When funk and ragamuffin called me up....

...I had to answer. 

Ms. Mychols Blab video 

It was the week where I aligned with two completely different genre's. Although, it probably started out with me watching Spike Lee's documentary of Michael Jackson: From Motown to Off The Wall. As soon as those bass lines popped up, I remembered how much I cherished that instrument growing up and have a pretty good idea as to why bass was my first real professional instrument. Shout out to Louis Johnson for the LOVE he left us. Check out: Get On The Floor from Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album!

Of course, I don't actually play that style whatsoever, I certainly DO appreciate the magic, and with the magical musical inspiration from the music of my childhood, I'm realizing something I'd never thought of before: the creative expressions of our musical programming!

When we grew up listening to whatever we were exposed to, at the same time we were also being programmed with how we were emotionally raised,  What music was our escape? What music was our comfort? Which artists and what music pulled us out of the darkness and into the world of adventure and expansion?

This is something of a new thing for me. I can come off saying I only listened to "cool" music growing up and never bowed down to any kind of musical corporate feedings but, I have a great education in most decades of Top 40 and I actually appreciate most of it, even though yes, a lot of music was disgustingly and tiringly overplayed. But little gems here and there DID finally find me and they REALLY spoke deeply to me. This is what made me the musician and songwriter I am today, whoever I am as that!

Who are the influences of our influences? I love that question!

So after being fed whatever I could get musically, I found myself taking my first real baby steps in to the world of New Wave, New Romantic "new ro" and Punk. These first came to me as me as I was going through my Sister's roommate's record collection. Through this collection, I noticed some really exciting looking covers and artwork. I found Devo, The Ramones, The Specials and Altered Images-those stuck out for me the most and I was DYING to hear what the music sounded like! Of course no one wants some grubby young kid's hands all over their beloved record collection-I knew I had to wait....and I soon found a reason to be spending the night over at my Sister's apartment more often than not-like on "girls night out!"

THIS MUSIC CALLED TO ME...and it welcomed me in to the world of the the "Ragamuffin" look.

RAGAMUFFIN Definition

A person who looks really unkempt such as (usually in the mornings; their hair is is styled like they just rolled out of bed, the outfit they thought matched is actually lacking any kind of style.

This look is one of my favorites and yet I've never sported the look myself. To me, it seemed like it was based off of fun, joy and freedom. The music that came with it was extremely fun sometimes quirky and sometimes sounded and felt like it was from another planet. But it seemed really short lived.  My list of Ragamuffin faves belong to the Bananarama girls, Stuart Adamson (Big Country), Howard Jones and....yep, even Madonna worked it in to her own look.

As for funk, in Lisa Mychols' world, one of the most distinctive features of funk music was always that roll of Bass guitar. Deep, driving and FUNKALICIOUS!

It was also a bit SCARY. The funk albums I grew up with usually featured dark and sexy half/mostly naked girls on album covers.  I believe there was even a scream of someone being murdered in an alley way during the "breakdown section" of a song during the band's recording session. That song by The Ohio Players ended up making the Top 40! I give great props over to Curtis Mayfield, who also certainly took me lovingly out of my comfort zone and into expansion.

Pretty much it's lets bring up the Funk and TURN IT UP!!!!

FUNK definition 

A very distinct style of music based on R&B that reached its height in popularity from the late 1960s to late 1970s. Its name originated in the 1950s, when "funk" and "funky" were used increasingly as adjectives in the context of soul music -- the meaning being transformed from the original one of a pungent odor to a re-defined meaning of a strong, distinctive groove.


So I didn't necessarily go out and FIND the music that I would initially love. It was something that found me and something that I naturally aligned and gravitated with.

To the FUNK and the Ragamuffins!

Love,
LMychols