Music Discoveries on YouTube

When my daughter, Eva, was a little girl, my wife and I would be tickled at the things she’d find on the ground. From dropped, forgotten coins, to colorful, shiny stones. From sweet, tiny flowers, to sometimes mysterious shells at the beach. From her height and vantage point, she saw many of things that we adults had long since overlooked and ignored.

I’m reminded of her, as I think how enthralled I am by what I find on YouTube on a daily basis. Just by keeping an open eye and a sense of wonder.

If you see the glass as half-empty, then you probably think YouTube is just full of crappy, stupid videos. If you see, on the other hand, the proverbial glass as half-full, then there truly are gems to be found and treasured.

So here are three of my favorite recent discoveries in music.

 

Lindsey Stirling is not just talented but also entertaining. If you think that listening to a violinist play is as much fun as waiting for water to boil or for paint to dry, then you’re in for a treat with this lovely lady. She exudes joy and energy, she hip-hops and shuffles, and she dramatizes her performance. Plus, the filming of her videos is no crude work of an amateur. Imagine her musical range, too. From covering Yiruma’s ‘River Flows In You,’ to performing LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem’! Go on, explore her YouTube channel and Facebook page. You know how to find her.

 

Abelardo, Gustavo and Angela Vázquez form a sibling trio from Mexico, called Vázquez Sounds, and they’re 16, 14 and 12, respectively. I didn’t get a chance to watch the Grammys earlier this year, so I didn’t see Adele make a killing with awards.  So YouTubing her, I discovered this lovely brothers-and-sister act. Their cover of ‘Rolling in the Deep’ has nailed down over 96 million views! I believe their father is a music producer, and I bet he helped them make their videos. So what are you waiting for? Go forth into cyberspace and enjoy their videos. Pronto!

Finally, Avivakova is a talented performer and composer. It’s simply not often that we find YouTubers who perform an original composition. This, plus the fact that she plays my favorite instrument, make her quite a pleasure to watch and listen to. This lovely piece is ‘Twilight March,’ and apparently it was difficult to perform. While both hands were occupied with playing the treble, she needed another hand to handle the steady beat of the base. That hand happened to be her foot! So Google her, YouTube her, Facebook her. You know the drill!

So who’s your lovely discovery today? Me (wink)? 

Thank you for reading, and let me know what you think!

Ron Villejo, PhD