The Best Christmas Music, New and Old

Hello all! I'd like to start by wishing you all a Merry Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas tomorrow. This year, not only am I celebrating Christmas with my family but I'm celebrating my success on this blog. I've reached over 500 views in just three months, not too shabby. And what's so thrilling is that my viewers are not just my friends and family but also people from all over the world. I have viewers in Russia and Germany and Turkey and Canada, a shoutout to all of you! Thanks for supporting me and my blog, I never thought it would be this successful :)

Now to conclude, I'm going to share with all of you some of my most favorite Christmas songs. I can't include them all because there are so many, but I hope you enjoy these select few.

Baby It's Cold Outside (Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone version) from the movie Elf

Baby It's Cold Outside (Chris Colfer and Darren Criss version) from Glee

All I Want For Christmas Is You- Mariah Carey

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) the Michael Bublé version

Carol of the Bells- Trans-Siberian Orchestra (I had to add in the synchronized lights video, it's so legit)

Let it Snow (Chris Colfer and Darren Criss version) from Glee (I just really love their tuxedos, haha!)

Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Cory Monteith and Mark Salling version) from Glee

And of course, we can't leave out Josh Groban's beautiful voice.

 Believe- Josh Groban from The Polar Express

Do They Know It's Christmas? (Glee Cast version) from Glee

Blue Christmas- Elvis Presley

Wonderful Christmas Time- Paul McCartney

Feliz Navidad- José Feliciano

Please Come Home For Christmas- The Eagles

Santa Claus is Coming to Town- Bruce Springsteen

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree- Brenda Lee

Holly Jolly Christmas- Burl Ives

The Christmas Song- Nat King Cole

Happy Christmas (War Is Over)- John Lennon

And of course, the most famous Christmas song of all time...

White Christmas- Bing Crosby

Okay, so that was more than a few songs. But if you can't tell, I REALLY love Christmas songs. So enjoy. And Merry Christmas. :)

I Need Reeds

So I just spent half an hour practicing my saxophone, and I realized that I really need reeds. Like REALLY need reeds. Not that I hadn't taken note of it before today, because I had, but up until now I've been sort of putting it off. But it just now hit me that I like really, really need reeds. I haven't bought reeds since marching season, sophomore year. In other words, it has been a really long time in which I have neglected to buy reeds. I almost feel bad for the reeds, because they have been put through so much. They have been through nearly ten marching band competitions, and at least fifty rehearsals. They have been set on the ground and stepped on and cracked and bruised. They have been stained with lipstick and hot chocolate, and their reed scent has been taken away. Honestly, no reed should be force to take on that kind of outside force for so long. Poor reeds.

If I were to wake up on Christmas morning with nothing but reeds under the tree from Santa, I would be content. (Well, I would be disappointed for not getting a kitten, but still.) Perhaps reeds would be a good stocking stuffer, cough cough. For my alto, I use Vandoren size 3 and for my tenor I use Vandoren size 2 1/2. Maybe you could pass the word on to the big guy with the white beard. :)

Oh, and note to self: Buy reeds.

Yoga Pants: A Lazier Way To Flaunt What You've Got

Alright, so tonight I'm going to discuss a very controversial topic in girl world: yoga pants. For those of you who don't know, yoga pants are a type of sweat pants that girls wear, especially when it's cold outside, although they can also be purchased in yoga capris and yoga shorts. Unlike traditional sweat pants, yoga pants are skin-tight and very form-fitting. Indeed they are comfortable, but the main reason girls wear them is to show off their gluteus maximus.Yes, that is their, uh, butt. Love them or hate them, every girl owns a pair. Some girls wear them on occasion, or to bed, or only at home, and some girls embrace yoga pants to their full potential and wear them every day.

I've never been a very committed yoga pants wearer myself, mainly because of personal beliefs. I'd much rather have some class than downgrade myself to sweatpants in order to show off my, um, derriere. Plus I don't think it's very appealing to have males gawking at my backside all day long. So, when yoga pants became popular about a year ago, I made a promise that I wouldn't wear them in public. I told myself that I wasn't going to be sucked in to this new, lazy, social norm.

However, last night around 10 pm, I received a mass text message from my show choir director saying that we weren't allowed to wear jeans today, so that we could dance comfortably while our choreographer was in town. This did not make me happy, because I wear jeans 99% of the time. Overloaded with stress, I trudged into my closet in search of something to wear on my lower half. I could always wear regular sweat pants, but I have never worn sweat pants to school and it would probably destroy my moral standards. If it were warm outside, I would have just worn gym shorts. But it is December and I do live in Iowa, which just equals cold. Lastly, I spotted my yoga pants in the corner, unworn (except to bed) and begging to be let out. I sighed and argued with myself in my head.

"You can't wear yoga pants to school tomorrow. It will completely ruin everything you stand for and turn you into one of them."

"But they're sooo comfortable, and sooo warm. And you can't deny the fact that they look good. Plus, I'm not allowed to wear jeans. So it's this or nothing. Deal with it."

"But they're yoga pants. Yes, girls wear them every day and don't have a problem with it, but you're not them. You just can't do it!" 

"I have to. Sucks." 

And so it was. I wore yoga pants to school today, and I'm still living. However, as I walked through the hallways, I felt self-conscious, as if everyone was looking at my behind. I couldn't get over the fact that I was doing something that I told myself I would never do. I wanted to stop and scream "Stop judging me, people!" But as the day went on, I realized that so many other girls were wearing yoga pants, too. Not that this was different than any other day, and I'm sure most of them were pretty comfortable with it, but it still made me feel a little better. As awkward as my outfit looked, it was the acceptable norm at Kennedy High School. As sad as that may be, it made me feel a little better about myself.


So whether you want it or not, here's my ultimate take on yoga pants after today. Yoga pants are okay for bedtime and relaxing at home. That being said, it's perfectly alright to wear them in public on occasion, perhaps on one of those crappy days when you just don't feel like doing anything. They are okay in moderation, but wearing them every single day to try and get attention from boys is just silly. This may sound cheesy, but if you want a boy to like you just be nice and laugh a lot (cause I think boys like laughter). Don't use your body to try and get boys to like you, use your personality.The boys who only like girls for their bodies aren't the ones worth going for anyway. The boys with real tastes will go for the girl who doesn't show off her body to the entire world. And even if you do want to flaunt what you've got every once and a while, you can at least be classy about it. Be traditional like Audrey Hepburn, and go with a skirt and some heels. Trust me ladies, wearing heels and a little make up gives you confidence that yoga pants can't even begin to match. 

I think Jerry Seinfeld can sum this post up for me :

Mind Blown.

I was exploring around on Youtube earlier today, and I came across the "Death Waltz" by John Stump. After watching the video, my jaw was wide open and I had nothing to say. I honestly could not think of any adjectives to describe this piece. Just look at it.

That, my friends, is not music. That is art on paper, something that slightly resembles music but is impossible to play on any instrument ever created. It's like a machine gun on some serious steroids. But yet, it's the most addicing thing I've ever heard. If I was to attempt to play this piece, I would die. My fingers would fall off and shrivel up. Mmmm.

Like my math teacher always says, the guy who wrote this should be locked up in a cage somewhere and never allowed out. It is compositions like these that are completely ruining all that is good in our society. This is the devil's march, the power of all evil, the unthinkable death. The end is near.

This is it, my friends. The Death Waltz, computer generated of course. Because computers can do what humans can't. Try not to have a heart attack, please.

                                                                                                                                               

Homework

So I'm sitting at home for yet another sick day (I'm never going to get into college with this attendance record) and what's interesting is that I find myself doing more homework when I'm home from school than on a regular school day. My only possible theory for this is that I'm caught up in my guilt for not being at school, and I think that doing schoolwork at home will somewhat make up for my absence. Which can be true, to an extent.

In his essay against homework, 5th grader Ben Berrafato wrote that "Homework is assigned to students like me without our permission. Thus, homework is slavery. Slavery was abolished with the passing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. So every school in America has been illegally run for the past 143 years."

...

So, is Ben correct? Are we, the publicly educated children of the United States, enslaved  by homework? The World English Dictionary defines slavery as " the subjection of a person to another person, especially in being forced into work". So the question is, are we subjugated to our schools and teachers by being forced to do schoolwork at home?

As I sit at home today, studying the Civil War and the 13th Amendment along with all that other stuff that happened in my AP US History textbook, Ben's essay enlightens me. I am enslaved. I am an enslaved human being. I am forced to do work that I don't want to do and don't get paid for, and I am punished if I don't do it correctly or don't do it at all. Every student who is a part of the public education system is taught that slavery is wrong and that is why it is not in practice in the United States anymore. Because we are a free country, and each citizen has rights to freedom. But now we are the ones being enslaved.

It's small and fluffy, it wears a collar, it serves as your best friend when no one else will, and it's NOT a dog

If you asked me what I want for Christmas this year, there would be an entire list of things that went through my mind (I'm an American, too). The new iPhone, some new Uggs, perhaps a new pair of jeans and a nice sweater too. But of all the possibilities of things in stores and online that I could ever want, what I really want more than anything else in the whole wide world is...

A kitten. Cats are cute, dainty, friendly, nifty, ingenious, savvy, angelic, admirable, pleasant, elegant, enticing, radiant, superb, dazzling, marvelous, stunning, splendid creatures who serves as fluffy cuddle buddies and lifelong friends. Now, if only I could convince my parents of this.

At times I feel as if my parents think that cats are evil creatures who are plotting to take over the world and letting them live in your home and become acquainted with you is the gateway to having them bind together with all the other cats and destroy all human life. Well, I'm here to inform you, parental unit, that it's not the case at all. (Yes, my parents do read this blog, that's where my two views a week come from).

Do you honestly think that something as cute as that would ever cause any harm? I think not! But besides just being cute, kittens provide comfort when you're in need. They are a shoulder to cry on. They are fun little furballs of joy. Plus, cats don't require much work. It's not like I'm asking for a dog, who you have to train and take outside every five minutes and walk and teach them not to jump on people and so on. No, I'm simply asking for a cat. Cats poop in a box which isn't that hard to clean, and that's really about all they do. You have to feed them of course, but I'm pretty sure a monkey could do that.

So please parents (and/or Santa), become enlightened and give a furry friend in need a home.

Is it too much to ask for a little kitten?

Children aren't really THAT bad...

So yesterday was my high school's annual "Cocoa and Carol's" show, in which we put on three shows throughout the day featuring elementary and middle school show choirs with children that will soon be coming to our high school, along with performances by our own show choirs, jazz choir, and chamber choir. I must say, though I've been rather Scrooge-y this year, yesterday kind of won me over and put me in the Christmas spirit. I'm now counting down the days (14!) and embracing everything that has to do with Christmas.

Nearly everything about little kids makes me cringe and turn away. The way their hands are always sticky with some unknown substance, or the fact that they ask the question "Why?" about EVERY LITTLE THING. It's like, some things are just the way they are, OKAY?! But as much as I dislike children, seeing them embrace music the way I did when I was their age warms my heart a little bit. Not enough to make me ever want to have kids, of course, but it makes me almost respect the choice to have children.

At one of the shows, I caught a few minutes of one elementary school's performance from backstage. The kids were dressed in white sweatsuits, black shoes, with black buttons and black top hats, and colorful scarves. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that they were dressed as snowmen. Sure, that was cute and fun, but what really grabbed my attention was their energy and passion for performance at such a young age. These children were no older than nine or ten years old, and they all knew exactly how they were supposed to be portraying the song. (Okay, so it's a Christmas song, and not that difficult to send the message, but still.) In my own show choir people have trouble portraying emotions, even in our ballad. If these nine and ten year old children can do it, certainly fifteen and sixteen year olds can too.

From the time I was seven or eight years old, I've been in performing arts and have had a strong passion for music in general. Seeing those children yesterday with their snowman costumes and their cute little Christmas dances reminded me of my carefree childhood of music. I'm so thankful for the the opportunities I've had in pursuing music, and in a few years when those kids walk through the doors of Kennedy High School, I know they will have the same, if not more, opportunities. And that is why I love the arts.

I hate winter with a burning passion.

I'll be honest, after the week I've had, blogging isn't really a top priority of mine at the moment. But it's not an option, and I've got three nights for three posts. So here goes.

The first snow fall came this week, on Monday night/Tuesday morning. Nothing major, no accumulation, but enough to make the roads slippery. I, having never driven on icy roads before, woke up Tuesday morning panicking about getting to school. After a pep talk from my mom and some hot chocolate, I headed off to school (after skipping my first class, might I add) and made my way through .02 inches of snow (or something like that).  At first I thought, "Hey, this isn't so bad. I'm moving, I'm not sliding everywhere, and I haven't crashed yet." but then I reached my first turn. I slid a little, and as I continued driving I slid here and there, but I was always able to keep it under control. Finally I reached my destination: school. I had to make one more turn, and then I would safely find my place in the parking lot. But this was the turn that my car didn't like so much: ice nearly covered the entire turn lane. I began to slide into the other lane as I hit my brakes, then I started freaking out. I tried using more brakes, less brakes, turning the steering wheel, but the car seemed to be controlling itself. Finally I just stopped, and it seemed to work. I slowly made my left turn into the parking lot, and all was well. In no way was my first experience driving on icy roads anything it shouldn't have been, we all hear horror stories. And yet I still felt scared, but once I got to school I realized I wasn't the only one.

In my first couple of classes, students chatted about their similar driving experiences that morning. As it turns out, I wasn't the only one who had issues turning into the parking lot, and that made me feel much better. I finally realized that I'm not the only one who's terrified of driving in the snow. 

So Mother Nature, now that I'm driving myself everywhere, I'd really appreciate it if you held off on the snow. I know that I live in Iowa, but give me a break, it's not like I chose to live here. If I could go someplace sunny and warm right now, I would in a heartbeat. But I can't, so please, please hold off on the snow. Just for a little while longer, at least. And could you also make it warm while you're at it, perhaps? Give my heated blanket a rest for once.

Happy Friday, all. And stay warm.

High School, Grades, and Other Things That Don't Really Mean Much Anymore

Before I start this post, I'd like to take a moment and write a quick side note/apology. Although I'm sure you're probably questioning, I haven't forgotten my central blog topic: music. Though my last few posts haven't been about music, I PROMISE I will write about it again soon. Right now is an awkward time in my musical life, because I said goodbye to marching band long ago, and show choir competition season has not yet begun. Right now we are in the tedious process of perfecting our show, and if I wrote about that you would all be bored out of your minds. Thus, I have been posting tangent blogs about things that aren't even related to music because I honestly have nothing better to talk about. But enough about that, let's discuss something important.

Grades. Ugh, we can all agree that they are not a fun subject. But last week in AP Language and Composition we read a very interesting essay, and I feel like I can give enough input on it to obtain the required word count this week. The essay is entitled  "Best in Class" by Margaret Talbot, and it basically tells multiple stories of high school valedictorians. What I took from reading this essay is that naming a valedictorian of each graduating class is an old practice, and high schools shouldn't do it anymore. I both agree and disagree with this statement for a multitude of reasons, some of which I'm going to discuss on this blog post today.

First, I'm going to share my perspective on this topic. (Note: I am not trying to brag about my grades or statistics or any of that junk. Just showing you where I stand.) We (the students of my school) recently received our updated transcripts containing the number of credits we've earned so far, our weighted GPAs, and the ever so controversial class rankings. Usually this transcript day is filled with people trying to find out the order of their class, and whose number one, two, three, and so on. Ugh, it just makes me groan. Anyway, roughly the top ten percent of the class graduates either valedictorian or salutatorian. Let's just say I am three people away from being in that top ten percent. Basically I'm in the top 10.000001% (slight exaggeration, but close). What kills me is the fact that I'm not in the top ten percent, yet my grades are nearly as good (if not identical) to the top few people in the class. That just goes to show how competitive and large my school really is.

So enough about me. This whole class rank and valedictorian thing ties in with the essay we read, because it shared stories of students who were just barely out of the selection of valedictorians, and a lot of them ended up suing their school districts for it. I certainly wouldn't take it that far, I mean it's just a title, right? But having the "valedictorian" status certainly helps if you're applying to a prestigious (and most likely Ivy League) college.  For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a valedictorian and go to an Ivy League school such as Harvard, Yale, or Columbia. But as my journey continues I'm beginning to realize that this dream isn't as far in my reach as I once thought it was, and I almost entirely blame the whole class competition thing.

If our school went traditional and only named one valedictorian and one salutatorian, obviously it would be much more difficult to obtain that status (and then there's always the issue of having the same GPA as someone else). But because they give the award to so many, not being named valedictorian is like a big hit below the belt. I can't even imagine being 0.001 point away from the award or something crazy like that, but it's a rational fear of mine.

In a school the size of mine, it really is a challenge to be named valedictorian. With that reasoning, I think it's smart to name multiple valedictorians and salutatorians. But it also takes away some of the importance of the award. I'd much rather say I was number one in my class than say I was in the top ten percent of my class. What essence does that even have anymore?

It's no doubt a controversial topic, my friends.  Should schools keep naming valedictorians, or is it an old practice that should be done away with? In today's rigorous, competitive world, it almost doesn't mean much anymore.

And there's my two cents, happy studies!

I guess Christmas came early this year.

So it's that time of year again, and whether we like it or not, Christmas is everywhere. Surely it's supposed to be joyful and jolly, right? Of course there are the Scrooges and Grinches out there who hate Christmas with a burning passion and hide in their houses from November to April. But then there are those people, like my mother, who embrace Christmas long before it starts and miss it when it ends.

About a week before Thanksgiving, I came home one day to find Christmas CDs playing in the living room and mistletoe hanging in the doorway. The tree was up and my mom was putting lights and ornaments on it. Cookies were baking in the oven, and there were tacky, homemade Christmas nick-nacks all over the house. Normally, this would put me in a good mood. I would grab a blanket, make some hot chocolate, and put A Christmas Story in the DVD player. But this year I walked in, stopped, looked around, and thought "What is happening to the world?". It didn't make sense to me. Why were we already celebrating Christmas when it was more than a month away? My mom then explained that she wanted to get an early start this year, so that she wouldn't find herself rushing around to get ready before Christmas. She said that having everyone around for Christmas was really stressful and she needed to make sure she was prepared. But my question is, why is Christmas a stressful time? Shouldn't it be about welcoming the holiday season and being with our friends and families?

There's really only one possible answer: media. The media portrays Christmas as a holiday that's all about materialistic items. Shopping, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Day Before Christmas Sale, whatever. Sure, I love getting gifts on Christmas, but I don't think that giving and recieving presents should be the main focus. Can't we focus on being with our families and friends, and having fun? Let's stop worrying about the perfect gifts and spending as much money as possible, please.

As for the early start to Christmas this year, well, it kind of feels like we skipped Thanksgiving. Yeah, we got together with our families, ate turkey, and watched football. But all everyone could talk about were the Black Friday sales and the things they were going to buy for Christmas. Am I the only one who's thankful anymore, who actually cares about Thanksgiving?

I'm all for candles in the window, cheesy sweaters, christmas music, and just going all out at Christmas time. But not if that means America is going to skip Thanksgiving because Christmas is more "important". So can we all please agree to give thanks before we dive in to shop and stress over Christmas? Sweet.

Happy Holidays, y'all.

Music is important

So I'm sitting at home, feeling exhausted, cause it's been a long week. And it's only Wednesday. Anyway, last night we had our premiere concert for show choir and jazz choir, and it was awesome. Four groups performed: our jazz choir, freshman show choir, prep show choir, and varsity show choir. I sang in the jazz choir and prep show choir, and then played in the combo for the varsity show choir. It was a lot of fun and all the groups did really well. Based on that performance, I can tell that it's going to be a winning season (again). It makes me very thankful to go to a school that puts so much time and effort into their show choir program. :)

That being said: what about funding for the arts? I realize that show choir isn't cheap; you have to pay for costumes, props, songs, competition fees, food, buses, and the list goes on. It amazes me how much our show choirs spend each year on their shows...and what it amounts to in the long run. It certainly allows us to be top notch, one of the best in the country. It allows us to travel to Nashville for Show Choir Nationals, and it allows us to wear fresh, new costumes each year. It makes me wonder about schools that don't spend that kind of money on their show choir. I'm not trying to brag about my school, certainly we aren't rich, but I wonder if other schools fund-raise as much as we do. I'm telling you, there's really nothing more annoying than having to carry around a box of chocolates every day, when you only sell one every so often because so many show choir kids are selling chocolate at the same time. I'd much rather have my parents just do the work for me, but they never want to either. That being said, fundraising is a pain in the you-know-what...but what if you absolutely HAVE to fund-raise to gain enough money to do show choir? It's crazy when you think about how much chocolate you'd actually have to sell in order to pay for a show choir show.

Anyway, now I'm rambling on about selling chocolate. But yeah, funding for the arts. It should definitely be supported by tax payers and schools shouldn't be cutting their art and music programs. It's unfair when people argue that the arts are a waste of time and money, because that's not true. The arts provide students with an education that not everyone has the talent to earn, and they allow students to be creative and express themselves. Music has shaped my life and made me into the person I am today, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I know my school wouldn't cut it's music programs because they are so successful, but I realize that not every school is that fortunate. For some students, it's an actual reality. The funding for their art and music programs is being cut day after day. It's unfair--who says that football or baseball or soccer is more important than music? Each and every student has a different way of expressing themselves. Personally, music is the way to go.

So, government and schools, please stop cutting funding for art programs. It makes sense to have them because they are activities that allow students to express themselves. It's what allows us to be who we are and to be great.

Marching Band...in November?

So yesterday I attended the Iowa vs. Michigan game at Kinnick. I must say, though Michigan lost, it was still a good game. They should have won though. The touchdown at the end was definitely good, and it shouldn't have been overturned. The referees favored Iowa and it definitely showed--how unfair. But anyway, enough about the game, let's turn to the band.

It was the first time I had ever seen the Iowa Marching Band, and I had high expectations. I've seen Michigan's band, UNI's band, and Iowa State's band and they were all fantastic (Michigan's was the best, though.) When Iowa's marching band came out on the field though, I noticed a few things that shocked me. Their lines weren't straight. That's a problem that even my high school band is able to fix, so why were their lines curved in NOVEMBER of all times? Another thing I noticed was how small their band is. Compared to ISU and Michigan, their band is TINY! They only took up about half the field in regular spacing. As they performed, I kept thinking to myself, "How is this a college band?!". It was pretty disappointing.

I understand that it was freezing yesterday, so it probably wasn't their best performance, but I truly expected a lot more from the Iowa band. As for the game, I thought Michigan was at a strong disadvantage because of the referees that favored Iowa. I kept my head in the game, well, the fraction of it that wasn't completely frozen, and I stayed focused on it until the last second. But I was disappointed, not in my team, but in the ultimate outcome of it. Michigan still has a better record than Iowa, at least overall, and a chance at the Rose Bowl. We're still ranked higher than Iowa and have the largest number of wins in history and we're still awesome, but man, I thought this would be an easy win. I guess everyone has their bad days...and referees favor the lesser team. 

Adele, nearly a legend

Love her or hate her, it's impossible not to respect her. She's gorgeous, talented, and sassy. That's right folks, Adele knows what she's doing. She's topped music charts all over the world, in places like Britain, Australia, and the United States. She's very successful, and a lot of it is because she's so different from a lot of the other modern pop stars like Lady Gaga and Ke$ha. That's right, Adele has class.

Her first hit song, "Rolling in the Deep", shows off her raspy voice with a little bit of blues touch. Adele is able to sing really high notes while still having a little chest voice in them, which I admire her for. As for the lyrics, she's basically saying "You played me, so bye, I don't need you", which is the attitude all women should have toward guys that are jerks. Adele shows her bitterness toward her ex-boyfriend in this song, which she also shows in her song "Rumour Has it".

Rolling in the Deep by Adele



In deep contrast to "Rolling in the Deep", Adele also sings the song "Someone Like You", which was inspired by a broken relationship. It's a sad song that is also about a break-up but has a much different mood from "Rolling in the Deep". The song features her beautiful voice and the video is simply her walking through the street.

Someone Like You by Adele



So basically, Adele is gorgeous and she has a beautiful voice. She is someone who people should look up to, unlike girls like Brittany Spears and Lady Gaga.

Is there such thing as too much show choir?

This past week has been the busiest week ever. I had 21 hours of show choir total, in preparation for our show choir premiere concert on Tuesday. We worked a lot on choreography this week, as well as costumes. It felt like our show really came together, at least enough for our first concert. We also brought in our combo for the first time this week, which was pretty exciting. It's funny how you can tell from just one week of practice that it's going to be a great year.

Our choreographer came into town on Monday and worked with us for six hours total, in which we became waaay better at our dancing. I mean waaay better. Personally, I improved so much. I'm not the best dancer, either. He worked a lot on making us all look like one, and making the dance moves personal. He also made our show much more masculine, meaning that the girls have to dance strongly, instead of femininely.  Yup, we're masculine women.

Not only did working hard for long hours make us a better show choir, but it brought us together. I actually feel like we're all a team now, instead of fifty people dancing and singing. We did a lot of bonding activities that helped us get to know each other, and it's interesting what you find out about people. It also teaches you to not judge people before you know them, because really, you don't know their life.

So basically, this week was full of show choir. Which then meant I had no time to do homework, so that's what I'm stuck doing this weekend. But it's all good, cause show choir is worth it. :)

Insert Title Here

Hello all. Okay, so I'm going to be totally honest here and say that I'm not really in a blogging mood right now, and my only goal of this post is to get the desired word count for this to go in the grade book. That being said, it's Sunday night, I'm completely overwhelmed by the pile of unfinished homework sitting on my desk, and I'm a little drousy from a lazy afternoon. My lights keep flickering on and off, which means that a.) there's a ghost in my house (very likely, tomorrow is Halloween) or b.) the light bulb needs changed (I'll go with option a, because who actually thinks logically about things?)

Whether it's rushing to complete my author study (Mary Wollstonecraft--quite an interesting lady) or speeding from show choir rehearsal to voice lessons, it seems that lately I've been behind on everything in my life. I feel as if I'm not giving my friends, schoolwork, and music the full 110% percent they deserve, and for that I apologize to them. This weekend, I brought my tenor saxophone home with full intentions of practicing my combo music for no less than two hours, and I haven't touched it yet. I'm sure by the time I finish my homework it will be very late, and everyone in my house will be sleepng, so scratch that idea.

But this isn't only about me; my lack of motivation and energy is hurting others too. I very rarely see my family anymore, and I have absolutely no idea what's going on in my parents' lives, nor do they know what's going on in mine. I haven't cleaned my room in over a month, and what a disaster that is. Moral of the story is that I need a break, and I need a break now. Luckily, Thanksgiving break is in three weeks, so I actually have something to look forward to. I'll be able to see my family finally, and it will be under better circumstances that the last time. :)

So anyway, I had a pretty scary weekend, haha. Friday night I watched the movie "The Shortcut" with some friends. It was very cliché at first, when it started off at a high school dance in the 1940's and at the end of the dance the boy walked the girl home and took a shortcut through the woods. By that time, I was practically screaming with laughter because it wasn't scary at all, but over the course of the plot the movie turned reaallly creepy. And then of course I came home to an empty house (it seems that whenever I don't want my parents at home, they're there, and whenever I do want them at home, they're gone) and I was too scared to even go in my own bedroom. Then, last night, a group of friends and I went to a haunted, uh, woods (for lack of a better term) and that was pretty scary, until the end. It included the typical trail walk through the forest in which people in costumes jump out at you and then follow you, but it also had a story behind it. We first watched a video, based on a true story, about an axe murder that took place in 1911. Then, the actors led us through the mock town, where the murder supposedly took place. There were various houses and buildings we were led through and we were supposed to use the given clues to solve the murder case. That part was pretty lame. I have to admit, it's a lot scarier to have things jump out at you on a trail than to be place in the middle of a murder story with bad actors.

So basically, I had an alright weekend, until now, because I'm boggled down with homework and trying to watch a movie on TV at the same time. It's all good though, cause Thanksgiving break is in three weeks. Also, I am aware that this post has nothing to do with music, and I apologize for that. Sincerely.

Take care, folks, and have a fantastic Halloween tomorrow. :)

He Did The Mash

Pictured at left: Halloween Jack-o-lantern. Image provided by Google Images.

Hello all. We are approaching the weekend (Hooray!) which is very exciting, but this weekend is extra special because it's Halloween Weekend. Because Halloween is on a Monday this year, most of the Halloween festivities like haunted houses, parties, and trick-or-treating are scheduled to take place over the weekend, as opposed to Monday night (because let's be honest, nobody likes Monday's). As a music fanatic, I feel obligated to discuss Halloween music.

We'll start with a Halloween classic: Thriller by Michael Jackson. Everyone's seen the video, everyone's learned the classic "zombie" dance move. Thriller is meant to be creepy but over the years it's gained a lighter, more fun reputation. It's often played at school dances, parties, and even events like wedding receptions. Thriller is known more for the choreographed dance that goes along with it rather than the actual song. The dance was performed by Michael Jackson and all the zombies in the original music video, and ever since it's been a popular dance among the public. The dance is also for many flash mobs. (Click here to view my blog post about flash mobs). I personally have learned the dance and participated in flash mobs with it. It's fun stuff, really.

CPDRC inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines doing the original Thriller dance.

Next we have the Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. This Halloween favorite topped the music charts in 1962, and it's been a Halloween favorite ever since. The Monster Mash isn't as popular as Thriller in the 21st century because of it's age, but it is nonetheless a fun song that will be remembered for a lifetime.

Bobby Pickett's Monster Mash. Video created in 1973 with footage from House on Haunted Hill.


Next there's the popular Ghostbusters Theme Song by Ray Parker, Jr. Besides letting the world know that "he ain't afraid of no ghosts", Ray Parker, Jr. topped the music charts in 1984 with this upbeat, techno Halloween song. It served as the theme song for the movie Ghostbusters.

Original Ghostbusters Theme Song by Ray Parker, Jr.


The list of Halloween songs could go on and on, but unfortunately this blog post can't. There's the Addams Family Theme Song, This is Halloween from The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Rocky Horror Picture Show theme, and so many more. Halloween music is really the icing on the cake when it comes to Halloween because it adds that eerie chill, or in some cases, a lighter feel to any Halloween gathering.

Well, that's all for now folks. Happy Halloween!

Nice job, wise guy.

So it's time again, THAT time, the time of concert band auditions. Groan--one more thing added to my life. We're all ecstatic about the fact that marching season is FINALLY over, but now that audition time is here none of us are really prepared.

At my school, we have two concert bands: Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony. They say that it's really not bad to be in Symphonic Band, but it's an unspoken understanding that being in Wind Symphony is waaay better than Symphonic Band. So what exactly does it take?

The audition process consists of two parts: scales and a prepared etude. It used to include sight reading as well, but that was taken off the list this year.  The scales are chosen at random, and everyone is expected to know all of their scales. Personally, I find scales really easy, but for some it doesn't come as naturally. The prepared etude is where I struggle the most; it's never an easy key signature. I practice and practice, yet I still can't get it up to desired speed. I guess we can't all be perfect at everything.

So it's the day of the audition, and just when you think you're prepared enough, you get that nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach. As you head down to the band hall to play for the director, you're thinking to yourself "B flat, C, D, E flat, F, G, A, B flat" in the form of your most forgotten scale. Not to mention your fear of skipping an entire three notes in your chromatic, and missing one of the 6 sharps in the key of your prepared etude. You finally reach the band room, and you stand in front of the director, barely able to hold your instrument because you are so nervous. There's no more time to practice, no more time to fix that one measure that screws you up every time, no more time to polish up your E flat scale or fix that screeching sound your sax makes when you try to play a high F. You now wish you had spent that extra hour last night practicing for your audition instead of watching the newest episode of Modern Family. You now silently scold yourself for not being the best you can be.

But hey, fourth chair isn't really that bad.

C-O-M-B-O

Whether you call it "show choir back up band", "glee band", or "combo", it's slowly creeping it's way into the lives of many band geeks all around the country. "Combo" is the band that plays the back up music for the show choir, and often it takes the place of marching band for a band geek.

This will be my second year in show choir combo, and I absolutely love it. Because let's face it, without the band, the show choir would be nothing. Even though the music is difficult and the key signatures are really disgusting (often containing five or more sharps or flats, ugh.), the fun you have in combo really makes up for it. Everyone loves "combo corner", which is where the combo kids hang out at the competitions, away from all the show choir kids, and you can't leave out the awesome feeling when you get the award for Best Band. You also can't leave out all the inside jokes, and the bus rides.

When it comes down to it, show choir combo isn't really about music. Yeah, we perform one or two (maybe even three!) shows at each competition, but the time in between is what matters most. Combo kids accept each other for who they are, inside and out. Okay, so that sounded really corny. But seriously, combo is fun, so all you band geeks out there, I seriously recommend you join.

Combo takes the place of marching band, but with a lot less people. I suggest making friends with the other combo members, because you spend like 18 or more hours with them each week. That could be a real problem if you don't like your fellow combo members.

Some show choir combos get to go on stage and perform. It usually happens at the end of the show, and the combo members will come play their instruments on stage. They usually are wearing the same costumes as the singers, too. In the past I've seen entire drum lines on stage for a show choir performance. My school doesn't really embrace the combo to that extent, but I've always secretly wished we got to go on stage too.

So what I'm basically trying to say is that show choir combo is really fun and I think everyone should join. Well, not everyone, but you get what I mean.

'Cause combo kids get each other.

K@ra0Ke TiM3!

Alright, so it's only October, and I'm already running out of ideas for blog posts. I wish January was here so I could talk about show choir while it's in season! I'm not the biggest fan of snow though, so maybe not. Anyway, I'm going to talk about karaoke today, because it's fun so I figure why not?

So when I was eight, my parents got me a karaoke machine for Christmas. At the time I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever laid eyes on, and I would sing with it every single day. I also took it everywhere with me: to friends' houses, to my grandma's house, when I would visit family, etc. My parents bought me tons of karaoke CD's with all my favorite songs on them, and then I would put on a little show for my family and friends. This karaoke machine became the most important thing in my life, and then it broke one day.

I was twelve, and I went to turn it on one day after school. To my surprise, the little red light didn't come on when I pressed the "ON" switch. I made sure the machine was plugged in and hooked up right, but it still wouldn't turn on. I asked my mom to come help me turn it on, but she didn't have any luck either. I was devastated. It was one of the most tragic things that had ever happened to me. If my karaoke machine didn't work anymore, that meant I couldn't sing anymore.

It never occurred to me to buy a new karaoke machine. To me there was only one, and that machine was dead. I now had nothing to do in my free time.  I had grown so close to a machine that my friends didn't matter so much anymore, I just wanted to sing my karaoke.

Looking back on this, I laugh. To think that I was so caught up in a machine, and the fact that there are millions of others out there, makes it even more comical. I was a small part of my life that made a big impact, because now I sing all the time, whether it's karaoke or not.

Singing karaoke is fun, whether you can actually sing or not. Sometimes it's more fun if you are a terrible singer than if you're actually good. A lot of places like bars have karaoke stations where you can sing with your friends and just have a good time. There are also games like Singstar that you can sing with on your video game console whether you're alone or with friends.

I absolutely love singing karaoke, and it's a great way to have fun with friends. My experience as a child with karaoke made me into the singer I am today, and my love for my karaoke machine made me love karaoke in general. So here's my advice to you: just sing your heart out!

Actually, the party started long before you walked in.

Hello all. It's been quite a long week, and now I'm going to slow down and relax over the weekend by blogging and just chillin' at home, you know.

One artist who I've been wanting to discuss for quite some time is Ke$ha. Regardless of your opinion of her, I think it's cool she's famous but perhaps for all the wrong reasons. If you ask anyone who Ke$ha is, they'll respond with "a famous singer". That's cool, but did you ever think that maybe she's not a famous singer, exactly. I wouldn't really call what she does singing, if you catch my drift. Perhaps screeching is a more accurate term. She's a screecher, and she's talented enough to screech on different pitches.

Okay, so that's a little harsh. But I certainly wouldn't call that nassally, high pitched voice of hers the voice of a singer. Can we get real please? Just because she can yelp in three octaves does not mean she possesses a talent that's worth something.

Again, I'm being too harsh. Let's praise Ke$ha for what she can do. First, she can dance, and I give her props for that. Dancing doesn't come naturally at all for me, instead it just feels awkward and tense, thus, I praise her for being a good dancer. She's also confident, and confidence is key. She clearly struts her stuff like it's nobody's business, and I respect her for that.

Alright, now on to the bad and the ugly. First, Ke$ha has no class. Ugh, there's nothing I dislike more than seeing famous people who aren't classy! I've never understood why celebrities find it acceptable to leave their houses wearing almost nothing, and they flaunt it like they're the hottest sh*t to ever graze the planet. Can we please be at least a little conservative here? Celebrities are supposed to be the ones that us "normal" people look up to, the ones that set the model example for what we strive to be. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to be Ke$ha.

And lastly, Ke$ha, I have absolutely no respect for you because you flaunt your personal life on the air. If you really wake up in the morning and brush your teeth with a bottle of jack, then I don't think we'll be getting along very well. And put some clothes on, please, because it'd be nice to see you on television and say, "Wow, I really like her clothes" than to say "Where on earth are her clothes?".

Well Hey There

Hello all you blog readers out there! Happy Sunday. You know, I really dislike Sundays. Don't get me wrong, I like the whole easy-going, relaxing day thing, but I hate the fact that because I have a life during the week, I'm forced to spend every Sunday doing homework from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. It's quite unfortunate. Anyway, since I'm already over the word count for this week, I'll just go ahead and share some songs from my favorite musicals with you for this post. :)



"For Good" from Wicked


"You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray


"Seasons of Love" from Rent


"Goodnight My Someone" from The Music Man


"Honey, Honey" from Mamma Mia!


"The Phantom of the Opera" and "Music of the Knight" from Phantom of the Opera


Enjoy! Have a great week :)

Why I Love to Sing

Voice recitals--you either love them or you don't. I certainly don't assume that the majority of you have sung in a voice recital, but I'm sure some of you have. Basically, if you take voice lessons you have or will sing in a recital at some point. Anyway, voice recitals can be very scary for some people and I'm here to tell you to relax, because they really aren't all that bad.

I used to be so afraid of singing alone in a voice recital that I refused to take voice lessons. My parents tried to coax me into it by telling me that if I took voice lessons, they would give me this or that. My fear overpowered them--it overpowered everything. My realization for the need of voice lessons came to me at the end of my freshman year, when I tried out for show choir and didn't make it in.

This was the turning point of my singing career (not that I actually have a career in singing--not yet at least). Not being in show choir for a year really opened my eyes and made me realize that I wasn't as good as I thought I was. My parents probably would have given me the whole "I told you so" attitude, had I not been so upset. But instead they talked to me about it, and it was decided that I would take voice lessons from then on. I was willing to do anything to better myself, even if that meant I would have to sing alone in front of a live audience.

I spent nearly a year taking voice lessons before my first recital. In that year, my voice went through a series of cracks, creaks, squeals, sore throats, and much more. There were days when I sounded like a dying hyena. But the days when my voice sounded pretty--full, clear, and in tune, made up for the bad days. The good days gradually began to outnumber the bad days, and I actually started to like my singing. I would sing everywhere--at home, in the shower, and at school, under my breath. Singing became the thing I loved to do most, now that I was actually decent at it. When my teacher started talking about the recital coming up, I didn't shutter at the very thought anymore. I was almost excited...almost. And I only panicked a little when she told me that I would be closing the show, instead of having a total meltdown as I would have had a year before.

I was very nervous the night of my recital. My whole family and a few friends had come to hear me sing, and I wasn't totally sure of myself. I had worked so hard in the past year, and I knew in my heart I was ready for people to hear my beautiful singing voice, but my nerves took over everything. As I went up to the stage to begin my song, my legs shook and I thought I might faint. I couldn't bear to look at anyone in the audience, instead I just stared at the wall and began my song. The first few bars were a little shaky, but as the song went on I got more and more comfortable with what I was doing. Before I knew it, my song was over, and the audience was clapping and cheering for me. Many people, most of whom I had never met before, came up to me after the show and told me how well I did. I was proud of myself, mainly for accomplishing something that I had once swore I'd never do. I guess they mean it when they say "never say never".

I later watched a video of my performance at the recital. It was shocking to me--I actually sounded very good. I had never really taken the time to listen to myself sing before. Show choir auditions were coming up again, and this time I was confident that I would make it in. I went into the audition and gave it my all, and to everyone's surprise but my own, I was accepted into the group.

Singing in front of an audience may seem like a terrifying thing now, but once you do it you realize that it's not so bad. Looking back on my own experience I regret nothing, except perhaps doing it sooner. Maybe if I had I wouldn't have missed out on a year of show choir. Then again, I could be wrong. I guess we'll never really know.

Forget the Jazz Hands

Hello, blog readers, my sincere apologies are coming your way. Last week I had to unexpectedly leave town for a family issue, therefore my recent blog posts have just been kind of...meh. I know it's not an excuse, but I'm just now getting caught up on school work. In my case, it's a good thing marching season is over because now I actually have time to do my homework and get caught up on life.

Anyway, today I'm going to talk about something that's recently been added to my life--jazz choir. A couple months back, my show choir director pulled me out of practice one day and asked me to sing some jazz music for him. At the time, I thought nothing of it, it was whatever. When I asked him why I was doing this, he told me that he noticed my good ears and jazzy style of singing. Okay, I thought, so this is a compliment. He wants me to sing jazz music, I can probably do that.

A few days later, the list for my school's jazz choir, Moonlight Express, was posted. I hadn't noticed the list posted outside the choir room, nor had I cared, since I hadn't gone to the auditions and wasn't really worried about jazz choir. When multiple people came up to me that day, saying something along the lines of "Congratulations!" or "Wow, you're so lucky! Good for you." I  smiled and nodded but I had no idea what they were talking about. Eventually I just asked one of them why they were congratulating me. "Uh, you made Moonlight," said my friend Robert. I stared at him for a moment. "Hello, you made Moonlight," he said, waving his hand in front of my face. It hit me then--when my director had asked me to sing jazz music, I was actually auditioning for jazz choir. Once I got over the initial shock of being one of sixteen singers chosen for this choir, I was seriously PUMPED. I couldn't wait to learn how to sing jazz music, though I quickly found out how new of a concept it really was.

For starters, jazz singing is nothing like choral singing.  You have to sing with bright vowels, use less vibrato, and slide pitches around. So here I am, at my first Moonlight rehearsal, trying to sing beautifully with tall vowels and vibrato, as I had been taught all my life. Then, the director tells us we're singing jazz wrong--and we have to do it the exact opposite. Confusing? You bet.

After a few rehearsals, I find myself enjoying jazz singing very much. I like the way it's so free and you can improvise and do whatever you want with it. I also find singing jazz very natural. Instead of having to constantly think about tall vowels and diction and beautiful tone, you can focus more on the musicality of the piece and have fun with it. I wouldn't say it's easier, or uglier than choral singing, it's just very different. It's spontaneous and instinctive, much like a new relationship or the weather in Autumn.

I look forward to participating in Moonlight Express for the rest of the season, as well as increasing my knowledge about jazz music. I'll share my experience with you as time goes on, I promise!

Glee...Phenomenon or Wannabe?

Pictured at right: The cast of Glee. Image provided by Google Images.

It's been over two years since the first episode of Fox's television series Glee was aired, and the show has been a huge success ever since. The show has received many awards including six Emmy Awards, five Satellite Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and six Teen Choice Awards. Clearly, this series is very popular with the public, but the question remains: is Glee a phenomenon or just a wannabe?

Glee is a very controversial television show because the cast performs mostly covers of songs instead of original songs. Many people debate whether this is a good thing or not, and it's really about personal opinion. Some people like that Glee covers songs, some people don't.



"Misery" is a song originally sung by the band Maroon 5. The song was released in June 2010.

As you can see, Glee does covers of very modern, popular songs. But they also do covers of older songs from past generations.



"Don't Stop Believin'" is a song originally sung by the band Journey and was released in 1981.

Glee does a wide variety of songs ranging from Broadway to pop to hip hop to rock. So you would think it would please all audiences, right? Well, some people are less than enthused about the show, and the debate continues over whether or not Glee is a phenomenon or just a wannabe.

To learn more about Glee visit www.fox.com/glee.

The Perks of Being a Drum Major

Pictured on Left: Drum major. Image provided by Google Images.

Alright, so marching band competition season has come and gone (I can't believe how fast it went!) and now I have the chance to reflect on my first season of being a drum major. I can honestly say that being a drum major is a lot of hard work, and it's a very large time commitment. Having said that, it's definitely worth it in the end.

The Pros

When you're the drum major, you're the boss. You're the one who makes the rules, and your fellow band members will respect that. If you tell them to do something, they'll do it, no complaints. However, this can be a very dangerous thing. No one likes someone the same age as them telling them what to do--you have to use this power carefully.

The band director loves you. We all know there's nothing worse than being yelled at in the middle of practice by your band director. And let's face it, most band kids fear their band director, at least a little. When you're a drum major that fear completely disappears, and your band director treats you as an equal. You're spoken to by your band director with respect, and there's nothing better than being treated like an adult.

You get to accept awards. Before I was a drum major, I never got to hold a single trophy our band received. Once I became a drum major, I was ecstatic every time I got to go on the field to accept an award. You also get to do a fun salute when you accept an award--just don't mess up and embarrass yourself (that happened to me quite a bit this year, actually).

You don't have to march. This is most definitely the main, yet unspoken, reason why alot of drum major become drum majors--they don't have to march. Yes, we march on and off the field, but as far as practice goes, we're pretty much up on our podiums the entire time. Personally, this wasn't the main reason I became a drum major, but for a lot of people it is, whether they admit it or not.

You get to feel important. The best feeling in the world is feeling needed. Sure, everyone in the band is equally important and it takes each and every person to make a band, but the drum majors are crucial to the band's success.

Cons

First to arrive, last to leave. The thing about drum majoring that would make most people turn away is the time commitment--all the extra hours a drum major puts in to make their band successful. Many drum majors have extra practices or camps just for training, and they're expected to arrive early and stay late for regular band practices. I'm not complaining about this, because I love spending time helping out my band in any way possible, but it is listed under cons because we all know that time is a valuable thing. 


If you mess up, everyone messes up. A drum major is expected to be perfect. I know, I know...nobody's perfect. But seriously, a drum major can't mess up during a show. If a drum major messes up, the whole band messes up. I've seen it happen--trust me. Drum majors cannot, under any circumstances, make a mistake. 


As you can see, the pros seriously outweigh the cons of drum majoring. I'm so lucky I've had the opportunity to be a drum major--I wouldn't trade it for anything. Goodbye marching season, see you next year!  

The worst thing you will ever hear...EVER.

Everyone has their forte. Some people are good at painting, others are good at sports. Some have a calling for language, others are more in tune with mathematics. Some people are singers, others are dancers. Whatever you choose to be, pick something you're good at, and stick to it.

Pictured above: Rebecca Black from her music video "Friday". Image courtesy of Google Images.

Nothing irritates me more than seeing someone doing something that they aren't good at. I don't mean that in the way you're probably thinking, because everyone knows there's always that one kid on the basketball team that sits out every game, or that one band kid who is told to "fake play" by the director. No, that doesn't bother me, it's when people are FAMOUS for something that they have absolutely no talent in that does.

One person who is an excellent example of this and has recently caught my attention is Rebecca Black. Let me just start by saying if you are a fan of Rebecca Black, that is fine by all means. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm not telling you that you shouldn't like her, I'm simply stating my honest opinion about her. So again, if you like Rebecca Black, and don't want to know my opinion about her, you might want to stop reading this blog now.

Excellent, you're still here. So I'm sure by now you've caught on to the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of Rebecca Black. It's not that she's a bad person or she did something to hurt me personally, it's just that she's famous for something that she's not good at. Yes, I said it, she's a bad singer. She has no talent for singing--take it from an actual singer. It just astounds me that there are so many people in the world who can sing very well, and yet someone like her, who can't sing a note, is a famous singer.

The other thing that bothers me is her use of auto-tune, which as suggested by it's name, automatically tunes her voice with the music. This to me is cheating, because it's just taking her words and changing the pitch of her voice. It also makes her sound like a robot, and there's really nothing pretty about that.

It's people like Rebecca Black who make me really question our society. Think about it: she creates a music video, she posts it on Youtube, she becomes famous, and almost everyone in the country hates her because she can't sing. She had to remove her video from Youtube after it was posted because she got so many negative comments. I know I'm not Rebecca Black, but if I was her and had to take my video off Youtube because it was so bad, I would probably get the hint that I should perhaps find a different hobby. Perhaps I would take up Frisbee, or painting, something in which I could only hurt myself. But that's just me.

*If you're interesting in seeing Rebecca's music video for the song Friday click here.

Flash Mobs...All the Rage

Flash mobs: they seem to be slowly creeping their way into society. Whether it's a flash mob on T.V., a flash mob on the streets, or a flash mob at school, they are continuously increasing in popularity. Dictionary.com defines a flash mob as "a large group of people mobilized by social media to meet in a public place for the purpose of doing an unusual or entertaining activity of short duration". But what does this mean, exactly? What is considered a flash mob?

It's a 21st century term, first used in 2003 in Manhattan,  and it seems that it's all the rage nowadays. You can turn on the television to catch footage of a flash mob in New York City, or you can find a video of a flash mob on Youtube. You can create your own flash mob or you can be a part of someone else's flash mob. Either way, flash mobs are here, and they're taking over.





After watching this video, you might think to yourself, what's so appealing about a flash mob, anyway?

Well, my friend, here's one theory. Since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, humans have performed in musical theatre by entertaining others in song and dance. Singing and dancing have been a huge part of popular culture for hundreds of years. Of course, musical theatre has evolved over time and in modern times is a large part of Hollywood movies. Some current musicals include Wicked, Hairspray, and Burlesque.  

Have you ever watched a musical and thought to yourself, when would this ever happen in real life? Well, folks, that's where the flash mob comes in. A flash mob is an opportunity to bring a musical to life. If you're involved in a flash mob, or if you're a witness of one, you feel like you're actually in a real-life musical. What's not appealing about that?





You can't tell me that if that happened to you in real life, you wouldn't think it was THE COOLEST THING EVER. It's like being in a real musical, where everyone just starts singing and people join in, singing harmony. Yup, that's legit.

So now that you've realized why a flash mob is such a great thing, you might ask yourself, how does a flash mob happen?

It can't be all that difficult to plan a flash mob, but then again, nobody says it's easy. The main reason flash mobbing is such a modern thing is because social media is an absolute necessity for a successful flash mob.  The word of a flash mob is spread through social networking: Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. Once you (or whoever is planning the flash mob) rounds up all the participants, you all have to agree on a synchronized act to perform. That's where Youtube comes in. Typically, there's a tutorial video of a song or dance the mob will be performing on said date. Everyone involved is expected to learn their part.





See, flash mobs are even televised.

So basically, a flash mob is a chance for musicals to come to life. They're becoming a part of society, and more and more people continue to participate. Most importantly, they're just awesome.

Watch Out Nation's Capital, Here Comes the JFK Marching Band

Let's go back in time, shall we? All the way back to May 2011, when the John F. Kennedy Marching Band marched in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. This was a picture perfect trip, that is, if you leave out the details of the 20 hour bus ride, the 108 degree heat index, and the sick roommate. Good times!

Oh, I'm kidding of course, it really was a fun trip. We got to visit pretty much every famous place you can think of in D.C., and then some. My personal favorite was the tour of the U.S. Capitol building, mainly because it was air-conditioned and an over-enthusiastic tour guide dressed in a red suit led us through the building and showed us statues of people whom we never cared to know about in the first place. We also went on a dinner-dance cruise along the Potomac River. That would have been nice, had it not been so humid. Either way, the cruise directors were very energetic and they let us dance and sing and it was a blast, plus the food was outstanding.

Oh yeah, I'm sure you're wondering about the parade. It just so happens that Memorial Day fell on the hottest day of the year, and we got the privilege to march in our brand new uniforms. On the plus side, I think there were only two members of our band who fainted, and only a few that got sick. Unfortunately, one was my roomate. Delicious.

But hey, we did get to be on national television. That's got to stand for something, right?

Marching Band is Turning into Show Choir.

What comes to mind when you hear the word marching band? Most people think of band nerds marching around a football field at halftime with their strange uniforms and loud music. They think of the catchy tunes the band plays during pep band. What they don't think of is what is commonly associated with show choir: bright costumes, tons of props, and flashy choreography. In the past few years, these concepts have been slowly integrated into marching band shows throughout the country.

One band in particular that applies show choir concepts to their marching band is the Irondale Marching Knights* from Irondale High School in New Brighton, Minnesota. I've been to their hosted competition, Music of the Knight, for the past two years and our band has competed against them at Valley in West Des Moines. Last year their show's theme was the Seven Deadly Sins and this year their theme is How to Survive a Zombie Attack!  Both shows included costume changes, choreography that extended traditional marching band choreography, and tons and tons of props.

So here's my question: what caused the change from traditional marching band to this new show choir marching band combination? Over the years, marching band has slowly but surely left its traditional military style. The purpose of the marching band has changed from leading a military to entertaining a crowd. And yet many traditions have been kept, such as uniform styles, commands, and formations. Another change that has influenced the modern style of marching band is the addition of a color guard during the time of the American Revolution. A color guard adds visual appeal to a marching band show by wearing colorful costumes (as opposed to military style marching uniforms) and incorporating choreography using flags, rifles, and other props. Because audiences love the color guard choreography so much, it has become a general practice to have the marching band members do choreography as well. Another factor in this change is the audience itself, as it has become more of the general public. Because the audience is becoming less and less marching-band associated, they are also becoming less interested in traditional marching band shows. To most marching bands it makes sense to add visual choreography and flashy costumes if they want the audience to enjoy their show.

Whether its flashy costumes, using props to create a story, or sychronized choreography, marching band is becoming less like marching band and more like show choir. This can be viewed as good or bad, but perhaps we should slow it down a little and save show choir for the winter season.

*To learn more about the Irondale High School Marching Knights visit their website.

Homecoming Music: What Makes a Good Homecoming?

So homecoming is here and it's all everyone's talking about. The spirit days, the assembly, the parade, the game, and lastly, the dance. Everyone's into who's going with who and what they're wearing and who's in your picture group and where you're all going to dinner. Quite frankly, I don't think it's that big of a deal, all it does is add stress to our already busy lives.

So what's the most important element in the homecoming dance, anyway? If you ask a girl, she would probably say the dress that she spent $250+ on at Dillards. If you ask a guy, he might say borrowing his dad's Lexus to drive so he looks cool. If you ask me, I would say that the music is the most important part of the dance.

Think about it: if the DJ plays crappy music, then no one is going to want to dance. If the DJ plays all techno, or rap, or country, then only people that like those types of music are going to want to dance. The DJ has to play the perfect blend of upbeat and slow paced music to make the dance just right. They also need to throw in some classics like Thriller and YMCA. The most important thing is to play something that people can actually dance to. We all know that nothing is more awkward than just standing there, looking around the room because you don't know what to do and the music is impossible to dance to.

Then again, the DJ has to be careful about what music he or she plays. We all know that teenagers can get a little out of hand when it comes to dancing--yeah, you all know what I'm talking about. What I find really unpleasant is the heat and sweat that fills the room when things really get out of control, so keep it chill, okay?

So now we can conclude that the DJ plays a crucial role in the success of a homecoming dance. Ladies, it's not about how you look and Gents, please, forget the car. The real solution is in the music played. That being said, don't put too much pressure on your DJ, either. Stop complaining about the music if they play one country song, and don't go up to the table and request them to play seven of your favorite songs, right now. Everyone just needs to calm down, stay cool, and relax. It's really just about having a good time.

Who doesn't love a good parade?

Everyone knows there's a parade for just about every holiday. St. Patricks Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, etc. Parades are a fun way to feature organizations and to get tons of candy. Often times, marching bands are included in parades, playing upbeat, well-known music.

This afternoon was the Kennedy High School homecoming parade. It featured just about every school organization or club that you could think of, including the marching band. We were the first organization featured in the parade, and we played the fight song as well as our show music. It seemed odd to me...why were we playing our show music, anyway? Don't get me wrong, it's great music, but in my opinion it's just too dark for a parade. People want to hear peppy music with relaxing tempos, not classical music written by Mozart and Verdi.

The Cougar Marching Band has been featured in several other parades. We are featured annually in the Hog Wild Days parade in Hiawatha, Iowa. Typically we march and play the fight song, but this past summer we created a float instead. The marching band members rode on the float while playing the fight song and the drum majors walked alongside the float. That raised another question in me: if we're a MARCHING band, then why aren't we marching?

This past May, the band was also featured in the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. I don't want to say too much about this experience because I'll be writing a seperate post about it at a later date, but it was an extreme honor to be the representative band from Iowa in this televised parade. It was also the first time our brand new uniforms were featured.

In conclusion, marching bands are a big part of parades. There are tons of options too: they can go the traditional route and play peppy music, or they can go the modern route and ride on floats, playing dark classical music. It's really all a matter of opinion.

Happy Homecoming!

SYSTEM + SPIRIT = SUCCESS!

When most people think of summer, they think of late nights and beaches and suntan lotion. When drum majors think of summer, they think of drum major camp, in my case, Smith Walbridge Clinics.

Pictured at left: 2011 Smith Walbridge Clinics. Image courtesy of Facebook.

Smith Walbridge is a week long camp held at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. There are a lot of branches of this camp (director's camp, colorguard camp, etc.) but it is known specifically for it's drum major camp. The camp was established in 1949 and is the oldest drum major camp in the country. There were six campers in its first year, and since then it has grown to nearly two hundred each week. Campers travel from all over the country to attend this camp, and Smith Walbridge has seen campers representing all fifty states. Pretty impressive, right?

Not only has Smith Walbridge built up a great reputation, but the camp will change a camper for the better, guaranteed. Not only does this camp teach a student how to lead, march, and conduct, it also gives a student confidence. And no, I'm honestly not endorsing this camp, I just know because I've experienced it myself.

On the first day of camp, the staff makes each camper go in front of the entire band and give their commands. When I was first told I had to do this, I thought to myself, "Wait, what? I'm supposed to go up in front of two hundred people I don't know and give my commands? Out loud?!". Then I turned to the girl next to me, who was calm as ever. I asked her if they were serious. She looked at me a little strange, and just slowly nodded. It turns out she was an alumni of the camp, and had done it all before.

Each day of the camp is filled with rigorous activities including giving and executing commands, conducting classes, putting together drill for the final performance, leadership classes, and squad competitions between bands. The week is filled with lots of hard work, sweat, and minimal sleep. Each camper burns approximately 4000 calories a day.

An average person would think this was a prison, a place where they make you do hard work and don't give you long breaks and feed you crappy food. But to a drum major this is paradise, a place where you can work hard and learn a lot, a place where you can meet people who are as dedicated to marching band as you, a place where they force you to do things you don't want to do, thus bettering yourself in so many ways.

Many things can be taken from this camp: knowledge of marching band that will be useless for the rest of your life, perfect eight to fives, and a really great tan. And yet there's so much more, qualities you never knew you could gain in just a weeks time: lifelong friendships, leadership skills, and most importantly, confidence.

For me, Smith Walbridge Clinics drum major camp was the best and worse week of my life. It was hard to say goodbye to the self-concious, passive girl I was before. It was rigorous exercise that made me sore and tired. But it also allowed a new me to emerge, one that was confident and knowledgeable. One that was inspired and inspiring at the same time. Looking back, the time I spent at drum major camp was worth every second, and I've gained nearly a lifetime of experience in just a weeks time.

For more information about Smith Walbridge Clinics visit www.swclinics.com.