A Thousand Different Ways

ALBUM DESIGN -- Cindilu2 is one of many graphic artists who have created
possible CD covers for Clay Aiken's much anticipated sophomore album.

Acronyms Rule!

A Thousand Different Ways

We live in a world of acronyms and codes -- governmental, zip, area, airport, HTML, Morse, organiztional, professional, military, recreational, you name it. The list is literally boundless and would probably read like a foreign language to our ancestors.

As a music teacher, I have been a member of several organizations -- MTNA, TMTA, NAMTA, MENC, NCMENC, ASTA -- with well-known acronyms. NAMTA and ASTA are pronouced as words, while the others are known by their initials.

Occasionally, a student approaches learning to read music as if he or she is cracking some obscure, cryptic code. Actually, notation is very logical and quite simple: there is a seven-letter musical alphabet of ABCDEFG; notes move up and down a staff of five lines and four spaces in alphabetical order; adjacent notes use neighboring letters; each clef has a guideline note that identifies a specific location -- G for the treble clef, F for the bass, C for the alto and tenor clefs. Simple, yet Greek to many.

Native American Code Talkers

During World War II, Native American code talkers, bilingual Navajo language speakers, were specially recruited to serve in standard communications units of the US Marines in the Pacific Theater. Code talkers transmitted secret tactical messages over military telephone or radio communications nets using formal or informally developed codes built upon their native languages. Their story has been preserved in the movie, "Windtalkers."

According to Wikopedia's article on Acronyms and Initialisms, the widespread use of accepted abbreviations and codes -- NATO, FBI, SAT, JPEG, for example -- is a relatively new linguistic phenomenon in the English language.

When you add chat, instant and text messaging codes, the list really does become limitless -- AIUI (As I understand it), AYPI? (And your point is?), BWTHDIK (But what the heck do I know?), BRB (be right back), ROFL (rolling on floor laughing), ROFLOL (rolling on floor laughing out loud), etc. See how many you know in this Internet Acronyms Dictionary.

Just for grins, I typed in ATDW in an Internet Acronym Finder. Lo and behold, there is no match -- yet! Currently, this site has 2,995,000 definitions in its database. CA fans converse in code amongst ourselves and with our favorite singer.

True fans have no problem deciphering the acronyms from Clay's huge musical repertoire (BOTW, TITN, DLTSGDOM, etc.) or in reference to his tours (NAT, JBT, JNT04, JNT05).

NANA Contest at the OFC

Of course, the most recent usage of acronyms at the OFC (another one -- Official Fan Club!) began when Clay announced the NANA (New Album Name Acronym) Contest on July 4. In a series of blogs at this site, OMC (Our Man Clay) maintained a running commentary on NANA's progress.

Reminders from Day 1: And don't try your sneaking, snooping around, and going through your "channels" to find out the album title. Only about 4 people know. I haven't even told my mother. So your normal "contacts" will steer you wrong!!!

Then he kept tabs on acronyms submitted and gave the statistical odds for a fan even guessing correctly -- 456,976 variations in the beginning.

He also provided further hints -- Does NOT spell a known word, first letter is a vowel, last three letters are not vowels -- and brought the possible options to less than 46,305.

There was encouragement for his industrious fans in several progress reports: A few people now have gotten at least two letters in the right spaces, using what I imagine to be the "lotto strategy" on 7/5, followed by Four folks have all but one letter correct and in the correct place on 7/6.

We Have a Winner!

Finally, on 7/11 came the announcement: We have a winner! I'm warming up my dialing fingers to make a call very soon! And warming up my creative juices for a "follow up" contest!

On 7/14, Santeyamor enjoyed a 20-minute phone conversation with Clay, just one of the many rewards her correct acronym won. Clay blogged that his winner is to be applauded for her work with the elderly and low income families in her city. I think OMC is the unofficial president of this lucky lady's fan club.




On July 17, both Clay and Jaymes Foster, the CD's executive producer, put the icing on my birthday cake by announcing the name of the sophomore album -- A Thousand Different Ways. The beautiful clickable graphic above was designed by Amazing_CA.

After discussing their journey, the process, the album's two distinctly different musical paths, the great respect she has for Clay's talent, Jaymes (Clayandr) shared this information with fans:

YOUR ALBUM

I have been very fortunate in my career to work with or along side of some of the greatest singers on the planet – Celine, Barbra, Andrea Bocelli. And I believe (as you already know) Clay is right up there next to those amazing singers. You all expressed to me that you wanted me to be sure that his vocal shined through on his CD as if you were listening to him live. I think we accomplished that.

And, I think he made great choices of songs on his album to showcase that. As much as I know it will frustrate you, unfortunately, I can’t tell you what those are at this point….you’ll have to find out for yourself when you get the album. (Or, since I know you want to know as much as you can, I’ll try to give you more information here when I am allowed to.) But, I believe you will hear him singing in ways that you have never heard or even dreamed of. His musical talent, instincts and abilities have astounded me.

While you will have to wait a little longer for the record label to firm up the final release date, I can tell you now that Clay and I are sure that you will love this album in "A Thousand Different Ways!"

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features graphics by Amazing_CA (1, 5); Pixieglitter (2); Claystruck (3); and Aspiegirl (4). Photo credits include Twicetreasured (2) and Invisible926 (4).













Same Wave Length as Macca

Interestingly, Clay Aiken's NANA contest parallels that of pop music icon, Sir Paul McCartney. This is an excerpt from The Express on (er um!) July 17 and should sound very familiar:

Beatles Code Riddle for Fans

Beatles producer Sir George Martin is challenging fans to crack the "code" in a new Fab Four album produced for a Las Vegas show.

Sir George and his son Giles, who say only they and Sir Paul McCartney know the answers, have hidden more than 130 Beatles songs within their 90-minute soundtrack to Love - the new Beatles/Cirque Du Soleil production. Every sound in the show is taken from a Beatles recording, both famous and obscure, with some excerpts played backwards.

A prize will be offered to anyone who cracks the code when the CD soundtrack is released in October. Sir George, 80, told the Sunday Express: "I really don't think anyone will ever get it."

There have been other messages from Clay that could be considered codes of sorts -- the suggestion we ponder a specific Bible verse to "stand tall in the face of adversity," a simple "thank you" in the midst of overwhelming support during some rough times, and the Valentine's Day blog that ended with this postscript that just may have been a veiled description of the upcoming CD:

Come to think of it, most of my favorite songs of ALL time are LOVE SONGS! .... hmmm ..... now there's an idea!

I can't wait to start compiling new song and tour acronyms from Clay's sophomore CD. Meanwhile, many of us are still trying to decode "quite soon."

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, Acronyms and Initialisms, Code Talkers, A Thousand Different Ways, Official Fan Club, Love Songs, Macca

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My Very Special Day

Clay Aiken's American Idol 5 Finale appearance -- Graphic by A Beautiful Mind.

NAT Gathering Recalled

Memorable Events Mark Birthday

Monday, July 17, is my special day -- the anniversary of my birth. Through the years, the 17th has been marked by many memorable events.

My sister's first daughter was due around this date and, in fact, was born very late on July 16. When I spoke with the new mother in the hospital, her first words -- after 23 hours of labor -- were, "I tried to wait until the 17th, but the baby wouldn't!" Now that we live in the same area, we usually celebrate with a joint family dinner.

As a school girl, I remember envying those with September - May birthdays because their mothers could provide cupcakes for a full class celebration. I guess the tradeoff was that my summertime parties were always beach gatherings, complete with ocean waves, inner tubes, lunches of hot dogs, homemade chili, and a birthday cake with candles blowing in the midsummer breeze.

In Nashville, two musicians and I formed The Cambiata Trio, a chamber ensemble that performed everywhere from weddings and bridal shows to concerts in the park and the Governor's Mansion. The flautist, whose birthday is on the 13th, and I always celebrated this week by splitting the difference with lunch on the 15th. Those were very special times.

Clay Sings for NAT Birthday

This weekend is also the second anniversary of one of my happiest birthdays ever. In 2004, Clay not only came to Greensboro to sing for me on the eve of the 17th, but numerous fans who have become friends also gathered in my city for the Not a Tour Concert and a message board reunion. Prior to the show, we met for dinner and celebrated several July birthdays within our group. Here is a clickable of that special cake:

The NAT weekend's fun stories and "misadventures" began when I met some early arrivals for dinner on the 15th -- Anntherese54, Valeda, Wildaboutclay -- and we decided to tour the coliseum area for "dessert." After getting a load of Clay's name on the coliseum marquee, we located the road crew unloading the stage setup, but wisely decided to drive on by. After all, we didn't want to be banned form the next night's main event!

Super Sleuths Locate Buses

On the prowl for tour buses, we immediately spotted a pair in a hotel parking lot just down the road. There is nothing braver than a quartet of middle-aged Clay Aiken fans, so we parked right behind the second bus. While pondering our next move, we noticed someone walking toward the bus. My friend WAC hopped out of the car and promptly informed the young man we were CA fans and wondered if these were part of his entourage. From his accent, we amateur sleuths deduced that we had stumbled onto part of Cherie's group.

That weekend I played taxi driver to many and host to friends from both sides of the country, Canada, and Abu Dhabi.

PHOTO INTERMISSION: Today's clickable interlude features the graphics of Claystruck (1), Amazing_CA (2,3,5), and Invisible926 (4). Photos credits include Barb123 and Twicetreasured (1), Tasapio (2), and dc4clay (3).

A Poignant Reminder

Last year my birthday followed by two days the burial of the woman who gave me life, making the occasion all the more poignant. The leading character of my "Sail on, Silvergirl" blogs would have allowed me all of five minutes to ponder the sad correlation of the two events before tapping her toe, wagging a finger, and insisting that it is time to move on. And then she would add ... "Whatever!"

One of the kindest remembrances last year came from my San Jose sleuthing buddy, who had my avatar made into a key chain engraved "To Caro .. From WAC." This special gift was sitting in my mailbox when I returned home from my mother's funeral.

As Clay often says, CA fans are the best in the world. I could not be more grateful for the very special friendships we have formed and all that we share every day of the year because of him.

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, Not-A-Tour, Birthdays, Clay Aiken Fans

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The Real Rebels of Music

Sonny James and the Southern Gentlemen, 1983 -- SJ Web Site

Sonny James and Clay Aiken

The Real Rebels of Country and Pop

If you are a fan of country music, someone in your family probably remembers Sonny James. If not, you are much like a young couple who moved to Nashville with classical backgrounds, teaching degrees in instrumental music, and very little experience with the country genre. However, my husband, whose heredity -- and a high school band directing job -- had sent his blood pressure soaring, was told by his doctor to "change your lifestyle." And so we did.

We arrived in Nashville in the summer of 1973, and my husband played drums for several entertainers before joining "The Southern Gentlemen," Sonny's road band. Sonny and his wife never had children, and they immediately "adopted" our daughter into their family. In fact, they have several "nieces" and "nephews" from former band members, who remain close to this day.

The Sundays they were on the road, Sonny would have Mr. Caro locate a Church of Christ, and off the two would go in the bus. Many congregations throughout the US and Canada have been shocked to see SJ and his drummer drive up for Sunday services in the huge tour bus. Almost every time, Sonny was invited to lead the congregational singing, asked to autograph Bibles, kiss babies, etc., when all he wanted to do was quietly worship.

Setting a Good Example

I love Sonny James for the selfless, caring, courteous, benevolent way he has lived his life. Besides his many charities, strong faith, and deeply religious lifestyle, he has always felt that it was his responsibility to set a good example for young people; and for that reason, a key item in his contract was that there would be no alcoholic beverages served during his performance, no matter what the arena.

We know many of these descriptions apply to Clay -- selfless, caring, courteous, charitable, humanitarian -- as well as the strong determination that his product be "family friendly" and experienced by both adults and young people. By design, Clay has also placed a high priority on setting an example for others.

PHOTO INTERMISSION -- Clickable graphics from Clay's work with UNICEF and the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, as well as recent concert tours, include (1) Clayquebec1's "A Man of ... Heart" blend with photo by Invisible926, (2) JNT05 blend by Invisible926, (3) Amazing_CA's "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" blend from the Raleigh JNT Concert, (4) Clayquebec1's Bubel/Aiken Foundation blend/photos by Tasapio and Invisible926, and (5) Amazing_CA's Jukebox Tour 2005 wallpaper with photos by Tasapio.











A Compassionate Caregiver

There are numerous examples of Sonny's charity and compassion; however, the closest one to our family came when my husband suffered a heart attack and by-pass surgery at age 41. Due to complications with his leg, he was hospitalized longer than most by-pass patients. Who do you think appeared every morning to shave the drummer? The nurses and hospital personnel were immensely impressed and just as "fangirly" as we are about Clay, requesting autographs on every imaginable surface.

Months later when I began teaching a young boy piano, his last name didn't register -- at least not until our holiday recital in my studio when up drove his physician father in a red sports car. In walked Mr. Caro's surgeon, and I almost fainted. I reminded him that he had performed a triple by-pass on my husband, but he couldn't place the patient. Nothing I said jarred his memory until I mentioned the fact that the man in question had played drums for Sonny James. Immediately, he remembered.


Sonny James Album Cover

Sonny's career of many decades is over, but both of these singers have long, tall, slim silhouettes to go with their beautiful voices. Both are southerners who began performing at an early age; Sonny is a native of Alabama, and Clay is from North Carolina. They both love(d) their mothers, have good manners, and exemplify southern gentlemen.

Touring first as a youngster picking and singing with his family, the Lodens, Sonny went solo when his sisters married and his parents returned to Hackelburg to open a clothing store. His National Guard unit was among the first to be activated for the Korean War, and Sonny took an old fiddle and guitar along with him. In Korea, he honed his songwriting skills, returning two years later with a notebook full of tunes, many of which became hits as his solo career took off.

Five Years of Number 1 Singles

During the late 60s into the 70s, Sonny scored an incredible five-year run of Consecutive Number One Singles, a feat never before accomplished in country music, pop, or rock ‘n roll, and a record he held for many years. The foundation for this success was laid years before when in late 1956 the Alabama native took his guitar, a simple musical arrangement, and sang what would become his signature song, “Young Love."


Sonny's Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Internet is loaded with SJ web pages, but at the "oh-fficial" Sonny James site, you can listen to many of his 67 Number One hits. In the "Southern Gentlemen" link and the lead photo above, the drummer I know the best is the Texan wearing the cowboy hat.

At the time my husband played for Sonny, several entertainers, many well known for substance abuse and a whole lot of rough living, were proclaiming themselves to be "the rebels of country music." I'll never forget when the drummer came off one of his first road trips with SJ and said, "You know what, the REAL REBEL of COUNTRY MUSIC is Sonny James!"

That statement kept echoing in my mind as the Clay Train began picking up speed. In another genre and a different generation, the REAL REBEL of POP MUSIC is Clay Aiken.

Caro

RELATED TAGS: Clay Aiken, Sonny James, The Southern Gentlemen, Nashville, Music City

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