I thought I'd take a break from my anime obsession (kind of) to inform you that this blog has officially been around for a year. Wow. If you scroll way back into the depths of worthless ramblings you will find a post about Housing Lottery last year. It was craziness. This year was too, but mostly because I couldn't figure out where to live until the last minute.
1. FIRST I thought Katrina and I (at least I had a roommate set up) could live off-campus. But that becomes difficult when she's in France and you have to look for the apartment by yourself. It just wasn't a responsbility I felt was safe to take on my own shoulders.
2. So I thought we'd go for a theme house, the next best thing. Well, first we had to find at least one other person to theme house with us. We did find 2 other people, which changed to one other person, and then back to 2 other people, and I actually submitted our proposal but we didn't get the house. I wasn't too surprised.
3. SO then one of our people still needed a roommate so we decided on a triple in Ballard. Well, she found another roommate so we were down to
4. a double in Ballard. Except then I got approached by a group of 4 other girls who wanted to go for a...
5. 6-person pod in Duvall. Okay. So that was the plan until the night of housing lottery, when I found out there had been some miscommunication and they were going for Boppell instead. *blinks* Okay, Katrina and I will just...
6. go for Ballard again. Except... The girls who were going for Boppell ended up in Duvall. And so did my other prospective theme house people and a lot of other people I know. Okay... Well, it's really far from the music building but it sounds like a bunch of fun.
7. A double in Duvall it is! Whew.
The actual lottery went pretty well since Katrina and I are both upperclassmen. We had 7 housing points together (I got to wear her nametag as well as mine, which felt a little strange). I was actually first in line at housing lottery! FIRST. It was so weird after all the stress last year. It meant I actually had to make a decision, which was really difficult without Katrina's input. I finally decided on a room in the basement and I've heard that's a good floor. So in the end everything worked out and I'm really looking forward to next year! I still have to contend with this year though... Only 2 more weeks until finals! Gaaackkk!
Okay, so now we're changing gears, a lot. Forget fantasy, kingdoms, swordfights (well, almost), and the epic feel of Escaflowne. Cowboy Bebop is a completely different animal. Ponder the title for a moment. Cowboys, associated with Westerns, sunsets, and (ugh!) country music... And Bebop, the epitome of cool. It actually is rather fitting but, WHERE do they come up with these ideas? Cowboy Bebop is about a group of bounty hunters who act like film noir detectives, oh yeah, and it's set in a futuristic Star Wars type world. Once again, where do they think of these things? And can Hollywood start borrowing some of their ideas? Because this series definitely blew me away. It's so original, so quirky, and so new. Drawback: this is definitely Adults Only. Rated R. Not all of it, but there are certain episodes and certain scenes that go beyond PG-13. I know. I'm a bad person. But, but, but *stammers* oh just watch the trailer...
So that music, playing during the trailer? It's by Yoko Kanno. That is a tune called "Tank!" and it's amazing. Please listen to it. It's on the sidebar. I told you Yoko Kanno was diverse right? Well here's where it really shows. Cowboy Bebop utilizes jazz, swing, blues, and even some rock amongst other things. The music to Cowboy Bebop can be... a little strange... Consider that the name of Yoko Kanno's band is "The Seatbelts." But this is exactly what I love about anime. It can be so out of the ordinary. Ordinary gets boring after a while. One of the funny things about anime songs (or J-pop in general) is that they use Engligh sometimes. Sometimes it's just three words followed by a string of Japanese. Apparently they think it sounds cool. When a whole song is in English generally it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. :-) This next tune is called "Bad Dog No Biscuits," and it's a little strange with crazy guitar riffs, random cheering, and some down and dirty 'bone solos. Get it? Oh dear, bad pun.
The first episode introduces us to Spike Spiegel and Jet Black, two space-age bounty-hunters or "space cowboys" (weird phrase huh. Their ship is called "the Bebop," thus Cowboy Bebop). Spike and Jet are pretty good at what they do, but they're generally broke anyways. The reason being Spike causes a lot of damages while chasing down a bounty and these have to be payed off. Who knows how long these two have been operating this way, but things are about to change. It starts when they go after a dog-napper with a huge bounty on his head (episode 2). The dog, we find out later, is some sort of genetically altered genius and that's why it's so valuable. Spike and Jet never figure this out though, so after losing the bounty, because they're both really big softies at heart, they keep Ein as a pet. Ein is adorable and generally knows exactly what's going on even when everybody else is clueless. Awwwwww.
Next tune: Piano Black. Kanno uses a lot of sound effects in her music and usually it's very effective.
The next addition to the Bebop crew is my least favorite. Faye Valentine. Faye is actually a pretty good character. Spike and Jet run into her at a casino, where she's working as a dealer. Eventually Faye teams up with the two, thinking that if she nabs a huge bounty she'll be able to pay off her enormous debt. And where does that debt come from? Well, if you don't mind the spoiler, the truth is Faye knows next to nothing about her past. This is because she was cryogenically frozen decades and decades ago, and now that she's been revived she's left with a mountain of medical bills and a case of amnesia. Plus she's been through a bad relationship since so she pretty much hates men. The only thing I don't like about Faye is her tendency to dress provocatively. Come on, wear some real clothing please. Other than that Faye's pretty much equal to Spike and Jet in terms of skill, so it's nice to see a strong female character.
I actually don't know what this next tune is called. I don't remember it from the series, but it's a good representation of some of the quirky music Kanno writes.
The final addition to the Bebop crew is my favorite. Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Trivusky the 4th. Ed for short. Ed is... a girl. Genius. A 13-year-old girl genius. Named Ed. Actually, Ed doesn't know her real name so she made this one up which, in the words of Spike "if you made it up then how can you be the 4th?" Ed is amazing. Like Ein, she generally knows what's going on even when everyone else doesn't. Before she joins the Bebop, Ed is known as the famous hacker "Radical Edward." When she's suspected of hacking into a satellite a bounty is put on her head and the rest is cowboy history. Ed is as wacky and weird as they get. Her dialogue generally doesn't make sense, except that it does, once you realize what's really going on. That probably doesn't make sense but needless to say Ed is awesome. The following quote pretty much sums up Ed. "I think I know, I don't think I know, I think I know, I know I don't think I know, I don't think I think..."
Music is used in interesting ways in this show. This next song, which I know as "Green Bird" although I've heard it called "ELM" and "The Ballad of Fallen Angels," is actually used in a chase scene. It's a very emotional moment, so it makes sense to not do the obvious thing and use upbeat chase-scene music. I like that kind of subtlety.
And then of course we have Spike and Jet. Jet is also a favorite of mine. An ex-cop with a tough exterior, Jet's actually a big softie with a love for cooking. And jazz music. Jet pretty much acts as a mother-figure, which is pretty hilarious. He really cares about everyone else on his ship and although he acts like he's angry with them it usually masks the fact that he's worried about them. In his own words, "I'm Jet Black, 36 years old. I'm often told I don't look 36, but you shouldn't judge people based on appearances... or how much hair they have..."
This next tune is called "SPY." Very James Bond.
And finally we have Spike. Spike's kind of like Jet in that he pretends to have a tough exterior. In his own words, "There are three things I hate the most: Kids, pets, & women with additude. So tell me, why do we have all of them packed into our ship!?" But Spike feels responsible for his comrades and it shows. As for himself, Spike's pretty laid-back with a devil-may-care attitude towards his own safety, a tendency to push people a way, and really poofy hair. His fighting style is a tribute to Bruce Lee I guess, although I'm not really that familiar with Bruce Lee. Needless to say, Spike can hold his own in a fight. Spike has an interesting past (he was a former criminal and now he's paired up with an ex-cop. Interesting, neh?)
Okay, okay! I know you will like this song even though it has one sort of swear word in it sort of. I'm amazed at the use of instrumentation here. Contemporary vocals and pipe organ. It's awesome!
Oh wait? I almost forgot! Who is this menacing fellow? Well there has to be a villain doesn't there? This one is straight out of Spike's jaded past and is aptly named Vicious. We don't see him often, but when we do generally a very cool fight scene ensues. Let's just say that Vicious defies the saying "never bring a knife to a gun fight." Vicious is a great villain, which is interesting because you feel absolutely no sympathy for him. He's just evil. Yet he has depth somehow. Plus, let's face it, a black suit and a katana? Cool.
Cowboy Bebop's plot is exclusively character-driven. If any outside struggle does come along, it's generally only for one episode. The main storyline deals exclusively with the characters' pasts and how they relate to one another, which is interesting. Because they're all looking for something, and as I heard someone say, they don't realize that what they're looking for is right there with each other. The show is very clever with more references than I could ever catch or understand. Every episode either refers to a song title or a style of music ("Asteroid Blues," "Jupiter Jazz," "Gateway Shuffle," "Mushroom Samba"). The show can be simultaneously funny, deeply emotional, and reflective. Unfortunately there's exessive violence and some sexual references that I could definitely do without, which is partially why it's only my number three. (Sometimes I think the Japanese are more obsessed with violence than we Americans are). But altogether it's a solid and unique piece of work.
Like most anime, Escaflowne takes several forms. Usually anime begins as "manga," or what we would call comics. If the original manga is popular there will probably be an animated series, probably a movie (or 2 or 3), video games... You get the idea.
Escaflowne actually started out as an animated series, which is unusual. There are a couple of spin-off mangas but I hear they're both not that great. I haven't really been able to get into manga anyways.
And then there's the movie. Anime movies follow a couple of different patterns. They can tell backstory, or just be a completely new idea or a continuation of a series, (there are standalone movies as well, but we're talking of movies that are based on a series). The Escaflowne movie is a little different in that it's a retelling of the series. And it's kind of neat. The world of Gaea has a whole new feel, very tribal and almost middle-eastern. While the artwork of the series is AMAZING (I mean, really, even with the pictures I put up, there's no way to describe), the movie's artwork is even better. It's sooo amazingly gorgeous.
Unfortunately some idiot decided that it was possible to retell the entire complex story of the series with only an hour and half of time. Come on people, 2 hours at least! So things get paired down quite a bit and to be honest, the movie isn't that great because of this. Oh the possibilities. Characters become 2-dimensional, the plot is almost impossible to follow (forget it if you've never watched the series), and so we end up with an interesting world with a lot of sword swinging.
Instead of the Zaibach empire under Emperor Dornkirk, we have the Black Dragon Clan/Empire which is lead by Van's brother Folken (replacing Dornkirk as the villain). They're taking over the world, yada yada yada. The central story however, is the relationship between Van and Hitomi, as it was in the series. There's no time for love triangles and complications though. Van loves Hitomi, Hitomi loves Van, straight and to the point. So, sadly, my favorite character Allen is left on the sidelines. He may have a cooler outfit, and he still knows how to kick Van around, but Allen barely gets any screen-time. Sad day!
Hitomi herself is altered quite a bit. Instead of a happy-go-lucky highschool freshman, she's a highschool senior suffering from depression. There's no mention of fortune-telling or tarot cards that played such a central role in the series. Instead, Hitomi is called to Gaea by Folken because she is believed to be the legendary Wing Goddess who calls the dragon-armor Escaflowne.
As I said, the story is extremely weak. I don't understand the finer points of half the scenes. Why does Van have wings? What exactly happened with Folken? What's up with Hitomi's pendant? Things that were addressed in the series are simply left unanswered here. However, the fight scenes are well-done (if you can handle the blood, it's even more gory than the series, a common trait in anime...) and as I said, the artwork is just gorgeous. The music too is impressive. Yoko Kanno scored this as well, and she takes a different approach (that versatility I was talking about) and gives the movie a new, tribal feel.
The movie opens with Van attacking an enemy transport. He's using his wings to his advantage and so we first see a blue sky, and then wings in the distance, and then Van falling rapidly towards the transport. The music is perfectly synced. As Van lands, drums begin and then at his first attack, the rhythm accelerates until finally the violin comes in. Perfectly synced, completely different from the series, and pretty much amazing.
This next track is also interesting in that you can hear hints of the "Duel of the Fates" (which was composed later in case you're suspicious).
When the choir comes in, it's definitely the same chord progression as the Duel of the Fates, and the melody is similar just a little later. :-) Oh Yoko Kanno, you are so cool.
Warning, the following post is really, really long...
The Vision of Escaflowne is, I think, my favorite anime. Escaflowne is unique in that it spans so many genres. It can be described as a romance/action/sci-fi/fantasy/drama/epic and whatever else you want to pull out of the hat. The uniqueness of Escaflowne's world is really what draws me to the series, but even without that, so many things are done so well I can't help but love this series.
The music to Escaflowne is absolutely fantastic, so be sure to listen to the samples as you read through. I'll try and space them out a little.
Escaflowne has very strong fantasy and sci-fi elements. There is sword-fighting, dragons, kingdoms, knights, princesses, and even a variety of different races (no elves or dwarves though). Escaflowne's overall feel is decidedly fantasy, which is why I like it. But there's a lot of sci-fi too. Robots (they're giant suits of armor, called guymelefs), scientific experiments, and advanced technology all play a large role, but it all fits somehow. The story itself is rather complex, so I'm posting the trailer as an introduction.
Okay, so the trailer doesn't do it justice. Basically, Hitomi is transported to Gaia just in time to see the country of Fanelia burned to the ground by the "evil empire Zaibach." She and Van, Fanelia's king, escape with Escaflowne and run to the neighboring country of Asturia. There they meet the knight Allen Schezar. Allen feels the injustice of what Zaibach has done and feels Zaibach won't stop with Fanelia. He takes Hitomi and Van to petition Asturia's king to act, but the king is a coward and turns a blind eye to the threat. So Van, Hitomi, and Allen band together to fight Zaibach and uncover the mystery on why Zaibach is so intent on capturing Escaflowne.
Rather than try to take you through Escaflowne's long, complex, and confusing storyline, I'll introduce you to its characters. The best plot ever written would be nothing without well-written, believable and interesting characters and Escaflowne has a large and diverse cast. True, there's enough angst to supply ten soap operas, but it's all so removed from every day life you actually sympathize with all the tragic pasts and contorted relationships.
Hitomi Kanzaki - until being transported to another world and getting caught in the center of a war Hitomi was your average high school freshman. Her life revolved around the track team. Her best friend was the manager, her crush was the team captain, and her goal in life was to beat 13 seconds in the 100 meter dash. Hitomi has a strange hobby though, fortune telling. (Unfortunately this plays a large part in the series. Because of the my Christian background I really dislike the use of tarot cards and dowsing in any setting, but the series does have some redeeming qualities so hear me out). When she is transported to Gaia, fortune telling becomes more than just a game. She starts having visions which are unfailingly accurate and thus becomes a desirable tool for either side. But there's more to Hitomi than this. It is Hitomi's care and concern for others that is her real asset. Van, Allen, and everyone else she comes in contact with come to rely on her emotional support and it is in this way that Hitomi makes the whole series tick. Unfortunately, the girl is rather inclined to be very silly. The first thing she does in Gaia is develop a full-blown crush on Allen (immediately after declaring her undying love to her team captain back home). In her defense, Allen does rescue her when she's in an emotionally unstable condition. Much of the series revolves around the love triangle (one of many love polygons) revolving around Van, Allen, and Hitomi. The series' message of unselfishness in love is something I appreciate and it's bittersweet ending drives this point home, a strong ending to a strong series.
Van Fanel - Van is angry, brash, arrogant, insecure, and headstrong. And no wonder. (major spoiler warning) Like so many in the series, both his mother and his father died when he was very young. His older brother left to complete the Rite of the Dragonslaying, required to become king. He never returned and the responsibility to gain the kingship fell to Van. Van only completes the Rite at the very beginning of the series and has only just been crowned king when Zaibach attacks. The first thing we witnesses as ruler of his people is Fanelia burning to the ground. Worse yet, he discovers that his brother didn't die during the Rite of the Dragonslaying, but has actually joined Zaibach and helped in attacking Fanelia. Van blames himself for being weak and has a rather distorted view of honor. But he has a lot of good qualities too. He's undyingly loyal, honest, and acts on his beliefs. The series does an excellent job of portraying Van's growth as a person over the course of the series.
Allen Schezar - Allen has issues. And really long hair. His father left his family when he was young, then his little sister disappeared, then his mother died... So Allen became a highway robber. He never lost a fight until he ran into one of Gaia's master swordsmen (the same guy Van learned from coincidentally). When he was defeated he threatened to kill himself (I was a suicidal teenage bandit!) Instead he became a knight of the round table, er, I mean Asturia. That's why he has those puffy sleeves. But it doesn't stop there. Allen's gained a bit of a reputation as a lady's man. It seems all three of the Asturian princesses were in love with him at some point (I'm rooting for Eries!) and so the king moved him to an outpost where he runs into Van and Hitomi and our story begins. I've got to admit, Allen's one of my favorite characters. The angst just drips off of him. And he's really good at swordfighting. Happily for angst-lovers Allen gets to confront ALL of his issues during the series! Bring on the flashbacks!
And behind all this is the main question of fate vs. free will. How much are we governed by the past and how much of our lives is our decision? I'm happy to say free will wins out and I must say you cannot find this kind of thing in American television.
One thing that's confusing about anime is that it's a cartoon, and here in the states, cartoons are for kids. This is not at all true in Japan. Cartoons are for everybody! Therefore, Escaflowne CAN have the depth it has. Well, that and blood...
Anime has a bad rep because everyone's used to seeing Dragonball Z and Pokemon and stuff like that. Not the highest production values. Escaflowne however is like watching a painting. I've been trying to choose pictures that illustrate this. There are certain scenes where you just want to take your tv and hang it on the wall.
And then there's the music. Yoko Kanno is one of my heroes. I'd say she's the best writer for film living. She's certainly more original than John Williams and, sorry Howard Shore, as much as I love LOTR Kanno's simply so diverse it's hard to compete. The next two animes I'm posting also feature scores by her and I think I'll be able to demonstrate what I'm talking about. For now, listen to this final piece. I hope you've enjoyed this brief venture into the Vision of Escaflowne. The amount of thought put into the world of Gaia, the story, the characters, well it pays off. And if things get a little convoluted from time to time, well, the show's just too cool for me to care. It definitely gets weirder as the series progresses until you finally wonder what kind of mind trip you stumbled onto. But when you get to the end, you realize it was worth it.
Okay... I have to confess. I. Like. Anime. Please still like me. Don't get me wrong! I'm not into gory, pornographic disgustingness. Nonononono... I try to stay away from that stuff. Far, far, far away. But still. There's something about some of it. An intelligent plot. Interesting themes. Art, music, characters with depth. And pretty much downright coolness. I just can't help liking it. I'm sorry!
It's not for everybody. I know a lot of Christians don't like it because it has "pagan" themes. Yeah. It's from Japan. They don't exactly have a rich Christian past. But there's still truth there, and it's not all corrupt. If I only read books with specifically Christian themes or watched movies with such I would be severely limited. Plus I don't know that that's wise. I think we should be open to other ideas so that when we are challenged we can respond intelligently. If something is wrong or goes against my belief, I should first of all be able to identify that and secondly be able to explain why I disagree. I can't do that if I live in a vacuum. And I certainly can't hold intelligent conversations with non-Christians if I don't know where they're coming from. So yes, anime often employs pantheism and other traditional Japanese beliefs. That's to be expected. But I think I can approach it the same way I'd approach other non-Christian authors and art.
Secondly, it's definitely... different. A mind trip sometimes? I can understand why people don't get it. And unfortunately there's sometimes some inappropriate material but like I said this I try to avoid.
However I must try and defend myself. So I have been inspired by Karen's recent list of musicals to run my own of anime I like. Run, scream, do what you will, but please at least listen to the music I put up because IT'S SO COOL! So, looking forward to that.
I've applied for a theme house. If you don't know what a theme house is, it's a special type of on-campus housing. You have a theme (like piano, or cooking, or ninjas, yes there is a ninja theme house). We chose multicultural music. Then you have to draw up a proposal and submit it to Residence Life and they decide who gets a house. It's really nice because you don't have to pay utilities but you save some money because you don't have to have a meal plan. Do I think we'll get it? No. No frankly I do not. It was such a last-minute thing and I think I even made some grammatical errors etc. Yuck. But I did learn something I didn't know while putting together our proposal. Apparantly *drum roll*.... I'm a Junior! I have over 60 credits and have been a junior since the end of January. I had no idea. So that made me happy.
For once in the past few months I feel like I'm on top of everything. I went to bed at a decent time last night, did all my homework, and even had some free time. It has me feeling kind of paranoid to be honest. I've gotta be forgetting something.
Heidi is enjoying having a few minutes to breathe. She may call it procrastination, but she doesn't feel guilty about it. :-) So I did this thing.
IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE? So, here's how it works: 1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc) 2. Put it on shuffle 3. Press play 4. For every question, type the song that's playing 5. When you go to a new question, press the next button Opening Credits:
Concert Duo Movement 3 – Joshua Bell and Edgar Meyer
(oooh, artsy… in a folk music way.Works well.)
Waking Up: Heart We Will Forget Him – Whitworth Women’s Choir
(I’m waking up to an Emily Dickinson poem…)
First Day At School: Strange Meadowlark – Dave Brubeck
(groovin’)
Falling In Love: The Magic Castle on the Mountain of Sweets – Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker
(it actually kind of works, although the title’s kind of funny)
Fight Song:
We’re Flying – Escaflowne Soundtrack
(Hmmm, no.That just doesn’t work on any level)
Breaking Up: On Fire – Switchfoot
(Good songness!And once again it actually kinda works)
Prom: Ashitaka and San – Princess Mononoke Soundtrack
(Okay never mind, this isn’t typical prom music not that I’ve ever been to one)
Life's OK: Bemsha Swing – Thelonious Monk
Mental Breakdown: Concerto for 2 Violins and Cello in D Minor III. Largo e spiccato – Antonio Vivaldi
(sad!)
Driving: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia – Aram Khachaturian
(I’m going reaaaalllll slow.Or it’s a nice day out)
Flashback: Living Water – The 5 O’Clock People
(mmmm I love this group)
Getting Back Together: Scrapple From the Apple – My Jazz Combo this year
Wedding: At Friar Laurence’s – Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet
(you’ve got to be kidding)
Birth of Child: Short Trip Home – Joshua Bell and Edgar Meyer
(and we’re back to the folk music)
Final Battle: Eight’s Enough – written and performed by my brother Eric Olson
So if I were a "normal" maladjusted college student I'd have gone down to California, or Florida, or Mexico, or simply to my local pub and get smashed. At least I think that's the right expression. But I am most definitely not normal. So what did I do?
Well, I read a 700 page novel from the 1860's. Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. It took me 2 and a half days. And when I'd finished that one I picked up "The Undomestic Goddess," a book a la Bridget Jones' Diary, and polished that off in my remaining free afternoon. Take THAT Harry Potter nerds! *Heidi, they're like 12, you're trying to compete with 12-year-olds by comparing how much you can read in a week...* Hmmm. Well never mind. I haven't started on Inkspell yet, or the biography on Johann Sebastian Bach, and I'm only a third of the way through "The World is Flat." This is FUN for me. Something's wrong here.
Of course this after I went to a Lord of the Rings party at Karen's house... *Heidi, you do realize people can access this blog from your Facebook account. You do have a link up. What if someone who THINKS you're normal suddenly realizes... Realizes... How much of a dork you really are!* Oh shut up. The voices are louder today than usual. It's a good thing I'll be going back to college soon and then I'll be busy enough to look as normal as a music major can. I'm NOT going into how bad of a music major I am. Nothing more needs to be said on THAT topic.
I read that my generation is extremely narcissistic (oh goodness that's hard to spell) compared to others. *GASP!* I don't know WHY! I mean, our parents flock around us and dote attention on us and make us the center of the universe. And then everyone starts scratching their heads saying "why do these kids think they're the center of the universe?" Okay, so maybe not all kids are so... lucky... Some are neglected, shuffled from foster home to foster home or coming home to an empty house while dad's at work, trying to meet the status quo. Bottom line is the article had a point. We have blogs and MySpace pages and Facebook accounts and all of these glorious "social networking" tools generally promote Me! I like my blog. I like reading over past entries and seeing where I was in my life. I'm too lazy to keep a journal. But I hope I don't become so self-centrered as to forget the value of others. God comes first, others second. This is what I was taught growing up and it still seems like an admirable philosophy still. So I'm hoping to be less self-centered on this blog and use it as a tool for communication. Not just about me, but about life and others and God too. We'll see how it works.
Cripes Mondays are busy. I try to get up at 6:00, sometimes it ends up being 7:00... I WILL do devotions! *sigh* I have classes from 8:00 until 10:30. Then I go to the Fitness Center (I am just not created to be sedentary. That's one thing that's been driving me crazy at college.) After that I do homework and get lunch etc. Then I have class again at 2:00 until 3:00. I have half an hour or so to prepare for piano lessons then I teach Grace and Grant for about an hour. Then I usually stay and practice for an hour. Then IDEALLY I would eat dinner and go back and practice for another hour but this generally doesn't happen because I usually eat dinner and then pass out on the couch. So now I have to practice still plus do more homework...
Mark Levine is giving a clinic and concert tomorrow. Super excited. Or I would be if I wasn't so groggy.
Now what I was originally going to post about. Keith's senior recital. Keith is well-loved. I've never seen the recital hall that full. They had to add an extra row of chairs in the front as well as along the aisle on either side. And people were standing in the back. In the words of one prof "we need that new recital hall yesterday." The music building's been on the top of list for rennovation for a while now. If they could only make it look less like a prison...
Secondly, with regards to Keith's recital, everyone should hear "The Dead Moth Tango" at least once. Too bad I can't remember who wrote it.
Let's see, my last post was on the 7th. Since then Karen and I went to an AMAZING Symphony concert. Thank You Karen. Hmmm, no point really posting about that though I suppose.
My parents are back from Israel. I can't believe that they went there, but it's very cool that they did. So I went home last weekend and looked at pictures and heard their stories. My mom's always wanted to go so I'm glad she got to. We're just becoming regular world travelers in my family and that's fine with me. :-)
This week was just really, really weird. I only got an hour and a half of sleep Thursday night because I had so much stuff to do. It all happens at once, I swear. And it's not like I was slacking off earlier in the week either. I just had a lot of work to do. So I did homework until 4:00 am and then I slept until 5:30 and then I finished my homework and went to breakfast and to class. After class I had a super-important job interview. I'm really hoping I'll get this job as a summer conference assistant at the college. Room and board are payed for, there's no commute, it would look great on a resume and it's definitely way better than harvest. Parts of the interview went really well but I definitely gave some really dorky answers to some of the questions. Way to be professional. And I'm sure I was a little, um, "mellow" as I'd only had an hour and a half of sleep.
So that was crazy. I slept so much after that.
Also, I went to 4 student recitals this weekend. There were so many. I would have gone to Nathaniel's on Thursday but that was the day I got an hour and a half of sleep. Even so, Shawn, who lives in my dorm, had a junior composition recital at 2:00 on Saturday. Then Keith, a super-amazing pianist, had his senior recital at 4:00. Then today Greg "don't hassle the" Hoff had his senior jazz trombone recital. Really really good. I thought I was done after that and was off to the library to listen to MORE music for classical piano lessons (I love college sometimes) when I realized my brother had called me while I was at Greg's recital. I'd forgotten that Jeff Wirth's senior composition recital was at 4:00 today as well. My brother doesn't know Jeff, but apparently he watches the college's website for any interesting events and decided he'd come. It was 10 after four when I got the message but I decided to go. I only missed the first piece and it was fun to see my brother and chat with him and Brent and Judith. It brought back memories of my brother's senior composition recital... *ooohh, I feel a flashback coming on!*
I might have been a freshman in highschool and I was starting to get really into music. My brother wrote some pretty contemporary stuff, but I tried to pretend I understood it. I remember though that I didn't consider myself a musician really (not much has changed... :-) ) I remember meeting one of Eric's professors (I think it was Michael Young). Eric said something about me having creative tendencies and I very distinctly remember thinking to myself "yeah but there's no way I'm ever going to get stuck as a music major." Ha. Ha. Ha.
Between that and practicing I'd estimate I spent a little under 10 hours in the music building this weekend. I am NOT a performance major dang it. I REFUSE to... do... this... *sigh* Do what you love I guess. I don't love practicing though. I am not a performance major. I am not a performance major. I am not a performance major.
Student recitals are cool in that you get to see these people you interact with every day showing what amazing musicians they are. There was a point when I thought "hm, I don't really belong anywhere within 50 yards of the music building. I'm totally wasting my professors' time." But I got over that jealous thought pretty quickly and just sat back and admired the accomplishments of my peers. The very least I can do is let them inspire me instead of getting bitter about it. They're generally so nice anyways. So that was a really good thing for me. Plus the music was amazing.
Well, I'd better go I have a German test tomorrow.
Please enjoy Albinoni's Adagio. Funnily enough it was mostly written by an "Albinoni scholar" who tried to salvage the work after the bombing of Dresden. He tried to piece together like 6 measures that he found. Still good though. :-)
"What's in the punch?" "Lemons and melons and pears." "Oh my!" ~Galinda and Fiyero
"I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow." ~Fiyero
"Listen, I've been thinking..." "Yes, I've heard." ~Fiyero and Elphaba
So whenever I try to get ahead in schoolwork, I fail. This time it started with iTunes. Since everyone in the dorm is hooked up to the same network I have access to a lot of music.
I've never really cared for the musical "Wicked." I'm not a huge "Wizard of Oz" fan, even so I don't like people messing with other people's stories, AND the idea of what is essentially fanfiction making money is weird to me. Not only that, but it just looked really dumb. I sang "No One Mourns the Wicked" in an advanced voice class at CYT once, and I was impressed with the music, but I didn't feel the actual musical worth my time.
But I got listening to someone's copy of the soundtrack on iTunes and discovered, to my surprise, that "Wicked" is a really intelligent musical. Okay, it's also kinda cheesy, but behind the fluff there's something substantial. It's based on a book, which partially explains it. But still, the book is essentially fanfiction! Who'd have thought? There are developed characters, an interesting plot, and serious themes. Weird.
So, I'm not certain I should post this as they took down the Scarlet Pimpernel videos... but... *looks around* *whispers* The ENTIRE show, start to finish, is on YouTube. :-) For a limited time only of course. You'll have to search for it yourself because I'm not linking.
So, I missed the first few minutes of this AMAZING FREE CONCERT by PETAR JANKOVIC and I'm kicking myself for it! WHY wasn't everyone on campus at this recital!? It was one of the best musical experiences I have ever had in my life. All 19 years of it.
I've been a mediocre student this weekend. Three-day weekends will do that. I've been entirely unmotivated. So I have a bunch of homework to do still and I need to get on it, but people have been going in and out of my room so I thought I'd post this real quick.
I went to the Scholarship Dinner tonight. Apparently I'm a Marketta Whitlow Buckler scholar, whatever that means. I'm appreciative though and while my donors weren't there I figured I'd better go. And the food was good. But it did cause me to miss the beginning of the amazing concert that trumps the entirety of the weekend.
So, first of all I recommend you check out this amazing musican's website. www.petarjankovic.net
Classical guitar is amazing. I'm really just going to sound like a dithering idiot on this post so I may as well shut up and do homework. But it was amazing. The recital hall was packed to standing room only as it should have been. This guy is internationally recognized and I hope we at least made his visit slightly worth his while. He was selling CDs after the concert, 2 for $20. I had to give in, but I didn't have the money on me. So I ran all the way across campus and back and managed to get the LAST PAIR of CDs. He autographed them too, which was cool. I wish I knew more about classical guitar I could have at least asked an intelligent question. As it was I just stood there in awe. Genuinely nice guy too it seemed like. That's rare in the music world.
So I'm putting up some classical guitar music, although it's not Petar Jankovic. Listen to the music samples on his website or something. Mmmmmm.
"There's just two ways to lose yourself in this life. And neither way is safe" ~The Economy of Mercy, Switchfoot
Something More (Augustine's Confession) ~ New Way to Be Human Augustine Just woke up with a broken heart All this time He's never been awake before
At thirty-one His whole world is a question mark All this time He's never been awake before
Watching dreams that he once had Feed the flame inside his head In a quiet desperation of the emptiness he says...
"There's got to be something more Than what I'm living for I'm crying out to You"
Augustine All his fears keep falling out All this time He's never been awake before
Finding now His old dreams aren't panning out All this time He's never been awake before
But he's mad to be alive And he's dying to be met In a quiet desperation of the emptiness he says...
"Hey, I give it all away Nothing I was holding back remains Hey, I give it all away Looking for the grace of God today"
"There's got to be something more Than what I'm living for I'm crying out to You"
The Losers ~ Learning to Breathe Only the losers win they've got nothing to prove They'll leave the world with nothing to lose You can laugh at the weirdos now Wait till wrongs are right They'll be the ones with nothing to hide
'Cause I've been thinking I've got a plan to lose it all I've got a contract pending on eternity If I haven't already given it away I've got a plan to lose it all
I've been the burnout kid I've been the idiot I'll turn the other cheek to be hit You can take what you want from me Empty me till I'm depleted I'll be around if I'm ever needed
I wrote this song for you To show how I'm selling out I'll take the benefit of the doubt
Life and Love and Why ~ Legend of Chin Life and love and why Child, adult, then die All of your hoping And all of your searching For what? Ask me for what am I living Or what gives me strength That I'm willing to die for
Take away from me This monstrosity 'Cause my futile thinking's Not gonna solve nothing tonight Ask me for what am I living Or what gives me strength That I'm willing to die for
Could it be this Could this be bliss Could it be all that I ever had missed Could it be true Can life be new And can I be used Can I be used
Give me a reason For life and for death A reason for drowning While I hold my breath Something to laugh at A reason to cry With everyone hopeless And hoping for something To hope for
Could it be true Can life be new Could it be all that I am Is in You Could it be this Could it be bliss Can it be You
Home ~ Legend of Chin It's a long way from Miami to LA It's a longer way from yesterday To where I am today
It's a long way from my thoughts To what I'll say It's a long, long way from paradise To where I am today
All that's in my head Is in Your hands
It's a long way from The moon up to the sun It's a longer road ahead of me The road that I've begun
Stop to think of all the Time I've lost Start to think of all the Bridges that I've burned That must be crossed
Take me over
I've been poison I've been rain I've been fooled again
I've seen ashes Shine like chrome Someday I'll see home
I can see the stars From way down here But I can't fall asleep Behind the wheel
It's a long way from the Shadows in my cave Up to Your reality to Watch the sunlight taking over Living is Simple ~Learning to Breathe Living is simple It's gravity Gravity isn't so hard Living is simple It's entropy Entropy, falling apart I'm falling apart again
Living is simple And breathing is easy It's easy to do Living is simple And losing is easy I'm losing my cool I'm losing my cool again
All will be made well Is this fiction? Hope has given himself to the worst Is this fiction or divine comedy? Where the last of the last finish first Living is simple
Living is dying Your mercy, Your mercy Is how I believe Living is dying I can't understand it I'm down on my knees Confessing my needs again
I've had my choices I've chosen today I've had my choices The choices remain On Fire ~ The Beautiful Letdown They tell you where you need to go They tell you when you need to leave. They tell you what you need to know They tell you who you need to be.
But everything inside you knows there's more than what you've heard There's so much more than empty conversations filled with empty words
And you're on fire when he's near you You're on fire when he speaks You're on fire burning at these mysteries
Give me one more time around Give me one more chance to see Give me everything you are Give me one more chance to be near you
When everything inside me Looks like everything I hate You are the hope I have for change You are the only chance I'll take
And I'm on fire when you're near me I'm on fire when you speak I'm on fire burning at these mysteries
I'm standing at the edge of everything I've ever been.
So my schedule has been really packed of late and it looks like there's no sign of any rest any time soon. I recently found out about a summer job here at college that would be a really good thing for future resumes but the application process is fairly rigorous and coming up fast. So I have that to worry about. Plus I've had tests and articles to write and compositions and always practicing and who knows what else.
We finally celebrated my brother's birthday this weekend and it was actually really fun. Kanns, his in-laws, came over along with him and Jenny and we were up pretty late just telling stories. I was afraid I would be left out (as is sometimes the case in family gatherings, my cousin says I'm my own generation) but all those years of sitting around listening to the art of adult conversation are finally paying off. This may explain why I connect with my professors more than I connect with many students... I never had a chance to be normal I guess.
In the meantime my parents also broke down and bought me a cell phone with very little pressure on my part. It could have something to do with when I worried them sick a couple of Fridays ago because I was detained looking for my brother's birthday present. :-) So I am adjusting to having the annoying little thing on my person almost always. I'm just waiting for it to go off on class. I'm new to this and doing it against my will!
Even though this weekend is a three-day weekend things look like they will be busy as ever. My Sunday is absolutely packed with an SMTA music recital I have to attend at 4:00, a "scholarship dinner" at 5:30, and a classical guitar concert at 7:30. Plus I'm going to have to throw together my first Reporting for Mass Media in that time. I'm about to head off to the music building for a long uninterrupted spell of composing/practicing. I HATE composing dang it. I'm too much of a perfectionist to get anywhere with it at my current level of education. And I just genuinely don't enjoy doing it. Improvising is fun and spontaneous. Composing is drawn-out and painful. But I have to do it for class so too bad.
My ever-emotional relationship with music has been rather a rollercoaster of late, but what else is new? I wonder just how much I gripe about music on this blog... Ah well, it's therapeutic. Firstly, piano lessons with my two little students have been going very well. Grace is learning more in a lesson than I used to in weeks and Grant is finally starting to make some of those difficult connections required when you first start to read music. It's the dad that's the problem. I've never met the man and apparently he's never taken piano lessons but I always get to hear his opinion on my teaching. Lately he's been wanting Grant to work on scales. Grant's still learning how to read music! But I suppose it won't hurt anything so I found some 5-finger ones and we'll see if that ameliorates my critic.
I've really been stepping up on practicing. 2 hours a day is my goal, one for jazz and one for classical and one day off for a sabbath. But it takes discipline I don't have. I've been making a lot of progress on jazz though, or I thought I had. After an excellent first lesson I completely foundered during the second. Hm. What surprises me is how well my classical studies have been going. I've finally figured out that I HAVE been learning something important from Bev, and that is to play emotionally on command. I think this is what she's been looking for from the start and now I can begin to do it. I'm learning to overcome my nervousness and anxieties and just play the music. It's very satisfying.
Oh goodness what else... I guess nothing of terrible importance. I won't go into a long rant about cell phones because that would be even more pointless and boring than my rants about music. :-) Anyhow, this was a nice break from my busy day but I'd better get some dinner/lunch at Saga before my long, long, long night. In addition to these monster compositions I have reading for Reporting for Mass Media and it looks like a couple of interviews for my article I need to prepare for. Oh help.
A lot of people in my German class hate it, or don't understand it.
Liebeslied
Wo mag meine Heimat sein? Meine Heimat ist klein, Geht von Ort zu Ort, Nimmt mein Herz mit sich fort, Gibt mir Weh, gibt mir Ruh; Meine Heimat bist du.
Love Song Where might my home be? My home is small, Goes from place to place, Takes my heart along with it, Gives me pain, gives me peace; My home is you. ~Hermann Hesse
Wanderers Nachtlied Über allen Gipfeln Ist Ruh, In allen Wipfeln Spürest du kaum einen Hauch; Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde. Warte nur, balde Ruhest du auch.
(My rough translation) Wanderer's Night Song Over all the mountain peaks There is peace, In all the tree tops You feel Hardly a breath; The little birds in the forest are silent. Only wait, soon You will also rest. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Thank Gott, we Germans believe in sentiment, and keep ourselves young mit it." ~Professor Bhaer, Little Women
So Saga (or Sodexho) took over Stan's coffee shop on campus this year. It was sad. I mean, it's a nice place, but Saga is evil. At least Stan's still around as manager, but I liked it better when he was independent. The worst thing was they took away "Special Tea," one of the most amazing things I have ever tasted. I think it's cinnamon tea with honey and some kind of flavoring. It's amazing! But now we simply had to settle for Chai Lattes, which are good, but not special.
So the other day I was trying to think of something that would keep me awake and sooth my sore throat and decided that, while unhealthy, a Chai Latte was required. I ordered it and as I was walking out I saw *gasp!* a sign that said "Try Stan's Special Tea." IT'S BACK! The Chai Latte turned to ash in my mouth. I felt like a traitor and robbed of a special tea experience. I couldn't even finish the drink. It was tragic. Today I redeemed myself and bought a Special Tea.
It's been a busy week. Some Jenkins East girls had a Singles Awareness Day party on Valentine's Day over in Warren. That was really fun. I hadn't been around them in a while. I'm not really that bitter about Valentine's Day as I don't really care about being single. In fact, I think it would be kind of awkward it I had a boyfriend. I just don't know how to approach a relationship like that. I think Valentine's Day is kind of pointless anyways. Hallmark holiday. But oh well, it was an excuse to catch up with some old friends. They put henna on my arm and I tried to make it stay, so I didn't put on my sweatshirt when we walked across campus to Duvall. Well, it was snowing and it came off anyways and no wonder I was sick the day after. But it was fun nonetheless.
I was up really late last night. I got to the music building around 11:00, left at midnight and I still had some homework to finish. So I was really tired today and after German got out at 10:20 I slept until 12:30. It's been an odd day.
The ground is wet to the point of being marshland. I navigate my way around small lakes as I walk across the loop. It's just another late-night practice session at the music building (Alcatraz, the giant tetris block, the asylum for the mentally insane, whatever you want to call it). How can I express how much I hate these walks?
When it's foggy I don't mind so much. It's like London. When it's snowy out it's like Narnia. (Lampposts people). And in the spring and early fall it's warm enough to be enjoyable. But even with these things, there's something about forcing yourself out into the cruel world so you can struggle over a few measures of Bach or ii-V-I progressions. It's just not pleasant.
Some nights, as I said, it is fairly enjoyable. You get a little peace from dorm life and from the 2-students per square meter population ratio here. Some nights I can even make out a few stars. Those are the nights when I'm confident and at peace with the world and my professors and have no major homework pending. Then I can stroll through campus at my liesure, eagerly anticipating the joys of piano. On the way back I can play "dodge the sprinkler system," which seems to be the college's intensive secret-agent preparation course.
Then there are nights like tonight. Oh February you are the most dismal of months. What I wouldn't give for some clear blue sky and a little sun! It's all grey and soggy and dead. I don't always mind grey. I'll take soggy too. But the dead part. That I don't like. And like I said, there's something about feeling "done" with homework only to walk all the way across campus and sequester yourself in your cell, er, practice room. My professors can't say I'm not dedicated.
So last night I found myself literally addicted to music. I could not stop listening to it. I could NOT. I'd been responsible, done my homework, read the news, organized my stuff etc. I was enjoying the free time I have when I'm not taking lessons and browsing iTunes utilizing the gift card I had. I was up until 2:00am for no good reason. I kept thinking, I should go to bed...
Anyhow, I've decided to start doing some music posts so I can rant on music. Maybe I'll talk about my favorite composer or why I like a certain band or what I don't like. Doesn't matter. You will read it and be enlightened. :-) Actually, you'll probably read half of it and be bored. But I'll write it anyways, as I do this entire blog.
SO let this be the first of those posts. The following is a list of my iTunes purchases and why I purchased that particular song. Maybe a tidbit about the band or something. Let's beging.
1. Let's Fall in Love - Diana Krall This was a guilt purchase for me in two ways. My esteem of Diana Krall's music has gone down recently. I like the smooth feel of it, but her piano solos are lacking I think and her voice really isn't that great. And she doesn't even scat. So as a jazz student I really should be spending my money on better things. But this is a nice rendition of a nice song and I have another guilt reason. Diana Krall's music has been part of my library for years because I've ripped it from friends or something. So I felt I should pay for what I've been using.
2. Let's Face the Music and Dance - Diana Krall So, same reasons as above apply. I actually find the approach here kind of unique even if it is a little, I dunno, kitchy. This was always my favorite of Diana Krall's work, this and 'S Wonderful I guess.
3. Old Castle, By the River, In the Middle of a Forest - Hiromi This is actually a "jazz" tune believe it or not. It's probably the closest to New Age I'll ever let myself get without hating myself. Years and years back I heard and absolutely gorgeous and rather unjazzlike tune on Eastern's jazz station. I wanted a copy, but all I could remember was the word "castle" and that it was by some Japanese artist. I've been looking for it ever since. Thing is, I don't think this is it. What I remember of the tune is that it was soft and beautiful. This, by contrast, is an upbeat melody with driving rhythm. But I find it to be very cool. The improvisation may not be varied, but I like the feel. I've already listened to it 10 times. Hiromi it seems, is a young (26) up and coming jazz artist. Some don't like her style (the improvisation is the main complaint) but many are in awe of her technical brilliance. I sampled a few of her songs and this was the only one I really felt I wanted to purchase. Like I said, a little too New Age.
4. Dance Me to the End of Love - Madeleine Peyroux This singer has a really unique timbre to her voice. There's no way to mistake her with anyone else. Of all her songs I've heard this is my favorite. Generally with these songs I'm purchasing I really like one or two songs they've done, but the rest of their work doesn't strike me enough to buy a whole CD. It's not that I dislike the entire "Careless Love" CD. It's just not my style. I like rhythm and it's generally slow. This though has a great groove. I may put it on the blog in the near future. Or why not now? Notice the piano embellishments and that guitar strumming.
5. Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats This is the song I learned to swing dance to! With CYT of course. It has ever since had a special place in my heart. I would never buy a Stray Cats CD. This is absolutely the only song of theirs I've ever really liked. It's that laid-back groove and guitar strumming. I apparently have a soft spot for guitar strumming. Might have something to do with growing up with a dad, mom, and brother who played guitar.
6. Hollywood Nocturne - Brian Setzer Orchestra I wish I could put this one up for you to listen to but it's not on that blog music site... Brian Setzer Orchestra, like the Stray Cats, is kind of a swing/rock mix. This falls into a more jazzy category. Generally there's an emphasis on the electric guitar. It's hard to describe. You'd have to listen to it.
7. Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer Guilty pleasure alert! Every once in a while a pop song comes along that utilizes its simple chord changes so well I can't help but like it. This song's lyrics flow really well and it has that descending bassline that I just can't resist. I'm a sucker for descending basslines.
8. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo - Louis Armstrong If you haven't heard Satchmo sing this song, you're missing out on one of the most unique musical experiences I've ever had. This is from, I kid you not, "Disney Songs the Satchmo Way." *trails off into histerical laughter*
9. The Bare Necessities - Louis Armstrong Don't get me wrong, I love Louis Armstrong, but that last song is just too weird. Weird in an amazing-I-can't-believe-I'm-hearing-this way. Now THIS makes sense to me. It's really the most fun arangement of this I've heard. Why didn't he do an I Wanna Be Like You rendition I'll never know.
10. Bei Mir Bist du Schon - The Piccadilly Orchestra I've never heard of this group and it's not likely I'll search them out, but they do have the best modern version of this song on iTunes. First heard this tune at a college swing dance. I wish I had their version but I couldn't find it, this, along with the Benny Goodman version I bought, were the next best things.
11. Bei Mire Bist du Schone - Benny Goodman
12. Good Enough for Granddad - Squirrel Nut Zippers My brother introduced me to this group when I was in jr. high. They're like 20's tin pan alley gone wild. I love the name.
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