Photo: Luke Ward and Martin Tourish at the festival in Buncrana.
At the Summer Gathering this year we heard music from local as well as worldwide artists. The music at the festival is usually centered around a camp fire or in a small tent. This suits most people and if anyone is looking for amplified music loud enough to shake the foundations of the neighbouring houses they would be better off at a music festival. Music can suit any mood or situation and the artists that played at the Gathering blended in perfectly with the event.
Music is everywhere and never more so that when you are out shopping, spending your hard earned money. Ambient music is big business and it can influence your shopping habits. Play something slow in the supermarket isles and you will browse as more products. If the shop wants you out at closing time then a bit of dance music should have you skipping to the checkout in double quick time. In shopping centres it pays the retailers to have calm customers so piped ambient music is everywhere. At one time this meant a few session musicians would get together and play cover versions of the hits of the day. These became very tedious, as people wanted the original artists, so after a bit musicians took to writing music especially for the situation. Brian Eno, the ex-synthesizer player from Roxy Music came out with LP’s such as Music for Airports, Discreet Music and Ambient Music 1,2,3 and 4. These are the sorts of songs that you would hear all of time in lifts (he did one for those too), without even realising that music was playing. Occasionally though a song slips though the net that will get me cringing. I have become more tolerant of irritating songs and like to think that the only reason that I do not like a piece of music is because I have not been in a mood to appreciate it. There are one or two songs that I have never been in the mood to appreciate though. Ronnie (my son), asked me what my top ten most irritating songs were recently and this uncovered one or two titles that I would rather forget (Merry Xmas Everybody from Slade didn’t even make the list!) An artist that features highly on my list though was Bonnie Tyler. With hits like Lost in France, It’s a Heartache and I Need a Hero. Up there at number one though is the seven grueling minutes long classic Total Eclipse of the Heart. I am surely in a minority here as it was number one in nine countries and top ten in a dozen more. With more that 60 singles to her name Bonnie Tyler certainly churns them out. The most irritating thing about these songs is the fact that once you have heard the title the tune is with you for the rest of the day….. Oo la la la oo la la la dance. Oo la la la dancing. I was lost in France and the vines were overflowing…. It’s with me for the rest of the day now!
Environmental.
Music is everywhere and never more so that when you are out shopping, spending your hard earned money. Ambient music is big business and it can influence your shopping habits. Play something slow in the supermarket isles and you will browse as more products. If the shop wants you out at closing time then a bit of dance music should have you skipping to the checkout in double quick time. In shopping centres it pays the retailers to have calm customers so piped ambient music is everywhere. At one time this meant a few session musicians would get together and play cover versions of the hits of the day. These became very tedious, as people wanted the original artists, so after a bit musicians took to writing music especially for the situation. Brian Eno, the ex-synthesizer player from Roxy Music came out with LP’s such as Music for Airports, Discreet Music and Ambient Music 1,2,3 and 4. These are the sorts of songs that you would hear all of time in lifts (he did one for those too), without even realising that music was playing. Occasionally though a song slips though the net that will get me cringing. I have become more tolerant of irritating songs and like to think that the only reason that I do not like a piece of music is because I have not been in a mood to appreciate it. There are one or two songs that I have never been in the mood to appreciate though. Ronnie (my son), asked me what my top ten most irritating songs were recently and this uncovered one or two titles that I would rather forget (Merry Xmas Everybody from Slade didn’t even make the list!) An artist that features highly on my list though was Bonnie Tyler. With hits like Lost in France, It’s a Heartache and I Need a Hero. Up there at number one though is the seven grueling minutes long classic Total Eclipse of the Heart. I am surely in a minority here as it was number one in nine countries and top ten in a dozen more. With more that 60 singles to her name Bonnie Tyler certainly churns them out. The most irritating thing about these songs is the fact that once you have heard the title the tune is with you for the rest of the day….. Oo la la la oo la la la dance. Oo la la la dancing. I was lost in France and the vines were overflowing…. It’s with me for the rest of the day now!
Environmental.
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