Last weekend I went up to Chiang Mai with Suanplu Chorus. We performed at one of the big stage in Chiang Mai, Kad Theatre. The show went pretty well- little mishaps every now and then like most out-of-town shows I've done in the past. Good learning experience for us all. The crowd seems appreciative (enough), and I think we got a pretty good responses. We took lots of photos... I got tagged with so many of them on FB, borderline ridiculous, last week. Good time. Now for the list... ( Read more... )

Saturday was spent with a friend signing a contract for a new house in my neck of town. Walking around, doing some measurements- before we headed off to skate, and later furniture browsing. It's slightly distressing that my friend is now a homeowner, and what have I got?

After stopping by work to finish up my annual self-evaluation, I went on a keyboard/electric piano hunt around Bangkok shopping center. While there are better deals to be had at piano shops/ dealer, these guys don't generally have show rooms with all the models out. Last week was Central Department Store (Jaeng Wattana/ Lad Prao), the Mall Ngamwongwan, and the dealer by Maung Thong Thani. This weekend I went to Emporium (pretty nice selection there- newer model but not all) and Central World. Funny that the best selection of Casio keyboard that I want is in a Kawai store.

Anyway, I'm going to sit on this for a few more days (if not weeks). I'm about to shell out what is to be about a month worth of salary on a musical instrument. It HAS to be good. New model is just dropped in the US as well. Who knows how long it will get here, how much of a "premium" they're gonna charge, and if the older model (most likely cheaper) will suddenly disappear from market. AARRRGGGHHH!!!

I was watching Toni Collette's segment on Craig Ferguson last night. With Mamma Mia is set to open in Bangkok in a week, I was like "hmm, wouldn't she be perfect in that (dull, IMO) film adaptation last year?" We know she can act. We know she can sing (Connie & Carla), and then I keep going back into her list of films... and then. Oh. Wait.

Muriel's Wedding.

Nevermind.

I went to see two Thai musicals last week (yeah, like I have a lot of money to spare!!). Just can't help it. Oddly enough both of them are based out of the same folk tale. A woman (and her baby) who died during birth, while her husband was away at war. Through her love and attachment, her ghost-self kept hanging around for her husband, and lived with him after his return. Anyway, it's one of the most famous folk tale in Thailand. Many movies and TV shows were made about it.

It's great for the Thai to start making musicals- an art form that I love. It's disturbing that the two production almost happens side by side. In fact, both opens within a month of each other. This is the Thai way apparently. Everyone has similar ideas, but thinks they can do better than the other. Instead of collaborating and pooling resources, they put on two separate shows. (Heck, we do the same even in the science!!). Both have their own strength and weakness, and how I wish they'd combine both.

Watching them both I can't help but thinking. All this is like if Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim would each make a musical out of the same story. One with all the glossy flashy effects, straight forward plot, and a few catchy tunes repeated ad nauseum with ever swelling orchestra. The other with more complicated music, well developed characters, but suffer from the second act melt down. I clearly preferred one camp over the other (except perhaps the male lead whose singing leaves me wanting a bit more). There are several scenes that I think is genius- if they'd rework the second act (cut out a few songs), it'd be great!

... well in case you're going to hear it from the (tabloid) entertainment news. Let me say this about Mariah's new music video "Obsessed". They'll be all like fanning the feud between Eminem and Mariah. Some even try to analyze getting run over by a bus ending as some kinda of whatever.

I only have a very quick explanation... "Mean Girls" - the movie (which is one of Mariah's favorite). Let's see which smart critics can come up with that first.

Already posted on FB, but it's easier finding old stuff on LJ... still good the third time around. That Tony dude is so good at singing and smiling at the same time. I gotta work on that.

not quite the adjectives I'd associate with Aretha Franklin, but this might just do... a short clip of Franklin's cover of Mariah's "Touch My Body"

Just because I think it's funny and exciting...

Funny: Aretha Franklin did a version of "Touch My Body".

http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/NEWS06/80921001/1002/NEWS01

Money Quote: “You throw me on the floor and there’s gonna be some trouble,” Franklin, dressed in a long maroon and gold kaftan, joked after stopping the song mid-verse.

Exciting: Mariah to make a movie/musical out of her Christmas album.

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/09/22/2008-09-22_mariah_carey_makes_new_push_into_acting.html

Think of her what you will, the lady who wrote that infectious song "All I Want for Christmas is You" deserves some credits. I sense that this movie might be good. The fact that it has Disney's written all over it (i.e. High School Musical's writer) might be a better fit for the self-proclaimed "eternally 12" Mariah. In fact, a TV movie might even be better overall. We shall see.

... after I started working. It's been quite exhausting week with lots of information. I decide to let myself clear my head all day tomorrow, and tackle it on Sunday. We'll see.

Haircut:
I had my first Thai hair cut today in a mall. Yeah. I can get a cheaper deal outside of the mall, but this one is convenient but more expensive (all of $6!!). That also include, ready for this?, hair wash (shampoo & conditioner), a cut, rinsing off of those pesky little hair after a cut, blow dry, and style... I still can't communicate exactly what I want done to my hair (no, it's not language; the subtle thing is hard to explain!), but at least now I can blend in a little more.

Thai music:
I'm generally not fond of "bilingual" song or whatever you call songs with more than one languages. Usually, it's gimmicky and looking like they're trying too hard... the good and the bad examples after the cut ( Read more... )

I went out last night with Ryan and Brian, and a bunch of people... David, a friend of mine from the Chorus was also in town from Olympia, so we all met up at R-place. Around 12:30am, David got a sudden urge to go to Sorry Charlie, a piano bar and restaurant. After a few minutes (more like 15!!) making sure everyone was spoken for (Brian is riding with Ryan and I, but he's not going, etc), we headed out to Sorry Charlie. Wow!! It's great. The piano guy, Harold, sure knows his stuff, and he loves or at least doesn't mind freestylin' (or you can call that ad-lib). I LOVED it!! I sang "Almost Like Being in Love" and "Close to You". Very good!! Thanks to David!!

Yesterday, I also bought Simcity4- the game... Guess what I'll be doing all day today. Yes, playing game... although I have a house to clean, but that can wait.

...my next music project (on top several other ongoing ones) is to write a Thai lyrics for "Time To Say Goodbye"- yep that cheesy neo-classical/ new age/ pop/ crossover overplayed song of the century by Sarah Brightman & Andrea Bocelli.

And who'd be better to sing this but me and my sister (or any Thai soprano that can blend with me. Btw, my sister and I, our voices blend like Starbucks' Frappucino!!)

I'm on a creative cycle.... I've been trying to finish writing lyrics to melodies I have on file for years.

And just like what I read when I try to write a skit several weeks back, some experts on the web suggest that one of the best way to do creative work is to do more than one project at a time. That's right ladies and gentlemen... I'm writing two songs at once, all of them in Thai- sorry my American friends. One kinda boy-band -ish pop rock (think Robbie Williams try to recapture his days in Take That), and the other Hedwig Punk Rock. If I were to followed my skit writing experience, I should start a third song as well.... and the last one will be the best (just like what happen to the skit!!).

On the academic side, I'm trying to finish a publication (revised), a short thesis proposal, and DNA extration. All that will have to be done by Friday. Hmm... no wonder my songs doesn't go nowhere (ooh, double negative).

... because I'm listening to radio (more specifically NPR)... oh well.

Anyway, on prairie home companion this weekend, they had Renee Fleming, an American soprano- someone who TRULY deserve the "diva"-dom, as a guest. I listened with Ry yesterday before we went shopping, and tried to record her part of it this morning. Once I was done, I was just checking mail, playing games, etc... and right toward the end of the program, she's ON AGAIN singing nothing but my favourite "Danny Boy" (the song I think should only be reserved for good opera singers- NOT country singers). Yes, so I reached down to my stereo, hit the record button...

"or when the valley hushed and white with snow," she sang.

"Tis I'll be..CLICK!!!!" AAAAARGH!! The cassette ran out...

Well, that's not all... just before I can flip the side and continue...

BEEP!! BEEP!!! BEEP!!! BEEP!!!

The fire alarms went off!! I put water on the stove wanting to boil some eggs for breakfast... which has now been dried and sent off smokes. I guess that's a good way to start off a day. Gotta go.

I'm going to be performing with the Thai band again tonight... A few months ago I just told them I quit and find them another keyboard player (who's more happy with the kind of music they do and the late-night gig that I am). The guy is vacationing in Thailand for a few weeks, and I'm filling in for him. It's going to be a late night for me (2am), in a bar full of smokes, alcohol drinkers.... and straight people!!! Ugh! I think I'm going to enjoy it though... for the fact that I'm going to be doing this 3 times only!!

Subject: CHER!!!
Oh my god.... I love her...

I can't believe I'm going to enjoy the concert so much. She came on stage
by lowering herself down with the chandelier- she's in a big silver
glittery coat and a big BIG hairpiece. It would took forever to describe
all her costumes, but she did probably around 10 costume changes. The
dancer were great... wow! And the biggest surprise of it all was that she
sang live!! Not a recording... (she was a split second late at the
beginning of "If I could turn back time" and a little off on the bridge of
"Believe"- and I love her for it!!!). Overall it's lots of fun... our
tickets was not that bad. I could still feel the energy from the stage.
With that said, I would go to a concert again sitting up there where I
was. Oh yes, Cindy Lauper also opened the show for us... "Oh girls, she
just wanna have fuh-un".

This is a Christmas gift from Ryan... (we're so in the trend of "Giving
the experience NOT gift"). Now I can only hope that my gift to him SMC
tickets could move him as much.