Focus 52 (2012) Week 9 - J

Took me a few days to figure out what I could photograph for the letter J, and when I finally made my decision time started running out - so here's mine under the wire entry (almost).

Alto Sax & "Got Blues" sheet music

JAZZ  --- my word/photo for this week's prompt.  Sheet music ("Got Blues") & (my) alto saxophone, also representing one of my interests - playing my sax for a couple of groups.  This is the sax my parents bought for me (getting ready to age myself here) in 1976 & it is the one I still play.  The tune is one the student jazz band at our local community college is working on & it is one I really like.  Here's a link to a high school performing Got Blues - (this recording is not any group I know personally - searched for them on youtube on the chance anyone was curious about this kind of blues style of jazz).  The student jazz band at the college is a for-credit class where students learn how to play & understand the many facets of jazz music (many high school jazz bands no longer exist thanks to budget cuts).  I often sit in, along with a few other more experienced players, to help the students get the feel of the different styles of jazz (really helps keep my chops & my sight-reading skills in shape too - bonus).

As a funny side note:  I ended doing a still life (the one type of photography I'm really not good at - but felt I did a better job this time than I did for that week's prompt).  Loving the way the weekly prompts are making me work/think about my photos more.

Happy Birthday Jan!!  (mine is today!!) -- for other "J" photos - visit Two Scoopz

Halloween Music

Our recent cold front actually brought some cooler weather, so it now actually feels like fall (actually in the mornings feels like winter).  I really like winter clothes & think I look better in them than summer (they cover up more stuff), but I hate to be cold - seriously I really don't like being cold.  We haven't bought our pumpkins yet - just been too busy & it has been a little warm.  I did start listening to some Halloween music today; even practiced/learned to play the theme music to the movie Halloween - the old John Carpenter movie, not the new one.  I'm practicing this to play a bad joke on my husband.  Just listening to that music gives him the creeps - that movie sure scared the poop out of both of us (still does) & that tune just brings it all back.  I plan on telling him how I learned a song on the piano - naturally he'll listen (like a good husband) - then wham - I'm gonna start with that 5/4 time Halloween song... love it.  (disclaimer: I am not a pianist - never took piano lessons, but I can read music - this is an easy piece - thank goodness.)

There are a few tunes around that I consider Halloweeney.... I'm sure there are tons out there - sorry but I'm tired of Monster Mash & Purple People Eater songs.  Here's a link to a few of my favorites (these links should take you to Amazon's website of downloadable MP3s:

Toccata & Fugue in D Minor - http://www.amazon.com/Toccata-Fugue-Minor-BWV-565/dp/B000S4GHYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1319049485&sr=1-1

Nessum Dorma (Puccini) - http://www.amazon.com/Nessun-dorma/dp/B001D8NWNU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1319049546&sr=1-1  (actually this is just a good song to listen to anytime - but it was played in the movie The Witches of Eastwick)

O Fortuna - http://www.amazon.com/O-Fortuna/dp/B002EDO9VW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1319049617&sr=1-1 (you may not think you know this one - but it has played in several movies too)

Tubular Bells - http://www.amazon.com/Tubular-Bells-Movie-Exorcist/dp/B001I84Q26/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1319049690&sr=1-1 (actually I think my uncle introduced this music to me before the Exercist movie came out)

Psycho - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010WNOSM/ref=dm_dp_trk21?ie=UTF8&qid=1319049875&sr=301-1 (this is always a favorite of many - but the movie was a little before my time - it scared me when I was younger, but still doesn't measure up to Halloween)

Funeral March - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0046DVW0E/ref=dm_dp_trk43?ie=UTF8&qid=1319050119&sr=301-2

Moonlight Sonata - http://www.amazon.com/Moonlight-Sonata/dp/B000SA3MXO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1319050540&sr=1-2  (which coincidentally will be my next piece to try & learn - although it will certainly take longer than an afternoon)

Padme's Ruminations - http://www.amazon.com/Padmes-Ruminations/dp/B0014LPY9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1319051027&sr=1-1 (I love all of John Williams's compositions - this one from Star Wars 3 (yes I liked it too) is creepy and knowing she is sensing something going wrong (using the force) in the situation just makes the music sadder)

The Resurrection Stone - http://www.amazon.com/The-Resurrection-Stone/dp/B0059R58HE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1319051229&sr=1-1 (from Harry Potter 7, part 2 - again the music is great, but don't know if the situation makes it sadder - not so much scarey music, but certainly emotional)

I'll stop there; there are many hundreds more - which are your favorites?  I'll let you know how my bad joke on my husband goes... good thing he such a good sport.