Music for quilting

I listen to bluegrass almost exclusively, with smatterings of country or tunes from my... ahem... youth. There are a couple/three BG labels I gravitate toward because they have good reputations & catalogs for the kinds of things I like, but that's never a guarantee, especially when you're talking about really old or rare stuff. And a lot depends on the cuts that have been chosen for a particular collection. Other genres may vary.

I like traditional (all acoustic) bluegrass for a lot of reasons. There are slow spiritual gospels that make me sway to the music, faster pickin' that gets my feet (and everything else) moving in my chair, and about everything in-between. Sometimes I'll slide a disc into the drive or a player, and sometimes I'll bring up a link to a commercial-free internet stream.

I knew Dr. Zachary would provide a technical answer. :-)

Here's my un-technical one: Remixes are yukky. They take the original music, depending on what kind of remix it is, and change it, make it longer, whatever. I think originally they started doing this to make music more danceable. OTOH, remastered music is wonderful, IMO. They take the original tracks, and enhance them using technology that wasn't available when they were originally recorded. Unless you're a real music purist, and like to preserve, for instance, original mono recordings, I think you'd love remastered music.

What do I love for quilting music? Oh my. Just about everything. (And yes, I *do* have a John Phillips Sousa cd!) Right now, it's Christmas music. The Transiberian Orchestra, Enya, Andrea Bocelli, Steeleye span is in my top 10 at the moment. Other times, I like broadway soundtracks. I like oldies rock n roll, too. And 1980's hair bands. I love Gordon Lightfoot and Harry Chapin. Sometimes it's

Sherry

Cannot tell you the difference in remix or remaster, excpet if there is an older recording they might run it through new techniques and spruce it up, like a mini-makeover.

Live, in concert vs studio. Studio they take and pretty it all up, there are no flat notes or lost words, or background noise.

Music to listen to? Gosh I have a lot of different ones, so I can choose depending on my mood. I like Native American music, or Celtic music, or sound tracks. Gypsy music, country, classic. Sometimes I just put on the radio if I want to motor along and not take any break to change the CD out.

G> Here we go again. =A0They keep adding words to the language. =A0Explain, = please,

I have a feeling (and that's as strong as I can get >gHere we go again. They keep adding words to the language. Explain,

What I listen to depends entirely on lots of thing! :D

If I'm in a hurry, it can be the 1812 Overture, Souza's Liberty Bell, Red Hot Chiilie Pipers (rock with bagpipes - somehow *very* Scottish!), brass bands, Thin Lizzy, massed pipe bands, Status Quo, Morris On (and on down to Great Grandson of Morris On!)...

If I need to go slow and careful, and have plenty of time, it might be Vera Lynn, Jethro Tull, Bach organ music, choral stuff...

At Christmas I tend to crank out the Messiah, carols from Kings College, Jethro Tull, and all sorts...

NEVER Whirlitzer Christmas carols, or easy listening stuff.

Sometimes opera.

Folk, rock, classical, celtic fringe, some jazz... Never what my friend call Yack Radio (where they do nothing but talk at you), and not usually funny stuff, as I stop sewing to giggle at things like I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again or Flanders and Swann, Jake Thackery, or most of Mike Harding and The Kipper Family.

Cheap music? Well, I usually like the freebies from the Classic FM magazine, unless it's piano music (especially not keen on most of Lizt and Scriabin).

It's almost December. I must dig out the Christmas music. I have about

Personally I don't like in concert CDs because I find there is too much peripheral noise for me to enjoy the music. Probably that's because of bad engineering or recording. Whatever.

Right now (and almost always) I like Latin music for the beat and the guitars and the blood stirring. I have found West African music and love it for all the same reasons plus amazing harmonies. Gypsy Punk has left the category of "current phase" and entered my regular listening stable. I could go on, but mostly I have found I like instrumental or uncomplicated (read this foreign language cuz I don't know what they're saying) lyrics for quilting. It keeps me on the fabric while giving me a beat to keep me going.

As with everything else, music is intensely personal. What works for me may not work for you. If you want to dabble in non-Top 40 but don't know where to start, go to a Starbucks and buy one of their CDs. They have put together some amazing music and it's very easy entry to music you might not know about and will never hear on the radio.

Sunny

Remix has several meanings, it can sometimes be good, it can sometimes be bad. If you see it linked to a name other than the original artist, it usually means that the song was remixed by a DJ into a long version dance mix. Unless you are throwing a sock hop you probably will not be interested in those. Sometimes it means the record company made money on an artist's new record and has tried to remix all their old albums to sound like the one they just made a bunch of money on. These efforts are usually full of fail, as I can personally attest to in at least one instance. I was beyond disappointed in the copy of "The Scream" by Siouxie and the Banshees that I aquired because my original copy had a severe case of PTSS (Played To S*** Syndrome). They made the songs sound like covers by a third rate dance band, mixed out most of the original band, and did really wierd things with special effects on the vocals. Sometimes it means that the artist finally got the rights to their own music, and has issued a remix that is as close as they can get to the way it was supposed to sound in the first place. Sometimes it suits you ear, sometimes it does not.

Remastering usually leaves the mix alone and involves imposing new technology to clarify the sound, dig out subtleties that may have been overwhelmed in the initial master, eliminate noise, impose stereo divisions, and etc. Very occasionally it may include the artist redoing specific tracks because the original technology they were recorded with was exceptionally poor for certain sounds. Remastering with an ear to noise elimination has the potential to revive very very old recordings, as well as many live recordings that just had too much crowd enthusiasm (or an idiot placing the recording mikes). Particularly orchestral recordings, because the only way there has been to record those for many years has been to spot mikes around the orchestra and pray.

Of course if you want new music and are willing to take your chances listening to somebody you have never heard of, you can always go to:

NightMist

Thank you; thank you all. The range of expertise and the kindness of this group is always a joy. We've bought some CDs that could offend the sound of tin cans and old shoes tied to a Just Married bumper as well as some that just make our spirits soar. The only musical instrument Mr. Esther can play is the Bose - but my golly, how he loves that system. Since you've educated me, now I can shop for some happy surprises for him. Again, I do sincerely thank you. Polly

If it ain't Baroque don't fix it!

DH just set me up with this website:

A word about music and FME/Q from Mrs. Doc...

Hello, Free motion quilting has proven to be a challenge for me. I had lunch with a quilting friend and asked if she had the same issue. We are both quasi-computer geeks (she taught Computer Science at a local university; I have worked for 25 years in IS at a big company). She asked me, "When you 'doodle', do you doodle in circles and arcs, or in straight lines?"

"Straight lines." I replied. "Me too!" she said, "I had to learn to doodle with no straight lines." What she told me next really blew me away. "Then I needed to find some 'round' music." "Round music?", I asked, "what are you talking about?" She went on to describe music that is calming, free-flowing, smooth, gentle ..."round"!. She puts on her headphones and gets into the rhythm of the music and practices free motion quilting along with the music. I tried it, and it works!

I also will share with you a site I found where you can create your own music "station".

We now return you to your regular "Doc"...

Before you ask... yes, she has her own acct. here, but is currently "time-commited" to other groups/interests/pursuits, and I've learned (in 38 yrs. together) when NOT to push...

Doc (& Mrs. Doc)

Pandora is for US only. : (

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Dr. Zachary Smith wrote:

I just bought an iPod and have been busy this afternoon loading music from my CDs on it. Dock it with my stereo and it will play all day! So far I've loaded classical, Christmas and jazz with lots more to go. Sure like not having to load and unload CDs all the time.

Ginger, tell me about Gypsy music, please? Would that be Pearl Reinhardt type music? We used to hear Pearl Django at the Sun Valley Jazz Jamboree and loved his group.

Donna in SW Idaho

Music to listen to? Gosh I have a lot of different ones, so I can choose depending on my mood. I like Native American music, or Celtic music, or sound tracks. Gypsy music, country, classic. Sometimes I just put on the radio if I want to motor along and not take any break to change the CD out.

Ginger in CA

My only complaint with Pandora is that when you have what you want and are satisfied they will continue to throw in songs that they think you'll like. Is there any way to 'close' your station so they stop adding to it?

But I do enjoy Pandora- very much!

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I wish I'd been there for that conversation. I can see some music as 'round'. Can also see it in color. Can't imagine doodling in straight lines. I have to really shift sides of my brain to do stars or anything that needs no curves. Investigating Pandora is something I'm eager to do; just haven't had any serious time 'for me' and that one's important. Thank you. Polly

Jumping up and running to the computer to give Pandora a 'no, thanks' to a song is a great way to make yourself take mini-breaks while quilting. ;-) I have my computer on all the time so it may as well be entertaining me with music while it's sitting there.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I have the computer in my sewing room and often listen to Minnesota Public Radio's Radio Heartland, an eclectic mix of acoustic, Americana, blues, etc. It's online only outside of Minneapolis/St. Paul. When I'm machine-quilting anything very big, I move out to the dining room and turn on the MPR classical music station. I do my hand work in the living room tuned in to MPR; on Sunday afternoons, it's the news station with Prairie Home Companion, Car Talk, and Wait Wait; otherwise it's the classical music station.

Julia > Here we go again. They keep adding words to the language. Explain,

Do you mean "NPR"?

amy in CNY

Try music for the Armenian duduk or Azeri balaban (same instrument, different names) - Djivan Gasparian, Alihan Samedov, Suren Asaduryan. Lots on YouTube, probably on Spotify as well. But hold off watching Asaduryan on video unless you're sure you can handle the roundness.

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