composition

My forays into musical composition have been infrequent at best, and usually only because necessity required doing so, such as a music theory or teaching methods course. Of course, there was the one exception, fondly referred to as "Booty Ballad" by those privileged enough to perform it (click on the title of the song for a youtube link, then fast forward to approximately 5:30).

Today is one of those days, however, in which I feel inspired. My muse, I cannot pinpoint. Perhaps it's the sunshine or the 40+ degree weather, or the fact that I unlocked a level on Angry Birds that had been eluding me for a few days, or maybe it's that I'm having a fan-flippin-tastic hair day (thanks, Hairitage Square, for the effortless cut and revolutionary product you sold me). 

No matter the cause, I want to sing- sing a message to the UPS man (or woman), whom I am patiently waiting for to make haste with my new shoes in arm. In this instance, I feel the text should come before music. And so I write...








Give Me What I Want  original lyrics by ETG
copyright ETG, 2011

Tires splashing through melted snow,
mix of dirt, salt and cold.
It's not the sight of you, UPS truck, that I want.
No, no, no. It is what you carry in your cargo hold.

(chorus)
Give me what I want (it's shoes).
Give me what I(iiiiii) need (it's shoes).
Give me those tall heels (skyscrapers)
Give me what I need (to the stars).

I hear an engine and rush to the window
Much to my dismay, it's just the neighbor,
Pulling up to her house in her black Jeep Laredo
When? I cry, and feign tears of sorrow....
                              
(chorus)
Give me what I want (it's shoes).

Give me what I(iiiiii) need (it's shoes).

Give me those tall heels (skyscrapers)

Give me what I need (to the stars).

Now is not soon enough, for when it comes to shoes,
I'm a fiend, a beast, I cannot be satiated.
Metallic, dramatic, suede, patent, canvas,
Buckled, platform, strapped, knotted, I'm besotted.

(chorus)

Give me what I want (it's shoes).

Give me what I(iiiiii) need (it's shoes).

Give me those tall heels (skyscrapers)

Give me what I need (to the stars).

Whoa, whoa, wait a minute there, Mr. UPS man,

Is that a big package that I see in your hands?

Run to me, fly to me, make haste to please me,

For only you can give me what it is that consumes me...

(bridge)

I want shoes. That's what I want.

Give me those shoes. They're what I want.

Give me what I want. 

(final chorus)

Give me what I want (it's shoes).

Give me what I(iiiiii) need (it's shoes).

Give me those tall heels (skyscrapers)

Give me what I need (to the stars).

                                   

                                   

Amen.

                                

                                
                                

                                
                                

pre-planning

Some girls fantasize about their wedding day, pre-planning down to the most trivial detail, long before they even meet the man who will eventually become their spouse.

I, on the other hand, am pre-planning my funeral liturgy, along with a few other major details surrounding the conclusion of my life here on earth.

This might seem shocking to most- why would a seemingly healthy 26 yr old woman be contemplating her own death? Do I really foresee an unfortunate, gruesome, and untimely demise for myself? Hopefully not, but anything is possible, and pre-planning will save me much agonizing over whether my family will force "How Great Thou Art" and "On Eagle's Wings" on those who attend. Am I unusually morbid? Do I have an obsession with the macabre? Absolutely not.

Still yet, a few readers may be puzzled as to why these thoughts are occurring to me in the first place. I'll tell you why: funerals. I'm in funerals up to my eyeballs. Approximately 7 months ago, I began working full-time as the music and liturgy director at an aging Catholic parish in St. Cloud. I had been warned that we have a high incidence of funerals at this particular faith community, but I was not prepared for the almost weekly onslaught that seems to have taken hold. Since January 1, I have had to plan the liturgies for 8 people. I wonder if I shouldn't go into the business of it all, considering. Because so many people seem to choose the same "comforting" songs so often, they have little, if any meaning for me at all anymore. Whilst sitting at the bench of the piano or the chair for the cantor at all of these funerals, my thoughts often stray to the future, and with great frequency, the future affair of my end.

What I do not want:
-wailing and gnashing of teeth
-the notion that I've become an angel- people do not become angels...
-an elaborate coffin (if preservation of my body is preferred by my loved ones, I wish for them not to waste their money on anything but a simple, wooden box, perhaps even wrapped in a favorite quilt- I believe in as green a burial as possible- in fact, why not bury me by the tree I planted in first grade on the farm where I grew up- the place from whence I came?)
-if cremated, please do not place my remains in a conspicuous spot in someone's living room; it's not healthy to not let people go
-How Great Thou Art, On Eagle's Wings, You Are Mine, Be Not Afraid, Amazing Grace, Shepherd Me O God, Wind Beneath My Wings, The Rose, Ave Maria (Schubert, Bach/Gounod, or otherwise), Here I Am, Lord (unless sung by a good choir, arranged by Ovid Young), Hail Mary, Gentle Woman, Prayer of St. Francis, God Is Watching Us, Shine Jesus Shine, In the Garden, Softly and Tenderly, Our Father (Albert Hay Malotte), Panis Angelicus (Franck), etc., etc.

What I would like:
-music to be chosen from the following (or similar pieces): Earth and All Stars, All Creatures of Our God and King, I Know that My Redeemer Lives (Handel or DUKE STREET), O God, Beyond All Praising or O Spirit, All-Embracing (set to THAXTED), Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (arrangement used by National Catholic Youth Choir), Bread for the World (Farrell), In Paradisum (Faure), A Mighty Fortress (for my inner Lutheran), Steal Away to Jesus (sung by the men of Cantus) or Deep River (sung by local gospel favorite Jearlyn Steele- if she's available), Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Walk in Jerusalem, etc., etc.
-a party held yearly at my gravesite, marking my death date, to celebrate my new baptism
-beer and other spirits served at my funeral luncheon/dinner, and a jazz pianist playing meal music
-much laughter and story telling
-a memorial scholarship established in my name at Carthage College, reserved for a financially despondent OR first-generation college student , majoring in music
-to be buried sporting a full face of makeup and my most fabulous pair of heels


Thus ends my death directive. Consider this a legal and binding document. Friends, family, I am entrusting you to uphold my wishes based on this virtual note, my blog.

Love you all, and good night.

fresh and delicious- a recipe, by request

homemade,fresh and delicious-

             pico de gallo

you'll need...

1 can whole kernel corn

1-2 cans black beans

1 bunch of cilantro

1 medium jalapeno

1 yellow bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

2 green bell peppers

1ish lbs roma or vine tomatoes

1 medium-large red onion 

2 limes

2-3 cloves garlic (or less, depending on your personal preference)

for a sweeter salsa, replace jalapeno with mangos, and add a few tablespoons of honey

dice tomatoes, peppers, onions and jalapeno

chop cilantro

rinse corn and black beans (ESPECIALLY the black beans)

press or chop garlic

slice limes in 2-4 pieces and squeeze out juice

mix ingredients together in large bowl

add salt to taste

for more "heat", use the whole jalapeno or add crushed red peppers

serve on tacos, with authentic tortilla chips, mix with cheese for amazing quesadilla filling... use your imagination!

Make SURE you rinse those black beans!

I clearly should have worn a hair net... and a bra...

If the weather permits, spending the day outside on a deck, cutting up vegetables is a great way to pass the time.

Chop up that cilantro nice and fine.

If you're already making pico, it's not a bad idea to simultaneously work on guacamole. A good guac  contains tomatoes, garlic, cilantro and red onion. Two birds, one stone... also, two delicious dips!

Voila! Your pico de gallo will be as colorful as it is delicious!