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There’s No Song Like an Old Song

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I’m always reminding myself how fortunate I am to live in an area that offers not only great classical music, theater and dance performances, but many popular music performers make a stop, especially during the summer.

Being a child of the sixties, rock and roll concerts usually meant performances in smoky nightclubs (missed out on those) like the Whiskey a Go Go or a larger venue, such as a multi-purpose use hall.  You can go to a rodeo, livestock fair, church convention and you can go see Elvis, The Carpenters or Paul Revere and the Raiders, as I did at the Taylor County Coliseum. Elvis was the King, let’s not forget that fact, thank you, thank you very much.

But these venues started a trend which still happens today, and although I was older when these particular artists arrived on the scene, MTV (Music Television) was a new media format bringing songs with video to the fans, rather than am radio. Last summer and recently I was excited to see Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor in performance at the Washington Nationals Stadium.  Modern sound systems for these shows have been refined and offer a great evening of quality listening to these performers at a distance.  And they have incorporated some visual elements in their shows, reminiscent of MTV, even though the music was the primary connection. As I listened, I was impressed with what a large catalog of songs these artists/songwriters have given us. Have you ever tried to write a song?  It’s not easy, matching the lyrics to the melody, communicating a message, AND not writing the same old song and melody every time.

We have an impressive collection of popular music in our braille and audio collections, and I want to highlight some from these performers. James Taylor, always laid-back, mellow and fun gives us You Can Close Your Eyes, DBM 02156, You’ve Got a Friend, DBM 02158, Fire and Rain, DBM 02138, and Carolina in my Mind, DBM 02136. From the braille collection and on BARD, we have James Taylor: Greatest Hits, BRM 29275. And as a woman blues/rocker guitarist, they don’t come any better than Bonnie Raitt.  We have one of her big hits Something to Talk About at DBM 03159, available on cartridge. We have Just the Way You Are in braille by Billy Joel at BRM 33031, and Shameless included in Popular Music Lead Sheet no. 73. From the audio catalog and on BARD, you can download Piano Man, DBM 01755, New York State of Mind, DBM 03733, Always a Woman to Me, DBM 01743 and for the swinging sax players, Just the Way You Are instruction on alto sax at DBM 02721.

Nothing will ever replace the live performance connection between artist and audience. Check out our titles, learn a new song and start connecting with your fans.

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