I have no idea what to blog about.

This is my last post of the term, and I honestly have nothing left to blog about.

So here is a list.

I have been to 18 out of 50 states, none of them west of Des Moines, Iowa.

I have never swallowed a pill.

I love riding on snow mobiles yet

I hate snow.

I am cold 98% of the time.

I love cats.

I don't like dogs.

I am double jointed.

I have never changed my natural hair color, and I never plan to.

I do not want to live in the United States when I am older.

I am stressed a lot.

I love jeans.

Most of my family lives in Michigan and I go there a lot.

I am a wolverine fan.

I hate everything about Iowa.

I love world history. In fact, I love the world in general. Just not the United States all that much.

I love sunglasses.

I love dodge cars.

I want to be a politician or a lawyer when I grow up. I like debates.

I love the Beatles.

The one thing I hate more than anything else is PDA.

And being late.

I love Starbucks.

I have a lot of pet peeves.

My pet, Macie, has a lot of pet peeves.

I am addicted to The Sims.

My favorite Disney princess is Snow White.

I now have more than the required word count for this post, this week, and this term.

See you all in a week! Good luck with finals :)

RTR=Success!

Most well-known, 4A schools around the nation host a show choir competition at some point during the season. This past weekend, my school hosted its annual "Raise the Roof!" middle school, prep, and varsity show choir competitions. It is amazing what can be accomplished by doing this, and the results are truly stunning. It it the single biggest fundraiser of the entire year for show choir, but besides earning money, it allows us to establish ourselves as a credible, known show choir (which has been accomplished).

It takes A LOT of work to put on a show choir competition. Every detail has to be thought of, from who is going to empty the trash cans throughout the day to who is going to hand out trophies at awards. Hundreds of people, some not even involved in show choir at all, come to help out and support this event. Every show choir student is assigned a job for the day (some are luckier than others), as well as setting up and cleaning up. My job was cleaning tables. I was originally going to be a judge's assistant, but I had to switch because of a performance conflict. Anyway, I didn't mind, because I was happy to be helping out in anyway possible. After cleaning tables for four hours, my hands were dry and brittle, but I felt like a good person.

With all the people who came together yesterday, every table-cleaner, every judge's assistant, every homeroom host, every ticket seller and concessions worker, every bus unloader and tech assistant, every floor-sweeper and bathroom cleaner, we achieved a common goal. We put on a successful competition, raised money for our program, and once again established ourselves as THE Kennedy show choirs.

Basically Just Freaking Out.

Image provided by Google Images.

So finals are in less than a week, and it's like ahhhh, where did the term go?! How did I let my grades get this low?! Is that a--a B?!?!?!? I've never had a "B" on my transcript in my life! How does this happen? I guess I'll just have to ace the final. Haha, yeah right, like I'm going to ace the final. Funny joke.

So I'm not here to complain, but I'm going to label this a "rant" post, so that makes it okay, right? Okay. So show choir season is at full volume, right in the middle of the flame, the fire going strong. It's hard to believe that we only have 3 competitions left before nationals. We've come so far, yet we've got so far to go. And then there's jazz choir--all state jazz auditions are steadily creeping nearer and nearer. And then of course, golf starts right in the midst of all of it. Teachers give more and more homework that just keeps piling up. And the only thing I seem to be good at is sleeping, which I don't do nearly enough.

It's just like, I honestly can't take it anymore. It's so hard to pull through and yet so easy to give up. Senoritis is a deadly disease, deadly I tell you.

Alright, rant complete.

P.S. I have passed 800 views on my blog. Thanks guys! :-)

Even More Important Than Winning: Support

As I'm sure you all already know, I love show choir. It is my most favorite thing in the whole wide world. I don't think I'd be alive without it (Well, I would be, but what kind of life is that?). Anyway, this past weekend, the Kennedy Show Choirs traveled to Davenport, IA to compete at the Great River competition. Great River is easily the favorite of all competitions, mainly because of the performance venue. The theater holds nearly 2,500 people--easily our biggest competition (besides nationals). Besides that, Great River is a place where we are sure to get some healthy competition. Great River is our house. Before this year, we had won that competition for 7 consecutive years. And if this year taught us anything, it is that winning isn't everything. Sure, it is a heck of a lot better than losing, but I'd rather put on a damn good show and lose than win and still suck any day.

The main thing about show choir is that you cannot control the judges. My good friend, Adam Park Gold, touches on the topic of biast judges in his post "You cannot control the judges" on his blog. There is nothing truer than this statement, because ultimately the judges are the supreme deciding factors in the equation. If three judges have you in first place and one judge puts you in last, you're not going to win. It's just the way it is. Accepting this fact, trusting that we put on a great show, and walking away with a 3rd place trophy was only one of the many obstacles we will face this year. We went into the season hoping we'd be undefeated, unstoppable, invincible. And we are still Happiness Inc., America's Favorite Show Choir. But now we are Happiness Inc. with a new perspective on winning.

We don't need to win. Among many other things in life, winning is a want. It is not a need. We will survive and even thrive while still losing. Losing builds character, it leaves room to grow. But what we do need is support: support from our friends, our parents, and everyone in between. If no one is there to support us, there is no reason to perform. We need the cheers, the smiles, and the applause to go on. Without it, we are just a show choir. With it, we are entertainment. We are serving the needs of others while they are serving our needs. That is why we need support from people we love. There is no better feeling than looking out into the audience, and among a crowd of strangers, seeing that one person, whether it be a parent, a sibling, a significant other, a relative, or a friend, that we just cannot live without. It feels great to know that as we perform our show, that one person has their eyes on us the entire time. It is motivating. It gives us the strength to move forward while we are fighting for more fuel and energy. It is that extra push that gets us through the finish line.

And that is why support is much more important than winning.

Saxophone: The Underappreciated Beauty

Image provided by Google Images.

What do you think of when you think of a full sympohony orchestra? The first thing that comes to mind for most people is the violin. Then follows the viola and the cello, and that giant thing--what was that called?--ah, the string bass. Occasionally, you'll add in a harp. After you've thought through all the string instruments, you'll move on to the trombones and trumpets, flutes and clarinets. Of course you can't forget the tubas, either. Those are the basics. Then you'll continue on to the more obscure instruments--the oboe, the bassoon, the bass clarinet. Finally, you move on to the percussion. The timpani is always the most popular, followed by the snare drum and the cymbals. Then the auxilary percussion: the vibes and the bells and the ever-popular triangle. Once you're finished, you are proud of yourself. You can name all of the instruments in a symphony orchestra, yay. But what is missing? Oh yeah, that one instrument, what is that called? A saxophone.

As a sax player, yes, I am slightly biast. That being said, I do support the claim that we saxophone players and the saxophones themselves do not get enough credit. In most symphony orchestras, there are no saxophones. And yes, saxophones do have their calling: they play the lead role in jazz bands. But what's so great about a trumpet, anyway? They only have 3 keys. A saxophone has 23. Take that trumpets. If a trumpet can play a duel role, why can't a saxophone?

The saxophone has to be the beastliest (is that even a word?!) instrument out there. I mean, saxes can play high, like a woodwind, and low, like a brass instrument. Their range is nearly three octaves. It's that middle alto voice that is completely essential to any group of instruments. It is a blending instrument, used to smooth out the sharp contrast between woodwind and brass. But that's not all. It is also a solo instrument, beautiful in all three octaves and blends perfectly with all different types of saxophones. Can a trumpet do that? 


Imagine a choir, then take out the altos and the tenors. Imagine a cheeseburger, then take out the burger and the cheese. Imagine a taco, then take out the meat. Imagine a caramel-filled chocolate bar, then take out the caramel. Imagine a dance party, then take out the music. Imagine the ocean, then take out the water. That is what a band would be without the saxophones. Lifeless.

So why are saxophones so oppressed and rejected? It's simple, they are young. The classical flutes, trumpets, and tubas don't want to give up any of their fame and fortune. They want all the attention. And I hate to break it to you guys, but the saxophones are stealing it anyway.

Love is in the Air :-)

Hello, all. As I am sure you are all aware, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. The time has finally come: that one day of the year that you get to dedicate all to that special someone. Since I already wrote a post about Valentine's Day (Click here to view that post), I won't waste more of your time droning on and on. But one thing that is a central theme of Valentine's Day (or any time of the year, really) are the love songs. Nowadays you can find songs about literally any topic, but love songs have and will always top the list. So today I'm simply going to share with you some of my favorite love songs. Some new, some old. Some cheesy, some bold (Hehe, a rhyme). Anyway, here ya go.

To start us off, some good old-fashioned Michael Bublé:

And who doesn't love some good ol' Sinatra?

The Glee version of Keane's Somewhere Only We Know

An oldie but a goodie, gotta love Elton John:

Throw in some Modern English:

The cheesiest ever (yet gets me every time):

Nothing really ever beats the Beatles, right?

Gotta throw in some Taylor Swift:

And Owl City:

Honestly, when it comes to love songs, I could go on for days. However, you don't have time for that and neither do I. Thus, I will end this post with two versions of my favorite love song of all time.

The Glee Version:

And the original:

Happy Valentine's Day everyone <3

Glee Meets Michael Jackson. Enough Said.

It's been confirmed: my cat hates me.

Alright, so you know that feeling when you get a new fluffy friend, and you're so thrilled to just play and cuddle with it? As you all know, I got to experience that feeling just a couple of months ago. And while Macie has turned out to be a really fun, energetic cat, I also am starting to believe that she hates me. Or she thinks she's better than me. Or something like that. First off, she bites me. I will simply go in for a nice pet and she turns her head around and nearly rips my hand off. Secondly, she does not sleep with me. She refuses to even lay on my bed. She will sleep on the couch, or on my parents' bed, but when it comes to my own bed she will not budge. Thirdly, she will not sit by me. When my family and I are in the living room, she only sits by my parents. It's like, Hello Macie. I am your owner. You are my cat. Why won't you even go near me?! I'm sure you can imagine how frustrating this is for me. So my question is, why do cats act like this, to their owners of all people?

The #1 thing every cat owner should know: cats think they are superior to humans.

Image provided by Google Images.

Have you ever wondered why cats sit on high ledges or tables or counters whenever they get the chance? Here's why: they want to feel high, literally. Cats believe that if they are physically higher up than humans, they are ultimately better than them. Cats do not want to look up at you, instead they want to look down on you. They want to feel like they are the supreme being, the one in charge of the house, the ultimate master. Cats have extreme sass. Macie is no exception.

Cats also pick favorites. Unfortunately, my cat didn't pick me to be her favorite, and thus, she does not sleep with me or sit by me or acknowledge me at all. It sucks, but I guess that's life. Macie does not live in my house, I live in Macie's house. Macie does not sit on my couch, I sit on Macie's couch. Our Christmas card does not feature my family, but instead it should feature a picture of Macie, signed "Merry Christmas from Macie and family". She is the queen. She's made it clear.

Love Jazz Choir :)

Monday night, Moonlight Express, my school's jazz choir, hopped on a bus and headed off to the town of Delhi, Iowa. We had no idea what to expect at this year's state jazz choir contest, but we were hopeful. The bus ride was cold, as we were riding on a school bus, and none of the windows were capable of shutting all the way. There was a circle of students in the back of the bus, playing games like 'Never Have I Ever', noisily laughing at the crazy things people have or haven't done. One girl was in the middle of the bus, doing her homework on a laptop that shined a bright light on her face. A smaller group of girls resided toward the front of the bus, quietly giggling about their own jokes. I sat by myself, in the middle of all of this, just observing. Occasionally, someone would yell my name, and ask me if I wanted to join them. I silently shook my head, and kept to myself. These people knew me well enough to know that I'm not anti-social, I'm just quiet.

Once we arrived at the high school, we marveled at how tiny it was. Coming from a big city, or what we like to think of as a big city, it seemed odd to enter a school in which everyone knew each other and the opportunity for new friends was limited. As we entered the choir room, our director told us that this wasn't going to be the most lively audience we'll ever have, but to not let that take away from our performance. On our way to the auditorium, we passed the jazz choir of our rival school. As they passed by, they told us good luck and we said the same, but they looked at us like we were rats. They wanted to be better than us, you could tell, but they also knew that we have a lot of talent.

On stage, we started our michrophone check. What was supposed to be a short, sweet test to make sure everyone could be heard turned into a long, awkward ordeal. Kids from other schools in the audience were laughing at us (note: the audience was only made up of approximately 20 people). By the time our sound check was finally over about ten minutes later, we were nervous and discouraged. But we didn't let that stop us: we performed our hearts out.

By the end, we didn't care what the scores were or who did better than whom. All we knew was that we had made spectacular music for people. And when we did receive our scores, and we got all "ones" and even got a perfect score, we were thrilled. It gave us so much encouragement for the rest of the season. And that is what truly matters :)

You'd Think That People Would've Had Enough of Silly Love Songs...

Image provided by Google Images.

It's that time of year, the most dreaded time, the time of "love". That's right--Valentine's Day is near. Some call it "Single's Awareness Day", because if you're single on Valentine's Day it can seem as if there's a camera and microphone in your face all day, showcasing the fact they you're alone. In my book, Valentine's Day is written down as 'The Worst Holiday Ever'. Let's be honest, Valentine's Day is like Christmas: 100% commercial. From December 26th to February 14th, stores are filled with giant pink teddy bears, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, the ever popular bouquet of cheap, drug store roses, and rows and rows of Valentine cards for that special someone. And yes, it's always nice to receive gifts, but there comes a point in time when it becomes too cliché to even appreciate. So you say, why, exactly, does Valentine's Day suck so much? Besides the consumerism, here are a few reasons to be anti-Valentine's:


If you're single...
Besides stating the obvious, being alone on Valentine's Day is no fun. You are forced to watch happy couples in their seemingly perfect lust for each other all day long. You receive your bouquet of flowers as a pity gift from mom, which then makes you resent allowing mom in on your current relationship status in the first place. Let's be honest, a dinner-movie date is much better than a night on the town with your girl friends, celebrating your "independence". It also seems like all of your friends who are in a relationship are dangling that "love" right in front of you: calling you to tell you that he proposed, or what an awesome time they had at the basketball game, or whatever. As you sit at home eating ice cream out of a bucket and watching How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days for the 17th time, you try to convince yourself that you are a strong, independent women, when you'd really rather be out having a good time with your love.


If you're in a relationship...
On the surface, it seems like Valentine's Day would be the perfect holiday for a couple. But what if he forgets to get you a present? Men often can't handle the "pressure" of Valentine's Day, and they think it's unnecessary to get their girl a gift. That's where they go wrong. Men, if you are reading this, make sure you get your girl a gift on Valentine's Day. In fact, make sure it's a damn good gift, too. 


No matter who you are...
People see Valentine's Day as a day to express their love for one another. A day to devote to their loved one, a day to gush about romance and hearts and love without getting made fun of by their buddies. A day to spend money on their significant other, in the hopes that every negative thing in their relationship will magically disappear due to the essence of love. Sorry to burst your bubble, my friends, but this is not the case. Sure, go ahead and buy your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, friend or companion chocolates and teddy bears and roses to express your love. But why is there only one day a year dedicated to love? If you love somebody, you should show it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Love shouldn't be about buying things, it should be about the little things you do or say to a person to make them feel special. It should be celebrating every time that person makes you laugh or smile, every time that person makes you feel like one in a million. It should be in celebration of spending time with that person, and going through things both good and bad, whether you've been together for 5 days or 50 years. And if you don't have anyone to spend Valentine's Day with this year, celebrate the fact that you don't need anyone else to complete you. Or celebrate the time spent with the people who weren't right for you, all in preparation for finding "the one". 


So whether you're single or in a long-term, serious relationship, celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Celebrate it all year long. Because it should not be about one day buying things and lusting for someone else. Valentine's Day should be about all that you have, all that you're grateful for, all the time.

Happiness is FINALLY on YouTube :)

Not the best quality video, but enjoy.

Hope, like energy, never goes away.

Hello, all. It's Saturday morning (Where on earth did Friday night go?!) and it just dawned on me that I have three blog posts to do in two days. Arggg, I hate weeks like this. Mini rant: this past week is perhaps #1 on my "Worst Weeks of My Life" list. It's definitely in the top 3, but I'm going to say #1 for now. Why, you ask? I will tell you why. I have been sick all week. I was home in bed all day on Tuesday, and as the week went on my illness seemed to get progressively worse. Perhaps, though, it wasn't entirely my illness getting worse, but rather my physical condition. After show choir practice, homework, and getting a maximum of five hours of sleep per night, I'm so weak I can hardly lift a pen. Add illness on top of that, and I'm practically doomed. Unfortunately, tonight I have a show choir competition, and I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to pull it off. At least, though, I only have to perform twice instead of four times. But still. I can't sing a note, my limbs are so sore that I can't dance, especially not in high-heeled gogo boots, and forget having to hold up a tenor saxophone. I'm sooooo sick of being sick.

There's nothing I'd rather do than curl up with a blanket and my cat and sleep for oh, two days or so. But unfortunately life continues on, whether you're healthy or not, through hard times and not so hard times. Sometimes it seems so much easier to just ignore reality and instead go to your dreams for guidance. But you know what they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I only hope that this is true. There are people out there who have it so much worse than me, and yet they are so much happier and so much stronger. I admire those people. They all seem to be missing something: health, wellness, money. But they have something that so many people in this world don't have: they have hope. When it seems like all is forgotten and we've all given up, they will still be there, hoping for a better future. They will use their developed skills: patience, obedience, kindness, optimism, and they will continue hoping. Because hope is like energy: it can never go away. It is converted through different forms: elastic energy, potential energy, kinetic energy, but it is never lost. Hope is never lost, but instead it is converted through different forms. Elastic hope, the hope the passes from one person to the next person, the kind of hope that sticks to you after you've spoken with a person who sees the glass as half full. Potential hope, the kind of hope that's hiding inside of you, but is still there. This hope is much harder to see, and even if you think it's not there, it is. It's just waiting for you to turn it into something better: kinetic hope. This is the kind of hope that's always in motion, the kind that is being put to good use and is being shared throughout the world.

So yeah, I had a bad week. And there's no doubt that I'll have more bad weeks in the future. But over time those of us who feel we are at an ultimate low, that there is nothing better and things will be bad forever, we are going to find the potential hope inside of us, and we are going turn it into useful, kinetic hope.