Category Archives: Music

Here you will find tips on music. From singing to playing an instrument!

Artists, Beta, Inspirational People, Music

K-POP, Tamil music gurus, and me, the midget, music enthusiast.

So, I realized that I haven’t done a post focused entirely on music. Except for one or two entries from the early stages of my blog(that I now cringe at while reading). And quite honestly, I feel like a complete nitwit considering that there is a separate category for music on this blog. And after three(soon to be four)years there’s barely any music related posts.

Goodness, I anticipate blogging and making posts; and I want to make quality content, but it’s hard. Especially when there’s about 200+ rough drafts waiting to either be deleted or posted.

So.

Um.

Yay, procrastination!

About a month or so back, I had taken my final exams for the first semester. And let me tell you, that week and the two weeks before were just filled with unnecessarily high levels of stress and anxiety.

That entire week was just me studying till I felt like there was a dozen encyclopedias stuffed into my cranial cavity. All I was thinking after I finished an exam for a class was:

I WANT EAT

I WANT SLEEP

I’m the type of person who doesn’t show my intensive anxiety on the outside; but it always eats me up on the inside. To the point where I physically can’t stop thinking about it. So the only way I was really able to have some peace at school and while studying, was by listening to the music I liked best.

And that included K-POP.

Unfortunately, I belly flopped into the K-POP boat a wee bit later than everyone else did(about six to seven years late to be exact, but that’s okay). Now those of you out there who are cursing me out for this horrendous mistake, I’m sorry, forgive my ignorance; and please don’t lash out on me with posters and ridiculously merchandise featuring your bias(for those K-POP fans out there wondering, my bias is everyone. I love everyone. There are a few from BTS that I love especially but still. I love everyone.)

To be fair, I didn’t figure out that K-POP stood for KOREAN POP until late into last year so hear me out all of you hardcore K-POP fans.

For those of you who are left in the metaphorical dust in regards to what in the world I’m talking about(trust me if you asked me a few years back I wouldn’t have known either)here’s a little background:

Korean pop, or better known as K-POP, is essentially Korean pop music that was popularized in the early 2000s but in my opinion(meaning that these facts may or may not be accurate, so don’t take my word for it)took the world by storm a few years back when the popular Korean boy band BTS, made their debut in 2013 with their music. The stars who sing and dance in this genre are often called “idols.” (Don’t ask me why cause’ doing the “research” just confused my little brain to a pulp.)

Now, I’m of Asian descent, like 100%, so you would think that I would stay up to date on this kind of stuff, but being a hermit, I have no knowledge of what people find interesting on the world wide web. And that’s due to the fact that I don’t have any social media whatsoever(Which I’m immensely grateful for). And no, I don’t necessarily think YouTube counts. Anyways, I was too busy listening to my instrumental and EDM to really throw a glance to the K-POP genre. But it started to blossom interest in my mind.

I listen to music constantly. While doing homework, studying, working out, drawing, walking through the school campus, between passing periods, during study hall, reading at home, or- alright I think you get the point. As you can see, I have a great love for music, and all types of it. And it’s a major outlet for me, so I’m open to listening to lots of genres. So it was inevitable that I started listening to music I wasn’t engrossed in at an earlier time.

And boy was that the best decision my Spotify account could make.

(This work is not sponsored).

So, I’ve heard of BTS a lot, always seeing their well-dressed persons on the suggested bar on YouTube, and their songs always popped up in the suggested category of my Spotify. Ironically, I was never invested into boy bands in the first place, so I was skeptical that I would actually like them. But it came as a pleasant surprise(and a punch to my musical ego)and I instantly got thrown into the K-POP hole and into the arms of the waiting International Armys(“ARMY” is the name of BTS fans)

The amount of time it took for me to speed through nearly every BTS album in current existence is absolutely insane. Their music just caught me instantly and I don’t think I’ll be able to be pried out of the grips of the BTS fandom anytime soon so sanity nice knowin’ you.

I would absolutely suggest listening to this group because their music has so much heart, so much passion put into it, and each member of the group came from a different background. And what’s so great about them is that you can personally relate to them in ways that not a lot of celebrities can, where they feel untouchable because of their accomplishments and social status. But instead, they are humble and don’t put themselves above others because of their fame. Because they’re just regular people too. All of them young, extremely talented musicians who create music than anyone can enjoy. And it’s incredible that you don’t need to understand Korean in order to understand the vibe of the music they release.

Their music isn’t circulating around relationships and things interconnected with it. But things that everyone goes through but don’t usually like talk about; like mental health, self-esteem, family, etc.

Needless to say, about 85% of my Spotify playlists are now overpowered by K-POP. And hey, that isn’t entirely a bad thing.

And to keep the fire kindling on the topic of music, I would also like to switch to a musical genre that has a bit of less spunk but beautiful nevertheless; as well as honor another musician that has had quite the impact. But not recently, no, but I was introduced to his compositions very very early into my life and grew up listening to his songs, humming along to them, and being the background music to my childhood and now.

And before I end this section of the post, I’ll leave some of my favorite K-POP songs down below for you to indulge in if you are so willing.

“Perfect Man” by SHINHWA
“Good to Me” by SEVENTEEN

And here are some of my personal favorite songs by BTS:

“Lie” by BTS
“Airplane Pt. 2” by BTS
“Go Go” by BTS
“DNA” by BTS
“Don’t Leave Me” by BTS
“I Need U” by BTS
“Serendipity” by BTS
“Intro: Singularity” by BTS
“Intro: Boy Meets Evil” by BTS
“Save Me” by BTS
“Blood Sweat and Tears” by BTS
“Run” by BTS

Call me cliché but, deep down, nearly every older sister or brother would testify to the fact that no matter how much our younger siblings will grow, we would still love the little munchkins to the point of oblivion. I mean, older siblings struggle with a lot of things with the watchful eyes of not only your parents and peers, but the little ones who look up to you for guidance. Where nearly everything you do circulates around not only succeeding in life and for yourself; but to also be a responsible voice of reason, a role model, a teacher, a protector.

And it goes the same exact way for parents and guardians. They will try their absolute best to influence their children in the most positive ways so they can be successful and happy when they are older. And they become better people in society as they grow up. So, like many people, they share what they find interesting to they children.

From when I was a little girl until now, Tamil music always dominated the soft lull of our household. (Okay, “soft lull” meaning the constant screeches of small children, and bickering between siblings.) We don’t necessarily listen to the more recently released Tamil songs from movies and stuff. But the classics from the 1900’s. I guess I personally prefer the old Tamil stuff from the new because it just sounds like there’s much more effort and soul put into it, than what’s produced now in movies and such.

But a specific contributor to these works of art, is from a Tamil composer, singer, songwriter, conductor, arranger, and a bunch of other things that I don’t remember the names of; Illayraja.

Talk about high-status.

Those of you who are readers of this blog, but also relatives or close friends of our family, would probably know my dad’s ocean deep appreciation for Illayraja. And his infatuation with the maestro’s music So, in honor of him,(and my dad’s relatable mild obsession), here is a bit of a backstory to those of you who are unfamiliar with South India’s household musical name and how he came to be the legend he is deemed now.

(Just so none of the Illayraja super fans lash out at me in the comment section, I would like to point out that I’m most likely not spelling his name right since I’ve seen so many variations of it through my reading. Which didn’t help at all to further remedy my confusion, so forgive me if my misspellings have provoked you.)

Illayraja was born on the second of July in 1943, but was born under the name of Gnanathesikan in Pannaipuram(not pani puri, no that’s a food)of the Theni District in Tamil Nadu, India.

So I’m just gonna add a little tidbit in here and then we can continue onto the background portion of this post. Cause’ I think this applies to more than just Illayraja.

What I’ve learned over the years from personal observation, and being attentive to other peoples actions; is that the place(s)you grow up in, and who brings you up, can heavily influence who you are and how you perceive the world. I was born and raised in California; but I have abundant South Indian influence because both of my parents are Indian, making me 100% South Indian by blood. So many of my views of the world, the things I do, the people I talk to and befriend, is all from what I was taught, what I was exposed to, and what I know about the world from the position I was put in when I was born. So there are the things I do and don’t know, which affect my actions and opinions.

This applies to quite literally, anyone.

What I mean by that, is everything that you do, writing, drawing, or participating in discussions. Your views and view points are solely influenced by what you’re being surrounded with.

Music for example, I prefer foreign music rather than Western music because I grew up listening to songs that mostly weren’t in English. Though I didn’t realize this maybe two or three years ago, it still came to be that I’ve become more opinionated with musical dialect. Not that I have anything against songs in English, I just don’t listen to them as much as I listen to foreign genres.

And this goes for everyone, your personal likes and dislikes can and are manifested by what you have been exposed to throughout your life. And keep in mind that it can be anything.

So don’t underestimate the power of what you usually overlook everyday as something that doesn’t need to be acknowledged or accounted for; because it can easily find it’s place in your own mind.

Alright, psychological lecture over; moving on.

Illayraja was exposed to a lot of traditional village music, folk music, and you know all that jazz(no, not actual jazz, that was just an expression). Making his music and compositions have many traditional elements to them. Most of his songs have a fusion between common Indian instrumentals, and lead Western instruments like flutes and saxes. With this interesting combo of stylistics, it creates a kind of seamless bond between long-established South Indian folk tunes, and classic orchestral pieces that one would usually find more popular in Western canonical music.

With this unique blend, listening to just one of these compositions is whimsical in the experience of hearing the highs and lows, the dips and caresses of the violins to the higher instruments. Even though I only have eight to nine years of musical exposure, it was obvious that Illayraja has a keen eye for dolce(sweet, delicate)in his music. And he managed to bring that sweet swell of the music and put it perfectly on sheet music.

Illayraja’s music was also one of the earliest forms of Western and Tamil fusions in music. Combining traditional orchestral and strings with Tamil folk music which usually consisted of hand-made, authentic instruments with deep, woody sounds. Fuse both of them together and bam, you have an intricate masterpiece in your hands.

Here is a bit of an article from NewWorldEncyclopedia.Org(THIS IS NOT MINE, RIGHTS GO TO THE PROPER OWNERS)

“The use of an orchestration technique that is a synthesis of Western and Indian instruments and musical modes characterized Ilaiyaraaja’s music. He pioneered the use of electronic music technology that integrated synthesisers, electric guitars and keyboards, rhythm boxes and MIDI with large orchestras that also featured the veena,venu,nadaswaram,mridangam, and tabla.[28][29] His flair for catchy melodies, and to his employment of subtle nuances in chord progressions, beats and timbres accounts for the popularity of Ilaiyaraaja’s music.[30][31][32] Ilaiyaraaja’s songs typically have a musical form where orchestral preludes and interludes layer vocal stanzas and choruses. They often contain polyphonic melodies; the lead vocals interweave with supporting melody lines sung by another voice or played by instruments. Polyrhythms, particularly in songs with Indian folk or Carnatic influences, have prominence. The melodic structure of his songs demand considerable vocal virtuosity, and have found expressive platform among some of India’s respected vocalists and playback singers, such as K.J. Yesudas, S.P. Balasubramaniam, S. Janaki, P. Susheela, K.S. Chithra, Malaysia Vasudevan, Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar.[33] Ilaiyaraaja has sung his own compositions for films,[34] recognizable by his rustic and nasal voice. He has penned the lyrics for some of his songs in Tamil and other languages.[35][36] Ilaiyaraaja has become famous for his evocative film themes and background music,[37] and examples of those include his work for Pallavi Anupallavi (1984), Punnagai Mannan (1986), Mouna Raagam (1986) and Geethanjali (1989).”

And here is the link to the full article:

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ilaiyaraaja

Of course, all this Einstein-level musical awareness didn’t come with a snap of his conductor’s baton. Like everything in life, it took time and effort. And it would be an understatement to say that he worked hard.

At the age of 14, he joined a traveling musical group(led by his elder brother). Which honestly takes so much guts, I mean you would have to give me a really good reason to drop everything I’m doing in California, pick up my instruments, and start parading across the country while playing music with a group I don’t know well.

Yeah, no.

Anyway, our buddy Illayraaja spent most of his time performing throughout South India, spending the next decade traveling to perform. Eventually writing his own composition.

Personally, when I read that his first musical composition was a musical reworking of an elegy written by a famous Tamil poet who dedicated this specific piece to India’s first prime minister(sorry, I was very confused with how to write this entire sentence properly without sounding stupid, forgive me). I was pretty amazed that his first ever written work was based off poetry. An elegy at that.

An elegy is a form of poetry that is often a piece that is dedicated to a person who has passed away. Note: Not to be confused with a eulogy.

You see, the thing about poetry is that words are embodying the emotions that tie together the entire spiel, rather than using a slew of words to only describe things. Poetry is essentially the artistic way of writing and it’s common for the words and expressions used in poetry to be ornamented.

Not to mention that it’s already hard enough to use words and string them together to make something whole and beautiful. And there are plenty of people out there who struggle with writing poetry and get frustrated in the process, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t one of those people.

I mean sometimes it’s hard to just talk like a normally functioning human being and sound sane.

Yes, yes, it’s very difficult.

But the interesting thing about poetry-that sets it off from other styles of writing-is that you can be describing the most desultory thing, like, I dunno, microwaving a bowl of pencils(which I don’t recommend doing by the way)and you can make it sound like a Shakespearean Sonnet.

Observe:

The metal gleams as the door opens,

Ceramic against glass a tinkling sound of conscience.

Ash coloured particles foreign against pristine white

Blush pink rubber like a crown of a person pleasing an audience.

Although this particular treat will not metabolite.

See! The magic of poetry can make the most horrid things sound beautiful!

And my poem wasn’t even good!

（；^ω^）

My point is that capturing poetry and putting it into another form is exceptionally difficult. Imagine putting that particular poem into melody form.

Well.

From my experience anyway.

Okay back to Illayraja.

As you could’ve guessed(from my unnecessary rant about poetry) Illayraja obviously showed from a rather infant like time that he had capability that a lot of people wished they had but didn’t. When you grow up as a musician, you have to be exposed to nearly every basic thing in music if you want to go onto big things. I know this because it’s drilled into our brains constantly by our band directors.

Illayraja went under Dhanraj Master(a famous music teacher from Tamil Nadu as well)to learn as a music student. Eventually attaining the name Raaja from his esteemed teacher. And from these lessons were where he became acquainted with Western music stylistics. Some time later becoming a very adept classical guitarist by taking a distance course in Trinity College of Music, in London.

As he grew older, there were more opportunities for him as a musician. Slowly getting more high-end. Playing as a guitarist for bands, composing for movies, etc. Many people have called him the “demigod” of music, holding him to a very high esteem that he certainly deserves and his accomplishments are certainly held to a very high stature.

He was recruited as an assistant for musical directory, and had worked on 200 film projects. And as a musical assistant, he was set to writing the sheet music for of the melodies and musical outlines. Which again, is a very ambitious task. Especially under such pressure and watchful eyes of his seniors. And on top of all that, he started writing his very own scores and compositions as he worked under the legendary director G.K Venkatesh.

Eventually, in 1975, he was called after to compose a film score for Tamil film, proceeding to apply the variety of music he had become thoroughly aware of. And if you have forgotten, it was a mixture of folk melodies, Western, and Tamil poetry.

Illayraja has received a multitude of rewards and honours, including five Indian National Film Awards, and the National Film Award for Best Musical Direction.

I’m hoping that in the near future I can make longer individual posts about both BTS and Illayraja. But I thought I could combine the two into one mega-post about music. Obviously to make up for the fact that I haven’t posted anything since New Year’s Eve. Which technically speaking, was last year.

I’m a pathetic high school student. I know. ¯_(◕ヮ◕)_/¯

Inspirational People, Music

If you have to ask what jazz is then you will never know. – Louis Armstrong

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(All YouTube content posted in this are not mine, all rights go to the rightful owners of their content. )

My whole life my parents have been introducing me to so many musicians that aren’t recognized just as much know. So many artists that I have come to love and aspire by for the past thirteen years(yes I am thirteen now, finally!),as well as exalted my mind. But there is this one musician that really jump started my need to make art with sound. And no, I am not writing about Louis Armstrong but I would love to in his honor. But I am writing about none other than.

*trumpet fanfare*

KENNETH BRUCE GORELICK

a k a Kenny G.  😉

Alongside Dido, Illayraja, and a bunch of other musicians, I think Kenny G is one of my dads favorite considering that fact that he has be nagging me to do this post and his taste in musical benevolence is contagious. So here we go:

When I was little I used to think that the only music in the world consisted of people singing not instrumental harmonies. I know that sounds really stupid but I was like four okay? So you can imagine what it was like for me when I finally realized that instruments can- T A L K. I said and I quote:

T H E   S A X O M A P H O N E    I N    T H E     S P E A K E R   I S  T A L K I N G   TO   M E.  M O M  H E L P

Jazz music is a part of my life that I don’t think I can let go, specifically that because of Kenny G.

If you don’t know who Kenny G is, he is a professional saxophonist( tenor saxophone, alto sax, barry sax, soprano sax, etc.)who had his debut album released in nineteen ninety-six. Which gave him success in the musical industry.

Were you expecting more? Ooh, sorry bout that but that all I really know about his career.

Yep.

I’m a disappointment I know.

A N Y W A Y

I am gonna be honest with you and probably gonna embarrass my dad in the process but ya know, thats how life works(it actually doesn’t I just tried to make a jok- you know what never mind. ). My dad constantly rants about how Kenny G is a maestro when it comes to jazz and I cant help but think, man.

Dat man has real curly hair.

My parents tell me that when I was a little girl, I used to cry over this song called Paradise that Kenny G played and composed. I was a seriously emotional kid back then. And by back then I mean still a little bit now.  Heres the song for you guys below :

IM NOT CRYING. MY EYES ARE JUST SWEATY

That song really gets me in the feels and i just get super captivated every time I listen to it. The embouchure and the staccato. Just UUUHH. I WANT THIS TALENT. Kenny G is such an incredible musician and I honestly just wish more people know about him.

Another one of our favorites is this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlr3a7QRHJc

The collaboration with the strings, drums, and of course the soprano saxophone is absolutely incredible and the melody is amazing. This kind of music is just so relaxing and I love listening to this kind of genre when doing homework or studying for a test because it just calms your nerves and just makes you let loose after so much work. This, for me personally is just a work of art that electrifies your veins and the aura goes straight to your heart. The instrument expresses things you cant say with words, and yet, at the same time you can understand it and let it flow through the gates of you conscience.

This kind of music is like medicine for the mind or ambrosia for your soul. This kind of talent and skill is and should be honored and relished for its beauty and alluring enticements. Music is such a big part of my life and I know I have said it before but you know what? Why not I say it again. Music and art and adventure, these are things that make life such a beautiful and bewitching thing. Doesn’t it make you want to just make the best of everything? I know for a fact that everything that I have in my life- family, friends, music, art, exploits, writing,- makes it worthwhile.

I know there are bad things in the world, that we aren’t perfect. We don’t have to be. I know there are people out there who think otherwise but you know what? All of this, these shootings, political problems, climate, hate. All of this can be fixed if you have the willingness and determination of an army. There is so much good in the world. Dont just take in the bad. For the sake of you and every else around please. I know this has nothing to do with my subject for today but I have to say it somehow. Music can bring people together. People can bring people together. So for those people out there sick of me ranting about who knows what, here is my ultimate favorite song from Kenny G:

Thanks for reading and if you aren’t sick of me yet than I am deeply indebted to you. I also suggest maybe getting yourself checked because I am insane. 😉

Music

You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one. – John Lennon

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My fingers and jaw are currently recovering from working the entire day because they are now about to fall of from using them so harshly throughout the day due to my undying interest of playing a long metal instrument with holes and keys all over the thing. Yep if you haven’t guessed I had I concert yesterday. In fact I originally wanted to title this post“How to train your lungs to produce more air while you use your mouth and fingers and let them die slowly .” But I thought better of it and realized that freaking out viewers is the best way to lose them so… Yeah. Anyway, all the three hour rehearsals were what were supposed to lead up to the big concert at the high school we would perform at.  Of course my pores were literally excreting so much that I had to constantly wipe my hands on my black jeans and try not to ruin my white performance shirt while sitting on the hard chair next to the other flutes in the section.

Okay but first lets fast forward to about a half hour before.

My dad and I parked in the empty school lot, my dad questioning why I dragged him their so early, and I questioning my own IQ level and if I should be held back a grade merely because of my terrible listening skills. I should as my pediatrician if I have ADD or ADHD. Hahaha Just kidding. I climbed out twisting the fabric of my JUST IRONED SHIRT from habit. (When I get nervous or anxious some part of me is doing something, my eyes darting back anf forth between a specific area, or I might sweat profusely and my face starts to heat up, or I start to chew on my lip or my fingertips, I also start tapping my toes or my knees start bopping up and down, too much info, yeah kay. Sorry) Anyway I looked around the parking lot and cursed under my breath realizing that NO ONE ELSE WAS THERE. My dad gave me a dirty look as I laughed nervously and shrugged my shoulders.  Of course we had to find the gymnasium because that was where we were going to start playing and warming up. Or at least thats what I thought.

We walked through the cold, as I exhaled, puffs of my breath appeared in front of me like a dragons flares coming from its nostrils. My dad started talking saying it was actually a good idea to come early to avoid confusion. I really liked the campus of the school and the gym was HUMONGOUS. The plywood was bright and there were chairs setted up in rows for the bands(middle school honor band{the band moi is in}then the high school honor band after us)I snapped out of my daze realizing that the band director, the conductor, and the district music teachers were all looking at me like I was crazy. They looked quite concerned until I cleared my throat and gave a small smile and wave which they received graciously and all beamed back at me. The conductor patted my shoulder as my dad exchanged a smile and nod with the band director and the conductor before following me to the large bleaches. My black flats made a distinct squeaking sound as i shuffled across the polished wood floor like it was a gigantic door mat waiting to be stepped on. Oh one more thing that I forgot to mention in the last paragraph and a half:

I

was

the

only

band student

there.

How embarrassing.

I tried not to make i contact with anyone and prayed that no one else would see me. My dad sat on the bleachers and got out his DSLR camera and started tinkering with the modules and stuff. But then he just HAD to ANNOUNCE TO THE WORLD:

“Kanmani lets take a selfie on my phone! Come on put your flute together and hold it up!“

“Dad, your kidding right?!“

“Nope.“

“UHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAHHHHHHHHH screw you.“

“HAHAHAH.“

My dad had the brilliant idea of standing in a way so our backs faced the rest of the world behind us and I honestly felt like I was going to hyperventilate when the sole of my shoe hit the back of the bleachers in front of the ones we were STANDING ON.

Yes genius.

I sat back down with my heart racing and smacked my dad on the arm as he just shrugged it off as if being smacked with unlimited force is the infinitesimal predicament he could be in. Okay maybe it was but give me a break alright?  Soon other students started trickling in, sporting the same expression I wore when realizing the time and amount of people there were in the place I was supposed to be in at this supposedly correct time. I hopped one by one on each set of bleachers with my flute and music in one hand. I gave my dad a look like,

Igottagetdowntherebecausetheyareprobablygonnatakeustoplayinthethemusicroomforthisschoolandwarmupfortheconcertsoyeahdontfreakoutandliterallysendasearchpartyformesoyeahbye.

A lady led me and the other music students into a small music room close by and everyone was just in there warming up, light chatter filling the room. I felt a tap on my shoulder so I turned around and greeted by the smiling face of one of my best friends Thalia. She had her alto sax strapped to her neck and her fingers were resting on the keys of the the brass. We started talking about random stuff like Percy Jackson fanfics that we want to write, Harry Potter conspiracies, and Hamilton stuff that we both want to binge our money on though we both have to resist. Soon a teacher comes in and starts putting songs on a speaker in the background, the atmosphere electrifying.

Soon A Thousand Years starts playing and everyone is starting to sing along to the song:

I can do it

I will get through it

But I am only human

And I bleed when I fall down

I am only human

And I crash and break down

Then Gasoline by Halsey starts playing:

You cant wake up this is not a dream

You are part of a machine you are not a human being

But then… Hamilton starts playing and….Well.. When Thalia and I are even in a ten foot radius of any place playing Hamilton its. A blur:

Soon The Schuyler Sisters starts playing:

Thals and Me: *GASP*

Thals and Moi: IVE BEEN READIN COMMON SENSE BY THOMAS PANE SOME SAY THAT IM INTENSE OR IM INSANE YOU WANT A REVOLUTION I WANT A REVELATION SO LISTEN TO MY DECLARATION.

WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL AND WHEN I MEET THOMAS JEFFERSON IMMA COMPEL HIM TO INCLUDE WOMAN IN THE SEQUEL

Everyone else in the room: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thals and Me: WORK

Yeah that moment probably made everyone else in that room question why they were in the same area as to crazy Hamilton fangirls that shouldn’t be exposed to anything anymore.

IT WAS WORTH IT.

After that adrenaline rush and(trying to convince the others that we certainly were NOT mental and should be sent to a hospital for special needs care)we said hi to Arwen and our other friend Damia. We continued singing along to every song playing(unfortunately for everyone else in the room)until finally the band director walked in and told us to file into the gym and into our seats. Of course I had to try not to bang my flute into the backs of my peers who are at least a foot taller than me. How is that possible, I do not know anymore. We entered and arranged ourselves into our proper chairs, my dad was still seated at the top of the bleachers and accompanied with Arwen’s father. Both of them probably talking to each other about the mechanism of there high-def cameras. I took out my sheet music and placed them on the stand. in my head I whistled at how nice the stands were. WAY better than the ones we use at school.

We warmed up as a band with simple exercises  to warm up our instruments(literally). Then soon it was time to start our first song: Drunken Sailor. Honestly we sounded better than how we sounded in every rehearsal combined and I could tell the rest of the audience was  S H O O K. 

I was sad when we finished all of our other songs and we bowed. But I did have something else to look forward to that night. Watching the high school Honor Band. Now let me tell you something, when the words Honor, and High School are in the same title, you better believe that the people participating in that elite group should not be underestimated. Alright, pace youselves, I feel a rant coming on…

OH MY GODS THEY SOUNDED SO WHAT THE HECK I DID NOT EXPECT THAT AT ALL THE BASS DRUM SOUNDS SO GOOD AND LOUD AND AMAZING WHAT THE HECK AND THE FLUTES ARE ACTUALLY AUDIBLE AND THE TRUMPETS AND THE BASSOON AND THE CLARINETS AND THE TIMPANY AAAAAAHHHHHHH. THEY SOUNDS SO GOOD ARWEN ARWEN ARWEN ARE YOU HEARING THIS OH MY FINICKING GODS THIS IS. I FEEL LIKE A WIMP RIGHT NOW.

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AAAAAHHHHUUUHHHH

I probably gripped Arwens forearm a tad bit to tight because there were literally splotches of red on her arm. I am ashamed. Honestly(in my opinion)my honor band versus the high school band is basically like a comparison of a fifth grade beginning band versus the San Francisco Symphony. On the car ride home my heart was still racing and my mind was just a puddle of concentrated goo. It was obvious my dad felt the same. I should start wearing a tag around my neck saying: Under the Influence of Good Music .

Hey maybe then people wont underestimate me.

The point of this post is really to make you understand the music makes lust makes life at least a hundred times better. When you are happy you enjoy the beat, when you are sad, you understand the lyrics. Music can make you feel like you can, do anything. Playing an instrument is even more amazing. Every time you play you get this feeling that makes you feel…Electric. Like a hellfire was let loose into your veins. I always pity those people who only play an instrument for like a year and then give a stupid excuse like Oh I hate the teacher, or I am way to busy, or I sound horrible thats why I gave up. Just because you have those excuses does not give you the right to give up. Progression takes time, its not like you’ll sound like Mozart the instant you learn how to read and write sheet music. If so, then whoever thought that is a incestuous bastard. I know that sounds a bit too harsh but this just pisses me off so much. Yeah sorry about that *cough* NOT *cough*.

Music is something I literally cant live without. I write with music playing in my headphones or on speakers blaring through the whole house. My siblings are influenced by music on my behalf.  Music is literally like my life okay. (okay and art and books), and its a fact that I listen to music more than I listen to my parents.

Anyway signing off for now but, don’t take what I say fo granted. If you do, you are going to regret it. So yeah.

Later.

Headphones  O N

World  O F F

Entertainment, Favorites, Music

Lindsey Stirling

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When I am working on my art, writing, making a post, or homework. I love listening to music. But I especially love to listen to classic/pop music. A kind of classical music with a beat to it. One of my favorite artists who delivers that is Lindsey Stirling. Lindsey Stirling is a violinist, dancer, composer, and a performance dancer. She has a YouTube that she has been running since 2007, featuring choreographed music videos a long with her violin compositions. She not only does covers, but composes her own music and performs them as well. With millions of views in each video, she dominates the world with her violin in hand, pirouetting her way to stardom.

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Music

To My Fellow Flutists…

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I myself am a flute player, I am first-chair in my band at my school(meaning the best player in your instrumental category in your class) so you probably think “Hey she must have like YEARS and YEARS of practice!”  Well with me, that is NOT  the case. My musical process started out like this: I started trying the violin when I was in 1st grade (I assume), thinking the culture and beauty of the sound was awesome. But after about 2 months or so, I saw that I didn’t exactly have the body structure for it. What I mean by that my arms and fingers were so small that I couldn’t even reach for the string! And when I tried playing, I had to stretch out my arms to get to the strings and play. So I in 3rd grade I started piano for a while. It was OK, I mean, I played good, but it was just BORING. So then I started flute. I did singing classes to, but the flute was what kept me going with music. I just loved that wood like sound, the movement. I loved everything about. And that’s how I came to be the musician I am. So just remember, it may take years and years to find the instrument that is for you. But you will find it.