Mumford & Sons: Babel

This past week, the world was treated to some amazing ear candy with Mumford & Sons' newest album "Babel." If you haven't listened to it, you are truly TRULY missing out. The album is currently available on Spotify, iTunes and on the group's Official Web Page. I highly suggest a listening session, and FAST! (In fact, you should listen to it while you read this blog!)

Quick background: Mumford & Sons is an English folk rock quartet featuring Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall and Ted Dawne. They formed in 2007 and played intimate venues in what is referred to as the "West London Folk Scene," building anticipation to their 2009 album Sigh No More (also available on Spotify, iTunes and at www.mumfordandsons.com.) Sigh No More exploded over Europe and the UK, and was a smash in the US, peaking at number two on the Billboard charts.

Listening to Sigh No More and Babel back to back is an inspirational experience. First off, the band is technically magnificent. By that I mean that their musicianship is stellar. The harmonies on vocals send shivers up your spine and release magic music endorphins in your brain.The instrumental work and technique is astounding, but not distracting. I've listened to so many albums where the vocals clearly outshine the instrumentation, and vice versa. With Mumford and Sons the music comes from a place of such honesty and unity that each element complements the whole, which is just completely lovely. While each album is a stunning example of the incredible musical talent and genius (yeah, I said it) that the members of this group posses, the albums are able to stand as individual bodies of work, which is just a strong of a testament to the work these guys produce.

Sigh No More features "Little Lion Man," "The Cave," "White Blank Page," and (my personal favorite) "After the Storm." The whole album is picturesque in it's creation, and each song creates vivid images that stick with you. When listening to "Awake My Soul," you can see every image suggested in this vivid color (think the painted flower scenes in What Dreams May Come). It's also a brilliant narrative when listened from beginning to end. The repeated lick "Love, it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free," from the title track sets the theme of the album, and each track takes a different look at emotions, relationships (romantic and otherwise) and life as we grow and change. Culminating in "After the Storm" there's a powerful release that comes with the end of the album: "There will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair."

Babel doesn't disappoint when it comes to narrative. This album is a perfect choice of a second work because there is no attempt made at re-creating the first work, which is important for more than one reason. We all know those bands that have a smash hit first album and either coast on that success or put so much effort into re-creating what gave them such a hit that they lose sight of the genuine nature of their music. Praise the Lord, Mumford and Sons did not fall into either of these pitfalls. They have created a work that compliments Sigh No More in that it is easy to see how this second album evolved from the first. As the band has grown in experience (although they were far from inexperienced to begin with) they have delved deeper into their craft and really challenged themselves on these pieces to produce a work that tells a story; their story.

Babel opens with the title track which sets the biblical and spiritual tone of the album. Unlike some artists who want to incorporate their faith into their work, Mumford and Sons do a great job of creating music that celebrates faith rather than preaches or tries to glorify it. These songs show the relation of faith in life. In "Babel" there is a great lyric that goes like this: "And I know perhaps my heart is vast, but I'll be born without a mask." While this can be taken as a devotion to be true to yourself, it is also a statement of being true to faith, which really sets the tone for the rest of the album. The first single on the album, "I Will Wait" (recently performed on Saturday Night Live) is just a full out jam session, and is filled with so much joy that the first time you hear it (or watch it, cause watching these guys perform is just magical) you can't help but smile and, if you're me, jump around your apartment while your fish stares at you like you're crazy. Listening to it again (over and over and over: I've had this album on repeat since it's release) I am just constantly in awe of the use of music to celebrate life. This song, as well as the album, is so full of joy and honesty, and so much beauty.

It seems my favorite things on this album are constantly changing, but as of now my favorite tracks (besides those mentioned) are "Holland Road," "Whispers in the Dark," "Broken Crown," and "Below My Feet." The rest of the album is gorgeous too, and I know that if you were to ask me tomorrow I would probably provide you with a different answer. But go listen and form your own opinions! Music is meant to be shared and this album should be shared throughout all the world, because it truly is a work of not just "good music," but well-honed musicianship and instrumentation, and a sense of pride that this music speaks for itself, the band, and the honesty and truth that music (and art in general) should have. I apologize if this post seems like a gush session, but that's really what this album deserves!

In my theatre history course we've recently learned about Eastern theatre cultures, particularly Sanskrit drama. In this culture there was a huge focus on presenting life in the most beautiful way possible. That doesn't mean they focused on only the beautiful aspects of life; they simply focused on making every aspect of life beautiful. And that is what Mumford and Sons have done with Babel. They've taken life's greatest joys, highest highs, deepest pains, and lowest lows, transcribed them to music, and made each moment beautiful. HAPPY LISTENING, WORLD!

And STAY TUNED: Next week, I discuss my feelings on the film Lawless. 

The Theatre - Heart Correlation

We all, as theatre artists, have that moment, that memory of a production that forever changed us.

The moment I knew, without a doubt that I wanted do this for the rest of my life came when I was seventeen and on a school trip to Chicago. We had seen a production of "Mary Poppins: The Musical" the night before, and that night we headed to the Lookingglass Theatre for a production of "Our Town." I'd read the play and had fallen in love with the script, but didn't really have any expectations for what a staged production would be like. Most of my friends were excited simply because David Schwimmer was playing George. I can honestly say, however, that the two hours I spent in that theatre forever changed the way I look at theatre. Laura Eason’s portrayal of Emily and the entire production’s seemingly effortless dedication to put the true beauty behind Wilder’s words made me see theatre on a different plane, and realize the thousands of possibilities it has.

For me, it's fitting that "Our Town" is the script that changed everything. So many people say that it is the "most boring piece of theatre in creation" and that the third act is the only part of the show that holds any value. But I have never understood how they find themselves to be correct. The opinion they have is sort of the point. “Our Town” is a perfect depiction of what theatre is supposed to illustrate: life. The first two acts are supposed to be typical, even mundane, in the sense that they are depicting every-day life. The reason Emily’s revelations in act three resonate so strongly with an audience is because they realize, as she does, that the moments in acts one and two that they took for granted are the truly beautiful ones in life.

And it’s not just “Our Town” that can do this. All theatre has potential to show people who they are and what their lives can be, and can change them in ways they didn’t imagine. Shouldn’t that be our goal?

Antonin Artaud writes “The actor is an athlete of the heart.”

We’ve all watched sporting events where we’re screaming our heads of and getting all worked up over the score and the other team’s behavior.

But think of those theatrical performances where you’re sitting in a dark audience watching a character fight for something or someone. Isn’t your heart beating just as fast? Aren’t you wanting to get up and scream “She’s worth it!” “What are you doing?!” “HAMLET! NO! POLONIUS IS BEHIND THE TAPESTRY!!”

The theatre shows us real life, and we root for the best outcome for the characters. We are elated when they win and devastated when they lose. This is what, to me, Artaud means. That these stories, these plays, these characters are depicting what we as human beings fight for in our lives. Our struggles, our victories and our defeats.

This is why theatre means so much to me. I will forever be in wonder of theatre, especially those performances that can, in less than two hours, change you forever.

Don’t we want to be a part of that for someone?

A director I worked with once told me that “We, as performers, are the most powerful people on earth. Because we can make the audience feel whatever we want.”

We can evoke truth and beauty in the life of a person who feels that they are devoid of those things.

We can find the parts of a person’s life that they forgot or lost sight of and make them prevalent.

We can teach and demonstrate and depict truth for people who have been living existences filled with deceit and lies.

We can save the world.

We can find and exhibit true, sought-after love, and make people believe that it does, and always will, exist.

“Our Town” is not the only example of this, but is certainly a perfect one, and one, for me, that will always ring more true than anything. The third act is merely a culmination of everything that Wilder has been saying throughout the play. Constant references are made as to how people aren’t meant to be alone in this world. How love is constant and vital to a happy life. In act two, just before their wedding, Emily and George share this exchange:

Emily: All I want is someone to love me.

George: Emily, I’ll try.

Emily: And I mean forever, do you hear? Forever and ever.

And that last picture of George falling at her grave is more than just a portrait of new grief, it is proof that he did and will always love her.

Forever and ever.

Isn’t that what we all want, in the end?

TED Talks: Ken Robinson

Here's a video of Ken Robinson, an international leader and advocate for education, at the 2006 TED Talks in California. Robinson raises some interesting points about the support of creativity in education, as well as the value educators put on the arts in general. Take a listen and see what you think, it's definitely thought provoking.

Here's a few snippets to peak your interest:

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.”

“Creativity now, is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

For more information on Ken Robinson, visit www.sirkenrobinson.com. You can also follow his updates on Facebook or Twitter. Ken also has a book "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything," which makes for a great read.

Enjoy!

The Beginning

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute."

The world isn't broken.

"We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race."

People say it is. That it's devoid of beauty, sincerity and art.

"And the human race is full of passion."

But they're wrong.

"And medicine, law, business, engineering,"

Passion is everywhere, we just have to find it.

"these are noble pursuits"

And not only find it - cultivate it.

"And necessary to sustain life."

Art is everywhere.

"But poetry,"

And it's our job to prove it,

"Beauty,"

To support it, cultivate it, and remind the world of the importance and value the arts hold.

"Romance,"

Because we, as artists, hold a responsibility that we cannot forget.

"Love,"

We can immortalize humanity.

"These are what we stay alive for."

This is a project dedicated to finding, cultivating, encouraging and embracing the arts. To find the inspiring, the provocative and the simply amazing pieces of art that are created every day.

So, as John Keating reminds his students in "Dead Poets Society,"here's to remembering what we stay alive for.