Video Spotlight: Bobby McFerrin hacks your brain

I love music. (If you somehow missed that about me, we've obviously never met.) And I'm enraptured by the capacities of the human voice. AND, the human brain baffles me.

Also, Bobby McFerrin is really, really cool and you can't convince me otherwise.


There's a GREAT comment about this video on YouTube.   It reads, (from 1987GTD) "People always laugh when they are suddenly aware of their awesomeness." Right? Right?!

If you want to read more 'technical' comments focusing on the way that McFerrin is highlighting the power of the human brain as it relates to the pentatonic scale, you can read some of the comments at TED.

And if you can't live without a little more McFerrin fabulousness, go listen to this AMAZING collaboration he does with -- tada! -- his audience.  They do a juxtaposition of Bach's Prelude No. 1 and Charles Gounod's Ave Maria.  (Tells you a thing or two about the knowledge set McFerrin's audience brings with them.)  Plus, for vocalist geeks (like me) he gets in a few laugh-out-loud singer jokes!  (On an only barely related note, my favorite music joke of all time is the following:  "You all know what syncopation is, right?!  It's irregular movement between bars!"  And all the credit on that one goes to Doc. Shearer, my teacher and music magician for four years in college.)

Video Spotlight: Lead with Love

Lead with Love is a 35-minute documentary film created to support parents and families struggling with the news that a child is lesbian, gay, or bisexual.  It includes interviews with real families, answers to several commonly asked questions, and suggested action steps for parents working to deal with their emotions after hearing the news that their child does not identify as straight.  The film also includes interviews with psychologists, teachers, and religious clergy.

The film is not perfect, but offers a much needed resource for familes.  It is definitely worth watching, supporting, and spreading to others who may gain from its message of support.  In addition, the film is VERY new (like, it just come out this week), so spreading the word is a much needed action.

This is the 2.5 minute trailer, but you can watch the entire video for FREE here.  Go watch it!