Hive Open Mic ( #openmic ) is a global community of music lovers, for music fans and musicians. Each week is a new invitation for expression and connection.
Hive Open Mic - Highlights
Week 20: August 23-29, 2020
Ah, roses, how I love thee. Let me count the ways: 1. Your fragrance is a pleasant sensation that lifts my soul and leaves me feeling light. 2. Your petals are pretty and delicate, like butterfly wings. 3. Your budding among the thorns shows what love is like. 4. Your open blossoming shows the bravery of full expression, and the fragility, the vulnerability, and ultimately the temporary nature of life.
Early this morning, I smelled the rose scent when I hugged the woman I walk with. We often enjoy a rosewater mist. We give rosewater as gifts to each other, because it is one of the most delightful smells I know. We have roses in our garden that are particularly fragrant. While I do so love the scents of various flowers: honeysuckle, lavender, jasmine... rose is the one I adore. Our daughter's name is Rosalie, named after her great grandma Rosalie.
I chose "Smell the Roses" for this week's Hive Open Mic invitation because I intended to mark the occasion of our 20th week with a meaningful note of gratitude. To me, when life is good, it is important that we take a moment to stop and smell the roses, recognizing the blessings. Hive Open Mic is a blessing to me, so I'm breathing it in, listening, and appreciating.
🔥
Spotlight
Motivos / Reasons (Cover) by @melor9
This is a standout among many fine songs, in my opinion. I admire the way this artist starts his singing on a high note, and carries the elegance throughout. With the melodious voice and the percussive cuatro instrument, the song here is very flowerlike, short and sweet, full of life, with lush beauty and bursts of color. I appreciate the singer's range, with grace all across the scale, from tenor to baritone. Impressive!
🔥
More Highlights
Red Is The Rose (Cover) by @jubei333
Our community's favorite Emerald Isle song carrier shares a rose-graced singalong love song, dedicated to his musical heroes: Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem. Such a pleasant sound, with delicate voicing and finger-style guitar technique. I'm happy to discover this artist studied traditional Irish folk music in college—good to know such meaningful coursework exists. His understanding of culture, tradition, and the poetry in this particular song is evident in his awesome performance.
Odio Que No Te Odio / I Hate that I Don't Hate You (Cover) by @esmeraldamusic y @saumusic
These two musicians enter Hive Open Mic for the first time, offering an incredible first song. Their singing is excellent! It's only on a rare occasion that we see multiple musicians performing in the same place these days, and I'm really happy to see and hear this here, because it gives me hope that bands and duets may be able to perform live music in public spaces again soon. Listeners, please join me in welcoming these artists to our community.
Canción para Dormir a Una Niña Venezolana / Lullaby for a Little Venezuelan Girl (Original) by @lecumberre
Here is another newcomer to our event, offering a very special lullaby. I admire the gentle quivering of his voice, and the trills of your tongue as he says, "Rosas." This is the first live music performance I've seen with a singer wearing a mask while singing. And I love that, because it shows the times we're living in right now. These are the days of social distancing, and masks, and other newly embraced human behaviors that remind us where we are in human history.
Te Regalo Una Rosa / I Give You a Rose (Cover) by @diegopadilla
Another musical gift among this week's rose-inspired songs is this wonderful one. I appreciate the fine artistry this artist shows throughout this video. It is beautiful from the initial rose in his hand all the way to the divine flourishes in the ending.
La Cumparsita (Cover) by @flute.gabi
I enjoy this artist's flute playing, and I like the way the subtle guitar helps to establish the tone and add enhancements of percussion and color.
The Present Is A Gift (Original) by @mightyjoenolan
I like this singer-songwriter's way with words. He's hitting some familiar sentiments that I know and appreciate with the messages of bringing attention to the present moment, with the gifts of here and now. I also like the water imagery: "We're rushing with that river to swim that secret sea where never meets forever at the shore."
Bunga Mawar / The Roses (Cover) by @rezasofyan
Our excellent community member from Indonesia mentions that he's never had the pleasure of smelling a rose, because it's hard to find roses in his homeland. Still, he understands the essence of this special flower. He says that the rose is "like love symbolized," because he knows people like to show their love by giving roses to the one they love.
Hechizada-Nahual (Cover) by @naradamoon
This song brings to light the inspiration that leads an artist into a creation. It's a journey in right-brain thinking, expressing, and exploring. Additionally, he notes the attitude of gratitude—this is like the nourishment an artist gives to the idea seed, helping it to grow and flourish.
Una Noche / One Night (Original) by @edwardstobia
These are some intimate lyrics, describing a lovemaking moment. The story is relatable to me, reminding me of the way a rosebud shows up in all its glory, only briefly, and sometimes it leaves a lasting impression. Woo!
Huelen Las Rosas (Original) by @jesusmedit
Happy seeing and hearing this singer-songwriter again, who returns with an original song that is raw and real. I like the way he brings his emotions into the music. I get the impression he's making major strides in life, letting the music be his guide.
I Bloom" (Original) by @cabelindsay
My offering is a song written for my daughter, Rosalie, who joins me in creating the vocal harmonies.
Inspiration
Bette Midler performs "The Rose," written by Amanda McBroom. Here, she is joined by an interpretive dancer, who seems to embody the flower in the song's storyline. Bette Midler's recording of this song appeared in the 1979 film, The Rose, and it has been covered and carried successfully by other artists too. It's a classic. The rose with its petals and thorns symbolically shows that the fullest experiences of life come with pleasure and pain. And in a similar light, this song is about the beauty of suffering for love.
Acknowledgements
Wow, we're 20 weeks into the Hive Open Mic event, woohoo! This community has given me an outlet for creative expression, a community for genuine connection, and a chance to explore the possibilities of global harmony. These are gifts that continue to give, and I am grateful. FYI, later this week, I intend to put together a new Top 10 list, looking back on these past 10 weeks and celebrating some of the amazing live music performances we saw and heard here.
