If the Stars were Mine by Melody Gardot
If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present" Rabindranath Tagore
I love this song, 'If the Stars were Mine,' by Melody Gardot. Gardot is this musician whose influences come from classics like Stan Getz, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington. When I hear her voice and music, I think of Bebel Gilberto and Ella Fitzgerald.
Her story is remarkable. She played music since she was nine and knew at a young age that her musical choices veered towards jazz and the blues. Her repertoire consisted mostly of playing covers by classic jazz and blues musicians.
Gardot was in a serious bike accident in 2003 where she was confined to a hospital bed for one year. She began writing her own music after this accident. She couldn't sit down to a piano, so she played guitar on her back...what?! Resilience over the top! These days, she advocates strongly for music therapy. I completely agree...more than we know, it seems music can elevate us in the most challenging of times.
Gardot was apparently super sensitive to light and sound, but Bossa Nova was one genre of music she could listen to with comfort. And as she slowly recovered, she traveled to Brazil in a search to discover more and learn more about Bossa. A feature by NPR says, "Melody Gardot has absorbed the secrets of the great Brazilian singers-their endless patience, their embrace of silence."
Hmm, sounds like a great mantra in life.
The feature continues, "She's convinced that music these days is too cluttered. Let the divas scream for attention. She'd rather just slink around and let these quiet and beautiful melodies sneak up on you instead."
You can read more about Melody Gardot here.
When I listened to, 'If the Stars were Mine,' I felt the Brazilian influence, the simple lyrics, and a lightness in Gardot's voice.
"If the stars were mine
I'd tell you what I'd do
I'd put the stars right in a jar
And give 'em all to you..."
Sweet apple pie!
Reading her story, I'm in awe of the human spirit and what we are capable of doing in the darkest of times. Melody Gardot...putting Tagore's words above to life.
Here's to putting stars in a jar, coloring the mountains, and painting this world just a little more gold:
If the Stars were Mine
I love this song, 'If the Stars were Mine,' by Melody Gardot. Gardot is this musician whose influences come from classics like Stan Getz, Miles Davis, and Duke Ellington. When I hear her voice and music, I think of Bebel Gilberto and Ella Fitzgerald.
Her story is remarkable. She played music since she was nine and knew at a young age that her musical choices veered towards jazz and the blues. Her repertoire consisted mostly of playing covers by classic jazz and blues musicians.
Gardot was in a serious bike accident in 2003 where she was confined to a hospital bed for one year. She began writing her own music after this accident. She couldn't sit down to a piano, so she played guitar on her back...what?! Resilience over the top! These days, she advocates strongly for music therapy. I completely agree...more than we know, it seems music can elevate us in the most challenging of times.
Gardot was apparently super sensitive to light and sound, but Bossa Nova was one genre of music she could listen to with comfort. And as she slowly recovered, she traveled to Brazil in a search to discover more and learn more about Bossa. A feature by NPR says, "Melody Gardot has absorbed the secrets of the great Brazilian singers-their endless patience, their embrace of silence."
Hmm, sounds like a great mantra in life.
The feature continues, "She's convinced that music these days is too cluttered. Let the divas scream for attention. She'd rather just slink around and let these quiet and beautiful melodies sneak up on you instead."
You can read more about Melody Gardot here.
When I listened to, 'If the Stars were Mine,' I felt the Brazilian influence, the simple lyrics, and a lightness in Gardot's voice.
"If the stars were mine
I'd tell you what I'd do
I'd put the stars right in a jar
And give 'em all to you..."
Sweet apple pie!
Reading her story, I'm in awe of the human spirit and what we are capable of doing in the darkest of times. Melody Gardot...putting Tagore's words above to life.
Here's to putting stars in a jar, coloring the mountains, and painting this world just a little more gold:
If the Stars were Mine
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