A love of music has been a part of the Land Rover life. Driving a classic Land Rover - none of which came with radios - gives you ample opportunity to sample all the musical tracks of your life.
The early lure of R&B hits (the Memphis and Muscle Shoals sounds) Broadway musicals, rock pabulum, folk music, and humor, led to UVM theater productions, the UVM Chorale Union, Lyric Theatre (Burlington, VT) musicals, and eventually, performing here on Vinalhaven.
Music centers and focuses our senses. It's an early basis for teaching language, and people with musical skills learn language - native or foreign - faster than those whose musical skills have been ignored. Besides, singing loudly while driving a Land Rover helps battle off all the noises made by the engine and drivetrain.
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Phil N The Blanks at rehearsal: L to R - Joseph, John, Phil, Bob, and Jeff |
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| Vinalhaven has a tradition of music. For an island of 1,200 people, there's a huge amount of musical talent per capita.
Our group, Phil N The Blanks, has a core of three who have sung together for over 15 years. Organized by Phil Crossman [center of photo], we've celebrated island weddings and funerals, church services and significant community events. Our summer concerts with other musical groups on the island have become entertaining fund-raising events for island services such as The Wind, our newspaper, Vinalhaven Emergency Services, and the Island Community Services fund.
Jeff serves as the group's music arranger and writes most of the parody songs that are Phil N The Blanks signature songs. Among the recent hits are:
- Ode to the Maine State Ferry Service [sung to Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory] - Ode to our first-ever paid Fire Department chief [If I Were a Rich Man] - Ode to the F-I-E-C [Village People's YMCA] - Ode to local caretakers [I Want To Have Bobby's Job]
We're shameless so we'll sing anywhere. Contact Jeff if you're interested in acapella music.
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| We're a huge fan Key of She, the New Jersey-based female acapella group. They've performed on Vinalhaven, always to large, enthusiastic audiences.
Samples of their performances, as well as CD's of their music, are available on their website.
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