You Should Be In the Movies

I've just discovered the most enjoyable website of the day. MyHeritage takes a picture you upload, runs it through its magic machine, and matches it to a likely celebrity. It's like casting your own bio-pic of your favorite people. Just for fun, and because my mind is consumed with the Harry Partch paper I'm writing, I decided to run the four composers I taught in my American Mavericks class this past spring semester. And, as the immortal Dave Berry would remark, I'm not making this up.

First in our lineup is Mr. Charles Ives. Connecticut's state composer evidently looks like David Carradine. No word yet on when Mr. Ives will be showing us his kung-fu moves, but I'm sure the composer who once remarked "I don't write music for sissy ears" has some moves in him.





Next up is composer of the whole world of music, Mr. Henry Cowell. Evidently, Cowell would work well in a superhero movie because he looks like none other than Sir Ian McKellen.








Amazingly, the recognition software knew our next composer, Mr. John Cage. But an equal match for himself was Gary Busey. Is it the hair or the grin?








Finally, there is good old Harry Partch. I figured Kenny Rogers might come up or someone else with an impressive beard or mustache. No, tonight the role of Harry Partch will be played by none other than David Cronenberg, director of Videodrome.


Go ahead, give it a try. The whole process is endlessly fascinating.