music

Sonny Rollins on Losing Yourself In the Divine and His Sabbatical Playing on the Williamsburg Bridg

This sublime short film is about “saxophone colossus” Sonny Rollins’ two-year musical sabbatical playing on New York’s Williamsburg Bridge and what he found there.

Gordon Hempton: Silence is the Presence of Everything

This lovely immersive video follows acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton to one of the quietest places on earth. It draws our awareness to just what it is we’re hearing, or not, and the unique, extraordinarily complex sounds of silence.

Refreshing Antidotes to the Heat Wave

All over town we’re seeing signs of people felled by the stunning heat wave, sleeping on benches under shady trees, lounging lethargically on the grass in parks. We’ve compiled some unexpectedly refreshing ways to cope…

Listen to the Magic of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah Being Hummed Around the World

Among the many joys we experienced at the extraordinary Leonard Cohen exhibition at The Jewish Museum, is a room resonating with the sound of hundreds of people around the world humming Cohen’s anthem, Hallelujah. You can experience it online as well.

Watch Bob Dylan Write “If You See Her, Say Hello”, as You Listen

With the release of Vol. 14 of Bob Dylan’s Bootleg series, Columbia Records released a video of the first take Dylan recorded of his song “If You See Her, Say Hello” with a unique twist, for unexpected intimacy and insight.

This Serene Water Opera Echoes Music Made by Whales

The serene made-underwater music in Breathe, an experimental “water opera”, echoes ancient songs made by whales.

Because Something is Invisible Doesn’t Make It Any Less Fun

We got a big smile on our face when we saw this surprising, very magical little video. It is charming, and, as Swissmiss put it so perfectly: HAPPINESS.

A Wounded Cello’s Lesson in Navigating Change in Things We Love

When a virtuoso cellist found his rare, beloved cello changed after massive repairs, he had to find new ways to elicit its unique sound — a lesson in navigating change in things we love.

Over our Transom: Lynzy Lab’s Brilliant ‘A Scary Time’ Video

With only a ukelele, a cell phone camera and a Twitter feed, Lynzy Lab made a smart, insightful pitch-perfect video that went viral.

Aretha Sings the Joy and Jumpstarts Mine (The Blue Brothers)

This remarkable clip of the great Aretha dancing and leaning back singing FREEDOM proved an unexpectedly powerful antidote to challenging personal times.

How Hermeto Pascoal Turned a Lagoon into a Musical Instrument

On a hot day, we can think of nothing more inspiring and refreshing than Pascoal’s astonishing Musica de Lagoa, made in a lagoon…inspiration for our own summer music.

Calm Your Blues and Anxiety with an Elephant’s Lullaby

This 2-minute is a visual tonic for the blues and anxious times.

From Opera to Improv: How Deborah Domanski Found Her True Voice

After years of singing professionally to great acclaim, Deborah Domanski found herself on an unexpected quest to find her true voice.

Listen to Your Favorite Artists Sing A Capella (Lady Gaga, Marvin Gaye…)

A capella “raw vocals” music videos— instruments stripped away to leave only pure voice tracks — got us hearing thinking about voice in a new way.

Ambient Nature Sounds by Irv Teibel: “Like Experiencing Something Great and Sublime”

On a packed subway train I listened to birdsong and felt myself calming down. This was not just any endless-loop “nature sound” tape. This was Irv Teibel’s artful recording from the 70’s, now available as an app that I can’t live without.

Girl Group from the Far Indian Ocean Drums Water To Make Their Joyful Song

When we want a dose of pure, energizing joy, we watch these women in flower head-dresses hanging out together in hip deep water, using IT as their instrument.

Yoko Ono Made Bottles of Night Air into Poetry (+ a Song)

These bottles of Night Air by Yoko Ono remind us of the jar of air we brought back from Ireland, to capture and remember that exact time and place…and air.

How to Be a Friend to Yourself (with Fab Tiny Playlist)

We really like School of Life’s potent little video, How To Be a Friend to Yourself, something MANY people we know have a hard time doing. We made a tiny playlist to go with it.

Birdsong Radio Wakes You UP in the Best Possible Way

How did we forget about the great birdsong.fm, the site that streams only birdsong. Listening to the music of birds first thing in the morning woke us UP in the best way possible. Our friend Josh Eisen described its mighty effect perfectly..

Peace Writ Large Across War-Torn Rooftops + Bill Evans’ Peace Piece

What are ways that ordinary people can spread light rather than darkness through the day? Lebanese graffiti artists Mohamed and Omar Kabbani, who grew up amidst the brutal civil war in Lebanon, figured out an astonishing way.

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