Life Trove: music

Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

May 19, 2026

Hooked on classics

On our Zululand trip, through Antony, I rediscovered the album Hooked on Classics — one we listened to over and over on childhood car journeys in the 1980s. Dad absolutely loved it. The moment it started playing, the nostalgia came flooding back. It really was a phenomenon at the time, becoming one of the bestselling classical crossover albums ever and introducing a whole generation to classical music through its catchy disco-style arrangements.

April 20, 2026

Birthday song for Sam

I’ve Watched You Become

Verse 1

Feels like yesterday, Cape Town light

Holding you there for the very first time

So small, so perfect, breath held still

Didn’t know then just how much I’d feel

Through London years and Sydney skies

Watching your world through visits and goodbyes

But every time I saw your face

I saw the person you’d become

Chorus 1

And I’ve watched you become who you are

From a spark to a rising star

From “faster, faster” chasing the wind

To a heart that lets the whole world in

And even from oceans apart

I’ve carried you here in my heart

Verse 2

Running wild with no brakes at all

Laughing loud, never scared to fall

Sunset gold at Llandudno

Salt in your hair, that ocean glow

Sunrise swims in the quiet blue

Finding something honest and true

Curled up slow with a book in hand

Then lighting up every room you stand in

Chorus 2

And I’ve watched you become who you are

All that light, all that heart

Every laugh and every tear

Every doubt that brought you here

And you shine in all that you do

In a way that’s so deeply you

Verse 3

Now you sit in that sacred space

Holding lives with such quiet grace

You see the parts we try to hide

And help them breathe, and soften inside

You’ve known those shadows in your own way

That’s how you know just what to say

Turning pain into something kind

A healing hand, a steady mind

Chorus 3

And I’ve watched you become who you are

Not in spite of the scars

But because you feel so deep

You can hold what others keep

And the world is better, it’s true

Just because it has you

Verse 4

In Kenilworth streets you’ve made your home

Not far from Matt, not far from your own

Sunlight drifting through quiet rooms

Soft conversations, creative blooms

From Stellenbosch halls to Hermanus shores

Giving your heart to something that’s more

And every client that finds your care

Feels something safe just being there

Bridge

From dancing to Abba as a child

To standing strong and undefiled

From fearless speed to deeper sight

You grew your wings in your own time

And all the love you give away

You see it in the lives you touch

It’s there in how you show up

In all the quiet things you do

Final Chorus

And I’ve watched you become who you are

And I couldn’t be more proud

Through every high and every fall

You’ve found a way to hold it all

So keep shining, just like you do

The world is better with you

April 14, 2026

The Dance

I love this country song sung by Garth Brooks. It epitomises how I feel about my relationship with Ally.

The Dance

Lookin' back on the memory of

The dance we shared beneath the stars above

For a moment all the world wasn't right

How could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye?

And now, I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end, the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance

I could've missed the pain

But I'd had to miss the dance

And holding you, I held everything

For a moment, wasn't I the king?

If I'd only known how the king would fall

Hey, who's to say, you know I might have changed it all

And now, I'm glad I didn't know

The way it all would end, the way it all would go

Our lives are better left to chance

I could've missed the pain

But I'd had to miss the dance

It's my life, it's better left to chance

I could've missed the pain

But I'd had to miss the dance

April 06, 2026

Memorable moments: Love, sweet love, and a little squirt of soap

I live right next to Brennan Park in Waverton, which is a beautiful stretch of green, but its true crowning glory isn’t the trees or the harbor views—it’s the toilet.

When friends from overseas visit, I don’t just take them to the Opera House; I take them on a formal tour of the public amenities. It is a masterclass in automated hospitality. You walk in, and the door glides shut with a soft, futuristic click. Then, a warm, friendly voice fills the small space: "Welcome and enjoy your experience here!"

Before you can even process the invitation to "enjoy" a public restroom, the soundtrack begins. It doesn't just play elevator music; it plays the classics, including the theme of "What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love." There you are, in a public park in Sydney, experiencing a moment of profound, melodic encouragement in the most unlikely of settings.

When the "experience" is complete, the voice returns with a gentle reminder: "Thank you for using me. Please wash your hands." It then punctuates the request by dispensing a perfect, polite little squirt of soap.

I love Brennan Park, but I love that toilet even more. It is a rare and wonderful thing to find a piece of technology that seems genuinely invested in your well-being. In a world that can often feel cold and mechanical, this little booth stands as a beacon of programmed sincerity—offering music, hygiene, and a small, automated reminder that what the world really needs is a little more care and a clean set of hands.

Music

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. Red Auerbach

Music, to me, is one of the great gifts of being alive. Nothing makes me feel like music and often it facilitates a sacred release. My preferred way of listening to music is to play it through my headphones and focus mindfully on the music alone, as a form of meditation. At times, I also like to listen to instrumental music while I work.

Concerts & Musicals

Technology

Posts labelled as "music + technology"

Music listening ongoing

⬇︎ Keep scrolling for all posts tagged as “Music”

March 28, 2026

Memorable moments: The grocer’s growl

In my neighborhood, there is a local grocer I visit almost every day. It’s run by a delightful Greek family—Vula, Steve, and their two sons, Dennis and Peter. They are the salt of the earth. Dennis, in particular, has always struck me as a gentle, quiet soul. He has a peaceful vibe and, notably, even less hair than I do.

When my friend Yogi and I heard that Dennis was the lead vocalist for a band, we were charmed. We imagined a night of smooth crooning or perhaps some laid-back, chilled-out acoustic numbers in accordance with his mellow personality. We decided to head down to the local pub to support him and the family.

We walked into the back room where the performance was starting. Vula, Steve, and Peter were already there, beaming with pride. Dennis stepped up to the microphone, took a deep breath, and suddenly:

"RAAAAAGH!!!!!"

He let out a guttural, earth-shaking bellow like a demented beast from the underworld. The band crashed in with a deafening, distorted roar that felt like a physical blow to the chest. It turns out Dennis isn't a crooner; he’s the frontman for a high-octane Death Metal band.

The room transformed instantly into a sea of pumping vitality. The audience began thrashing and headbanging in a synchronized frenzy, and within sixty seconds, my ears were ringing with the force of a jet engine.

I beat a hasty retreat to the toilets, grabbed two massive wads of tissue paper, and performed a quick "field dressing" on my ears and Yogi’s to filter the noise down to a survivable level.

Once the initial shock wore off and the volume was somewhat muffled by the toilet paper, I actually started to get into it. There was an incredible, raw energy to the performance.

Now, whenever I go into the shop, I see Dennis in a completely different light. As he gently weighs my tomatoes and asks about my day, I can’t help but smile, knowing that beneath that calm, bald exterior lies a man who spends his weekends screaming into the abyss—and that the abyss, quite clearly, screams back. It’s a beautiful reminder that you should never judge a man by his apron; he might just be a grocery clerk by day and a demonic deity by night.

March 28, 2026

Memorable moments: The logistical symphony

One evening, Ivor and I went to watch his little daughter perform at a school music evening. It was one of those classic parental milestones, but the physics of the event were spectacularly skewed.

When it was her turn, she appeared on stage looking tiny and delicate—followed by an adult lugging a cello that was quite clearly three times her size. It looked less like a musical instrument and more like a large wooden wardrobe she was expected to wrestle into submission.

What followed was a masterclass in slow-motion preparation. It took a solid twenty minutes of intense focus just to get the logistics right: the chair was adjusted, the music stand was maneuvered, the endpin was stabbed into the floor, and she spent an eternity shifting into the "exactly right" anatomical position to accommodate the giant mahogany beast.

Finally, after the Herculean setup was complete, she took a breath, gave what seemed like exactly three deliberate strokes of the bow, and... it was over. The performance lasted about thirty seconds. The ratio of "preparation" to "actual music" was mathematically absurd.

But she was absolutely adorable, and despite the comical brevity of the piece, Ivor was beaming. He was the picture of the proud father, unmoved by the fact that the setup had taken forty times longer than the symphony.

Watching Ivor that night, I realized that pride has nothing to do with the length of the performance. It’s about the twenty minutes of watching someone you love negotiate a truce with a giant wooden beast for the sake of three perfect notes.

March 24, 2026

Memorable moments: The profane pharaoh

At school, it was boys only—so naturally, boys had to play the female roles. For reasons no one ever fully explained, I became the go-to woman.

I played everything from anxious mothers to dramatic widows, but the peak was an elderly spinster on a plane who foils a hijacking attempt. I studied my gran for days—her posture, her voice, the way she pursed her lips at mild disapproval. It worked. I won the annual acting award.

But by my final year, I’d had enough.

“Bugger this,” I thought. “I want a masculine role.”

We were doing Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat, and I went straight for Pharaoh—the Elvis-style showstopper. Pelvic thrusts. Swagger. Power. Redemption.

Opening night: I cycled onto stage in padded cycling shorts (for reasons that made sense at the time), grabbed the microphone, and launched into full Elvis mode. The thrusts were… enhanced. The crowd loved it. Slight complication: my gran was in the second row, witnessing the entire evolution of her observational study in reverse.

But it was a triumph. Overnight, I went from deeply uncool to oddly legendary among the younger boys.

Then came the final night.

I cycled on. Big entrance. Huge energy. Grabbed the wired microphone… and nothing.

Silence.

Without thinking, I whispered loudly, “Switch on the effing microphone!”

At which exact moment… it switched on.

My voice boomed through the entire hall.

There was a stunned pause.

Then the biggest laugh of the entire show.

I set out to prove I was a man's man; I ended up proving that if you’re going to swear in front of your grandmother, you might as well do it in padded bike shorts with a backing band.

March 15, 2026

Song for Xenia for her birthday

A heartfelt song I created for Xenia to celebrate our beautiful friendship and her birthday.

The Road Gets Brighter With You

Verse 1

Tuesday nights in Jilly’s lounge

Quiet seekers gathered round

Listening for a deeper truth

That’s the night I first met you

You spoke your heart so honestly

No disguise, just authenticity

And something in that gentle room

A rare friendship began to bloom

Chorus 1

Life gets brighter walking with you

Through harbour winds and morning blue

From Jilly’s circle to cafés nearby

You make the ordinary shine

Some friends appear then drift from view

But some feel timeless, deep and true

Through every step my heart still knew

Life’s a richer road with you

Verse 2

Bowral roads and country skies

Driving out to visit Jilly

Lunch at The Mill, laughter rising

Those long trips felt easy

Friday mornings, Balls Head views

Harbour light and quiet blues

Meditation, dreams we share

Designing lives with care

Chorus 2

The road grows deeper walking with you

From Bowral hills to harbour views

Friday mornings by the sea

Talking about the lives we’ll lead

The courage in the truth you show

The open heart that lets love flow

Through every mile my spirit knew

Life feels wider next to you

Verse 3

You sing when courage calls your name

Your voice rising clear and brave

You share your art with open heart

Showing others it’s okay

You help the lost stand up again

Seeing light in broken souls

Though the world may overlook

The quiet strength you hold

Chorus 3

The world feels kinder walking with you

Through parkland paths and harbour views

Through lockdown days we found a way

Meeting in the park each day

Through laughter, wisdom, food and song

A friendship steady, deep and strong

Through every season I still see

The gift you’ve been to me

Verse 4

With Chris and Jane and Shushann too

And Krissula beside us

Our little circle gathering

Where laughter lives and guides us

Stories shared across the table

Life unfolding as we go

Friendships woven strong and kind

The kind few people know

Chorus 4

And the circle grows brighter with you

Through meals and music shared in view

Through honest words and laughter too

You make this wandering life feel true

Some friends pass quickly out of view

But some help shape the life we choose

And every mile my heart still knew

Life’s a better road with you

Bridge

You’ve taught me truth is worth the cost

To live with nothing left concealed

To meet the world with honesty

And let the heart be fully revealed

And when my anxious storms appear

You meet them calm and crystal clear

A friend who helps me find again

The beauty living here

Final Chorus

Life feels sacred walking with you

From Mackie’s quiet trust of you

To harbour winds and wandering paths

And tables full of joyful laughs

Through every valley, every view

I know how rare a soul like you

And every mile my heart still says

Life is a better road with you.

Her lovely response

December 09, 2025

Favourite songs 2025: Save Your Tears

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

December 07, 2025

Favourite songs 2025: Popular

From the musical "Wicked"

December 04, 2025

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

December 01, 2025

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.

“Helen, You Still Bloom”

(from Chris to Helen)

Verse 1

You came along six summers after me,

Little bike wheels humming up and down that path so free.

I’d stand there teasing, blocking up your way,

You’d shout at me, then laugh again — that was our everyday.

I’d lift you on the bar of my old bike,

We’d ride and sing those silly tunes you always seemed to like.

“Riding along on a push bike, baby…” in the breeze,

A big dumb brother and his sister, happy as you please.

Chorus

Oh Helen, sweet Helen, you’re a gentle, shining soul,

With a heart that finds the smallest joys and makes the broken whole.

Like a lost cat in the shadows, you still purr and you still bloom,

You bring your light and laughter into every quiet room.

Oh Helen, my Helen, if you only truly knew,

How loved you are, how cherished — I’m so proud of you.

Verse 2

You watched the creatures roaming through the yard:

Duke the dog, and Twinkle in the garden standing guard.

Blossom with one bright eye, Tyler roaming free —

Each whiskered friend you gathered felt like family.

You’re the Jane Goodall of every cat,

Reading all their secret moods and knowing where they’re at.

Closer to the animals than the people sometimes too,

But that just showed the softness and the kindness deep in you.

Chorus

Oh Helen, sweet Helen, you’re a gentle, shining soul,

With a heart that finds the smallest joys and makes the broken whole.

Like a lost cat in the shadows, you still purr and you still bloom,

You bring your light and laughter into every quiet room.

Oh Helen, my Helen, if you only truly knew,

How loved you are, how cherished — I’m so proud of you.

Verse 3

Do you remember Susan with her mud-cake trick?

Hundreds and thousands sprinkled on — it got you pretty quick.

You took a bite and scrunched your face, I hurled one as she ran,

It splattered down her dress and back — oh, what a day we had!

And later on in Auckland, when you stayed a little while,

You found a job with films and walked with that proud smile.

Your own flat and a boyfriend, Sunday catch-ups too —

Those simple golden moments will always shine in view.

Verse 4

You loved the zoo, the music, all the 80s songs,

Singing in the kitchen, tapping rhythms all day long.

And every time you phoned me with a laugh or just a “Hey…”

I felt that little sister love in such a tender way.

You’ve always cared for others with a quiet, steady grace —

For Mum, for friends like Mavis, for each soul in every place.

You spread your warmth so easily, the way a candle does,

And every heart you touched still glows because of who you are — because…

Verse 5

And Marian’s been your anchor through the years,

Calling, visiting, steadying your fears.

A sister’s love that never fades away,

Your daily rock, your sunlight in the day.

And John once opened up his home to you,

Shared the shopping, shared the ordinary too.

Even through the storms his mind would send,

He offered you a place — a brother and a friend.

Final Chorus

Oh Helen, sweet Helen, you’re a gentle, shining soul,

With a heart that finds the smallest joys and makes the broken whole.

Like a lost cat in the shadows, you still purr and you still bloom,

You bring your light and laughter into every quiet room.

Oh Helen, my Helen, if you only truly knew,

How loved you are, how cherished — I’m so proud of you.

November 25, 2025

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.

November 24, 2025

Another spiritual song (entirely different!)

Based on a poem I wrote in 2021.

<a href="https://suno.com/song/41b989ad-d980-4d0f-8b21-1bfbf85d5fbd">Listen on Suno</a>

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.

Written: 2021

October 25, 2025

A song I created for Jo

I had so much fun creating this for Jo.

My Sister, My Heart

Verse 1

We laughed till we cried, milk through your nose,

Secret looks when the chaos rose.

Marco Polo in the pool all day,

Chocolate stolen, we’d sneak away.

Dad combing hair while the drivers queued,

We rolled our eyes — our secret feud.

Two little rebels with hearts so free,

You were the world to me.

Chorus

My sister, my heart, my lifelong friend,

Through every beginning, through every end.

You lift my world with all you do,

There’s a sacred light that shines in you.

No distance dims, no time apart —

You’ll always be my sister, my heart.

Verse 2

Head girl smile, that fearless grace,

Gramps’s pride all over his face.

Eighteen years and you sailed away,

Canada called — you found your way.

Letters home made strangers cry,

Your words could always reach the sky.

And I just watched, so proud of you,

And loved you deeper too.

Chorus

My sister, my heart, my lifelong friend,

Through every beginning, through every end.

You lift my world with all you do,

There’s a sacred light that shines in you.

No distance dims, no time apart —

You’ll always be my sister, my heart.

Verse 3

Wedding bells and laughter strong,

A life of love where hearts belong.

Sam and Matt with eyes so bright,

You guide them softly through the night.

Photos, calendars, cards each year,

Your love made visible, ever near.

Home that glows with grace and art,

A mirror of your heart.

Verse 4

Orange River, sick and weak,

You rowed for two, you found my streak.

You called me boet with that gentle grin,

And pulled me back from the dark within.

Christmas cake and peppermint pie,

Thai curry under a Cape Town sky.

You made me laugh, reminded me,

Who I could be.

Chorus

My sister, my heart, my lifelong friend,

Through every beginning, through every end.

You lift my world with all you do,

There’s a sacred light that shines in you.

No distance dims, no time apart —

You’ll always be my sister, my heart.

Bridge

Through loss and tears, through joy and grace,

You’ve held the soul of our family place.

You spoke for Gran when I could not,

Your words — pure love, no second thought.

You’ve been my mirror, my laughter, my calm,

My shelter, my courage, my open palm.

Though years may fly and oceans part,

You’re still the home inside my heart.

Final Chorus (soft, reflective)

My sister, my heart, my lifelong friend,

You’ve been my home time and again.

From childhood days to skies brand new,

My deepest love will follow you.

Forever close, though miles apart —

You’ll always be my sister, my heart.

Forever my sister, my heart.

October 24, 2025

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. I'm so excited about it.

Thank You, Mum

Verse 1

Thank you for the gift of life,

For saying I was the cutest child alive.

For midnight cries and sleepless nights,

And for flying through my endless whines.

You gave me Jo, the best of friends,

A sister whose love will never end.

For crayon walls and sticky hands,

You still believed I’d do great things someday.

Chorus

Thank you, Mum — for everything and more,

For love that built the man I’ve become.

For the laughter, the care, the open door,

You’re my heart, my home — my mum.

Oh, thank you, Mum — for all you’ve done,

For the light you are, my only one.

Verse 2

For the ice creams, camping nights, and sea,

For every photo, memory, and melody.

For every toy, from Lego dreams

To roller skates and old machines.

For Sunday mornings under the sheets,

Your warmth was home, your smile complete.

For gentle words when I lost my way,

You helped me find my brighter day.

Bridge

For poems, pets, and birthdays bright,

For feeding hearts and appetites.

For roast beef, trifle, chocolate cold,

For teaching joy that never grows old.

For typing essays late at night,

And saying, “You’ll be fine, all right.”

For courage when Dad had gone away,

You held the sky and faced each day.

Verse 3

For Christmas smells and Easter treats,

For gentle talks and steady beats.

For all your love through highs and lows,

For giving space so I could grow.

For photos, calls, and midnight chats,

And every laugh we’ve shared like that.

For being you — so true, so kind,

The best mum any soul could find.

Final Chorus

Thank you, Mum — for everything and more,

For love that built the man I’ve become.

For the laughter, the care, the open door,

You’re my heart, my home — my mum.

Oh, thank you, Mum — for all you’ve done,

For the light you are, my only one.

Tag

Thank you for being exactly you,

I love you — always, and a day too.

Suno

There’s something quietly magical about using Suno—like being handed a doorway into a lifelong dream. I’ve always wanted to create songs, but never had the musical training or tools to do it. Now, with just a few words, melodies begin to form, voices emerge, and fully realised songs take shape out of thin air.

September 10, 2025

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.

September 07, 2025

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.