The Mamma Mia Factor

I escaped the heat by ducking into my local theater to watch the movie version that features songs from my high school days. "ABBA" provided the background beat that my generation listened to as we "drug main" and other quaint rituals that no longer exist. (By the way, "dragging main" meant that you started at the A&W Root Beer Restaurant and then turned around and drove all the way down to the Sonic Drive In, got a coke and hung out with your friends, then repeated this until after midnight.)

This was before IPODS and downloadable music, when we would have to make a financial obligation to our music -- we'd have to purchase the entire album (CD's didn't exist) so when we made a committment with our music we were "all in". An entire paycheck would be spent to pick up the latest Fleetwood Mac, Eagles or Bee Gees tunes.

As I watched the movie, I became aware again of one truth: Music has the power to transport and transform in remarkable ways. The move is poorly acted, the editing is sub-part, the scenes agonizing. Still, I could not leave the theater when the music started: it had the power to concrete me to my seat and make me stay, no matter how badly Pierce Brosnan mucked up my favorite song.

Flat pictures in magazines and renovation design books can be beautiful but I often look at a design photo andand ask, "what music is being played in this space?" Few homes or businesses are devoid of music and I believe it is a strong influence in the overall way a space is inhabited. Music soothes and comforts, it energizes and revitalizes. It provides the space for grieving tears or celebratory shouts. It is an artform that is fluid, rich and alive.

It even provides a sacred space in a dingy neighborhood theater on a hot sultry day.

Disney's Future Home

Wanna see the future of the Great American Home?

Check out http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/07/09/style/disney-multimedia/index.html

David Rakoff's view of Disney's "Tomorrow" Home. Four years in the making, here is one rendition of the home for the future.