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Ouch. Pain.
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Oct. 6th, 2008 @ 02:46 pm
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It's a dull pain in my wrist. But damn this thing is hurting. I think I will be offline a lot next few days... Though still have to publish weeklies and stuff.. and wanted to record my celtic podcast. ggrr.... any audio editors out there that might be able to help? |
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Marc Gunn's Twitters
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Oct. 6th, 2008 @ 09:30 am
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter for American Celtic Musician Marc Gunn |
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Marc Gunn's Twitters
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Oct. 4th, 2008 @ 09:32 am
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter for American Celtic Musician Marc Gunn |
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Marc Gunn's Twitters
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Oct. 3rd, 2008 @ 09:32 am
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter for American Celtic Musician Marc Gunn |
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Prez/VP Debates
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Oct. 2nd, 2008 @ 10:41 pm
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I only listened to a few minutes of this debate. Originally I was thinking of listening more, but, what's the point. Ah politicians. I'm not usually so cynical...
So I want to watch debates in the same style of Pop Up Video with FactCheck.org. So that every time a candidate says a stupid lie or misrepresentation, there's pop and you can see the fact correctly.
That'd be awesome!
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Nice!
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Oct. 2nd, 2008 @ 03:23 pm
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For Buffy and Obama fans. Thanks Robin!
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Gandalf
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Oct. 2nd, 2008 @ 11:31 am
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From A Long Expected Party. He did a brilliant job playing the part. He was a dead ringer for the cartoon version of The Hobbit. Voice was perfect! And of course, check out that outfit!
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Marc Gunn's Twitters
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Oct. 2nd, 2008 @ 09:31 am
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Fond Memories and Dreams of Future
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Sep. 30th, 2008 @ 09:48 pm
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ALEP really got my mind cranking. It was, in my mind, a perfect weekend. I don't use that term much, but it felt perfect. Joy and pleasure all wrapped up into a few wonderful days of bliss.
Since then, I got home and started working on my Celtic Invasion of Italy. I already have six people signed up for the trip, and haven't even gotten a forms from five people who have originally asked to be part of the trip. Thus, it is pretty much sold out.
Wow! What a thought!
I am thinking I might expand the number of attendees a little bit. But I can't do a lot, else transportation becomes a total nightmare. But the trip looks amazing.
So now, I'm prematurely thinking of future trips. Scotland and Prince Edward Island (yay! Anne of Green Gables fans!) are both on my mind as places I would really love to do next year if this first trip's organization doesn't turn into a total nightmare. In 2010, I was thinking of France, taking mules into the Grand Canyon and maybe even New Zealand. Plus, beaches in Florida, Australia, Yellowstone, Ludvig's castles, Sweden, Norway, ahhhh the possibilities are endless. And that doesn't even touch the Far East.
(If you have thoughts or suggestions please post them!)
I just love traveling. And it's so exciting to see the many opportunities opened by doing these trips.
The break from ALEP also brought about a bit of reality to me, that moving might not offer that fulfillment that I'm hoping it will. I am moving ultimately because I want to find a community to call home (among many other reasons). That's one of the exciting things about the Celtic Invasions, the possibility of creating my own community, for short-periods of time, around the world.
Ultimately, I am looking for a place to settle down though. So my cats don't need to be on the road. And a good community to call my own, even while I'm gallivanting around the globe. A place much like The Shire that I experienced at ALEP would be lovely. It was happiness and those fond memories will stay with me a lifetime.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.Current Mood:  thoughtful |
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What Are You Looking At?
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Sep. 30th, 2008 @ 08:34 pm
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Cara has posted a bunch of pics from a photo shoot we did on Saturday. Haven't gone through them yet, but there's a lot.
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| » Bag End from A Long Expected Party |
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Ain't it purty!
Sep. 30th, 2008 @ 06:26 pm
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| » Bilbo's Birthday |
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One of many pictures from A Long Expected Party
Sep. 30th, 2008 @ 03:25 pm
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| » Last Chance to Vote for Celtic Music |
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Today is the last day for nominating podcasts in The People's Choice Podcast Awards. Please vote for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Here's how:
- Go to http://podcastawards.com
- Vote for "Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, http://celticmusicpodcast.com/"
- Nominate it for "Best Podsafe Music" and also "People's Choice"
- If you want vote for another add Celtic podcast, nominate "Irish Fireside, http://irishfireside.com/" for "Best Travel"
That's all you need to do. You can only vote once.
PLEASE tell a friends about the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast and ask them to nominate us for The People's Choice Podcast Awards too.
Thanks!
Marc Gunn
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.
Sep. 30th, 2008 @ 09:58 am
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| » Marc Weeklies: Despite Warning, I Went Drinking With Hobbits |
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I'm still glowing from my trip to Kentucky where we celebrated Bilbo's Birthday Party with A Long Expected Party. I'm a little sad for several reasons. First, because it is over. But also because I feel sorry for all the Lord of the Rings fans who missed this great event. It really was a priceless memory. I can't help but wonder if ALEP could ever be replicated as good as it was this year. Ah well. I'm just happy I got to go drinking with hobbits one more time. Now it's time to scour the net for pictures.
This Week:
-- Quote of the Week: "Of all God's creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat." - Mark Twain
-- "Will Brobdingnagin Bards Music Disappear Forever?" I got this email last week from someone who was hoping to buy our CDs for Christmas. The answer is no. All Brobdingnagian Bards albums will continue to remain for sale. HOWEVER, we do still have some t-shirts (sizes Small to 5X) and tote bags for sale. There are not many left, and they will remain until they are sold out. Then they are gone forever!
-- NEW MP3: Wild Mountain Thyme. Listen and download one of my favorite songs from my new demo CD, which you can get for free.
-- FEATURED: WGPR 13 - Dragon Con Artists and TLAPD! and on a Hobbit Day blog. I've also never seen myself headbang before. Check it out with FreeBog.
-- Voltaire's New CD Finally Online. Voltaire's new CD To the Bottom of the Sea is now online. It's currently the #1 CD on CD Baby's Top Now Charts!
-- Well, I'm Back from Bilbo's Birthday Party. Read about my adventure to The Shire. It was a magical experience. I wish I took more pictures at ALEP. Fortunately, pics and blogs are popping up all over. Read Elven singer, Kate Brown's blog, or see Rosie Cotton's pictures.
-- PrintTheTruth.org. The first distributed political poster system in history. Every day until the election, we give you a free poster. Print as many as you can, paste em up. Put them on the office fridge, the cars in the lot, on your vacuum cleaner, wherever you can.
-- UPCOMING GIGS. This weekend the Brobdingnagian Bards are at FenCon in Dallas. The following weekend is the Browncoat Ball. Then the week after that I return for Another Space Madness at Elysium!
-- Wine and Whiskey Tasting at Louisiana Renaissance Festival. If you want an incredible experience at LARF, sign up now for the Wine and Whiskey Tastings. You will learn a ton about the drinks, PLUS, you'll hear a few songs for me. Right now, this is the only show I have at the festival. However, I am hoping to score more. Time will tell.
-- Celtic Invasion of Italy. I haven't even solidified the trip, and it is already nearly sold out. Sign up to the mailing list to find out more and reserve your spot ASAP.
-- Check me out on Myspace, SoundClick, Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook, Livejournal, Sonicbids, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...
 
-- Do you have a quote, movie, album, tip or suggestion that you'd like to share in my Weeklies? If so, post a comment with your suggestion here.
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.
Sep. 30th, 2008 @ 02:07 am
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| » Free MP3 - Wild Mountain Thyme |
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This is one of the earliest songs I learned when I began playing Celtic music. The Brobdingnagian Bards recorded it on A Faire to Remember, and it never ceased to capture someone's attention. I rearranged the song a couple years ago to make it more sing-alongable. And I love this recording of this classic song by Francis McPeake.
"Wild Mountain Thyme"
Listen: HiFi
Recorded by Marc Gunn
From: Marc Gunn Free EP
Read Lyrics: "Wild Mountain Thyme" Lyrics
Download MP3: 128 kbps
Buy MP3 for 99 cents: 192 kbps or iTunes
Donation: Make a Donation
Subscribe: http://www.irish-song-lyrics.com/podcast.rss Want to see Marc Gunn perform? Join my Street Team. Buy my CDs!
Released under a Creative Commons Noncommercial ShareAlike License. If you enjoy the music, please purchase the MP3, buy the CD, post a review, repost this blog, or tell a friend. Every little bit helps to make to keep these free MP3s coming. Thanks! Find out more about the MarcSongs Podcast now.
Originally published at Irish-Song-Lyrics.com. Find lyrics, free MP3s, and chords to Irish folk songs.
Sep. 29th, 2008 @ 11:50 pm
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| » Marc Gunn's Twitters |
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter for American Celtic Musician Marc Gunn
Sep. 29th, 2008 @ 09:32 am
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| » Well, I'm Back from Bilbo's Birthday Party |
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I am complete. I had the most spectacular geek weekend of... dare I say, my life. It was definitely THE event of the year. It was A Long Expected Party and sheer joy!
It's funny. Ever since I was a kid, I was fascinated by small places. One of my favorite D&D characters was a tiny little Halfling (aka Hobbit) called Rat. He was mischievous little character.
When I saw the cartoon The Hobbit, I fell in love. My character came to life, as did my interest in Lord of the Rings.
About five years ago, I started writing songs for the Brobdingnagian Bards' CD, Memories of Middle Earth. I noticed a pattern in my writing. Most of the songs were about hobbits. Hobbits captured my imagination. I even wrote a hobbit birthday song for Bilbo Baggins, so hobbits could have their own birthday song. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever be blessed with an opportunity to sing the song for him, on his birthday, in front of a gross of hobbits. This weekend, I did just that.
The Brobdingnagian Bards flew off to The Shaker Village in Kentucky for three days of hobbity fun. The Shaker Village was a perfect setting for The Shire. The buildings just had that "feel". The event barn where the BondFire and Hall of Fire were held felt right out of Gondor, immense.
Thursday night's BondFire kicked off with Mother Nature telling an engaging story of how hobbits almost didn't have a Winter. Gandalf and Bilbo reenacted several scenes from the book, with their own unique twists. Gandalf told his own story. And I had the pleasure of kicking off the weekend solo, playing many of the songs I wrote for Memories of Middle Earth.
Gandalf told me afterward, it was the perfect beginning to the weekend. He didn't know how it would be topped... but it was.
Friday, we woke up early. I caught a tantalizing hint of Michael Drout's brilliance as he talked about the Anglo-Saxon influence on the Lord of the Rings. It sparked my imagination with excitement.
At noon, the Brobdingnagian Bards with Michelle Hedden kicked off lunch with some music. Folks gathered in the grass with the wind blowing cool air, as they ate. We had lunch and then I headed off to the Brandywine.
There were about a hundred of us who took a boat ride down the Brandywine River. The weather was perfect. Birds flew through the valley. We talked and just enjoyed the flow.
When the boat landed, I joined Bilbo and his Fellowship as we hiked back to the Shake... The Shire. It warmed up a bit, and I had a little too much sun. But the thought of ice cream propelled us up the hill to relaxation. Then I took a short nap before the Hall of Fire that night.
The Hall was once again alight with excitement. There was harp music, poetry, stories, more skits, a costume contest, songs by Kate Brown, and then the Brobdingnagian Bards finished the evening out with a few songs we never get to play. The whole evening was even better than the last.
Saturday, I woke early and hiked to Farmer Cotton's for breakfast, so I could make it in time for Michael Drout's entire discussion on Anglo-Saxonny and J.R.R. Tolkien. It was fantastic. It fired me up to re-read the books and to even brave The Silmarillion again. I have yet to make it through that book. But dang it, I'm gonna try!
At lunch, we played some more music. Then that afternoon, I joined my friend Cara for a photo shoot and some great conversation around The Shire. It was a pleasant, relaxed afternoon.
When we arrived at the party site, I was blown away.
A facade of Bag End was constructed that was absolutely beautiful. The signs and stage and tables, and energy... People arrived and were just as excited. We were about to recreate Bilbo's Birthday Party from Fellowship of the Ring. It was everything you would've expected. And what an honor to be able to play music for that awesome event!
The night drew by with hobbity fun, dancing, sing-alongs, and of course, lots of great food and drink. Then as the eve came to a close, Bilbo took the stage and made his speech.
"PROUDFEET!", the entire audience shouted when Bilbo thanked the Proudfoots for attending.
There were baffled dismays as Bilbo stated, "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
Then "Goodbye." The lights dropped out, followed by brilliant, flashing lights. Bilbo Baggins had vanished. Everyone screamed in fright and were lost in chatter as we took the stage to a play few more final songs for the weekend.
We finished the evening. Everyone was excited, but they filtered away slowly back to their hobbit holes for good night's rest.
I couldn't go to sleep. Fortunately, I didn't have to. Lo and behold, I found Bilbo, Gandalf, Frodo, and a few friends sitting around Bag End, reminiscing the weekends' climax, which we all agreed topped the whole weekend. That evening's festivities made Bilbo's Birthday Party real to me. It was a Magical event.
We sat there, and talked under the stars and cool night air. I played a few songs to expectant, relaxed ears, as we all reveled in the magic. Eventually, I decided no matter how excited I was, I needed sleep. I asked their permission to sing one final song, "The Ring of Hope".
I didn't realize how perfect that song would be in that setting out in front of Bag End. But as I sang about Bilbo, then Gandalf, then Frodo, we were all moved and touched by the incredible story that J.R.R. Tolkien brought to our lives.
That evening, in particular, brought it all home for me. It was perfection, a moment I will be telling my children around a campfire one day as I keep Lord of the Rings alive for the next generation.
While it was a moment of moments, I can only hope that one day we will do it all again. Then we shall all gather in story and song in front of the green door of Bag End and peacefully announce, "Well, I'm back."
Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.
Sep. 28th, 2008 @ 09:07 pm
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| » Marc Gunn's Twitters |
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter for American Celtic Musician Marc Gunn
Sep. 28th, 2008 @ 09:32 am
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| » Marc Gunn's Twitters |
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter for American Celtic Musician Marc Gunn
Sep. 27th, 2008 @ 09:32 am
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| » Marc Gunn's Twitters |
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Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter for American Celtic Musician Marc Gunn
Sep. 26th, 2008 @ 09:31 am
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marcgunn's journal
