Author: Amie Brûlée

Amie Brûlée is a musician, performer, teacher and researcher. She sings, plays piano, double bass and ukulele, unearths old songs and writes new ones. Amie also has a PhD in wine and anthropology and adores teaching wine tasting, gastronomy and song-writing. Amie lives in central Victoria with a house full of instruments, a head full of songs and a cellar full of wine.

Happiness as Anarchy #365: Spinning Spider

This tiny little spider caught the light and my attention as it diligently spun her thread while dangling from the kitchen lamp. Such an elegant creature, dancing on a string, with her long legs moving with precision and grace. Up and down, round and round she worked on a thread so light it almost wasn’t… Continue reading Happiness as Anarchy #365: Spinning Spider

Happiness as Anarchy #364: Art museums

I do love wandering around art museums and soaking up centuries of artistic endeavour. While Covid19 has made this impossible for the time being, the wonderful result is the many virtual tours of the world’s biggest galleries. I just popped into the Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid and wandered around its pink hallways and rooms looking at… Continue reading Happiness as Anarchy #364: Art museums

Happiness as Anarchy #363: Walking & talking

Walking is a wonderful way to sort out ideas. I have solved many more problems while walking than I have sitting at my desk. In fact, most of the tricky bits in my PhD were nutted out that way. The walking phase is now embedded into my intellectual process and, although I may appear to… Continue reading Happiness as Anarchy #363: Walking & talking

Happiness as Anarchy #360: Oscar Peterson

Oscar Peterson is one of my all time favourite piano players – class, elegance, groove, heart – everything you could possibly want to hear from a piano. I was just looking for different versions of C-Jam Blues (an Ellington tune written in 1942) and came across this fabulous version of Oscar Peterson playing it live… Continue reading Happiness as Anarchy #360: Oscar Peterson

Happiness as Anarchy #358: Pineapples

The pineapple made quite an impression when it arrived in Europe in the 17th century. Such an exotic fruit with its extraordinary appearance and delicious flavour, it was an object of luxury for more than a century until greenhouses were invented and cultivation in Europe became possible. You could hire a one for your party… Continue reading Happiness as Anarchy #358: Pineapples