dance recitals. I hope to get back to blogging more regularly. OK, that’s it. Gotta run!
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Long lost Harry Connick Jr. review
Apr 20th
Harry Connick Jr.
Ryan and I went to see Harry Connick Jr. back in February and I’m just now getting around to posting my “review.” Fun! Great! Bummer!
The VBC usher was on me tight that night. Everyone else around me was snapping photos of Harry as he sang, told jokes and danced. But as soon as I pointed my camera at him, the lady usher came barreling at me and made me put it down. Ugh! So that’s not my picture. I got it from Flickr’s Creative Commons stash.
Sorry, Harry, it’s such a dumb rule to allow no cameras. Ninety-nine percent of people just want to have photos for their own personal collections. Surely the 1% who use the photos for profit don’t put even a tiny dent in artists’ bank accounts. Meanwhile, the real fans are left with a sour taste and none of their own photographic evidence of having been at the show.
Ah, but sometimes I’m a rulebreaker. And although you can’t see Harry, you can hear him here. I put my iPhone on video and just let it sit on my lap. I’m not profiting. I’m just spreading my love for a great singer, entertainer and actor. Love ya, Harry!
I’m not profiting. I’m just spreading my love for a great singer, entertainer and actor. Love ya, Harry! The show was terrific. Aside from being a wonderful singer and pianist, Harry is a funny man. He’s a crack-up. He had the audience laughing and dancing and clapping. He sang some of Ryan and my favorites like “Come By Me,” and “We Are in Love” along with some old classics that we ended up really enjoying like “You Are My Sunshine.”
Harry would be a cool person to hang out and have a beer with, trading stories about kids and music and adventures. And maybe catch a Saints game. Right?
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Joey McIntyre shares story of his son’s hearing loss
Mar 28th
Riley waits for her snack after the softball game. See her blue and pink CIs?
Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block and Dancing with the Stars fame share his family’s story of hearing loss in the latest issue of People magazine. His youngest son, 3-month-old Rhys, has been diagnosed with a severe loss and is wearing hearing aids. According to the article, the family is working with an auditory-verbal therapist and might consider cochlear implants.
Many of the comments on the article are insulting, rude, and just plain ignorant. While I have no problem with a family wanting to immerse their hearing-impaired child in Deaf culture, I do have a problem with those same people spreading lies and accusing other families of abuse because they made a different choice.
I’m going to address 20 things posted in the article’s comments and clear up a few misconceptions about cochlear implants. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section or share this post with others.
1. Cochlear implants DO NOT require additional surgeries as a child grows. The only reason additional surgery would be needed is if the device failed. CIs have a 1% failure rate.
2. Cochlear implants ARE NOT implanted into the brain. It IS NOT brain surgery.
3. If parents want their child to use spoken language, they CANNOT WAIT until the child is old enough to “make the decision for himself.” Most language learning occurs before the age of 3, so waiting would put the child at a terrible disadvantage.
4. Sign language is great, if a family wants to learn it. My family, for instance, is HUGE. I didn’t expect all 100 of them to learn ASL. Even if they wanted to, it would be nearly impossible, and Riley would’ve had no way to communicate with cousins, great aunts, and I didn’t want that.
5. My daughter knows a few signs, for those times when she doesn’t wear her CI processors, but she doesn’t “rely on” ASL and doesn’t need to.
6. Speech is available at birth. How do you think typically hearing children learn language? It seems that Rhys is benefiting from his hearing aids, so using spoken language is appropriate.
7. The implant is NOT DRILLED into the skull, like a screw is drilled into a piece of wood. A pocket for the implant is carved into the skull and a small hole is drilled into the mastoid bone so that the electrode array can be inserted into the cochlea. Read more on cochlear implant surgery at Tampa Bay Hearing and Balance Center.
Riley got hearing aids when she was 19 months old.
8. Cochlear implants don’t “fix” hearing and don’t claim to. They offer users access to sound. Just like you have to learn to speak, you also have to learn to hear.
9. AG Bell is a proponent of listening and spoken language, but that doesn’t mean the organization is against sign language. It’s not either/or.
10. Auditory-Verbal Therapy focuses on teaching a child to use her hearing and learn to speak. It DOES NOT “forbid” all gestures; in fact, a hand cue is used during therapy. It signals the child to listen.
11. If deafness is not a disability, why do so many Deaf people use hearing aids? What are you trying to “fix”?
12. Riley’s CIs don’t hurt when she puts them on.
13. Riley is a special-needs child. Any child who has an IEP or who has special accommodations at school is a special-needs child. It is not a bad thing.
14. Riley’s CIs help her hear, but she is and will always be deaf.
15 A deaf child DOES NOT belong to the Deaf culture. She belongs to her parents.
16. Riley’s hearing aids and cochlear implants and speech therapy ARE COVERED by insurance.
17. You CAN have X-rays if you have CIs. Riley has had them done at the dentist.
Jumping from the high dive into 15 feet of water was not a problem for her implants.
18. You CAN swim if you have CIs (you just take off the processors.) No, you can’t do deepwater diving, but how many people do you know who are deepwater divers?
19. Children with cochlear implants have a quality of life equal to that of hearing peers.
20. I respect Deaf families wanting to immerse their child in the Deaf culture. Why can’t they respect my wanting to immerse my child in the hearing culture?
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