Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Speak New Words: Walk in Harmony :: Bethany Deline

Bethany Deline
Ukulele Player, Dancer, and Designer Extraordinaire

In case you haven't guessed already, this is my wonderful new friend, Bethany Deline. Not only is she at the U of M design school with me, but she also has a dance background and a sparkling smile. Aside from automatically being cooler than the rest of us by being from Canadia, she has also written and recoded several lovely tunes. Although she has been finding time recently to write, the music that she has up on her website currently is an eclectic mix of covers and original stuff, all with a Bethany twist. The ukulele is an instrument that can stand on its own and goes well with images of sandy beaches and warm summer days, but (I feel) is a difficult instrument to pair with others. It is so simple and sweet sounding that it would just sound wrong with big drums or rich strings. However, Bethany uses her voice, simple clapping, guitar, and even tapping to add depth and dimension to her stuff. Tapping is my clear favorite, but not simply because it is a dance form. The tapped rhythms are able to be so much complex than a clapped one, and the sound is so light and bright that it compliments her ukulele beautifully.

This particular tune, even though she begged me to use a "better" song, displays the spirit of her music well and it's more fun since there's a video that goes with it! :) The people that make those "Responsibility: pass it on" commercials could take a lesson from Bethany. So take a listen!



For more of Bethany, check out her myspace HERE and her personal website HERE.

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