Finding Our Peace
Tag: music
‘Not So Hidden Gems…’
I love to walk and it’s my favourite exercise.
Now it is more important than ever in this current world climate where we can only go out for ‘essential’ reasons and fortunately, one of those reasons is exercise.
There is no better time (if you are able) to start a walking programme as it will not only help your physical fitness, it will help you mental health as well, I believe. Staying cooped up in a house all week can be challenging, whether you are an Introvert, Extrovert or if you are like me, an Ambivert. I started off life as an Introvert.
Even before the COVID-19 crises, I loved to walk. I find it relaxing, fun and great way to clear my mind. I get many ideas on my walks for paintings, photos, articles for my blog, poems and even business ideas. It is also great for physical fitness.
I usually start off listening to a podcast e.g. usually something to do with creativity and once that finishes, some music or if I am walking in natural surroundings I will just listen to the sounds of Nature.
On Easter Saturday, I set off for one of my walks at about 6.30am and finished up walking 5km (3.1miles). The Sun was not yet up but light had started emanating from the horizon. It’s a beautiful time to begin a walk.
I love sighting ‘not so hidden gems’ on my walks. These ‘not so hidden gems’ are often in plain sight, we are just not always aware they are there. I credit my awareness with taking up Photography in 1982 and Painting in the last few years. Both disciplines force you to look at the detail and help you become more aware of your surroundings, in particular the way light interacts with things.
Below is a selection of ‘not so hidden gems’ that I discovered on my walk yesterday.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Written by David Johnson
13 April 2020
A Silhouetted Figure
Fight Another Day!
Backroad Nation
Last night, my wife Susan and I went to see Lee Kernaghan on his ‘Backroad Nation’ Tour backed by The Wolfe Brothers at the Evan Theatre, Penrith Panthers Club approx. 60km away in Western Sydney, Australia.
Lee Kernaghan OAM* has been one of the shining lights of Australian Country Music for the past 27 years and we’ve been fans for nearly that long, though this is the first time that we have ever seen him in concert. We always seem to have had something clashing on the dates when he was playing near Sydney prior to this.
Lee Kernaghan OAM is an Australian Country Music singer, songwriter and guitarist. He was the 2008 Australian of the Year, in recognition for his support of rural and regional Australia. He has numerous awards including 37 ‘Golden Guitars’ at the world famous Australian Tamworth Country Music Awards, an event where accomodation is booked out years in advance.
He was being backed by long-term friends, The Wolfe Brothers who hail from Tasmania, Australia and have been producing albums in their own right since 2012. In 2019, they won 4 ‘Golden Guitar’ awards including, including the coveted Album Of The Year honour with their critically-acclaimed fourth album, Country Heart.
Also accompanying the band were, Christie Lamb, Country Female Artist of the Year in 2018, who was in turn accompanied by Jonathon English (who is the son of the late, legendary Jon English, a star of stage, screen and music in Australia).
The atmosphere was intimate (the theatre holds only 900 people), electric and a celebration of not only Australian Country Music but as Lee says, “It’s about feeling that good vibration when you get off the beaten track and the country wraps itself around you.”
The concert and the performances within met and exceeded the expectations I had for it.
There were the poignant moments of ’The Spirit of the ANZACS’ when Lee asked us all to stand during the song to pay tribute to Service Men and Women past and present; the tribute to Slim Dusty**, Australia’s King of Country Music, ‘Flying With The King’ to the rollicking moments when songs that celebrated iconic Country Australia with songs such as ‘Backroad Nation’, ‘ Beautiful Noise’, ‘She’s My Ute’***, ‘Waitin’ On A Mate’ and ‘Let There Be Cowgirls’ and ‘The Outback Club.’
Also of note was a brilliant version of ‘Great Balls Of Fire’, one of the songs, Lee remarked that he played early on in his career when he didn’t have enough of his own songs to get through a set.
Am looking forward to picking up some of The Wolfe Brothers albums as I really love their sound. Am also keen to explore more Jonathon English’s music. I am a huge fan of his Father’s music and it was plain for all to see and hear that his son has all the makings of being a star in his own right.
We are certainly looking forward to the next time we can see Lee Kernaghan in concert!
Written by David Johnson
14 September 2019
Footnotes:
* OAM – Order of Australia Merit
** Slim Dusty – Australian cultural icon with a career spanning 70 years
*** Ute – Short for Utility. A term used in Australia to describe vehicles with a tray behind the passenger compartment
A Sound So Pure…
The power of Wind Chimes can be amazing.
I’m not sure if they have the same effect on you as they do me, but almost every time I hear them, one of two things happen:
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They remind me of something beautiful that happened previously in my life and my mind is cast back to that time and I remember the experience with fondness.
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My imagination starts to wander and my mind thinks of beautiful experiences to come.
There is also something inherently pure about their sound, too. It’s like an ‘original score’ that perhaps can never be repeated given that the wind blows in different strengths at different times from different directions.
I’ve also found them to be a great ‘mood lifter’ as well and why wouldn’t they be given the effect they have on me.
We were given a wind chime for Christmas (pictured below). I can hear it now. Such a beautiful sound.
How do they make you feel?
Written by David Johnson
20 January 2019
Walking Isn’t ‘Just Walking’…
During Summer in Sydney, Australia, it is always best to walk early. We are expecting another day of 38C/100F temperatures.
Today, I set off a bit later than usual, at 7.00am. It was 17C/63F when I commenced.
As mentioned in previous blogs, I really enjoy walking, not only from the fitness perspective, but also because I get a lot of ideas whilst walking e.g. today, in a 42 minute walk, I came up 8 ideas for articles for this blog, all jotted down via the Google Keep app. Sometimes I get business ideas, or ideas for images, poems and paintings. If they are not recorded by some means, they will be lost…
Sometimes on a walk, I will listen to the sounds of nature, other times a playlist or a podcast, depending on how I feel.
Today, I chose to listen to a podcast by Charlie O’Shields called ’Sketching Stuff.’ I have been following Charlie’s site, ‘Doodlewash’ for some time but only recently started listening to his podcast.
I would encourage you to listen to the podcast if you are in any way interested in getting into Art or indeed, have already started.
Today, I listened to episode #10 and it was informative, inspirational and entertaining. I will be listening to it again over the weekend. (See link below.)
To finish off the walk, I chose a Classical music playlist as it suited my mood.
Sometimes, I will snap some images with my iPhone on my rounds. I took some today but they will come to light in a different article as I seemed to be shooting a theme today. I also have a DSLR, however, if I took that with me, the walk would double or triple in time!
So you see, walking for me isn’t ‘just walking’… it’s also a way of feeding my creativity!
Written by David Johnson
12 January 2019
Music To My Ears!
Music is such a wonderful thing. Can I play it? No, except if you count the half a song I learnt to play on my 3rd learning attempt at the age of 16, in 1979 with my Brother, Larry as Tutor.
Or in 2011, when I purchased a Harmonica as I had always enjoyed its sound, and found out that learning to play it would assist with breathing, in terms of doing public speaking. I learnt the first two lines of ‘Kum By Yah.’ The first two lines are exactly the same…hmmm. Like the guitar, I lacked the daily discipline of practice. That could probably be the end of the line as far as me attempting to play music…
Larry went on to learn 1/2 dozen different instruments, write some music, can sing, does Watercolour painting and uses soft Pastels.
I was in a shop yesterday, and The Beatles, ‘Penny Lane’ came on. My mind was instantly transported back to my early years when life seemed no doubt, easier, more fun where I had no responsibilities. Such wonderful memories flooded back!
7 years of age when The Beatles ‘called it a day’ in 1970, my music world was full of The Beatles, Pop, Motown etc courtesy of my Sister, Cheryl who was 17 at the time. My Brother, Larry (4 years older than me) was also heavily into ‘The Lads From Liverpool’, The Beach Boys, other band legends from the 60’s, Elvis and 50’s music.
Moving into the 70’s my sibling’s musical influences on me continued with Neil Diamond, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, to name but a few.
Even though the joy of being able to play music has seemingly escaped my life, music continues to be an incredible force in my life.
Yes, I am a long-term Beatles, Elvis & Bruce Springsteen Fan but my musical tastes did broaden over the ensuing years and include:
The Rolling Stones; Tommy Emmanuel; Status Quo; James Morrison (Trumpet); Amy Grant; Frank Sinatra; Gene Krupa, Dean Martin, John Lee Hooker, The Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, Guitar Shorty, Lambchop; Lee Kernaghan, John Denver, Galapagos Duck; Acoustic Alchemy; Vivaldi; Stevie Ray Vaughan; Fourplay, The Moody Blues, Creedence Clearwater Revival, MUSE, are some of my other favourites.
Genres include Rock, Pop, Blues, Australian Country, Motown, Disco, Swing, Jazz, Folk, Classical and some Alternative.
Music inspires me, soothes, relaxes and entertains me and for that, I am exceedingly grateful.
Written by David Johnson
9 July 2017
Communicating Creatively 