Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: R is for Rainbows

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day.  For us, this is a day that, for the most part, goes unnoticed.  I typically make some Americanized version of an Irish meal, maybe a green dessert if I am really ambitious, and that is that.  With me working at a library now, I actually put a tad more thought into it this year, making decorations for a St. Paddy's display, showing a movie based on celtic mythology, and I even managed to throw together a cute green outfit that was library lady suitable.  But still, no wild and crazy partying for me.  No foot long green beers, no parade, not even an Irish coffee.  And I can promise you, I did not chase any leprechauns to try to steal their pot of gold.  Nor will I ever.

While a pot of gold might seem like a wonderful thing to get, I was always more interested in the rainbows that would lead me on the quest.  For me, rainbows are so symbolic.  They represent a promise that the storm will pass.  Sure, that storm may shake the walls, it may be loud and frightening, it may even cause some damage, but if there is a rainbow at the end, I am always able to think things will turn out ok.  

Rainbows, to me, also symbolize a journey, a transition from one state of being (rain) to another state of being (sun).  While it is true that all of life is a journey, some parts of it seem more trying than others.  Some parts seem like nothing but rain.  But we trudge on, through the mud, with sodden socks and no umbrella at times, until slowly but surely, the rain lets up, the sun comes out, and there, in all its glory, is that rainbow we have been chasing.

So, as everyone else is spending today with St. Paddy's day hangovers, lamenting the loss of their pot of gold, I will sit here, patiently, waiting for my rainbow.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Sick and Tired

At the beginning of the month, Hubby and I participated in an amazing Dr. Seuss event at our library.  I got to dress as the Cat in the Hat, and interact with all the kids who attended.  All 94 of them.  So, you can imagine, after being in a room with 94 kids, it was no big surprise that both Hubby and I got sick.

For Hubby, the worst of it came and went with the weekend.  I seem to be 2-3 days behind him, so just as the week is starting, the full force of the cold is hitting me.  This means nights of little sleep due to coughing, and just generally feeling poopy (that is legitimate medical terminology).

So, it stands as no real surprise that this week's playlists reflects my current state of ill health.  Take two listens and call me in the morning.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Q is for Quirky

I am, well, unusual.  I have very nerdy interests, like Doctor Who and geocaching.  I read (a lot) while most people are watching things like the Oscars and Superbowl.  I think cemeteries and abandoned buildings are beautiful.  I am most content at home with my hubby and dogs.  I love my job more than words can express, to the point where I am willing to make a fool of myself for it.  To put it nicely, I am quirky.

It used to be that quirky was not a word one would want used to describe him or herself.  But in the age of the hipster, quirkiness is not only cool, it is almost required.  Which is fine by me.  I take a look at the interests I hold, and the people I surround myself, the kinds of things I spend my time doing, and I cannot help but smile.  I am exactly the kind of person I would want to be friends with.  I know I am not everyone's taste, and that is ok, that keeps life interesting.  But I make no attempts to change who I am to make someone else more comfortable.

My advice to you?  Find your quirks, embrace them, flaunt them, love them.  Here is your soundtrack.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Unsung Musicals

I have talked in the past about how much I love musical theater.  In the past few years, many musicals have had movie versions produced, and become quite mainstream.  On the other hand, many modern musicals are merely reimaginings of popular movies (Legally Blonde: The Musical, I am looking at you).  As a musical theater lover, it saddens me that so-so movies get made into so-so musicals, while there are tons of high quality musicals out there that no one notices.

Over the weekend, Hubby and I went to see a production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.  We went into the show with no knowledge of it.  We had not heard to score, we did not read the synopsis, we we blank slates.  I absolutely fell in love with the show.  It was one of the most innovative shows I ever saw.  And I feel pretty sure that about 90% of the audience did not get the show at all.  They did not appreciate the clever subtle nature of the music and acting.  It got me to thinking about all the fantastic, little known (or little respected) musicals that I love.

So this week's playlist is snippits of some of those musicals.  Give them a try, you just might fall in love.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: P is for Positivity

Sometimes, we take for granted how good life can be.  We forget about people who struggle daily, we get caught up in minor annoyances, we choose to wallow in our problems.

Sometimes, it takes life handing you a steaming pile of dookie for you to see how precious life really can be.  Sometimes, a thing that seems life shattering can actually be life saving.

Why is it that the same exact situation can happen to 2 people, with one falling apart, and one completely flourishing?  I think the difference is positivity.  Some people are hell bent on making the best of life.  That is not to say that the process does not absolutely suck; it most definitely does.  That is not to say that a positive person is happy all the time, with an unrealistic view of the world; everyone has down moments.  But some people were just born to be survivors.

So today, I choose positivity.  I am determined to make the most of this life, with all its struggles and all its joys.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes:1945

Last week, I was playing around with some vintage inspired hair and makeup.  I did my hair up in victory rolls, and did a toned down version of pin-up girl make-up.  I actually wore the hair and makeup to work Thursday night, but before I left for work, I shared some photos of the style on my social media sites.  The next day, I was talking to my mom, who had seen the photos.  She commented how much I had reminded her of a very specific photo of her mother, my grandma.

After we got off of the phone, my mom spent several hours looking through old photos, and she found the photo she said I reminded her of.  She also found a photo of herself as a young girl.  When I was younger, a lot of people said I looked like my mom, but as I got older, people started saying I favored my dad's side of the family.  But looking at these photos, I think it is clear that I also favor my mom's side.  My grandma is on the left, mom in the middle, and I am on the right.  I personally think I am the perfect blend of both parents.

Along mom's trip down memory lane, she found a love letter that my grandfather had written to my grandmother while he was stationed in Belgium in 1945.  He calls her Sweetheart, and writes of how sad he is that he cannot be with her on her birthday.  It was kind of a remarkable piece of family nostalgia.  In today's fast paced, instant gratification communication, we tend to get a little impersonal.  As we are heading into Valentine's Day, I thought that this little romantic letter from a soldier to his girl would be great inspiration for a playlist that recalls the romance of 1945.

 

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: O is for Ocean

I know, I know, just one short week ago, I was singing the praises of the beauty of winter.  And I still stand by that 100%.  However, sometimes, you just need to daydream about the ocean.  Today is one of those times.


It has been a rough winter.  The snow started early (Novemberish) and we have had very few reprieves.  We have heard the words polar vortex way too many times for comfort.  There have been as many school cancellations attributed to sub-zero temperatures as there have been for actual snow.  Last week, Pennsylvania was colder than Alaska.  So, yeah, it has been a rough winter.  But as Hubby's new favorite song says, you "only miss the light when it starts to snow".  And I miss the light.

But beyond missing the sunshine, I miss the ocean.  I cannot believe it has been almost two years since we went to the Outer Banks and sat seaside.  While I am not one to spend much time lounging on the beach itself, there is something so soothing about being near the ocean.  The air is crisp and tingly, the breezes ruffle your hair, time moves slower, life seems sweeter.  Everything is better when you are sea side.

So, in an attempt to bolster my spirits for the 6 additional weeks of winter (thanks stupid groundhog), I came up with an ocean themed playlist.  It may not be exactly what you would expect (sorry, no Beach Boys) but to me this captures the richness and magic of time spent on the shore.

 

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Across the Snowy Places

This has been one of the coldest, wickedest winters of recent memory.  Certainly the worst since I moved to Kittanning.  I find that most nights, we are perfectly content to snuggle in the bed with the dogs, and read or watch movies.  Who would want to go out in these frigid temperatures.  Why, at this very moment, I am writing this post to help avoid going out into the cold to start my car and let it warm up.  Schools have missed a million days, pictures of negative temps on dashboards or phone apps flood my Facebook feed, and pretty much everyone is grumpy.  Which may make what I am about to say a very unpopular statement:

I am kind of in love with winter.

Now, do not get me wrong.  I hate driving in snow.  It makes me a nervous wreck.  I worry about Hubby's daily commute to and from work.  I avoid driving in snow when possible. And I do not especially like the chapped skin, the piercing cold, the higher heating bills, the gross salt on my car, and pants, and shoes.

But those moments when we are cuddled together, under mountains of blankets, looking out at a vast white canvas of land, those moments when the sun paints gorgeous colors across the woods those moments when all it takes to warm me is a kiss and a cup of coffee, well, how could I not be in love with those moments?

So whether today is a snow day full of cocoa and blankets, or a day when you are out braving the negative temperature, let this playlist remind you of the breathtaking beauty that winter can hold.

 

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: N is for Nineties

My senior picture, oh the hair.

I miss the 90s.  There, I said it.  Do not get me wrong, I would not want to go through high school or puberty ever again, that ish was hellacious.  But everything else about that time was, in my opinion, amazing.  I was relishing my teenage years, I could eat whatever the heck I wanted with pretty much no consequences.  The bigger my hair was, the better my day was going to be. When I finally started straightening my hair, you know it was adorned with little barrettes. We had only recently gotten cable, and I loved watching 90210 and Melrose.  I was reading VC Andrews, Stephen King and Danielle Steel.  I was wearing flannel, overalls, and showing my belly button in a discrete, classy way.  I wanted to date Jordan Catalano.  I knew that Rose had plenty of room on that piece of wood for Jack.  The time was, in a word, iconic.

By far, the most iconic thing about this time was the music.  I know everyone has songs that mentally transport them to their youth, but I feel the 90s was extra rich, musically.  You saw the surge of grunge, the birth of indie rock, the mainstream acceptance of rap and hip hop.  There were so many amazing musical moments in this decade, that a tiny little playlist can hardly do it justice.  I have boiled it down to my very favorites, ones that shuttle me back to specific moments in my youth.  So put on your doc martins and baby doll dresses, grab that jean jacket and have a listen.  See if this doesn't make you want to watch Reality Bites.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: M is for Melancholy, Baby

In general, I am a pretty happy person.  I laugh all the time, I smile a lot, and I can start a conversation with darn near anyone.  I am laid back and easy going.  I think happiness is one of the greatest things ever.  However, I fully believe that in order to fully appreciate happiness, you need to experience sadness.  For years after graduate school, I was terribly lonely.  I lived alone, in a strange city.  The only people I knew were the people I worked with, and most of them were married with families.  I did not have many friends, and other than the occasional date, I did not have anyone keeping me company, other than my cat.  In short, I spent many years being pretty melancholy.

Even though I am no longer lonely, because I have a husband whom I adore, as well as wonderful friends and family, pesky but adorable pets, and I job that makes me super happy, I still appreciate the beauty that can be found inside melancholy.  Some of the greatest stories in the world have dark, melancholic tones.  Some of the places I deem most beautiful are places that others see as stark and sad.  And the music, oh the music; I adore a piece of music that can move me to tears.

Life is never all good or all bad, all light or all darkness, all joy or all despair.  It is by experiencing both ends of the spectrum that we truly feel, and truly live.  So, as I sit here with a life full of abundant happiness, I reflect on the sadness I have endured in my own life, the struggles of the others around me, and the beauty that can be found therein.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: L is for Library Ladies

About six weeks ago, I started working at a local library.  And I fell in love with my job.  This comes as no surprise, I have been an active library patron since childhood.  As a kid, my parents took my to the large, beautiful library in our county seat.  I loved it there, I wanted to live there.  I spent a lot of my summer days at that library.  When school was in session, I loved the days the Bookmobile would come to school.  In college and grad school, I spend hours upon hours in the libraries.  When I moved to Pittsburgh, I did not change my voter registration for many years, but I immediately got a library card.  So, yeah I kind of love libraries.

You know how some kids play school, or house, or doctor?  I played library.  I taped little pockets into the backs of my books, and made registry cards so people could check out the books.  Not even joking.

The best part of my new job is it combines so many things I love:  books, social media, technology, pop culture, community outreach.  It is pretty much the perfect job for me.  I still cannot believe I get paid to do this stuff!  And the ladies I work with are so awesome.  They are supportive and encouraging, and I love going to work each day.

So, the heart of this book worm is going pitter pat with love over the fact that I now get to be a library lady.  Because I do not have a Library Science degree, I am technically not a librarian, but who knows what the future holds.  In the mean time, enjoy this bookish playlist for all my library ladies out there.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Looking Back at 2013

This year?  Kind of amazing.  Probably the most creative, fun filled, growth filled, challenging year I have had in my adult life.  I have spent so much time working on myself as a person, and while I am miles away from being perfect or even where I would like to be, overall I am really happy with me and with my life.  So many awesome things happened this year, we must review the highlights.

We papered our floor with book pages.  It took two months, and was back breaking work, but we transformed our living room into a work of art.

I completed a 35 Day Project in honor of my 35th birthday.  35 days of random acts of kindness.  Many of my friends and family members participated as well.  It was amazing.

We watched our nephew graduate from high school.

We reached two geocaching milestones.  We found our 200th geocache, then we cached every day for the entire month of August, our longest streak ever.  I also got to introduce my niece, nephew and his girlfriend, brother and brother in law to geocaching.

We watched our good friends get married.

We visited many of the filming locations from the movie The Shawshank Redemption.

We watched my brother get married.  Later on in the summer we got to visit them and see their new house as well.

We went to our first comics show.

I saw the largest yarn bombing in America, also known as Knit the Bridge.  It was while my niece was visiting us, so I took her to see it.  It was one of the many awesome things we did together during her visit.

We saw John Hodgman perform, and met him after the show.  He totally knew our names, because we had been all over social media talking about the show.  Later, when I reviewed the show, he shared my post.  I was so ridiculously star struck over the whole thing.

We saw the giant rubber duck make its way into Pittsburgh and attended the huge party on the bridge.

We took a whirlwind trip to New York City to see John Roderick and The Long Winters perform.

I made an entire Christmas Tree's decorations out of old book pages.  It is so beautiful I cannot yet bring myself to take it down, despite the fact that it has been up since before Thanksgiving.

I was offered pretty much the perfect job for me.  I have been there for a month now, and the giddiness still has not faded.

So, this a look back at my year.  Pretty amazing, right?  I kind of think of it as a montage.  And every montage needs a soundtrack.  So here are some of my favorite songs from 2013 to go along with my look back at this wonderful year.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Christmas Favorites

Well, it is finally here.  Christmas Eve.  The presents are wrapped, the stockings are hung, the halls are decked.  And I can sit back and enjoy the holiday.  Except for the cooking.  And cleaning up.  And then dealing with putting everything back in their respective places.  I guess maybe I will not have much time for relaxing after all!

What I will have time to do, however, is reflect on all the wonderful memories from Christmases in the past.  Sitting at my grandma's house with our huge family, waiting forever to open presents.  Hearing adults sing Polish carols.  Watching my mom make her famous potato salad.  Helping make Christmas cookies.  Tearing open my presents with glee, and saving my stocking for last so that Christmas could last just a tiny bit longer.

As I think back to all these memories, I realize that a very distinct soundtrack plays in my mind.  Songs that were played in our house since the first Christmas I can remember.  I have a very specific list of Christmas songs that are my favorite.  Sometimes it is just the song itself, sometimes it is a version by a specific artist, and sometimes it is just the artist in general that fills me with holiday glee.  So today, on Christmas Eve, my gift to you is a playlist full of my absolute favorite Christmas songs.  Each one is tied to memories of my childhood, and Christmas just is not complete without them.  My family will recognize all of these songs, and know the stories and memories behind them, but for the rest of you, listen and see if you can tie them to memories of your own.

Merriest of Christmases to you all.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Have Yourself a Quirky Little Christmas

Right about now is the time I start stressing out about the holidays.  Waiting for gifts to arrive, trying to get everything wrapped, planning a gluten free holiday menu, attending holiday social functions.  It is all catching up to me.  I cannot imagine how I would feel had I not done most of my shopping before Thanksgiving, or put my tree up in early November.  With the short gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, I think we are all feeling the pressure.

And I hate that.

I hate that a holiday that should be about peace, joy, and family instead becomes overwrought with stress.  Sometimes you just have to force yourself to shake it off, and be a little silly.  And what better way to do that than music?

I think by now you are all taking me serious when I say I love Christmas music.  And most of the time I tend to prefer sacred holiday pieces.  But when the clock is winding down, and I still have a million things to do, I absolutely need some music that is going to make me laugh and remember to have fun during the holidays.  So, I threw together a short playlist of the quirkiest holiday songs I knew.  Sing along, dance along, and remember to enjoy the magic of this season.

 

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Happy Hipster Holidays

Remember how I said I love holiday music?  I was not kidding.  I really do.  So today's playlist is another installment of holiday music.  But, you know me, I have to keep things interesting.

While researching my playlist for last week, I found a offbeat, kooky, hispterish holiday song.  I loved it so much, I used it to start a new playlist.  The playlist was kind of a joke, looking for other indie, folksy, decidedly hipterish songs.  I never expected to fall in love with it.  But that is exactly what I did.

I guess it makes sense, I have quite a few hipster traits.  I like hipster fashion, even if I cannot pull most of it off.  I love to don my glasses, rock my natural curls, and throw on a scarf to look casual and trendy.  So, my fashion sense is on the hipster fringe.  My love of social media is certainly a hipster trait.  My increasing desire to eat a clean, wholesome diet is trending toward the hipster.  My love of obscure music, movies, and books is most definitely hipsterish.  You guys!  Am I a closeted hipster??  I think I might be!  I really hate to fully embrace the label of hipster, because in my mind hipsters are much younger (both chronologically and emotionally) than I am, but there is no doubt I skirt the edges of this subculture.  I would absolutely love it if my little town became a hipster haven, and I think my covert hipster status is what makes me want to move to the west coast.

I do not think I will ever be full on hipster.  No PBR or skinny jeans for me thanks.  But I will proudly share this hipster holiday playlist, and tell you that I love it with the fire of 1000 suns.

 

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: K is for Kris Kringle

Well, kids, Turkey Day is finally over, it is December, and we can start talking about Christmas without anyone grumbling that it is too early!  I absolutely adore Christmas music.  I remember when I was a child, we had an upright piano, which my brother played.  I used to love getting the Christmas songbooks out and reading the music.  Once I could actually read the notes, I used to pluck the tunes out on the piano keys.  Now, mind you, this behavior was not limited to December.  I used to do it all. year. round.  My poor parents, it must have driven them bananas!

As an adult, I still enjoy Christmas music all year round.  I think it is because there is such a diversity in styles.  Sacred, secular, classical, country, indie rock (oh yeah, I totally have an indie rock Christmas cd).  And my absolute favorite Christmas album is by Barbara Streisand.  Who, as you know, is Jewish.  I think that irony is a little awesome.

I think I will probably have Christmas playlists all month, each one focusing on something specific.  This week I am focusing on Kris Kringle.  Santa Claus.  Saint Nicholas.  Father Christmas.  He goes by many names, but we all know who he is.  The jolly fat man in the red suit who brings you gifts.  I know some people do not like the Santa mythos, because it detracts from the real meaning of Christmas.  I personally think Santa can add to the magic of Christmas, and can be reconciled nicely with the religious significance of the holiday (I know several people who do this well with their kids).  Many people remember being traumatized when they learned the truth about Santa, but I do not.  In fact, I do not even remember when I stopped believing.  I think it is because a part of me still wants to believe in the magic of Santa Claus.

So, while Santa may no longer be the one putting gifts under my tree each year, his spirit still lives in my home, particularly through music.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: J is for Jazz, Man.

Have you ever loved something and not been able to explain why?  You can not find the words to adequately describe the beauty of the thing, the emotions is brings up for you, the way it mentally transports you somewhere else.  This is how I feel about jazz music.

I know next to nothing about jazz music as a genre.  I could not tell you about the various types of jazz, the origins of jazz, the musical terms or even my favorite jazz song.  All I know is that I think jazz is lush, alive, passionate, heartbreaking, sexy, and evolutionary.  When I listen to jazz, either in vocal form or instrumental form, I am transported to another time and place, one that sometimes feels more comforting than my own.

I prefer instrumental arrangements, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, etc., for times that I need quiet solitude, times when I want to be pensive.  When I want to just close my eyes and listen to a story, I prefer vocals, particularly Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald.  Sometimes, the improvisation gets a little to raucous for me, but I suspect that over time, I will come to appreciate that more.

A lot of modern music fans find jazz old, trite, and pretentious.  Yet this music laid the groundwork for so many modern genres; I feel like if they would just look a little closer they would see that.  I got my first taste of jazz as a child, courtesy of the Cosby Show, of all places.  With that first taste, I was hooked.

I hope you enjoy a sampling of some of the more recognizable standards and best known vocals in the business.  And listen closely to see if you can hear a hint of modernity.

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: The Doctor's Companion

You guys!  This weekend is the 50th Anniversary of the very first episode of Doctor Who.   It is time to celebrate!

I will admit, I first heard of Doctor Who in the 80s.  A friend of my brother was obsessed with the show, and we all thought it was so weird.  Sci-fi was not all that popular at that time, not the way it is now, and rabid fandoms were not nearly as visible as they are now (I blame Twilight for making fandoms so popular).  I never in a million years would have guessed that I would be so Doctor Who obsessed as an adult.

When we got involved with social media a few years ago, it seemed like a lot of people were talking about Doctor Who.  We finally decided to start watching the modern series, it mostly just to understand what people were talking about.  We  quickly fell in love with the show.  We have watched every episode together; this is quite a feat for me, since I have been known to binge watch shows I love without Hubby.  But not this time.  I have waited to watch every episode with him.  We have not yet started watching the classic episodes, but I am sure we will.

What I love so much about Doctor Who is that, despite being labeled as sci-fi, the show is mostly about relationships between people (or beings perhaps is a better term).  My favorite Doctor is Ten.  He will always be "my" Doctor.  My favorite companions are The Ponds, mostly because they remind me of us.  As much as I would love to travel with The Doctor, I would not want to do it without Hubby by my side.

So, in anticipation of the big celebrations this weekend, I give you a playlist of some of the great music from Doctor Who.

Run, you clever boy, and remember...

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: I is for Iconic Instrumentals

I grew up in a musical family, and many of the family member continue to be musical.  Among us, we have played or do play guitar, Spanish guitar, bass guitar, air guitar (just kidding!), piano, clarinet, trumpet, oboe, and drums.  I think I got them all.  I may have left a few out.  We have been taught to respect music in all its forms.  Most often, the music we indulge in on a daily basis involves vocals of some sort, though our tastes include pretty much every type of music there is.  But, at the root of it all, we all have a strong love for the music itself, and the instruments that make up the score.

Sometimes, instrumental music is meant to simply be something to fill space, to float gently in the air behind the action of a scene, to keep things moving at a party, to relax and calm us.  We play this kind of instrumental music while we study, while we meditate, while we dine, while we sleep.  However, there are times when instrumental music is meant to be bold, definitive.  It controls a scene, it announces action, it evokes a very strong emotional response.

Today's playlist includes some of (in my opinion) the most iconic instrumental music I have encountered.  It is no surprise that many of the songs are from or used in movies or television shows.  These songs have come to symbolize those movies or shows, and all they embody.  The actors, the plots, the themes, the good guys, the bad guys, love, hatred, life, death.  These are strong, bold musical arrangements.  See how many of them you recognize by sound alone.  And pay attention to the strong feelings each one creates.

 

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Protest Songs

Happy Election Day!  Because this is not a presidential election year, the vast majority of citizens will not be exercising their right to vote.  Some will be doing it because they do not care, some will be doing it because they cannot access the polls, and others will be doing it as a form of protest.

The act of protest has a very rich history in our country.  Most people, when thinking of protest, think of Vietnam, Civil Rights, Stonewall, and Occupy Wall Street.  And while these are some of the most visible causes of protest in our nation's past, they certainly are not the only ones.  American protest has been around longer than, well, America has.  Boston Tea Party anyone?

Some people think protest is pointless and does not accomplish anything.  Tell that to all the Tea Party candidates who have been elected, and all the incumbents they ousted.  Protest is partly to thank for my ability, as a woman, to vote today (a vote I will choose to exercise).

When you say the word protest, you commonly think of protest marches, strikes and picketing, sit-ins, book burning, boycotts, and hunger strikes.  But my favorite form of protest (is it weird that I have a favorite?) is by and large the protest song.  While we can take pictures of all the above mentioned forms of protest, protest songs themselves live for posterity.  The protest can continue until the struggle has ended.  Many protest songs are haunting, and emotional.  My favorite protest song (again, is it weird that I have a favorite) was recorded in 1939, and still pertinent today, albeit in less degree.

So today, I present one of the more somber playlists I have created, and possibly one of the most beautiful. 

"There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. "

- Elie Wiesel