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Have You Seen This? Street Fighter chalk art
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I didn't realize that chalk art and Street Fighter were two of my favorite things until now. - photo by John Clyde


THE STREET When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist. There was a problem, however: I was terrible. When I drew people, they looked like shapeless rocks, and my rocks looked like throw up. Art was not my forte. I changed gears when I saw the 1989 classic "The Wizard." I figured I'd become a professional video gamer.

My brother and I saved our money for months, dumped over $100 worth of coins on the counter at the ShopKo near our house and bought a Super Nintendo. The game I was going to realize my dreams with was Street Fighter II. My character of choice was Guile, and I played that game like crazy. Soon I realized I was worse at video games than I was art. I was a button masher and constantly hoped for the best.

Well, when I saw this video, my 7-year-old heart broke all over again. Master chalk artist Chris Carlson makes an amazing piece of art as he combines his chalk art talent with Street Fighter. Granted, the character is Ryu, not Guile, but that stings more because that was my brother's character, and he always beat me.

While I go wallow in my broken dreams, enjoy this incredible video of a talented person doing talented things.
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Have You Seen This? Street musician slays with clarinet
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Better than almost every face-melting guitar or drum solo. - photo by Facebook video screenshot

THE BIG EASY — Yeah, yeah, we all know that New Orleans is stuffed to the gills will incredible musicians.

But knowing that fact and then hearing that fact are two different things. You can step into any number of jazz clubs on any given night on Bourbon Street, and you’ll probably be impressed with virtually every act. Or you can sit at home on your comfy couch and watch this featured video.

In the video, you’ll see a woman who is in the groove. She is swinging hard, and wailing on her clarinet with a practiced expertise that makes it sounds so easy.

From note one you’ll be drawn in; your appreciation will grow with every second, and then your face will melt off when you realize how incredible she really is.

If you’ve never played a woodwind or a brass, you may not know everything that comes with a performance like this. Lung capacity and breath control are huge factors in keeping your notes clear and loud, and hitting those high notes is especially difficult.

So when this woman hits that high note and holds it for several seconds, you know you’re dealing with an exceptional musician. It means she has worked hard for years to develop skill on top of her natural talent, and we get to benefit.

It kinda makes you wonder how we let people get away with mumble rap and autotune when talent like this exists in the world.

I wish this video were longer, and I wish I had more information about this woman, but as it is, we’ll just have to appreciate the little flavor of New Orleans jazz posted by the Facebook group Clarinet Life.

Martha Ostergar is a writer who delights in the ridiculous that internet serves up, which means she's more than grateful that she gets to cruise the web for amazing videos to highlight for your viewing pleasure.
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