Beyond the Borders More than two years ago, I wrote my latest “In Transit” piece that I called “The Waters of March.” I wrote it in the aftermath of our first trip to Chile, as an attempt to reflect on this incredible experience. I talked about borders and transitions, about imaginary and real limits I crossed both in my imagination and for real. Intuitively, I … Continue reading In transit-5
Yesterday, while practicing my guitar, I learned how to play “If I Fell,” probably one of the most beloved songs from the early Beatles era. Throughout many years, I tried: singing the second part (unsuccessfully), playing bass (that was quite easy), and now, finally, I have played it all, except, of course, the intro, which is a true finger twister for such a rookie as … Continue reading Calico Skies
We go through different periods of loving a certain band or style; sometimes they linger, but most often, they fade and become a part of our musical DNA. However, some songs – probably, the ones that transcend the quality of just “a good rock composition” – stay forever in our souls. Whenever we hear them, they give us the greatest joy or the strongest sense … Continue reading Elvish Magic and Dark Heavens
Dear Readers of this blog, I need to figure out the most effective way of producing a series on YouTube that would help me gain a broader audience. If you could let me know which topic would be more interesting or has a better potential, I would be very grateful! First of all, the idea is to create a series of short videos (5-7 minutes) … Continue reading Ideas for the new YT series
Dear readers, It’s been a while since I started this blog – and many of my friends have repeatedly recommended I open a Patreon page. And here I am, I have finally made it! I decided to start with the single-tier system: for just $3 a month you will get early access to my forthcoming essays and vlogs, and I will also share the “behind-the-scenes” … Continue reading New Patreon Page
The Waters of March Steven Pinker, a renowned scholar and public speaker, has recently pointed out that if you live in the far north, everything else in the world will look south to you. He used this metaphor to enforce the idea of the lack of a dialogue between people of opposite political spectrum – but I in fact experienced it for the first time … Continue reading In Transit – Part 4
All Spotify users are probably familiar with the year-end feature that compiles stats on your favorite songs, genres, and bands – you see a series of colorful slides that showcase what you’ve been up to this year. For me, the most interesting part of Wrapped is the Top Songs playlist that’s put together for us every year. This collection of songs says more about me … Continue reading Wrapped in music
When “Free As A Bird” came out, I was a third-year student, and I remember that moment very well. It struck me as something that could not have happened – after all, the Beatles split up many years ago. The song would constantly be on the radio, and every time I heard it I felt a mix of emotions – from the joy of hearing … Continue reading Now and Then
The year 2022 was devastating for many people I know – some of them lost their homes, and some were forced to flee the country and endure the hardships of forced exile. In a way, I was lucky – as a lifelong immigrant, it’s been many years since I’ve lived away from the country that betrayed me, my family, my friends, my childhood, and my … Continue reading But Here We Are
As a teenager, I had a vision of myself standing in the crowd, jumping and screaming for my favorite band on stage, soaking up and revering in one of the greatest experiences in the world. I was a Beatles fan back then, and therefore these fantasies were completely futile – I was born too late and in the wrong corner of the world. As time … Continue reading I am here to turn your blues around
