Yesterday’s run was on the good end of average, which was pleasing. The sermon at St Helen’s went well enough, then Nate and Margaret and I came home to rest, wandered around Abingdon and the Ock, dined at Ask Italian (a very agreeable dinner), and came home. We got Nate talking about is lectures i his History of Popular Music classes at Yale, which we loved to hear about and talk out with him.
This morning, didn’t run much of the way; various joints and muscles were dubious about the value of running, and sent painful messages (or just passive resistance), so I alternated running and walking, and didn’t time myself. Coffee and fruit, Morning Prayer, public office hours at R&R, then home for Nate to pack up and prepare for his trip back to Paris to resume his itinerary back to the States. It’s been great seeing him; he and I have been understanding better some traits we have in common, and it’s good to have talked over those; and as I said, talking rock history with him is one of my favourite things to do. I keep thinking how great it would be to have a family music blog where Nate and Si and Pippa and Margaret and I could write (and argue, and affirm, and wonder) about bands, albums, and so on….
Perhaps regarding your shared love of music, you, your son, and others might enjoy using Music League, a music game that works with Spotify, and involves a series of prompts over multiple weeks, in which you submit songs you think will receive votes, there is a week to review all the songs, which are anonymous, and then a week to vote. I’m butchering my description, but you should look it up. I’m 74; my wife and I play with our the kids and grandchildren, and it becomes really addictive. I’ve used it to expand my family’s knowledge of music that came before them, and I invariably lose, but it’s still lots of fun, and of course I occasionally hear music I’ve never heard of as well. Turns out, none of them especially cared for Mountain Goat, but perhaps all your family members are brighter. :). Anyway, I appreciate your writing.
Thank you, Charles! I’m something of a Spotify conscientious objector, but I’ll look into the game you describe. If it gets us all talking about music, I might bend my principle.
I too have resisted Spotify, but my ten family member participants all had accounts, so I was required to get one. I can almost guarantee it will get you all talking about music!