This is the first official day of the 30-day blog challenge. The assignment today is to “Choose five songs that mean something to you and tell us why.”
Music is definitely something that is important to the vibe here at Hosking House. I was raised in a house filled with music and there is nothing else beside poetry that can bring me to my knees with emotion.
We have a host of CD’s that we’ve gathered from stays at swank hotels. We have iPod docs in each room, and have music playing so much that the title of this post is the title of my iPod/iPhone playlist that I put on…you’ve guessed it,…when we have dinner partays.
Music sets our soundtrack to life here at 1 Victoria Road. So much so, that our dear friend in Brighton who we miss dearly, Jo has offered to make us playlists. One for breakfast and one for wine hour. Jo my dear….we will take you up on that amazing offer.
So what is the sound track of Hosking House? Instead of specific songs, we’re veering off track a bit to give you artists, genres, ideas and glimpses. If we were to go into songs….well, we’d need a larger glass of wine to share with you.
1. Melody Gardot
Watch and listen. I first heard Ms. Gardot in Bordeaux after runining a marathon amongst the Chateaux. I came out of the shower, wrote down her name and assumed she was French. Alas my tin ear done did me wrong. She’s from Pennsylvania.
Love my East Coast influences. She is staple on any playlist of ours. Read her story here; music therapy indeed.
2. Our Locals
We need to keep true to our roots
Dave Dobbyns from New Zealand – we saw him perform here at the Cathedral, and I was that woman with tears streaming down my face as I bobbed and rocked in somewhat tune.
Old School
And new School
And for me, from my place, its Crosby Stills and Nash, James Taylor, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and a dozen others.
3. The up and coming
Cannot get enough of….
Bon Iver (although I wish he chose Bon été)
These lyrics have truly brought me to my knees and were exactly what I needed to hear:
“Once I knew I was not magnificent….then I could see for miles, and miles and miles.”
Mumford and Sons
“And after the storm,
I run and run as the rains come
And I look up, I look up,
on my knees and out of luck,
I look up.
Night has always pushed up day
You must know life to see decay
But I won’t rot, I won’t rot
Not this mind and not this heart,
I won’t rot….
And there will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.
For those that know me well….you’re laughing and asking why Mr. Matthews wasn’t number one. Well – this is a business and not my life…but it is my life…kind of….
For those who don’t know this band…enjoy! This has been the soundtrack of my 20’s and 30’s and I look forward to being front row with them in my subsequent years.
My dear friend Ami and I, in Milan with the drummer (note the lovely glass of red in his hand, and Mr. Matthews himself – quite flirty I do say.)
They are an international, cultural and instrumental mix. I’ve seen them live as many times as I could, in New York, San Francisco, Sacramento, London, Paris, and Milan. I spent this New Year’s Eve in our living room in NZ, listening to them with someone who had never heard them before. She left Hosking House asking for some of their music. Enough said, my work here might be done!
5. He is number one, but thought I’d leave him for a bit of editorial grandeur….My Grandfather, or my Gramps as I called him. My roots – my family tree. He wrote me postcards throughout his travels…and is maybe why I grew up thinking the world was small….I try to continue the traditions with my nephew, August.
He’s the dapper gentleman introducing the song, and plays a mean trumpet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShOqmwVnLMQ
You can see where I get my height from:
and my international flair: