October 11, 2009

• Creative Much?

  I've often proclaimed that my mother wasn't very talented, but she was pretty damn creative. She instilled this creativity in both of my siblings and myself. We didn't have her around long enough, as she was stricken by a bilateral stroke at age 53, younger than I am now, but I will always cherish the sense of performance and artistic integrity which she fostered in our family. When my siblings and I were children, we didn't spend all our waking hours in front of a television set, like a lot of our peers. We wrote and performed skits, sketches and dance routines and sang songs for our parents, who were a willing and encouraging audience.

   

  When the Beatles hit the shores of America in 1964, my brother and I developed a musical act which we called "The Nyiri Nuts." This was when I was in fifth grade and my brother in third. We performed Beatles and other rock and roll tunes for our classmates, both in class and in special assemblies.

   

  I developed my skill as a writer in junior high, and by the time I was in high school I attended accellerated English Literature classes and joined the staff of the school newspaper. I wrote both an autobiography and a science fiction novel before finishing my sophomore year. My poetry was legendary, and I'd pass my thick volumes around to my friends and "readers". In the middle of my junior year, with a schedule of activities which included editor of the school paper, government, and the scholarship federation,  I began to get the itch to perform, and I tired out for and won a part in the All School Play. I began to hang around the drama club members, and also had many friends in Choir and Mixed Chorus. When I was in high school, the drama club was called the Thespians, and was a small group. They were not very popular among the jocks and cheerleader crowd, but they were talented singers and actors, and the school plays, Lyric Club presentations, and the Spring Sing musical were always well attended by the communitiy. Since I edited the school newspaper, I made sure the performing arts department was always well represented.

   

  Since I had pretty much finished my required class load by the time I reached my senior year, I even took Drama 1, the introductory Drama course. My brother was in the class too, as a freshman, and we performed scenes from plays for our terms and finals together, so we could practice at home.

   

  On this blog, I have always attempted to expose my creative side. Usually that includes writing, photography, and videomaking. Since I am healed now, and can dance again, I thought I'd put together a short performance video for you. I am performing the song "Iko Iko" by the Dixie Cups, an old New Orleans Mardi Gras tune which has been covered by a host of performars including The Grateful Dead, The Neville Brothers, Cyndi Lauper, Dr. John, Zap Mama, and Captain Jack.

   

  I recorded the two tracks which I double tracked for the vocals on Friday evening. (I should have harmonized with myself, but as I've stated here before, I'm not that musically inclined.)  The two dance segments (which are double exposed during the bridge segments) were recorded with my new video camera this morning.

   

  I don't claim to be very talented, but I think, like my mother, I'm damn creative, have no shame, and am always attempting to entertain in one way or another. I love to "perform" and I know at least of two Xangans who perform in community theater, half a dozen singers, and one or two stand up comedians. (I've got a standup comedy routine in the works for a future video.) The arts community does thrive on this service.

   

  I pondered actually choreographing a step by step dance routine for the song, but since the actual making of the video took longer than I'd planned, I ended up doing a freeform routine, including steps I've danced a thousand times in the past. (But not recently, as I was on crutches for the better part of a year.)

   

  Enjoy.

  

  Originally posted: October 10, 2009 3:16 PM

  • 9:26 pm
  • 48 Comments