95 North. . . The Newspaper

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5: 6-7).  Every single one of us could us Mary Gauthier is a Catholic who was born in Lousiana. She's had troubles with alcohol and been sober since her late 20s. She founded and cooked for a restaurant in Boston called the Dixie Kitchen. She wrote her first song at age 35. Speaking of those songs-some say she's written the saddest one of all time- a song called "Mercy Now". Maybe it's because I don't mind what is usually considered sad music, but I don't think "Mercy Now" is the harbinger of doom and gloom. Yes, there are broad brushstrokes of painful introspection, but ultimately, "Mercy Now" has a tender heart. Here, Gauthier reflects on her family and friends before zooming out and surveying the funk, pain, and name of the human condition as a whole. We cou...

November: skies darken, snow might make an appearance, the leaves have fallen, and winter comes callin'.If you happen to visit New York City this month or the next, you'll see all the lights, all the action, the big grey buildings, the cold grey sea and the statue of liberty. There is a palpable sense of possibility as you poke your head out of the underground train at Grand Central from sleepy Connecticut- the world is ready for you. You've got to hustle to take part it in it. To see what it has to offer. If anything, the song "New York Morning" is about this feeling. Importantly, "New York Morning" is a song in disguise. It was originally penned by the relatively unknown songwriter Peter Illeyni. In its present form below, it is featured as the standout track on Lang Lang's 2011 album New York Rhapsody . Lang is a composer, classically trained musician, and pianist. Here, he brings these skills to the masses, uplifting the grey building...

The Simpsons at the Thanksgiving Table George My favorite Beatle? George Harrison. George's 1973 "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) represents the best of everything that was George: a warm acoustic undercurrent, melodic lead guitar licks that slide around with joy, and a steady piano topped off with George's earnest, simple, and spiritual vocals. This song, paired with Guided By Voices "Hold On Hope" (here, the 90s alt group offers sharp acoustic guitars, piano, and organic lyrical takes on the concept of hope) offer two positive jams for Thanksgiving. "Hold on Hope" has also been beautifully covered by Glenn Campbell. Anyways, thanks for reading! Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Last winter, central CT finished with 49 inches of snow, according to my measurements. The last snowfall occurred on March 14th, and is documented  here . This year, we experienced our first frost on October 17th and the first snowfall on November 20th.  10/17/17 FROST The first frost in the midst of a mild fall. Low 36 degrees 11/20/17 DUSTING A dusting of snow from some snow showers that fell overnight. Here's a song that may resonate with those who don't agree with the winter months. It comes by way of the late Chris Cornell. 

The first songs I loved in life were Christian songs. Looking back, it makes sense to me that one of the first Bob Dylan songs I was blown away by was " Father of Night " off of 1970's New Morning . I later took to the music of Leonard Cohen, I'm sure in part, because of the spiritual themes embedded deep in his voice. In Cohen's songs, God is Grand Central Station. Everything runs through a spiritual understanding of the world. It's been said that Cohen never "met a religion he didn't like". I kinda feel the same way. I identify as a Christian-that is my inherited faith tradition, and the paradigm I view the world through. While I no longer label myself as an evangelical (sorry there's too much to discuss there) as I don't subscribe to the  atonement theory  or believe in hell, there's still so much in the Christian tradition that deeply resonates with me every day. Like hymns, otherwise known as songs of incredible depth and bea...

The Drive By Truckers weren't afraid to get political in 2016. It turns out this year isn't any different. Recently, the Alabama outfit has released perhaps the finest protest song of the Trump era: "The Perilous Night". While I think the tune goes overboard with the Russian fear mongering that is ever too present in our current political environment, the song is perfectly sung, the words are clear, the guitars are pulled on tight like rattling chains,  and a groovy piano is down for the drive. Lyrically, Patterson Hood expresses his concern about the "alt-right"- white dudes in polo shirts and khakis that preach white supremacy-and is concerned they're gaining ground. Sadly, it's hard to argue with him there. Accordingly, the songs pessimism is real,  hopes expressed are urgent, and the guitars are loud.  Lines have been drawn in the sand. Hood puts it best: lets not "dismantle the greatest generations fight"- so go ahead a...

Listen below to a song of radical contentment. A song that plucks some playful folk chords and shrugs its shoulders. "I Can't Complain" by modern-day troubadour Todd Snider stands as one of his crowning achievements. Everything Snider brings to the table here is emblematic of the musical gifts- dizzying sincerity, unassured sarcasm, and a sense of goofiness all buried underneath a veneer of folk chords and country twangs. A+ lyricist. I guess I can't complain.

Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World BY  SHERMAN ALEXIE The morning air is all awash with angels —Richard Wilbur, “Love Calls Us to the Things of This World” The eyes open to a blue telephone In the bathroom of this five-star hotel. I wonder whom I should call? A plumber, Proctologist, urologist, or priest? Who is blessed among us and most deserves The first call? I choose my father because He’s astounded by bathroom telephones. I dial home. My mother answers. “Hey, Ma,” I say, “Can I talk to Poppa?” She gasps, And then I remember that my father Has been dead for nearly a year. “Shit, Mom,” I say. “I forgot he’s dead. I’m sorry— How did I forget?” “It’s okay,” she says. “I made him a cup of instant coffee This morning and left it on the table— Like I have for, what, twenty-seven years— And I didn’t realize my mistake Until this afternoon.” My mother laughs At the angels who wait for us to pause Dur...

For the “Singer/Songwriter” portion of my musical map, I’ve selected artists that generally write and play their own music. For example, the Beatles would not be considered singer/songwriters, since they collectively made music as a band. John Prine, on the other hand, wrote his own songs and often played them solo on his acoustic guitar. Included below is a Spotify playlist with one song from each artist as well as my attempt to write a brief description of their music. I’ll do the same soon with other music genres. Without further ado, here is my map of singer/songwriters. Genres covered: folk, rock, country, blues, and indie rock. classics                               country                       singer/song                indie folk BOB DYLAN : The most prolific musical artist of all time....

I've recently been exploring the use of mind maps  for my students as an alternative form of note-taking and idea organization. Constructing a mind map is also an engaging activity to participate in yourself! Below, you can view a rough draft of my musical mind map. I constructed this map from memory. It simply a list of musical artists I've listened to. For the next draft, I will be adding in visual images and organizing the artists by feeling and genre. For now, the handwriting is sloppy and the artists are generally randomly laid out. I chose to box in "core" artists that I consider foundational in my life. Of course, everyone's list would look different. Once the final draft is ready, I'll be sure to share it here.

Just for fun, here are 5 songs in which the word "king" appears in the title: " King of Pain " is a classic 80s song from the Police, channeling the energy of light reggae and soft taps on the piano, "King of Pain" is like it's own little hummingbird that revs its muted engines at just the right times. And of course, lead singer Sting has always been dramatic. " King of Spain " is an early, Dylan inspired folk tune that espouses an escapist fantasy over a jangly acoustic guitar that makes you want to clap. " It's Good to be King " by Tom Petty is a steady tune, as Tom nasally preaches the virtues of having your own emotional space in life. Who knew Petty was all about personal boundaries and the practice of self-care? At the end of the tune, the last minute or so, there's an utterly beautiful instrumental piece-a place where strings meet cascading guitars. " King Rides By " by Cat Power is a song t...

"Walkin' After Midnight" accounts for country legend Patsy Cline's most well known song-and for good reason. Complete with woozy guitars, existential questioning disguised as romantic lament, and a brilliant sense of melody, "Walkin' After Midnight" is the perfect song for a full moon. Cline infused these songs with something that wipes you out, and lays you flat on the ground, face to face with basic truths. Her voice echos through the heart of the country and straight to yours.