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28

Jul

Let a Tune Transport You!

by Joyce McGreevy on July 28, 2020

A band playing zydeco suggests why the author’s travel memories inspired by music include the vibrant city of New Orleans. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

“Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?” Hearing zydeco takes me right back.
© Joyce McGreevy

Travel Memories Inspired by Music

Imagine a melody with the power to recreate worlds. The cocoa-butter scented breeze of a beach in Maui in 1979—when it’s 2020 and you’re in Montréal. The soaring elegance of a train station in Leipzig—as you drift off to sleep in Lincoln City.

That’s what happens when a tune, any tune, becomes travel music. Oh, I see: When it comes to modes of travel, nothing transports us like music.

The influence of music on our memories has long been established by science. Music lights up the visual cortex like a rainbow-colored disco ball, spinning emotions into motion. One moment you’re pushing a shopping cart down a grocery aisle, the next moment you hear that song—and suddenly travel memories inspired by music come dancing out, whirling you along with them.

A woman exuberantly enjoying the beach reminds the author of the transportive power of travel memories inspired by music. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

At the office in January you hear a certain song, and suddenly it’s summer
and you’re barefoot on a beach in July.
© Joyce McGreevy

“Magical Mystery Tour”

Travel music can be a trickster. Like the time a song from a passing car in Chicago whisked me back to a village in France.

A basket of croissants symbolizes the way travel memories inspired by music often include vivid sensory details. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

One chorus and I recalled the taste of  fresh croissants in Port Launay.
© Joyce McGreevy

So what was the song? Something iconic like “La Vie en Rose”? Pas du tout. 

It was “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes, an alternative rock band from San Francisco.

But to memory, none of that matters. Because of where and when I heard the song, the Jukebox of Memory selected it for my subconscious travel music playlist. Hearing it again, I’m instantly back in Port Launay in 1993:

  • I taste buttery, cloud-like croissants—croissants so marvelous that I show up at the boulangerie each morning before sunup.
  • I feel the thrum of my rented Citroën zipping over the back roads—I who haven’t driven in years.
  • I see primroses around the cottage where my young son and I sit by the fire, reading Breton tales of the sea.

All that joie de vivre and Breton beauty magically preserved in an angsty California rock song. This kind of travel music mismatch, it turns out, is surprisingly common.

A jazz trio in Denmark symbolize why travel memories inspired by music make us feel as if we are re-living, not just recalling, an experience. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

You turn on the radio in Des Moines and suddenly you’re in that little jazz club in Denmark . . .
© Joyce McGreevy

“Come Fly With Me” (and other musical flights of fancy)

Of course, some travel songs are on the nose. And by “nose” I mean the nose cone of a Boeing 707 pointing up at a big blue sky. That’s where I’m transported whenever I hear “Up, Up, and Away.”

Written by Jimmy Webb and popularized by The Fifth Dimension, it became Trans World Airlines’ theme song in 1968. Five notes in, I can practically smell the jet fuel, so vividly does this tune recall the joy of a travel adventure’s beginning.

Oh, I have a whole catalog in my head labeled Travel Music Linked to Airplanes. It’s where I keep travel memories that are . .

  • Ecstatic: Art Garfunkel singing “Break Away, fly across your ocean . . . to awaken in another country.”
  • Glamorous: Joe Sample’s jazz classic “Night Flight.”
  • Wistful: Peter, Paul, and Mary’s “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane.”

Name any mode of transport and you’ll find travel songs for it. “Night Boat to Cairo,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe” to name but a few.  Some travel songs, like “Let’s Get Away from It All,” with its boat to Bermuda, plane to Saint Paul and kayak to Quincy or Nyack, pack in every means of travel but the pogo stick.

“They Call Me the Wanderer”

Some music makes you want to travel somewhere, anywhere, even when you’re toolin’ around town on errands. Many a mild-mannered commuter has experienced raw wanderlust at hearing a classic road trip song like “Route 66” or “Born to Be Wild.”

Then there are songs that evoke longings for places we’ve never been. Like the Faroe Islands, which I researched obsessively after hearing Faroese singer-songwriter, Teitur. Indeed, millions of music lovers felt wanderlust for Cuba the first time they heard Buena Vista Social Club, the musical ensemble celebrated in the documentary of the same name.

“Summer in the City”

You could fill a library with songs about cities—from “Istanbul, Not Constantinople” and “New York State of Mind,” to two entirely different songs with the title “Galway Girl.”

A concert at Lollapalooza taken before the pandemic reminds that author that travel memories inspired by music can be comforting now that such popular events have been canceled. (Image © by Julie Larkin)

With most destination concerts canceled in 2020, we travel via musical memories.
Above: Lollapalooza, Chicago in 2017.
© Julie Larkin

Great cities, in turn, send you home with memories to unpack musically. Any song by the late, great Alain Toussaint or young visionary Trombone Shorty takes me back to New Orleans—wherever I am. And this recently released music video stirs this traveler’s fond memories of a favorite U.S. city, Chicago. Let’s go!

“Take Me Home, Country Roads”

And sometimes travel music takes me all the way home. Home, where childhood memories and my love of travel began. Where my late parents spent evenings planning family travel adventures, as popular French songs floated up from the RCA record player, those Gallic melodies mixing with the aroma of Boeuf Bourguinon from the kitchen.

That’s why whenever I hear “La Vie en Rose” I’m instantly transported .  . . to Syosset, Long Island.

To quote French cabaret singer Maurice Chevalier, “Ah yes, I remember it well!” Whether your  travel memories inspired by music transport you to a favorite destination or to the land of childhood, the common “chord” is magic—the magic that occurs when travel memories have a soundtrack.

What’s on your travel music playlist? Share a favorite tune and the travel memories it evokes for you in the comments below.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

The World's Music/Travels to the Past/Worldwide Sites

28

Apr

In a World of Worry?

by Joyce McGreevy on April 28, 2020

A wall with a small opening reminds the author that cross-cultural tips for care can help you stay calm, even when the world is in crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

When we feel walled off and overwhelmed, we can still find an opening for calm.
© Joyce McGreevy

10 Cross-Cultural Tips for Staying Calm

As sheltering in place continues and some news proves more stress-inducing than helpful, staying calm is not always easy. Happily, there’s a world of ways to maintain equilibrium. Oh, I see: Wherever you live, cross-cultural tips like these can help restore your inner balance.

1. Begin Where East Meets West—Meditation

Meditation’s stress-reduction benefits are backed up by science. While silent meditation works wonders for some,  others may prefer guided meditation. The app Ten Percent Happier is geared to skeptics, first timers, and the downright fidgety.

TIP:  To help people cope with lockdown, co-founder Dan Harris launched Ten Percent Happier Live, a free daily “sanity break,” available through the app or on YouTube. Join Harris and meditation teachers across cultures as they stream from their homes to homes around the world.

Dan Harris, meditating in Times Square, offers cross-cultural tips for staying calm through the app Ten Percent Happier. (Image © Samuel Johns/ 10% Happier)

Pre-2020, TenPercent.com founder Dan Harris finds calm in NYC’s Times Square.
© Samuel Johns/10% Happier

2. Travel from Nepal to . . . Dreamland

Is anxiety triggering insomnia? On the app Calm, cross-cultural “sleep stories” transport you to Chitwan National Park in Nepal, lavender fields in Provence and so on, while helping you wind down.

TIP: Calm‘s blog currently offers a wealth of premium content free—no jet lag, no travel restrictions.

3. Emulate the Japanese—Celebrate Imperfection

As Meredith Mullins explains elsewhere on OIC Moments, wabi sabi is a Japanese aesthetic . . that treasures how we are rather than how we should be.”

TIP: Dare to see the beauty in something imperfect—like your children’s messy bedroom, which also means your kids are healthy and active.

A dog looking amused by an owner’s silly Christmas slippers reminds the author that a sense of humor is a cross-cultural tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Spring wardrobe a bit outdated? Relax, the fashion police aren’t stopping by.
© Joyce McGreevy

4. Do Indian-Inspired Yoga

It began in the Indus-Sarasvati region of India 5,000 years ago—today, it’s popular across most cultures. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the U.S. alone, 1 in 7 adults and 1 in 12 children practice yoga. During the COVID-19 crisis, many rely on yoga to stay calm.

TIP: It’s no stretch to find good resources. From Mindbody’s illustrated list of calming poses, videos like “Yoga to Calm Your Nerves,” and the app Kids Yogaverse, the options for wellness are well within reach.

5. Cope American-Style—Commune with Your Pet

Researchers say ours is a pet-obsessed culture. America spends more per pet than anywhere else in the world. But all our pets really want us to “spend” is more time with them. So cuddle that cat, roll over with Rover, talk to your turtle, and partner up for yoga.

 

If video does not display, see the whole new take on “downward facing dog” here.

TIP: Do consult with your dog first if you intend to do “cat pose” . . . .

6. Dance Around the House, Nigerian Style 

Afrobeats is proof that you can calm yourself down by revving yourself up with great music.

TIP: Unfamliar with Afrobeats? View this marvelous 8-minute history, which includes recommendations.

Irish chickens drinking water from a trough remind the author that, across all cultures, staying hydrated is helpful tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

DO: shake your tail feathers. DO: stay hydrated. DON’T: get in a flap.
© Joyce McGreevy

7. Savor Swedish “Fika”

Sweden’s calming ritual centers around coffee, but fika is even more about setting aside a moment and savoring it. Traditionally, it’s sociable.  In Swedish workplaces being “too busy” for fikarast (coffee break)  is unthinkable. But whether you’re Zoom-ing with co-workers, cocooning with loved ones, or sheltering solo, take time to feel the fika.

TIP: Short on Swedish pastries?  Make cinnamon toast.

A toy dog sharing Swedish fika shows that a sense of play and cross-cultural tips help one stay calm when sheltering in place during the pandemic. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Bedford joins me for fikarast.
© Joyce McGreevy

8. Do Something Irish—Read a Poem

Ireland is one of those rare countries where almost everyone appreciates poetry. In hard times across cultures, poetry is a ready source of comfort. And when a poet expresses the seemingly inexpressible, it crosses over into magic.

TIP: Read one of  Ireland’s most popular poems, Yeats’ “The Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Your heart will thank you.

Flowers in a field remind the author that, across cultures, appreciating nature’s beauty is a helpful tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What is fragile can  flourish.
© Joyce McGreevy

9. Discover an Italian Art

 

 Il dolce fare niente—”the sweetness of doing nothing”

Sure, you could turn lockdown into Self-Improvement Boot Camp and become a Productivity Powerhouse. But why? Consider occasionally doing nothing at all.

TIP: How to “do” nothing? Any way you want. Stand barefoot in grass, doze in your favorite chair, watch clouds the way you did as a child.

A collage of a dog sleeping reminds the author that rest is a cross-cultural tool for staying calm during a crisis. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

We’re gonna rest, rest, rest around the clock tonight!
© Joyce McGreevy

10. Do the World Some Good

According to Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, doing good for others is good for you, too.  Altruism reduces stress, which has ripple-effect benefits for your health. Whether you adopt a global mindset or keep it local, what matters is doing or giving what you can,

TIP: Find a guide to helping during the crisis here.

A World of Support

Working from home, sheltering in place, waiting to return “Out There”—each carries its own pressures. These cross-cultural tips for staying calm are just a sampling of the world’s wisdom and creativity. What cultural calming rituals can you share with readers of OIC Moments?

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Clever Ideas/Crossing Cultures/Worldwide Sites

13

Apr

Virtual Traveler— A Journey of Note

by Meredith Mullins on April 13, 2020

The New York Philharmonic pays tribute to front-line healthcare workers. (Watch below.)
(Courtesy of New York Philharmonic/YouTube)

The Healing Power of Music and the Performing Arts

Much of the world has been “sheltering in place” for a while now. Some of us have lost count of the days, and, in fact, might not even be sure what day of the week it is.

Our exotic travel consists of taking the garbage out or exploring a closet that we haven’t visited for years.

As a result of this change in our daily life, we are becoming expert virtual travelers—happily wandering the rabbit hole of the Internet.

The arts find a way to build community in times of struggle.
© Meredith Mullins (in collaboration with Opera Fuoco)

The good news is that artists and arts organizations are providing a rich offering of music and theatre when we most need it. (See also last week’s OIC for the opportunities offered in visual arts.)

More importantly, the arts seem to be bringing us closer together (metaphorically speaking, of course) in a time when the spirit of community has never been more important.

Music Gives a Soul to the Universe (Plato)

The power of music, whether at home or in the concert halls of the world, is a universal force. In these “stay-at-home” times, distance has not stopped the music. The virtual traveler is invited to just sit back and open ears, eyes, and heart.

The virtual traveler can be transported from the comfort of home.
© iStock/Martin DM

Musicians and orchestras around the world are performing . . . from their homes. The virtual performances show how much music means to the musicians . . . and how much it can mean to us, the audience—a message straight to the soul.

Bolero was a popular choice among orchestras, as the New York Philharmonic (watch below) and the National Orchestra of France (watch here) both chose this dramatic Ravel piece for their first virtual performance (a good steady rhythm to keep everyone in sync).

The New York Philharmonic dedicated their performance to the front-line healthcare workers who are risking their lives every day.

If video does not display, watch it here.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra reminded us that spring is here, even if we can’t breathe it in, with Copland’s Appalachian Spring (watch it here).

The Norwegian Arctic Orchestra paid tribute to their native son, Edvard Grieg, with a Praeludium from the Holberg Suite (watch it here).

A rare look at each musician’s part in the whole
© iStock/bizou_n

And the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra brings it home with Hang on Sloopy, the official rock song of Ohio (watch it here). Let’s all hang on.

With all of these virtual orchestras, it is a rare privilege to see the musicians highlighted as individuals. We better understand how they play their instruments and how each instrument’s part is interwoven into the whole.

Music is a unique art, where much can be layered in each moment. This new form of performance helps us to feel that special quality.

Virtual Voices

Choirs and choruses around the world are reinventing their way of performing during this time when physical concerts are not possible.

The Camden Voices, a choir from the U.K., found a new way to stay in touch with a virtual performance of Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors. Their celestial harmony and song lyrics like “Show me your smile” and “Just call me up cause I will always be there” are particularly meaningful in these times of isolation and stress.

If video does not display, watch it here.

We are also serenaded by singers around the world, who have taken advantage of YouTube and Instagram to provide a song a day to keep our spirits up or a live mini-concert from home.

For example, listen to Rufus Wainwright (watch his quarantunes here) or Keith Urban (watch here). And if you’re a New Yorker missing one of the iconic Washington Square Park street musicians, know that Colin Huggins, a regular in that park, has moved his mobile piano indoors to continue to provide his music (watch him here).

For that often-needed humor, creative musicians and YouTube masters are offering some lockdown parodies.

If video doesn’t display, watch it here.

If video does not display, watch it here.

The Digital Stage

The Kennedy Center is streaming performances from the archives on the corona-safe digital stages of YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Don’t miss:

If video does not display, watch it here.

Lincoln Center’s online offerings include concerts, pop-up classrooms, dance, songs, puppetry, and paper weaving.

The center is also sharing a selection of master classes from female filmmakers, including Agnès Varda, Ava DuVernay, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Greta Gerwig and more.

The Magic of Performing Arts During Corona

For the virtual traveler in search of culture, here is a sampling of organizations providing solace for the soul.

If video does not display, watch it here.

A Grand Finale

As with any good musical composition, we end this collection of culture with a flourish. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Ode to Joy) is a perfect way to lift the spirits. The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra finds a way to reach our souls from a socially acceptable distance . . . and somehow gives us strength.

For me, it was as if the whole planet lent voice to that final chorus.  Oh, I see. In these tumultuous times, the virtual traveler can seek solace, connection, and inspiration through arts and culture.

We will get through this together . . . with a little help from our friends.

If video does not display, watch it here. 

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

 

Art of Travel/The World's Music/Worldwide Sites

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