A Friendly Musical Visit Every Day

I got into a bit of an argument with my mother about the way she imposes her excessive frugality on other people. Like, if that's the way you want to live, go for it, but I don't appreciate the snide comments when I choose to spend my money however I do.  And I'm not talking about spending thousands of bucks on... well, anything. I'm talking about buying a handmade handbag for $45 from a local artisan.  Supporting artistic entrepreneurs is important to me because I am also an artistic entrepreneur. But, you know what? It would be important to me even if I wasn't.  But my mom's got to raise her eyebrows and tell me that she got her purse for $3 at Value Village. Well, good for you. That's your choice. I had my first job when I was 8 years old. Let me spend the money I've been working for all my life. Anyway. Sorry. I visited my mother last week, and now I'm full of mom-related rants. The "dentist" verse in this track is so funny. As someon...

I remember singing this piece by Canadian choral composer Ruth Watson-Henderson when I was in choir in the early 90s. At the time I either didn't realize or it didn't register that it was brand new music. We sang so many Ruth Watson-Henderson pieces that I assumed she was some lady from the 1800s who wrote a bunch of choral works and then ceased to be. I was way off.  According to the internet, she's still alive today.  If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and anecdotes, the easiest thing you can do is buy my books (most are for adults only!) or check them out from your local library.  Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely. I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . I also recommend subscribing to my newsletter. I generally e-mail subscribers with a weekly update, and I ...

Often I forget that I once made an album of... ummm... music. I almost feel like there should be a question mark, there: ummm... music? Yes, it's music. Let's have some confidence, shall we? It is definitely music and I definitely made it. I'm just not sure how to classify this music. I think I created most of it more than a decade ago, although I only released the album a couples years back. It hasn't exactly made me a household name. Probably doesn't help that I hardly ever tell anyone about it. The trouble is, I'm very self-effacing and I have difficulty taking pride in anything I create. That's a pretty sucky place to come from when you create things for a living. But here we are. And here's some music I made. I picked this song to play because I wanted to well you about the weird background sound. I don't know what you call it because I no longer have a brain--thank you, menopause. Anyway, let's call it the background sound. To create i...

Nerene Virgin, who played Jodie on the TVO children's show Today's Special, died last month. If you grew up in Ontario in the 80s, chances are you watched this show. Apparently it was broadcast on other stations later on, but I have no idea what its reach was, ultimately. I heard the guys mention Today's Special on Rifftrax once, and that blew my mind. I really thought Today's Special was an Ontario-only thing. I couldn't believe Americans knew about it. I wish I had something more coherent to say, but my chronic pain is flaring and it's messing with my cognitive function. The person who made this video expresses it best, anyway, by highlighting gratitude. My childhood was full of challenges and trauma, but Today's Special was a balm. It really was. As I was searching for a clip to show you, I came across excerpts from an episode where a friend comes to the store with a flask in his pocket. Throughout the evening, he's drinking in secret, and he beco...

Yesterday I mentioned that an old friend of mine actually lived out my dream of becoming a professional animator. This is a collaboration he created with Kid Koala. (I'm so proud of my cool friend.) If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and anecdotes, the easiest thing you can do is buy my books (most are for adults only!) or check them out from your local library.  Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely. I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . I also recommend subscribing to my newsletter. I generally e-mail subscribers with a weekly update, and I would LOVE to have you on the list.  Click here to sign up:  http://eepurl.com/R4b11 See you soon! Giselle

There's an annual fair in Toronto called the CNE, also known as the Ex, also known as the Canadian National Exhibition. Before the pandemic, I went to that fair every year for 40 years straight. The pandemic broke my record, because the CNE didn't run for... two years? And then last year I didn't go because I was out of town. This year, I really really really wanted to return. I worried I wouldn't get the opportunity because cancer care has completely taken over my ife. But my partner could see how important the CNE was to me, so he encouraged me to go with my family and have FUN. It turned out opening day of the CNE was the one day my whole family could make it, and it also turned out my favourite cover band, Dwayne Gretzky, was the opening act at the bandshell. My partner and I saw them in concert last year, and even he was singing along (he is not a singer).  Dwayne Gretzky puts on such a fun concert. If you ever get the opportunity to see them, treat yourself. You...

A couple weeks ago, I told you that I've been watching old episodes of Cheers as a self-soothing mechanism. Well, I've never seen my partner watch a sitcom until now, but suddenly he's watching Big Bang Theory all the time. He scours the TV listings and watches it on this channel, then watches it on that other channel. Apparently it's always on, the way Friends was always on in syndication 20-odd years ago. I didn't feel like posting the theme song, so I chose another Barenaked Ladies track instead. There are a couple different places that live on only in my memory (and other people's, too) but they no longer exist in this world. One such place is the office I worked in 20 years ago. The landlord decided they'd make better money if they converted this office building into condos, and instead of relocating, the business I worked for just decided to close their Toronto location. So the building itself still stands, but it's now condos, not offices. I dr...

Robbie Robertson died last week. You probably know that by now, but it hit my partner pretty hard. He loved The Band. He owns The Last Waltz, the concert recording from which this clip was taken, on DVD. We've watched the second half of the film Once Were Brothers twice on TV. Each time we tuned in late and missed the start. Just another excuse to watch it again, this time from the beginning. "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" is a Robbie Robertson song I love, but it has already been our song of the day. It reminds me of late nights at the cottage, playing board games with my family, and it comes on the radio and it tells you you're ready for sleep. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and anecdotes, the easiest thing you can do is buy my books (most are for adults only!) or check them out from your local library.  Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely. I'm also an  Amazon Influencer, ...

 Before I had to put this blog on hiatus, I had been featuring trans opera singers. We're back with non-binary super-soprano Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野 and a balcony performance. Make sure to stay until the end--there's a cat at the end. Both my elderly cats died during the pandemic. My partner is very allergic, so adopting another one would be kind of a big "fuck you" in his face. I just gotta say... I miss cats. This is the first time in 20 years that I haven't had cats, and it's an adjustment.  I want cats. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and anecdotes, the easiest thing you can do is buy my books (most are for adults only!) or check them out from your local library.  Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely. I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . I also recommend...

We came home Friday after a long week of difficult medical appointments in the city.  I've gone through a number of very difficult times in my life, but nothing has ever been quite this difficult.  Maybe I only think that because it's happening now. The past is in the past. I know I got through it. This... I can only hope. So, anyway, we got home on Friday and my partner said he needed a drink, after the week he'd had. I don't drink very often, but it had indeed been an awful week, so I decided to make myself a mojito. The garden here came with an ever-increasing supply of fresh mint. I am a lightweight, so after drinking my mojito I immediately crashed on the outdoor couch on the back deck. It's my favourite place in the house, even though it's not in the house.  Recently, I discovered that I can play FM radio through my phone. I also discovered a radio station that plays music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Listening to that station is the only form of self-care ...

This song pops into my head way too often, and it's in there again today. I'm doing an online course in managing emotions (ask my partner if it's working--he would tell you it's not) and one of the lessons mentioned, in passing, the difference between envy and jealousy. I'd always wondered what the difference was. Now I know that I have a problem with jealousy, but not with envy. According to the reading material, envy is what we're hearing about in this song: wanting what someone else has. Jealousy, by contrast, is... oh, now I wish I'd taken notes... what did the course teach me? I'm paraphrasing, here, but basically jealousy is the fear that something will destabilize a personal relationship. I wish I could remember the exact wording, but I'm a bad student, clearly. Anyway, jealousy is a big problem for me. I'm always afraid everything will steal my person away from me. But envy isn't an issue of mine. I don't tend to want anythi...

Powerful track from Cadence Weapon's Polaris Prize-willing album Parallel Worlds . This is another track I don't want to talk over, so let's just listen. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won't miss a song! See you tomorrow! Giselle

If I'm not mistaken, this is the final track from Alvvays' "Antisocialites" album. It's been in my head a lot, lately. Life is really hard right now--for my partner, and for me by extension. I've been craving the kind of night (or day, whatever) in this song: where you forget all your troubles with someone you care about. I want to forget all the present-day shit that's weighing on my mind. I want to forget all the decades-old trauma that creeps up from the sludge.  I want to forget about life, just for a little while. I want to come back at it refreshed and ready. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me huge...

 The computer I record my audiobooks on is more than fifteen years old and almost entirely out of space. When I first got it, I learned to use the programs I wasn't familiar with just by using them. I spent hours and then days toying with Garageband, creating music for my own entertainment. Now that this computer's just about ready to be put out to pasture, I've been going through the hard drive to see what I've got.  I came across all this music I created over the years and decided to release it as an album. It's available for you to listen to now as Beautiful Noise . Today we're listening to a song that pretty accurately represents the depression and anxiety self-talk circling my skull.  Even all these years later, I recognize it well.  If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy m...

 What a great track! This week we're listening to music from Juno nominees in the Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year category. It's great to see Black Indigenous representation.  The neighbourhood I grew up in has a large Black Indigenous population. Two years ago I met a group of young people from the neighbourhood who were taking part in a program (taught by a fellow Black Indigenous instructor) where they were not only building on their knowledge of traditional skills in areas like beading, but also learning different ways to make a living in the arts sector.  Their instructor is an amazing woman. She taught me a bit of beading too, but I forget everything I learned because my brain doesn't hold stuff.  I do remember the instructor, though!  She was one of those unforgettable people where you get the sense they must be older than they look, but they have this energy about them that's vibrant and youthful.  Anyway, I'm rambling. Enjoy today's song! If...

 I dreamed about Drake again.  He wasn't coming on to me this time.  In this dream, he arrived on the porch of my partner's apartment and started cleaning a chair off for his girlfriend. His girlfriend then came inside looking for a particular kind of cleanser, and we searched for it together.  Drake told me he needed to go to the cemetery to pay his respects, but before he left we looked up into the sky (which was dark) and there were these huge kites flying. Gigantic kites. But, going back to the start of the dream, when I saw Drake approaching, I worried a bit because the playlist I was listening to was full of The Weeknd, but no Drake. I didn't know how he'd feel about that. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them ou...

 I woke up at 4 in the morning out of a dream where my partner and I were visiting his sister's grandchildren. For some reason, Drake was there. And Drake wanted me bad. He thought I was a totally foxy MILF.  The shameful thing is that I don't know anything about Drake except what he looks like and that he's from Toronto. I am not familiar with his music. I have no idea if he would go for Great-Aunt Giselle, and I won't put words in his mouth. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking thro...

 Even though I'm not a religious person, I really like the idea of Lent. Making a change for 40 days is an interesting way to test the waters of a new life.  The first time I gave Lent a go (which was probably only two or three years ago), I decided to give up meat. It went really well.  It went so well that I thought I might just give it up forever.  I went back pretty fast, after forty days were up, but it was still a worthwhile exercise. I don't remember what I gave up last year, but this year I've decided to take a break from social media during Lent. Should be good for my mental health.  I always end up feeling pretty awful after scrolling through Twitter for hours on end. My big concern was: where am I going to hear about new music?  I follow musicians I enjoy on Twitter, and that's how I hear they've come out with something new. Well, today I hopped over to YouTube to start schedule posts for this site, and one of the first videos suggested to me was...

 As I watched this weekend's Super Bowl halftime show, I thought... gee, it really is time to feature hometown hero The Weeknd on this blog again. (He grew up in Scarborough, just like me.) If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won't miss a song! See you tomorrow!...

 Gorgeous music today from James Baley, a queer songwriter, performer and artist from right here in Toronto! If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won't miss a song! See you tomorrow! Giselle