Favourite songs 2025: Save Your Tears

I discovered the joys of both Ariana Grande and The Weekend this year.

Favourite songs 2025: Popular

From the musical "Wicked"

Spotify Top Songs by Year

Spotify gives you a playlist of your most listened to songs by year. Unfortunately 2022 and 2020 won't embed here.

2024

   

 2023

   

 2021

 

A song for Helen, Chris's sister

Helen is unwell and Chris wanted to create a song for her expressing love. We had so much fun creating it.  Song creating is such a wonderful new creative outlet.

My first spiritual song

 

I created my first spiritual song with Suno, inspired by a poem I wrote in 2021.

Right now

Right now I Am…

   soaring high on outstretched wings

   opening my petals to the morning sun

   scurrying through a termite cathedral

  spinning an intricate web of silk

   trumpeting through an upturned trunk

   laying eggs in a little pond

   picking nits from my lover’s fur

   probing the damp soil with my spindly roots

   singing a duet through a twittering beak

   galloping along on mud-spattered hooves

   surfing waves with gleeful squeaks

   gazing out meditatively with large, luminous eyes

   stretching my branches up and out into the vast, open sky

   smelling for truffles with my sensitive, pink snout

   probing a hole in the rocks with a nimble tentacle

   paddling along a stream with powerful kicks

   hungrily sucking warm milk from my mother’s teat

   searching the ocean bed in search of a larger shell to call home

   charging headlong into the horns of another with a mighty clash

   licking my paws with a raspy tongue

   wriggling this way and that to shed my scaly skin

   breathing in air through my damp, permeable membrane

   bobbing up and down in an intricate dance with my life-long mate

   cutting the water with my dorsal fin

   rising up on thrusting haunches in orgasmic release

   stalking stealthily in pursuit of unsuspecting prey

   enclosing my young one in a protective embrace of flippers and feet

   staring patiently at the water with my rapier like bill ready to strike

   wagging my tail in unrestrained welcome

   sharing a belly-laugh with a beloved friend

   staring in wonder at a crimson sunset

   shedding grief-stricken tears at an untimely loss

   typing this poem with clumsy fingers and an open heart

All these things I, the Cosmic Mind,  experience in the timeless Now

and a quintillion quintillion more things

across countless different worlds and dimensions.

All experiences past, present, and future

exploding forth as pure perception from the Singularity I Am,

the Infinite Awareness I Am,

in a great, exultant cosmic bang,

creating the ultimate immersive, experiential work of art,

wondrous and beautiful,

epic and profound,

beyond all imagination.

Another spiritual song (entirely different!)

Based on a poem I wrote in 2021.

I Am

I am unremitting joy. I am utter despair.

I am languid peace. I am chaotic turmoil.

I am abundant generosity. I am insatiable greed.

I am adoring love. I am heartless indifference.

I am pure innocence. I am vulgar sleaze.

I am cocksure swagger. I am fearful doubt.

I am a shy smile.  I am a vicious snarl.

I am a soaring symphony. I am a fearful din.

I am a scurrying ant.  I am a motionless sloth.

I am a soaring eagle.  I am a crawling worm.

I am a gargantuan tree.  I am a tiny flower.

I am an omnipotent king.  I am a cowering subject.

I am an athletic champion.  I am a lazy slob.

I am a holy saint.  I am an atrocious tyrant.

I am an impenetrable jungle.  I am a withered land.

I am a  mountain peak.  I am a gaping abyss.

I am a blazing sun.  I am a planet of ice.

I am an endless galaxy.  I am a grain of sand.

I am a radiant light.  I am the darkest night.

I am this.  I am that.

I am here.  I am there.

I am him.  I am her.

I am you.  I am me.

I am the collective experience of all these things

and many, many more;

a kaleidoscope of a quintillion different perceptions

and I am that which makes experiencing possible.

I am the Eternal Subject

yet I also take the form of every object.

I Am All That Is.

I Am all Knowing.

I Am all Being.

I Am.

I Am.

I Am.

Written: 2021

A song I created for Jo

I had so much fun creating this for Jo.

 

My first song: A song I created for mum with help from Suno

I've always wanted to be able to create special songs for people I love. Now it's possible.

     

Suno

Suno.com

Favourite songs 2025: Laufey

I'm totally in love with the voice and music of Laufey, an Icelandic singer I have discovered. Not only does she compose her own songs, she is a very accomplished cellist (an instrument I love too) and often plays it in her songs.  Her music is both timeless and retro. It makes me feel deeply nostalgic.

.

Dennis, Rock God of Waverton

Well it's official, the guy who runs our local Waverton grocery store with his family is nothing short of a Rock God!  How awesome is this version of "To the Moon and Back". Dennis is the singer.

Stage musicals I've been to

Childhood

• South Pacific

University years

• District 6
• Madam Butterfly

Old Mutual years

• River Dance
• The Buddy Holly Story

London (1997)

• Phantom of The Opera
• Jesus Christ Superstar
• Miss Saigon

London (2000 - 2005)

• Chicago
• Les Miserables
• Starlight Express
• The Mikado
• Mama Mia
• Joseph
• The Lion King (with Niki)

Australia

• Pricilla Queen of the Desert (with Ally & Kerri)
• Jersey Boys (with Lizzy)
• Chorus Line  (with Dani)
• Anything Goes (with Sue)
• Evita (with Christina)

Cape Town visits

• Annie

Favourite songs 2024: Good Luck Babe!

Chappell Roan at her best.

Jilly loved to sing

 Priceless!

Most listened to songs of 2024

Each year Spotify sends you stats of your most played music. Amazingly, I listened to nearly 25,000 minutes of music this year. That's over 400 hours and in the top 15% of Spotify music listeners worldwide, mostly due to the fact that I listen to soft classical piano music while I work and also often listen to music on my daily 1 hour walk and during my public transport commutes. So, all in all, music has been a big part of my life in 2024.

Of the popular artists, Billie Eilish was my most listened to singer. I love her music so much. I also got into the groove of Sabrina Carpenter, Chappel Roan and Taylor Swift. So, as Spotify says, I really connected with my inner Pink Pilates Princess this year! 

Watching Sharon's niece perform at Avalon Beach

Sharon's niece did her first ever public singing performance at the bowling club in Avalon Beach.  Up until now, she has only sung at home. I was bowled over by how good she is, both at singing and playing keyboards. She has a really easy voice to listen to and has learned a beautiful selection of songs. I am absolutely certain this is the first of many gigs for her.

It was a fun day. Always so lovely to see Sharon and great to meet her sister and hubby too, along with her niece.

Before the gig, I also go to take some photos of Avalon Beach and tidal pool. It's a lovely spot. 

It took me nearly two hours to get here by public transport (train and two buses) but well worth the journey. Sharon gave me a lift back to Gordon Station near where she lives so the journey back was much quicker.

Manly Jazz Festival with Lydia

 On Sunday, I met up with Lydia for some more jazz. Beautiful music and a lovely, warm day.

Manly Jazz Festival with B and John

On Friday, I went to Manly early in the afternoon for a stroll and some ocean therapy. B and John met up with me and we enjoyed some wonderful jazz.