#john mackey

[ask-the-ultimate-babysitter]

What music are you listening to right now?

BABYMETAL! But I was listening to John Mackey earlier.

[filmjunky-99]

d o l o r e s c l a i b o r n e, 1995 🎬 dir. taylor hackford

[dark-raven-feathers]

I am convinced every piece above the easy difficulty is just John Mackey trying to kill the flutes

How. Why is this in the sheet music

Sir what is this run

Why did you give the flutes the saxophone cues what is this

[bcbdrums]

Wine-Dark Sea!!!!!!!!

Purple Oceans

For about seven-eights of the Earth’s history, its oceans were extremely rich in sulfides. This would have prevented animals and plants from surviving in 70% of the planet. But it was a great habitat for photosynthetic bacteria that require sulfides and sunlight to live. Known as purple and green sulfur bacteria (because those are the two colors it comes in) these single-celled microbes can only live in environments where they simultaneously have access to sulfides and sunlight.

That they thrived in the sulfide-rich ocean has been confirmed with the finding of fossilized pigments of purple sulfur bacteria in 1.6 billion-year-old rocks from the McArthur Basin in Northern Australia.

[medinerd]

VIDEO - John Mackey : “Fission,” with the Rouse High School Honor Band

This is the Rouse (TX) High School Honor Band performing the concert band transcription of John Mackey’s Fission. If you’re a drum corps fan, you most likely recognize the music, which Mackey composed as Carolina Crown’s closer this past season. Not only is the performance, which is a rehearsal run thru the band did before their concert performance at the Midwest Clinic, impressive, but the road…

[truebluetreble]

Music of the Winds and Seas- Part 1: “Hubris”

Measurements: 24″x36″ 

Medium description: single unbroken sheet of cut acid-free white paper mounted on single unbroken sheet of cut acid-free black paper.

Music of the Winds and Seas is planned four-panel piece, currently in progress. Each panel measures 24″x36″, and features the music of a wind band composer. The series as a whole is an observation of humankind’s relationship with the sea.

“Hubris” is the first panel, and takes its name from the first movement of Wine Dark Sea, a symphony for band by John Mackey. Mackey was in turn inspired by the tale of the Odyssey. His music portrays Odysseus’s ship being struck down by Zeus for his prideful offenses against the gods.

I took Mackey’s melodies and placed them on masts rooted to a cruise ship– the Costa Concordia, which sank in 2012 off the coast of Italy due to the reckless stunts of her captain, a modern-day Odysseus. Mackey’s bassline runs in the waters beneath the ship, connecting to the bassline of Harrison’s Dream in the next panel.

On the smallest mast, nine bars are spaced out in morse code for “SOS,” a rhythmic distress call which Mackey has the drums play in the disastrous climax of Hubris.

The style of the wave was inspired by Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa. However, instead of the harmonious way Hokusai’s little boats bow in submission, I wanted to create the discordance of a captain’s ill-advised, ill-fated clash with nature.

For the 32 people who perished aboard the Costa Concordia, their souls are represented as 32 stars in the sky, which are arranged in the constellations Argo Navis (the Ship Argo) and Delphinus (the Dolphin).

Thank you to John Mackey for kindly giving me his blessing to use his music!

[linusjf]

John Mackey: Engage with the market

“If you just want to have your ideals, you can have them, but you may not have a business. So you have to engage with the market. You can try to influence the market, you can try to educate the market, but at the end of the day, they vote every day with their pocketbooks for exactly what they want. If you’re not prepared to serve them what they want, then they’re going to go find it somewhere…

[screenshot-thoughts]

“If you are lucky enough to be someone's employer, then you have a morall obligation to make sure people do look forward to coming to work in the morning.”

John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO

[texaschainsawmascara]

gmf.designs on ig

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jason Wilson at The Guardian:

In a December 2023 speech, JD Vance defended a notorious white nationalist convicted over 2016 election disinformation, canvassed the possibility of breaking up tech companies, attacked diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and talked about a social media “censorship regime” that “came from the deep state on some level”.

The senator’s speech was given at the launch of a “counterrevolutionary” book – praised by the now Republican vice-presidential candidate as “great” – which was edited and mostly written by employees of the far-right Claremont Institute. In the book, Up from Conservatism, the authors advocate for the repeal of the Civil Rights Act, for politicians to conduct “deep investigations into what the gay lifestyle actually does to people”, that college and childcare be defunded and that rightwing governments “promote male-dominated industries” in order to discourage female participation in the workplace. Vance’s endorsement of the book may raise further questions about his extremism, and that of his networks. The Guardian emailed Vance’s Senate staff and the Trump and Vance campaign with detailed questions about his appearance at the launch, but received no response.

‘Congratulations on such a great book’

Vance’s speech was given in the Capitol visitor center in Washington DC last 11 December, according to a version of C-Span’s subsequent broadcast of the event that is preserved at the Internet Archive. The occasion was the launch of Up from Conservatism, an essay collection edited by Arthur Milikh, the executive director of the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life. In his introductory remarks on the day, Milikh said the book “maps out the right’s errors over the last generation … on immigration, on universities, on the administrative state”.

The book, however, appears more directed towards supplanting an old right – seen as too accommodating – with a “new right” focused on destroying its perceived enemies on the left.

In the book’s introduction, Milikh writes: “The New Right recognizes the Left as an enemy, not merely an opposing movement, because the Left today promotes a tyrannical conception of justice that is irreconcilable with the American idea of justice … the New Right is a counterrevolutionary and restorative force.” Also in that piece, Milikh offers a vision of the new right’s triumph, which has an authoritarian ring: “We like to say that one must learn to govern, but a truer expression is that one must learn to rule.” In his speech, Vance first offered “congratulations on such a great book, and thanks for getting such a good crew together”, and then warmed to themes similar to Milikh’s. “Republicans, conservatives, we’re still terrified of wielding power, of actually doing the job that the people sent us here to do,” Vance said, later adding: “Isn’t it just common sense that when we’re given power, we should actually do something with it?”

Brad Onishi, author of Preparing for War, a critical account of Christian nationalism and the host of the Straight White American Jesus podcast, said: “Vance, many Claremont people, including some folks in this volume, and especially the ‘post-liberal’ conservative Catholics that he hangs out with, have advocated for a form of big government that will wield its power in order to set the country right.” He added: “And you may think, well, OK, that doesn’t sound so bad. But here the common good is rooting out queer people, making sure non-Christians don’t immigrate to the country and outlawing things like pornography that are currently a matter of personal choice. “You end up with this conservatism that promotes an invasive government conservatism rather than a small government.”

[...]

‘Free our minds … from the fear of being called racists’

In the book, commended by Vance, a series of authors take reactionary – or “counterrevolutionary” – positions on a number of social and economic issues. In one chapter, John Fonte writes of disrupting narratives of civil rights progress: “The great meaning of America, we are told, comes from liberating so-called oppressed groups and taming the power of privileged groups. Thus, our history is one of liberation: first of Blacks, then of women, then of gays, and now of the transgendered.” Fonte retorts: “Not only is this narrative false; it will take us further down the path of national self-destruction … On the questions of slavery, American Indians, and racial discrimination, the progressive narrative is not a historically accurate project designed to address past wrongs, but a weaponized movement to deconstruct and replace American civilization.”

Like other authors in the collection, Fonte offers policy recommendations. He proposes heavy-handed federal intervention into education: “[T]he US Congress should prohibit any federal funds in education to support projects … that promote DEI (“diversity, equity and inclusion”) and divisive concepts such as the idea that America is ‘systemically racist.’” In his chapter, David Azerrad tells readers: “We need to free our minds once and for all from the fear of being called racists.” The assistant professor and research fellow at rightwing Hillsdale College, and former Heritage Foundation director and Claremont Institute fellow, also claims that conservatives have been too conciliatory on race: “For too many conservatives, the goal is to outdo progressives in displays of compassion for blacks … yet blacks continue to vote monolithically for the Democratic Party and progressives have only ramped up their hysterical accusations of racism.”

Azerrad continues with white nationalist talking points on race, crime and IQ, writing: “It is not racist to notice that blacks commit the majority of violent crimes in America, no more than it is to incarcerate convicted black criminals … There is no reason to expect equal outcomes between the races … In some elite and highly technical sectors in which there are almost no qualified blacks, color-blindness will mean no blacks.” Elsewhere, Azerrad writes: “[C]onservatives will need to root out from their souls the pathological pity for blacks, masquerading as compassion, that is the norm in contemporary America … This is most obvious in the widespread embrace of affirmative action (the lowering of standards to advance blacks) and the general reluctance to speak certain blunt but necessary truths about the pathologies plaguing black America – in particular, violent crime, fatherlessness, low academic achievement, nihilistic alienation, and the cult of victimhood.”

[...]

‘Do not subsidize childcare’

Helen Andrews, meanwhile, offers “three things we could do right now that would put a big dent in the multiplying lies that have come from feminists for the last forty years about women and careers”. Her first proposal is to “stop subsidizing college so much”, since, according to Andrews, in the 22-29 age group, “there are four women with college degrees … for every three men. That is going to lead to a lot of women with college degrees who do not end up getting married.” “Second,” Andrews continues, “the Right can do more to promote male-dominated industries. Reviving American manufacturing and cracking down on China’s unfair trade practices isn’t just an economic and national security issue; it’s a gender issue.” Her third proposal is “do not subsidize childcare” – since the fact that “many working moms are struggling” with childcare costs “might actually be good information the economy is trying to tell you”. Andrews is the print editor of the paleoconservative magazine the American Conservative and has previously written sympathetically about white supremacist minority regimes in Rhodesia – renamed Zimbabwe after white rule ended – and South Africa.

Scott Yenor claims in his chapter that before the 1960s, America lived under a “Straight Constitution, which honored enduring, monogamous, man-woman, and hence procreative marriage. It also stigmatized alternatives”. Yenor is a political science professor at Boise State University and a fellow at the Claremont Institute. He then claims: “We currently live under the Queer Constitution”, which “honors all manner of sex”, and under which “laws restricting contraception, sodomy, and fornication are, by its lights, unconstitutional”. Yenor claims: “These changes in law are but the first part of an effort to normalize and then celebrate premarital sex, recreational sex, men who have sex with men, childhood immodesty, masturbation, lesbianism, and all conceptions of transgenderism.”

Yenor says the state should intervene in citizens’ sex lives: “In the states, new obscenity laws for a more obscene world should be adopted. Pornography companies and websites should be investigated for their myriad public ills like sex trafficking, addictions, and ruined lives. The justice of anti-discrimination must be revisited.” In a separate essay co-written with Milikh, the editor, Yenor advocates in effect destroying the current education system and starting again. The essay includes a recommendation for school curriculums: “Students could start building obstacle courses at an early age, learning how to construct a wall and how to adapt the wall for climbing … Students could learn to build and shoot guns as part of a normal course of action in schools and learn how to grow crops and prepare them for meals.”

The Guardian reports that Trump VP pick and Ohio Senator JD Vance promoted far-right extremist views from Arthur Milkh’s Up From Conservatism essay book.

[southpark3d]

By John Mallette, ca. 1999.

[dreamgirleviltaylorsversion]

Barbie Movie Aesthetic

[jules-has-notes]

Just Sing — VoicePlay music video

In times of societal stress, art is not just a good thing, but a necessity. It connects people across time and distance, uniting us through the expression of common emotions. So when VoicePlay found themselves unable to create videos in person, they did the same thing as many others around the world — they went remote. Since everyone filming in the comfort of their own homes meant that geography was no longer a concern, the guys reached out to a couple dozen collaborators spanning decades of recordings, and brought them together into an uplifting chorus of supremely talented voices.

NOTE: Make sure you have the captions on to see who everybody is in relation to the group.

Details:

title: Just Sing

featured performers: Kristina Palazzolo, Liam Gerrity, Rachel Potter, Mykal Kilgore, Tony Wakim, Darian Yancey, Emoni Wilkins, Sarah Vela, Tim Foust, Honey La Rochelle, Matthew Darren, VJ Rosales, Adriana Arellano, Elizabeth Garazzo, Anthony Gargiula, John Pinto Jr., Scott Porter, Jeff Thatcher, & Jarrett Johnson

original performers: cast of Trolls World Tour (2020)

written by: Justin Timberlake, Sarah Aarons, Ludwig Göransson, & Max Martin

arranged by: Layne Stein

release date: 15 May 2020

My favorite bits:

the way Kristina's face lights up when Liam joins in

ramping up the accompaniment behind Rachel

the overlap between Mykal and Tony on ♫ "everybody" ♫

reuniting the trio of Earl, Eli, and Tony from the era when they became VoicePlay

the ladies of Ten bouncing the lead vocals back and forth

Sarah's brash little shoulder brush (Heck yeah, she's good!)

Tim being greeted with his own signature growl from Geoff

the extra oomph Honey puts on ♫ "lips" ♫ and ♫ "soul" ♫

having VJ sing in his own Filipino language of Tagalog rather than the original version's Korean

bringing the friendly bass-off full circle with Tim's subharmonic ♫ "else" ♫ and the captions calling him a "show off 🙄"

that slow bell chord behind the end of John's section

J.None taking the lead for Guy Diamond's part again

all three vocal percussionists showing off their different styles

Elizabeth's soaring glissando to lead everyone back in

seeing all the singers together on screen at last

ending with simple homophony from the five guys and the kids

Trivia:

As Layne notes in the outro, VoicePlay donated their revenue for this video to MusiCares, which provides support to musicians in need. Their services were vital during a time when live performances weren't possible. This campaign raised over $170,000!

This project got a nice write-up on Broadway World to help promote the video and associated fundraiser.

VoicePlay's previous song from the Trolls franchise was released almost exactly two years earlier in May 2018.

Kristina's dad Pasquale also sang in the high school chorus that spawned 4:2:Five / VoicePlay, though he was a couple years older.

Liam's dad Sean Gerrity was part of the rotating cast when 4:2:Five were in the Polar Express Conductors show at SeaWorld in 2011.

Rachel was VoicePlay's first guest singer in a music video, and remains one of their most prolific, despite having moved first to Nashville and then New York. (When these guys really like someone, they don't let go easily.)

Mykal was the group's original high tenor way back when they were a high school barbershop quartet called 4 The Love, and into the early days of 4:2:Five. He left the group when the older boys graduated.

Tony has joked that he sees the VoicePlay guys more now than he did when he was a member of the group. Considering how frequently they film in and around the PattyCake studio, it's not much of an exaggeration.

Darian (aka DeeDee) is one of many friends the guys met during the fourth season of The Sing-Off. She was the final collaborator on their "Collide" project, and later recorded a duet with Layne during his paternity leave.

Emoni may have started as a fellow Sing-Off competitor, but she quickly became a dear friend and frequent collaborator. She has guested in music videos, joined them for both the first Sing-Off tour and a series of educational workshops, and plays Ursula in PattyCake's Villains Lair series. Not to mention becoming an honorary auntie to Layne's youngest daughter.

Sarah was one of their youngest Sing-Off pals, as her group Vocal Rush was in high school at the time, but she was a powerhouse even back then. When this was filmed, she was about to return to her alma mater and take over directorship of the group she helped to found.

Tim's group Home Free and VoicePlay have often been compared or even pitted against each other by fans ever since The Sing-Off, but the guys themselves have liked and supported each other from the beginning.

Honey was a theme park buddy from way back, and enjoyed joining the guys for The Sing-Off. There was a bit of friction between them after she wasn't able to join them for the tour, but it's nice to see that the passage of years and some extraordinary circumstances could bring them together again.

Matthew was another theme park pal, and was in serious consideration to replace Tony as the group's baritone back in 2017.

VJ and his group The Filharmonic are yet more Sing-Off alumni, who the guys got to know well on the 2014 tour. When VoicePlay joke about passing the torch to "younger, cuter" guys, it's not hard to see where they got the idea.

Adriana was their most recent new collaborator at the time, and has returned for a number of full-length videos and shorts in the ensuing years. (But she still wasn't old enough to drive yet here.)

Elizabeth is a friend from the guys' early days in the theme park scene, when she was a member of the Voices of Liberty at Disney World. This is her first onscreen appearance with them, but not her first (or last) collaboration.

Anthony is also part of the extended theme park community, and was supposed to appear in a different video before the quarantine put the kibosh on that plan. They've definitely made up for that disappointment in the years since, though.

John always seems to appear during times of uncertainty. His first collaboration happened after Tony left the group, this was put together during lockdown, and his third appearance came about after Earl retired. (That's just coincidental, right?)

Although Scott left the group to pursue acting in 2003, he's always been supportive from afar, and maintained ties with their extended friend group in Orlando. He even gets to show off his vocal skills in the course of his acting jobs sometimes.

Jeff was not only an inspiration to the youngsters in 4:2:Five as a member of Rockapella, but quickly became a colleague and a friend. He produced their first eponymous EP, and has created several pieces of artwork for them over the years.

Jarrett occasionally subbed as 4:2:Five's baritone when Ryan Reed was starting to step away, and helped produce VoicePlay's "Once Upon an Ever After" album. The guys have enjoyed seeing him find success as both a part-time member of fellow a cappella group Take 6 and in the film industry.

As the guys noted in the Patron behind the scenes video, this project was (by necessity) new and unique in a lot of ways.

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A group of fans created a tribute version a few years later using the karaoke track available through VoicePlay's Patreon.

This ended up being Earl's last video with the group, a fitting final bow, even if they didn't know it at the time. It almost feels like everyone came back to give him a great big send-off party.