Musician Jacob Collier

I don't profess to know anything about music at all apart from listening often and enjoying it across many genres. Someone recently turned me on to a young British musician named Jacob Collier (born 1994) and when I asked my friend what instrument he played, his answer was "everything!" And when I asked if Collier was a prodigy, my friend's answer was "beyond prodigy." In my mind, this guy is a phenomenon. Judge for yourself.

Known for an eclectic combination of jazz and other musical genres, Collier's energetic live performances are multi-media extravaganzas featuring original compositions as well as unique renditions of covers from many other musicians. He first went viral on TikTok in 2012 with Stevie Wonder's Don't You Worry About a Thing and here are some examples of other covers including the classic Moon River, Blackbird, Carole King's You've Got a Friend, and Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You.

Here is a recent original Collier piece entitled Never Gonna Be Alone.

For those who are much more advanced than me in musical theory (and it won't take much), check out an interview with Collier here regarding among other things, negative harmony.

For a general overview, check out Collier's Live Ted performance.

One YouTube listener named Random Awesomeness on youtube commented: "Non professionals will be impressed by Jacob because of how good it sounds. Professionals will be even more impressed because they know how advanced this is. That's the power of bringing skills into popular music that will truly improve public appreciation of good music."

Refreshing Summer Drinks

I am not a big drinker so I look for special non-alcoholic beverages for a little summer excitement and variety. And I am not going to lie--I chose these two recipes first of all for the color! But the ingredients and their deliciousness come close behind and of course you always have the option of adding gin, vodka, tequila, rum or whatever you would like ...

CUCUMBER GINGER LIME DRINK

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ packed cups fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish ½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup hot water
2 English cucumbers, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger (about 2 ounces), scrubbed and chopped
1 lime, plus more as needed
Ice cubes, for serving

In a medium bowl, combine the mint leaves, sugar and salt, and smash them together using a fork or the back of a wooden spoon.
Pour in the hot water, and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Combine the cucumbers and ginger in a blender, zest the lime right into it, then squeeze the juice from half the lime right in. Pour in 1 cup room-temperature water and purée on high until smooth. Pour the purée through a strainer, pressing it lightly with a spatula to get the liquid out. Discard the solids and pour the mixture into a medium pitcher.

Pour the mint syrup through the same strainer into a container, pressing on the leaves the same as before to extract the liquid.
Add 3/4 cups of the strained syrup into the cucumber ginger lime liquid. Taste and add more syrup or more lime juice to taste. Cover any leftover syrup and refrigerate for another use.

STRAWBERRY HIBISCUS LIMEADE

INGREDIENTS
Pineapple juice
2 sprigs fresh mint
2 hibiscus tea bags or 1/2 cup dried hibiscus flowers
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 pound fresh strawberries
1/2 cup homemade simple syrup

Pour pineapple juice into an ice cube tray, and allow to freeze overnight.
In a large pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add mint leaves to a pitcher, and muddle them to release oils.
Pour the boiling water, the tea bags, and lime juice into the pitcher, stir and steep for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, purée strawberries in a blender. (You should have about 1 cup purée.)
Add the purée and hibiscus or simple syrup, stir and refrigerate until ready to use.
Add mixture and pineapple ice cubes to individual glasses, garnish with fresh strawberries, lime slices and mint and serve immediately.

Derek Walcott Poem

Love After Love
by Derek Walcott

The time come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Whole Woman's Health

Please donate to this organization that helps women get the support they need to navigate the abortion bans and get to states where abortion remains legal.

Painting of the Week

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.