I just got back home from seeing West Side Story at The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood with my sister, mom, and some friends. This is one of the things I really miss about Los Angeles: the music, the shows, the culture. Of course, they have this stuff in Seattle, but I don't have reliable transportation to go up there often so I don't really enjoy these kinds of things while I'm at school. Actually, I haven't even hung out in Seattle all year. The only times I went there this past semester were for Bumbershoot [so I didn't walk around the city, just the festival grounds] and to drop off/pick up some friends from a concert. Anyway, back to the point of this post...
I always feel so inspired whenever I watch a musical production - I wish I had that talent. Not just the singing, but the dancing and the acting. Part of me wishes I could move the way all the dancers on stage do. Their movement is so beautiful and precise and it looks like they are having so much fun. And then there's the singing. I love it so much, you can't even imagine. I get goosebumps whenever I hear a completely amazing singer. Unfortunately, I wasn't blown away by the singers in this production. The leads [Maria and Tony] seemed to get lost in the music and their voices just weren't as strong as I had hoped and expected. West Side Story has such an amazing score and the original Broadway cast had such a great sound. I guess I'm just used to those recordings, so I compared tonight's performance to them.
Going back to The Pantages, however, reminded me of the last time I was there. It was my 17th birthday [has it really been 2 years?] and my sister, mom, and I went with our family friend, Andy, to see Wicked. My mom and sister had already seen it before, but I hadn't. I was pretty excited for it because I had heard everyone saying such great things about it. I remember being blown away by the performance that night. Everyone did such an incredible job and I fell in love with Wicked right away; it is definitely one of my favorite musicals now and I can't wait to see it again. That's what I love about going to these things: the feelings of being so fulfilled and inspired by what I had seen. It makes me so happy and amazed with how much talent everyone involved in the production has. Everything that goes into it, it takes so much time, energy, patience, talent, work. It's crazy and I think the people who do it are great and you can always tell that they love what they're doing.
I hope I can be as happy as they are, doing what I love, someday. I don't want to be a performer at all, but behind the scenes - I hope I enjoy it and am satisfied everyday by doing whatever it is that I may be doing. I think my first experience of putting together some sort of public event will be next semester [although the planning and preparations have already started and it's really only for the Puget Sound campus]. I'm the co-chair for RSA's biggest event of the year: Casino Night. Although I don't deal with a lot of the details, I'm trying to be involved with all the committees, if I can. I'm hoping to get some outside entertainment at Casino Night this year. Every year we have the same stuff: on-campus a cappella groups, the jazz band, etc. And, I mean, they're great, they really are. But I'd like to change it up a little bit this year. I have a friend who just finished recording a band's EP, Lamppost Revival. He and all the band members go to Western Washington University and he's been looking into book them in the Tacoma area, specifically something for Puget Sound. So, I told him about Casino Night and put him in contact with our Entertainment Committee Chair, David. I hope they actually get everything together for Lamppost to play, it would be really awesome to have some local, off-campus music at the event. Plus, it's cool to think that I helped to make that connection and get Lamppost booked for the event. And maybe it will help them get a good rep at Puget Sound so they can do other shows there, in the future. Or maybe I can develop a good connection with them and look to them if I ever want or need a band to play for any event that may come up.
Anyway, I've gone on a very interesting tangent and somehow ended up here. I'm tired, it's time for sleep. Goodnight everyone and, in case I don't write anything else for a while, Happy Holidays. Have a awesome start to the new year [can you believe it's going to be 2011??!] and be safe.
:]
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Finals Week
I'm sitting in Thompson with Shelby and Katie and we're all attempting to study for the coming week of finals. Shelby's studying Biology, Katie's studying Math, and I'm studying Music History. I'm writing out a list of terms for the class and hoping to get some other things done. However, I've been extremely distracted for the entire time that I've been here and actually have no motivation to even study very hard for this test. I think I've accepted the fact that I'm probably gonna get a B in this class and I'm okay with it. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe i should be completely motivated to kick ass on this final and maybe get an A. But, honestly, at this point, I just don't care that much. I have 2 more classes to take in order to finish this minor and I've already planned out when I can and will take them.
In my list of terms, the word Sprechstimme came up and I was reminded of this past summer in Ojai. A few of us interns went to Ventura for dinner and to make a copy of the score of George Benjamin's Into The Little Hill for Margaret to use; at least, I think this is the right time I'm thinking of. Nonetheless, there was a time when we were driving to Ventura and I remember Sprechstimme came up in the conversation. I had no idea what it was and Josh explained it to me be demonstrating. It's an interesting technique and now that I read the definition provided in my textbook, - "Speech-voice"; a vocal technique in which the singer declaims, rather than sings, a text at only approximate pitch levels - I think Josh's explanation was a much better one.
I don't really know why I'm writing about this. Maybe it's the feelings of nostalgia that were brought about by this random memory of Ojai. Sometimes I just wish I didn't have to go to school anymore and worry about studying for tests and finals or writing research papers or doing presentations or projects. I know what I want to do with my life. I know how to get there. I know where to apply for internships. I've already built a fairly strong network of people. All I want to do is have a couple more awesome internships and then dive right in. Why must I endure two and a half more years of taking classes that stress me out and in which I'm okay with just getting Bs? I hate this lack of motivation. I know that if I were to be working in the real world, doing what I want to do and what I love, I would not be this unmotivated. I would be so passionate about it and would put everything I have into it. I think that's how I was this past summer in Ojai. I did everything I could, helped out in any way needed and possible, and I didn't want it to end. That's how life should be and that's how I knew that I loved it so much.
I wish I felt the same way about all of my classes: passionate about them, putting strenuous amounts of effort into every assignment, studying hard, and excited for the next topic. Instead, I'm sitting in this building, completely distracted and doing everything but studying - hence, the composition of this post. Maybe I should try to study, again. I might move to Diversions soon, instead. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I like doing school work in there; I can actually concentrate. Everyone always says that they are so distracted whenever they try to study in Diversions, but it's kind of like my home base. I feel comfortable and can get work done there. Now, another attempt at studying. Good luck with finals, everyone! Hopefully you've been more productive than I have and will do well on them.
In my list of terms, the word Sprechstimme came up and I was reminded of this past summer in Ojai. A few of us interns went to Ventura for dinner and to make a copy of the score of George Benjamin's Into The Little Hill for Margaret to use; at least, I think this is the right time I'm thinking of. Nonetheless, there was a time when we were driving to Ventura and I remember Sprechstimme came up in the conversation. I had no idea what it was and Josh explained it to me be demonstrating. It's an interesting technique and now that I read the definition provided in my textbook, - "Speech-voice"; a vocal technique in which the singer declaims, rather than sings, a text at only approximate pitch levels - I think Josh's explanation was a much better one.
I don't really know why I'm writing about this. Maybe it's the feelings of nostalgia that were brought about by this random memory of Ojai. Sometimes I just wish I didn't have to go to school anymore and worry about studying for tests and finals or writing research papers or doing presentations or projects. I know what I want to do with my life. I know how to get there. I know where to apply for internships. I've already built a fairly strong network of people. All I want to do is have a couple more awesome internships and then dive right in. Why must I endure two and a half more years of taking classes that stress me out and in which I'm okay with just getting Bs? I hate this lack of motivation. I know that if I were to be working in the real world, doing what I want to do and what I love, I would not be this unmotivated. I would be so passionate about it and would put everything I have into it. I think that's how I was this past summer in Ojai. I did everything I could, helped out in any way needed and possible, and I didn't want it to end. That's how life should be and that's how I knew that I loved it so much.
I wish I felt the same way about all of my classes: passionate about them, putting strenuous amounts of effort into every assignment, studying hard, and excited for the next topic. Instead, I'm sitting in this building, completely distracted and doing everything but studying - hence, the composition of this post. Maybe I should try to study, again. I might move to Diversions soon, instead. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but I like doing school work in there; I can actually concentrate. Everyone always says that they are so distracted whenever they try to study in Diversions, but it's kind of like my home base. I feel comfortable and can get work done there. Now, another attempt at studying. Good luck with finals, everyone! Hopefully you've been more productive than I have and will do well on them.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Romanticism and Gypsies
I wrote the following as a concert review paper for my music history class. It's kind of long, and maybe not completely interesting, but I felt that it would be appropriate to post on here. Also [just a warning] I was really tired of this paper by the time I wrote the conclusion, so I didn't wrap it up all that well - sorry! Enjoy.
On November 13th, I was able to attend a performance by the Northwest Sinfonietta, conducted by Christophe Chagnard, at the Rialto Theater in downtown Tacoma. The program was a unique one, named “Gypsy Nights,” including pieces by Dvořák, Shostakovich, Mahler, and Chagnard. As I arrived at the theater, I was not sure what to expect – I had never been to the Rialto before and I had never heard these pieces in a live performance. I was also very intrigued and excited to here Chagnard’s Opre Roma! all the way through, for the first time. Once the performance began, I was able to get my first taste of the orchestral music scene in the Pacific Northwest.
The first piece interested me greatly, not because of the composition per se, but due to the way in which it was presented. The orchestra remained standing for its entirety: Slavonic Dance No. 8, Op. 46 by Dvořák. Not to discredit the composer at all, because it truly is an amazing piece in itself, but I really enjoyed this unique presentation. Antonín Dvořák was a Czech composer who lived from 1841 to 1904, starting his career in composition in the 1870s. By the 1880s he had attained international fame, demonstrated by the performance of his Slavonic Dances in cities all over the world from Berlin to London to New York. The Slavonic Dances consist of 16 pieces, which were originally written for piano four hands but were orchestrated at the request of his publisher soon after completion1. The way in which the Northwest Sinfonietta presented this piece caught one’s attention and was a good way to express the origin of the composition. It is based off of a dance and it only seems natural that one would want to be standing – or, more realistically, dancing – while listening to it. The piece is played with constant energy in forte with the only dynamic change to piano when a short flute solo emerges. However, the full orchestra soon ends this solo with a forte repetition of the main theme, therefore, concluding the piece. In my opinion, it was a strong way to begin the program and evoked feelings of lightheartedness and curiosity within the listener.
The second piece - Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35 – only added to the strength of the program. When Mark Salman first walked across the stage, he came across as an awkward and somewhat timid pianist. He adjusted and readjusted his seat several times, which only added to my initial thoughts of him. However, once he made the final seat adjustment and his fingers hit the keys, I was blown away by his performance. The speed, accuracy and skill with which Salman played were awesome. Shostakovich’s composition is definitely not an easy one, but Salman was able to make it seem so natural. Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer who lived from 1906 to 1975. Although he was not yet alive during the Romantic era of music, his compositions have been described as being written in the Romantic tradition2. This only seems fitting, as one can see the similarities in style that Shostakovich has with composers of that era. I think Shostakovich’s most evident characteristic of Romanticism, especially in this piano concerto, is the use of emotion. Salman definitely honed in on this throughout his performance. The accompanying orchestra was perfectly dramatic and subtle, when appropriate. The solo trumpet, performed by Judson Scott, was a powerful and energetic addition to the composition that complimented the orchestra and piano well as the only brass instrument. The first and fourth movements of the concerto are very energetic and lively paced (as hinted by their titles of Allegretto and Allegro con brio, respectively). They were performed with a strong forward motion that never ceased. Both of these movements were engaging and intriguing; they left me feeling happily satisfied with the piece. The second and third movements were noticeably different from and contrasted the first and fourth movements. Although they were of much slower tempos, the level of energy and enthusiasm in the performance of the middle movements was never lost or diminished. If anything, these movements proved to be even more emotional and expressive. The performance of the pianist, trumpeter and orchestra was filled with all dynamics of personal sentiment and energy in its entirety and I was moved by the composition; I didn’t want it to end.
When we returned to our seats from intermission, I was interested to hear how the Mahler piece would fit in with the rest of the program. They performed the fourth movement, Adagietto, from Symphony No. 5 which was chosen to commemorate the centennial of Mahler’s death. Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer who lived from 1860 to 1911. He was extremely popular during his lifetime and his pieces were performed all over the world, dozens of times3. Although his compositions were in the same general style as the previous pieces, I found that this choice did not flow very well with the rest of the program. The piece has strong emotions tied to it, of course, but it was not as energetic as the previous two. The kinds of emotions that I equate with this piece are those of longing, sadness, and melancholy, whereas the others were equated more with emotions of lightheartedness and joy. I think it was a very respectful and appropriate gesture to perform one of Mahler’s pieces in honor of his death. However, I think that a different choice may have fit in with the rest of the program more appropriately.
The final piece to be performed was one that I was looking forward to the most: Christophe Chagnard’s Opre Roma! After listening to short previews of the composition in class, I was extremely curious to hear the completed piece. Chagnard is a French conductor and composer who is currently working in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to conducting the Northwest Sinfonietta and the Puget Sound Orchestra, he is also a performing guitarist with the Northwest Sinfonietta Jazz Quartet. Opre Roma! was written in the style of Gypsy Jazz music with much influence from Django Reinhardt. Chagnard cleverly titled each movement with a specific purpose and meaning behind it. For example, the first movement, titled Gadjaz, is a combination of the words “Gadje” (meaning a non-Gypsy) and Jazz. The orchestration for Chagnard’s composition is a concerto consisting of three solo guitars playing with the full orchestra. The energy and vivacity that was present in the first half of the program was restored with this piece. Although the sound may have been a little unbalanced – the guitars were amplified much more than necessary – the performance was great. It was a fun experience to see Chagnard play two roles at once: that of a performing guitarist and the orchestra’s conductor. The piece went smoothly and ended the concert on a strong note that reenergized the audience for the night. I also appreciated Chagnard’s attempt to incorporate several different influential genres of music from around the world into an orchestral composition. It is a great indicator of the power that music holds to unify people from anywhere; music is something that can be understood by anyone from any culture.
Overall, I thought the concert was amazing. I am a huge fan of Romantic and contemporary music and I think that is one reason why I’d say Chagnard’s piece was my favorite. There may have been a few technical difficulties but, in my opinion, it is a great piece that deserves recognition. All of the musicians are extremely talented and dedicated and this was obvious in the level at which they performed each piece.
On November 13th, I was able to attend a performance by the Northwest Sinfonietta, conducted by Christophe Chagnard, at the Rialto Theater in downtown Tacoma. The program was a unique one, named “Gypsy Nights,” including pieces by Dvořák, Shostakovich, Mahler, and Chagnard. As I arrived at the theater, I was not sure what to expect – I had never been to the Rialto before and I had never heard these pieces in a live performance. I was also very intrigued and excited to here Chagnard’s Opre Roma! all the way through, for the first time. Once the performance began, I was able to get my first taste of the orchestral music scene in the Pacific Northwest.
The first piece interested me greatly, not because of the composition per se, but due to the way in which it was presented. The orchestra remained standing for its entirety: Slavonic Dance No. 8, Op. 46 by Dvořák. Not to discredit the composer at all, because it truly is an amazing piece in itself, but I really enjoyed this unique presentation. Antonín Dvořák was a Czech composer who lived from 1841 to 1904, starting his career in composition in the 1870s. By the 1880s he had attained international fame, demonstrated by the performance of his Slavonic Dances in cities all over the world from Berlin to London to New York. The Slavonic Dances consist of 16 pieces, which were originally written for piano four hands but were orchestrated at the request of his publisher soon after completion1. The way in which the Northwest Sinfonietta presented this piece caught one’s attention and was a good way to express the origin of the composition. It is based off of a dance and it only seems natural that one would want to be standing – or, more realistically, dancing – while listening to it. The piece is played with constant energy in forte with the only dynamic change to piano when a short flute solo emerges. However, the full orchestra soon ends this solo with a forte repetition of the main theme, therefore, concluding the piece. In my opinion, it was a strong way to begin the program and evoked feelings of lightheartedness and curiosity within the listener.
The second piece - Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35 – only added to the strength of the program. When Mark Salman first walked across the stage, he came across as an awkward and somewhat timid pianist. He adjusted and readjusted his seat several times, which only added to my initial thoughts of him. However, once he made the final seat adjustment and his fingers hit the keys, I was blown away by his performance. The speed, accuracy and skill with which Salman played were awesome. Shostakovich’s composition is definitely not an easy one, but Salman was able to make it seem so natural. Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer who lived from 1906 to 1975. Although he was not yet alive during the Romantic era of music, his compositions have been described as being written in the Romantic tradition2. This only seems fitting, as one can see the similarities in style that Shostakovich has with composers of that era. I think Shostakovich’s most evident characteristic of Romanticism, especially in this piano concerto, is the use of emotion. Salman definitely honed in on this throughout his performance. The accompanying orchestra was perfectly dramatic and subtle, when appropriate. The solo trumpet, performed by Judson Scott, was a powerful and energetic addition to the composition that complimented the orchestra and piano well as the only brass instrument. The first and fourth movements of the concerto are very energetic and lively paced (as hinted by their titles of Allegretto and Allegro con brio, respectively). They were performed with a strong forward motion that never ceased. Both of these movements were engaging and intriguing; they left me feeling happily satisfied with the piece. The second and third movements were noticeably different from and contrasted the first and fourth movements. Although they were of much slower tempos, the level of energy and enthusiasm in the performance of the middle movements was never lost or diminished. If anything, these movements proved to be even more emotional and expressive. The performance of the pianist, trumpeter and orchestra was filled with all dynamics of personal sentiment and energy in its entirety and I was moved by the composition; I didn’t want it to end.
When we returned to our seats from intermission, I was interested to hear how the Mahler piece would fit in with the rest of the program. They performed the fourth movement, Adagietto, from Symphony No. 5 which was chosen to commemorate the centennial of Mahler’s death. Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer who lived from 1860 to 1911. He was extremely popular during his lifetime and his pieces were performed all over the world, dozens of times3. Although his compositions were in the same general style as the previous pieces, I found that this choice did not flow very well with the rest of the program. The piece has strong emotions tied to it, of course, but it was not as energetic as the previous two. The kinds of emotions that I equate with this piece are those of longing, sadness, and melancholy, whereas the others were equated more with emotions of lightheartedness and joy. I think it was a very respectful and appropriate gesture to perform one of Mahler’s pieces in honor of his death. However, I think that a different choice may have fit in with the rest of the program more appropriately.
The final piece to be performed was one that I was looking forward to the most: Christophe Chagnard’s Opre Roma! After listening to short previews of the composition in class, I was extremely curious to hear the completed piece. Chagnard is a French conductor and composer who is currently working in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to conducting the Northwest Sinfonietta and the Puget Sound Orchestra, he is also a performing guitarist with the Northwest Sinfonietta Jazz Quartet. Opre Roma! was written in the style of Gypsy Jazz music with much influence from Django Reinhardt. Chagnard cleverly titled each movement with a specific purpose and meaning behind it. For example, the first movement, titled Gadjaz, is a combination of the words “Gadje” (meaning a non-Gypsy) and Jazz. The orchestration for Chagnard’s composition is a concerto consisting of three solo guitars playing with the full orchestra. The energy and vivacity that was present in the first half of the program was restored with this piece. Although the sound may have been a little unbalanced – the guitars were amplified much more than necessary – the performance was great. It was a fun experience to see Chagnard play two roles at once: that of a performing guitarist and the orchestra’s conductor. The piece went smoothly and ended the concert on a strong note that reenergized the audience for the night. I also appreciated Chagnard’s attempt to incorporate several different influential genres of music from around the world into an orchestral composition. It is a great indicator of the power that music holds to unify people from anywhere; music is something that can be understood by anyone from any culture.
Overall, I thought the concert was amazing. I am a huge fan of Romantic and contemporary music and I think that is one reason why I’d say Chagnard’s piece was my favorite. There may have been a few technical difficulties but, in my opinion, it is a great piece that deserves recognition. All of the musicians are extremely talented and dedicated and this was obvious in the level at which they performed each piece.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Voice Lessons
I just got back to my room from my voice lesson this week. They're 30 minutes long, every Monday at 4pm. The thing that is not so great about that is the fact that so many long weekends occur on Mondays, so I've already lost 2 voice lessons this semester [one from Labor Day weekend and one from Fall Break]. But, I guess it's just something I have to live with and work around. Also, it forces me to actually practice more throughout the weeks so I don't completely fall behind.
My voice teacher is Michael Delos. I googled him once and found out all of the great things that he has done. I think it's such a privilege to be part of a music program that has access to some amazing musicians from all over the world who are continually involved with the music industry through performing, composing, etc. Although I am no longer a music major, I still enjoy being a performer. It was my favorite part of the program: voice lessons and choir. I may complain about having to go to them sometimes, but singing literally makes me feel better. I'm always in a better mood once I finish a lesson or rehearsal and I just want to keep singing more and more. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about music that uplifts me and makes me forget about any worries or stress I may have.
This semester I have been noticing that I've been growing a lot, as a musician. My voice is developing so much, compared to last year, and I've become much more comfortable with just putting it all out there and not being afraid of singing the wrong note or having my voice crack. That, in return, has allowed me to support myself fully while singing, which causes a stronger sound to be created and avoids any mishaps. It's just one large never-ending cycle of affects; it's wonderful. Although I'll be done with completing the requirements for a music minor by the end of this school year, I want to continue with my voice lessons and I still want to be involved with choir. I just don't know if my schedule can handle it, and that would suck. We'll see how it goes, I still have time to figure it out. But, either way, I'm glad I've been able to stay involved with music throughout, at least, half of college.
I don't have much else to say. Just a random expression of my love for singing. Have a great week!
My voice teacher is Michael Delos. I googled him once and found out all of the great things that he has done. I think it's such a privilege to be part of a music program that has access to some amazing musicians from all over the world who are continually involved with the music industry through performing, composing, etc. Although I am no longer a music major, I still enjoy being a performer. It was my favorite part of the program: voice lessons and choir. I may complain about having to go to them sometimes, but singing literally makes me feel better. I'm always in a better mood once I finish a lesson or rehearsal and I just want to keep singing more and more. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about music that uplifts me and makes me forget about any worries or stress I may have.
This semester I have been noticing that I've been growing a lot, as a musician. My voice is developing so much, compared to last year, and I've become much more comfortable with just putting it all out there and not being afraid of singing the wrong note or having my voice crack. That, in return, has allowed me to support myself fully while singing, which causes a stronger sound to be created and avoids any mishaps. It's just one large never-ending cycle of affects; it's wonderful. Although I'll be done with completing the requirements for a music minor by the end of this school year, I want to continue with my voice lessons and I still want to be involved with choir. I just don't know if my schedule can handle it, and that would suck. We'll see how it goes, I still have time to figure it out. But, either way, I'm glad I've been able to stay involved with music throughout, at least, half of college.
I don't have much else to say. Just a random expression of my love for singing. Have a great week!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Purple
I know this is a music blog, but this topic is too important to go on unacknowledged.
Today is a special day. I’m wearing purple all over the place and so is everyone I know. This is in memory of all people in the LGBTQ community who have been victims of suicide due to bullying. What is happening is not okay and we need to raise awareness on this issue. No one should ever see suicide as the only solution. I’m not just talking about LGBTQ bullying, just in general. Everyone should know and realize that there is ALWAYS something else - a way to make things better. No matter how alone or depressed anyone may ever feel, there is always at least one person out there who cares dearly for you and would want to know that you’re going through a rough patch. Tell someone, talk to people, they’ll listen. Or if you don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone you know, talk to a counselor - that’s what they’re there for. I’m pretty sure every college campus has counseling services available for students FOR FREE. Puget Sound does, use it. There are so many options and steps that can be taken before anyone should ever think of hurting themselves.
Trust me, I know this. There was a time when I was feeling so completely low in every aspect of my life and I felt so alone and I hated it. Although I never got to the point of even considering suicide or hurting myself, it was a difficult time and everyday I have a lingering worry that something might set me off again and cause me to fall back into that horrible place. But one thing I learned from that is this: there are always people who are there to support you. All you need to do is take the courageous step to let them know you’re not okay and that you really need someone. Not only is it so nice to have someone to talk to about everything, but it makes you realize how much you really do have. Family and friends - they’re around to help.
If you’re a Puget Sound student, PLEASE go to the Suicide Prevention Presentation today. It’s only an hour or so out of your busy day and it will be a huge help for everyone to simply be informed of the details around suicide and signs to look out for. I know I’ve really been pushing this event and as the RSA Vice Chair I feel like this is one of the most important events we’ll be putting on all year. Sadly, I can’t even go to my own event [I have a previous academic commitment] and I’m upset about that. But I truly hope that everyone who has that open gap in their evenings goes to this. Maybe you can’t make the whole thing, that’s fine. Come late or leave early, just be a part of it. And go to the Candlelight Vigil afterward. I’ll be there. This event is to raise awareness and provide aid for people and it would be great to see such a large part of our campus come together for something that is so sensitive, emotional, and important. Candles are going to be provided, but if you have one, bring it just in case. We don’t know how many people will exactly be there, but I’m hoping for a large turnout.
Anyway, there’s my spiel. I hope it did something for you.
Oh, and look at the facebook event for more details right here
Today is a special day. I’m wearing purple all over the place and so is everyone I know. This is in memory of all people in the LGBTQ community who have been victims of suicide due to bullying. What is happening is not okay and we need to raise awareness on this issue. No one should ever see suicide as the only solution. I’m not just talking about LGBTQ bullying, just in general. Everyone should know and realize that there is ALWAYS something else - a way to make things better. No matter how alone or depressed anyone may ever feel, there is always at least one person out there who cares dearly for you and would want to know that you’re going through a rough patch. Tell someone, talk to people, they’ll listen. Or if you don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone you know, talk to a counselor - that’s what they’re there for. I’m pretty sure every college campus has counseling services available for students FOR FREE. Puget Sound does, use it. There are so many options and steps that can be taken before anyone should ever think of hurting themselves.
Trust me, I know this. There was a time when I was feeling so completely low in every aspect of my life and I felt so alone and I hated it. Although I never got to the point of even considering suicide or hurting myself, it was a difficult time and everyday I have a lingering worry that something might set me off again and cause me to fall back into that horrible place. But one thing I learned from that is this: there are always people who are there to support you. All you need to do is take the courageous step to let them know you’re not okay and that you really need someone. Not only is it so nice to have someone to talk to about everything, but it makes you realize how much you really do have. Family and friends - they’re around to help.
If you’re a Puget Sound student, PLEASE go to the Suicide Prevention Presentation today. It’s only an hour or so out of your busy day and it will be a huge help for everyone to simply be informed of the details around suicide and signs to look out for. I know I’ve really been pushing this event and as the RSA Vice Chair I feel like this is one of the most important events we’ll be putting on all year. Sadly, I can’t even go to my own event [I have a previous academic commitment] and I’m upset about that. But I truly hope that everyone who has that open gap in their evenings goes to this. Maybe you can’t make the whole thing, that’s fine. Come late or leave early, just be a part of it. And go to the Candlelight Vigil afterward. I’ll be there. This event is to raise awareness and provide aid for people and it would be great to see such a large part of our campus come together for something that is so sensitive, emotional, and important. Candles are going to be provided, but if you have one, bring it just in case. We don’t know how many people will exactly be there, but I’m hoping for a large turnout.
Anyway, there’s my spiel. I hope it did something for you.
Oh, and look at the facebook event for more details right here
Friday, October 8, 2010
NetworkingNetworkingNetworkingNetworking
It's key for pretty much every profession. It might be a harsh reality to live with, but it's true. It's not always about talent/brains/intelligence/skill, you need to know the right people, too. I'm not saying that all those great qualities won't get you anywhere, because they definitely will. But you can't simply depend on your own personal achievements and abilities to get you that amazing job. You need to network, market yourself, market your abilities, use any and every connection you have ever made to your advantage. Also, on that note, never create negative feelings between yourself and someone who is involved in the professional business that you want to be involved with and in which you want to start your own career - that definitely will not be helpful and may actually be harmful for your future. Networking. It's something I started to do this past summer at my internship and is something I'm trying to continue to do.
Last night was ASK Night here at Puget Sound. I wasn't able to go because I had a mandatory dress rehearsal for Dorians. I was upset because ASK Night is when a bunch of alumni come to answer any questions that current students may have about a specific career. There are people who graduated with degrees in a wide array of majors and are currently working in very impressive fields. It's basically a great opportunity to create connections and, well, network. Students give out resumes, receive business cards, and create open lines of communication with these professionals. When I looked up the list of alumni who would be at ASK Night, I found one person who I really would have LOVED to have met. Her name is Gretchen DeGroot, she works for One Reel. I've been looking into One Reel since this past summer and am really hoping to apply for and get an internship with them this coming summer. One Reel is the organization that sets up the intern programs for music festivals in the Pacific Northwest such as Bumbershoot. I would LOVE to have an internship with Bumbershoot. It would be so incredible and I feel like I would gain so much amazing experience and so many great connections [networking, right?]. Especially since one of my dreams is to organize my own music festival someday, it would be such a great opportunity to get a solid idea of how things work. When I interned at the Ojai Music Festival this past summer, I got a small taste of the behind-the-scenes life of a music festival and it was awesome. But being a part of something that's so much bigger would provide me with even greater knowledge.
Anyway, so I was bummed that I couldn't go to ASK Night and I was in the Cellar with my friend, Taylor, getting pizza after rehearsal when Serni Solidarios came up to me and told me that he wants to introduce me to someone: Gretchen DeGroot. I was so happy to meet her and told her that I had seen her name on the list of people at ASK Night and really wanted to meet her - I also explained why I wasn't able to go. They both also explained to me that Gretchen had graduated with the Executive Director of the Ojai Music Festival: Jeff Haydon. Serni decided to take a picture of me and Gretchen to send to Jeff; I thought that was funny. All these crazy connections among people at Puget Sound just blow my mind. Gretchen gave me her card and I expressed my interest in interning with One Reel. I just sent her an email. I hope things work out well, I hope I get an amazing internship this summer, - I'm applying for 3 so far - I'm so excited for this summer and it's barely October. I just want to start applying for internships already and start my summer! Oh well, I'll have to get through my Sophomore year first and then finally start the fun stuff.
Whichever internship I end up getting will be amazing. I'm hoping to be able to return to Ojai this summer to do that internship again. I loved interning there so much this past summer and all the other interns were so great, it'd be nice to be able to hang out with them again. I'm also applying for a few NPR internships; I'm interested in getting involved in radio in the future so that would be a great experience. They have offices in Culver City, CA and in Washington D.C. I'm not sure if we can choose at which one we'd like to have an internship, but if I could I think I'd choose D.C. I mean, I like being home and I love my mom and sister, but I feel like I really need to push myself to learn to live on my own because, at this point, I don't know if I'll even be going back home after I graduate; I really don't think I will and I'm already planning on not going back for the majority of the next few summers. And I love the east coast, I think it's has so much character and is just thriving, so I'd love to be in that environment for a few months. In addition to those internships, like I said, I'll be applying for an internship with One Reel for Bumbershoot. Who knows where I'll end up? I'm just going to do what I need to do in order to be qualified for these internships and we'll see what happens.
To sum it all up, I'm just so excited for any options that may be available to me this summer. It's all about networking. Get out there and meet people who are involved in the field in which you are interested. Keep in touch with past connections made, stay friendly, and don't create animosity. That's my advice. Take it or leave it, after all I am just a 19-year old college student who is so unsure about so many things; I don't sound like a very reliable source of information or a wise adviser. This is just what I've gathered from my own experiences and by observing the experiences of others. Network. I really don't have anything else to say.
Last night was ASK Night here at Puget Sound. I wasn't able to go because I had a mandatory dress rehearsal for Dorians. I was upset because ASK Night is when a bunch of alumni come to answer any questions that current students may have about a specific career. There are people who graduated with degrees in a wide array of majors and are currently working in very impressive fields. It's basically a great opportunity to create connections and, well, network. Students give out resumes, receive business cards, and create open lines of communication with these professionals. When I looked up the list of alumni who would be at ASK Night, I found one person who I really would have LOVED to have met. Her name is Gretchen DeGroot, she works for One Reel. I've been looking into One Reel since this past summer and am really hoping to apply for and get an internship with them this coming summer. One Reel is the organization that sets up the intern programs for music festivals in the Pacific Northwest such as Bumbershoot. I would LOVE to have an internship with Bumbershoot. It would be so incredible and I feel like I would gain so much amazing experience and so many great connections [networking, right?]. Especially since one of my dreams is to organize my own music festival someday, it would be such a great opportunity to get a solid idea of how things work. When I interned at the Ojai Music Festival this past summer, I got a small taste of the behind-the-scenes life of a music festival and it was awesome. But being a part of something that's so much bigger would provide me with even greater knowledge.
Anyway, so I was bummed that I couldn't go to ASK Night and I was in the Cellar with my friend, Taylor, getting pizza after rehearsal when Serni Solidarios came up to me and told me that he wants to introduce me to someone: Gretchen DeGroot. I was so happy to meet her and told her that I had seen her name on the list of people at ASK Night and really wanted to meet her - I also explained why I wasn't able to go. They both also explained to me that Gretchen had graduated with the Executive Director of the Ojai Music Festival: Jeff Haydon. Serni decided to take a picture of me and Gretchen to send to Jeff; I thought that was funny. All these crazy connections among people at Puget Sound just blow my mind. Gretchen gave me her card and I expressed my interest in interning with One Reel. I just sent her an email. I hope things work out well, I hope I get an amazing internship this summer, - I'm applying for 3 so far - I'm so excited for this summer and it's barely October. I just want to start applying for internships already and start my summer! Oh well, I'll have to get through my Sophomore year first and then finally start the fun stuff.
Whichever internship I end up getting will be amazing. I'm hoping to be able to return to Ojai this summer to do that internship again. I loved interning there so much this past summer and all the other interns were so great, it'd be nice to be able to hang out with them again. I'm also applying for a few NPR internships; I'm interested in getting involved in radio in the future so that would be a great experience. They have offices in Culver City, CA and in Washington D.C. I'm not sure if we can choose at which one we'd like to have an internship, but if I could I think I'd choose D.C. I mean, I like being home and I love my mom and sister, but I feel like I really need to push myself to learn to live on my own because, at this point, I don't know if I'll even be going back home after I graduate; I really don't think I will and I'm already planning on not going back for the majority of the next few summers. And I love the east coast, I think it's has so much character and is just thriving, so I'd love to be in that environment for a few months. In addition to those internships, like I said, I'll be applying for an internship with One Reel for Bumbershoot. Who knows where I'll end up? I'm just going to do what I need to do in order to be qualified for these internships and we'll see what happens.
To sum it all up, I'm just so excited for any options that may be available to me this summer. It's all about networking. Get out there and meet people who are involved in the field in which you are interested. Keep in touch with past connections made, stay friendly, and don't create animosity. That's my advice. Take it or leave it, after all I am just a 19-year old college student who is so unsure about so many things; I don't sound like a very reliable source of information or a wise adviser. This is just what I've gathered from my own experiences and by observing the experiences of others. Network. I really don't have anything else to say.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Summer Has Ended, the Textbooks Have Opened
Summer actually ended a few weeks ago for me when school started on August 30th, but this post is coming later than I originally expected. Anyway, to the point of it...
This past summer was probably one of the most musical one's I've had in a long time. I, myself, didn't actively take part in many musical performances. BUT, I did attend quite a few. As you know, I was able to intern at the Ojai Music Festival for a few weeks this summer. There, I met some amazing people and was able to listen to awesome performances of contemporary pieces. My summer musical experiences did not end there, however. When I went back home for the rest of summer, I was reminded that my mom had purchased a series of tickets for concerts at the Hollywood Bowl for the summer. I've already written about one [or two?] of those concerts, but I decided to stop because I felt like they were going to start to become fairly repetitive and uninteresting. Let me just say one thing: I LOVE the Hollywood Bowl. I was able to see so many amazing concerts there this summer with some of the best musicians from around the world:
Baaba Maal
Yeasayer
Tinariwen
Fool's Gold
Goldfrapp
The Swell Season
She & Him
The Bird and The Bee
Sergio Mendes
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, playing:
Bizet's Carmen
Gershwin and Bernstein
Every single one of these performances was worthy of a standing ovation - most of them had the audience up, out of their seats and dancing throughout the bowl. I love the formal-casualness of the Hollywood Bowl. It's a place where it's acceptable to dress up and dress down, whichever you decide to do; it doesn't really matter as long as you have fun and appreciate the music. One of the best things about this venue is the fact that it's outdoors. Not many cities are able to safely and confidently pull off an outdoor venue with scheduled events throughout the entire year. But, due to the lack of rainstorms and abundance of heat in Los Angeles, it's an easily accomplished task for the Hollywood Bowl. I think it has so much character. If you think about it, the most famous musicians of the century have performed right there on the same stage. I don't think I've ever appreciated it so much before; I didn't realize it's importance. But now I think about the hundreds and hundreds of talented persons who have stood on that stage and received such applauding acceptance from the audience and it amazes me. Everyone who's anyone in the music business has been booked at the Hollywood Bowl at some time or another.
I think another reason why I'm so amazed by the Hollywood Bowl is because I have had the amazing opportunity to perform there. Granted, I wasn't some soloist or anything, but I was on that stage! It was when I was probably in the 6th or 7th grade, I was with the Los Angeles Children's Choir and we were a small part in a large orchestral and choral arrangement of the music from the Lord of the Rings [yes, I did have to sing in elvish]. I don't think I understood how lucky I was, at the time, to be able to say that I've performed at the Hollywood Bowl. But I did, even though it's all just a faded memory to me now.
This summer I realized that by moving away for college, I have come to appreciate the little things about Los Angeles so much more. For example, the Hollywood Bowl and being able to go there whenever I want to see an astounding line-up of musicians. Los Angeles is such a musically-thriving city and I love it. This year I have made a promise to myself. A promise that I will try to go to as many music events in and around Tacoma/Seattle as I can. Last year I spent too much time doing things that didn't mean as much to me. So this year I need to make up for that and make sure that I go see a musician I've been wanting to see forever, no matter what. I want to find a way to do it. Going to concerts used to be such a large part of my life and I don't know why I stopped going to them within the past 2 years or so. But the prominence of attending concerts this summer has reminded me of the great feelings I get when I watch and listen to a live performance of any genre. I think it's one of the most rewarding feelings ever.
Now, going off of that, over Labor Day weekend I was able to attend one of the biggest music festivals in the Pacific Northwest: Bumbershoot. For those of you who don't know, Bumbershoot is a 3-day festival in Seattle, WA filled with line-ups of bands from all over the United States [and even the world], comedians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Tickets are offered for an extremely reasonable price of $40 for a single day, with main stage access [$22 without main stage]. At this price, I was able to see some great shows and listen to some awesome music, all while hanging out with one of my best friends, Lindsay. Here's a list of the music I saw [and some art and a comedy show]:
The Submarines - LA natives!! They were so good and were perfect introduction for the rest of the day
The Bumbershoot Piece - an eccentric structure made completely of wooden coffee stirrers and held together by nothing more than the pressure of how they are interwoven
Hey Marseilles - Pacific Northwesters! The violinist actually took violin lessons at Puget Sound and has performed in Schneebeck Hall! I feel so connected to him haha...
Ubiquitous They - a sketch comedy show that actually started at Puget Sound, these are the original members of the club who decided to continue after graduating from college!
The Decemberists - need I say more?
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - one of the most amazing and craziest performances I have been to in a really long time. It was so invigorating.
Bob Dylan - okay, so I don't really listen to him but I mean, it's freaking Bob Dylan and if you are given the opportunity to see Bob Dylan, you're gonna see Bob Dylan.
Ozomatli!!!! - I was really excited for them. This was the fourth time I've seen them and the first time I've ever paid to see them. They're also LA natives, but I actually think a few of them are from Mexico...? I'm not sure, I should look into it though. but, as always, they put on a great show and were the best way to end my night. The bassist, Will Dog, actually lives down the street from one of my friend's in Silverlake, it's crazy.
Bumbershoot. It was so good to me. I can't wait for the next concert I go to. I'm glad I started this year off with a bang that I won't forget and I hope to keep my promise to myself. Sorry this post is so ridiculously long, hopefully it has kept you at least somewhat entertained. There was just so much to fit into one post! I'll try to do more frequent posts from now on so that they don't seem to go on forever like this one has. It's getting pretty late now and I have class in the morning, so I should go. I hope you had an amazing summer and are looking forward to Fall! I know I am. Goodnight!
:]
This past summer was probably one of the most musical one's I've had in a long time. I, myself, didn't actively take part in many musical performances. BUT, I did attend quite a few. As you know, I was able to intern at the Ojai Music Festival for a few weeks this summer. There, I met some amazing people and was able to listen to awesome performances of contemporary pieces. My summer musical experiences did not end there, however. When I went back home for the rest of summer, I was reminded that my mom had purchased a series of tickets for concerts at the Hollywood Bowl for the summer. I've already written about one [or two?] of those concerts, but I decided to stop because I felt like they were going to start to become fairly repetitive and uninteresting. Let me just say one thing: I LOVE the Hollywood Bowl. I was able to see so many amazing concerts there this summer with some of the best musicians from around the world:
Baaba Maal
Yeasayer
Tinariwen
Fool's Gold
Goldfrapp
The Swell Season
She & Him
The Bird and The Bee
Sergio Mendes
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, playing:
Bizet's Carmen
Gershwin and Bernstein
Every single one of these performances was worthy of a standing ovation - most of them had the audience up, out of their seats and dancing throughout the bowl. I love the formal-casualness of the Hollywood Bowl. It's a place where it's acceptable to dress up and dress down, whichever you decide to do; it doesn't really matter as long as you have fun and appreciate the music. One of the best things about this venue is the fact that it's outdoors. Not many cities are able to safely and confidently pull off an outdoor venue with scheduled events throughout the entire year. But, due to the lack of rainstorms and abundance of heat in Los Angeles, it's an easily accomplished task for the Hollywood Bowl. I think it has so much character. If you think about it, the most famous musicians of the century have performed right there on the same stage. I don't think I've ever appreciated it so much before; I didn't realize it's importance. But now I think about the hundreds and hundreds of talented persons who have stood on that stage and received such applauding acceptance from the audience and it amazes me. Everyone who's anyone in the music business has been booked at the Hollywood Bowl at some time or another.
I think another reason why I'm so amazed by the Hollywood Bowl is because I have had the amazing opportunity to perform there. Granted, I wasn't some soloist or anything, but I was on that stage! It was when I was probably in the 6th or 7th grade, I was with the Los Angeles Children's Choir and we were a small part in a large orchestral and choral arrangement of the music from the Lord of the Rings [yes, I did have to sing in elvish]. I don't think I understood how lucky I was, at the time, to be able to say that I've performed at the Hollywood Bowl. But I did, even though it's all just a faded memory to me now.
This summer I realized that by moving away for college, I have come to appreciate the little things about Los Angeles so much more. For example, the Hollywood Bowl and being able to go there whenever I want to see an astounding line-up of musicians. Los Angeles is such a musically-thriving city and I love it. This year I have made a promise to myself. A promise that I will try to go to as many music events in and around Tacoma/Seattle as I can. Last year I spent too much time doing things that didn't mean as much to me. So this year I need to make up for that and make sure that I go see a musician I've been wanting to see forever, no matter what. I want to find a way to do it. Going to concerts used to be such a large part of my life and I don't know why I stopped going to them within the past 2 years or so. But the prominence of attending concerts this summer has reminded me of the great feelings I get when I watch and listen to a live performance of any genre. I think it's one of the most rewarding feelings ever.
Now, going off of that, over Labor Day weekend I was able to attend one of the biggest music festivals in the Pacific Northwest: Bumbershoot. For those of you who don't know, Bumbershoot is a 3-day festival in Seattle, WA filled with line-ups of bands from all over the United States [and even the world], comedians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Tickets are offered for an extremely reasonable price of $40 for a single day, with main stage access [$22 without main stage]. At this price, I was able to see some great shows and listen to some awesome music, all while hanging out with one of my best friends, Lindsay. Here's a list of the music I saw [and some art and a comedy show]:
The Submarines - LA natives!! They were so good and were perfect introduction for the rest of the day
The Bumbershoot Piece - an eccentric structure made completely of wooden coffee stirrers and held together by nothing more than the pressure of how they are interwoven
Hey Marseilles - Pacific Northwesters! The violinist actually took violin lessons at Puget Sound and has performed in Schneebeck Hall! I feel so connected to him haha...
Ubiquitous They - a sketch comedy show that actually started at Puget Sound, these are the original members of the club who decided to continue after graduating from college!
The Decemberists - need I say more?
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - one of the most amazing and craziest performances I have been to in a really long time. It was so invigorating.
Bob Dylan - okay, so I don't really listen to him but I mean, it's freaking Bob Dylan and if you are given the opportunity to see Bob Dylan, you're gonna see Bob Dylan.
Ozomatli!!!! - I was really excited for them. This was the fourth time I've seen them and the first time I've ever paid to see them. They're also LA natives, but I actually think a few of them are from Mexico...? I'm not sure, I should look into it though. but, as always, they put on a great show and were the best way to end my night. The bassist, Will Dog, actually lives down the street from one of my friend's in Silverlake, it's crazy.
Bumbershoot. It was so good to me. I can't wait for the next concert I go to. I'm glad I started this year off with a bang that I won't forget and I hope to keep my promise to myself. Sorry this post is so ridiculously long, hopefully it has kept you at least somewhat entertained. There was just so much to fit into one post! I'll try to do more frequent posts from now on so that they don't seem to go on forever like this one has. It's getting pretty late now and I have class in the morning, so I should go. I hope you had an amazing summer and are looking forward to Fall! I know I am. Goodnight!
:]
Friday, June 25, 2010
New Music!
I'm not sure if any of you know this, but I am a HUGE fan of The Killers. Seriously. You have no idea. I've been a fan since like 8th grade, and they were the first real band I liked [after the whole boy band/teen pop stage...wow that seems like a really long time ago. Anyway]. So if you know anything about The Killers, you probably know that they went on 'hiatus' not too long ago. When I heard this, I was so sad. I've never even seen them live before! I was very disappointed...But I recently [I know I may be a little late on this] found out that Brandon Flowers is actually doing his own solo project. Brandon Flowers is the singer for The Killers and did a lot of the synthesizer for them, too. He made this announcement in April on The Killers' website. Obviously, right when I heard about it I searched for any kind of sample of the music. Only one song has been released so far - Crossfire. It's pretty good and I'm excited to hear the rest of the album. As expected, it sounds very much like The Killers. Of course it would, I mean Brandon Flowers was kind of the face of the band by being the lead singer and it's usually the singer's style that is shown the most in a band. Personally, I think Flowers is a very talented musician and I haven't ever been let down by a single Killers' album and I'm sure I'll love this one as much as I've loved those done by The Killers. 'Crossfire' is currently available on iTunes and the album is set to be released on September 14th. Keep an eye out for it! I will definitely be buying it once it's released. You can listen to the single here at Brandon Flowers' website.
Also, in other news...
One band you should keep an eye on: Red Robot. You probably won't find their music if you searched for it. But they are a band from my city of Los Angeles. They're actually friends of mine. [Yes, I am shamelessly promoting a friend's band on here.] But seriously, listen to their first single. They're working on their first real EP this summer and they've just released their single 'Stars Ignite' which you can download here. It's really good and everyone I know who has listened to it, loves it. Since there isn't really a way to hear their music anywhere, you should be a fan of them on facebook. They post videos and other random things about what they're doing, musically, on there. So check them out and enjoy! Goodnight :]
Also, in other news...
One band you should keep an eye on: Red Robot. You probably won't find their music if you searched for it. But they are a band from my city of Los Angeles. They're actually friends of mine. [Yes, I am shamelessly promoting a friend's band on here.] But seriously, listen to their first single. They're working on their first real EP this summer and they've just released their single 'Stars Ignite' which you can download here. It's really good and everyone I know who has listened to it, loves it. Since there isn't really a way to hear their music anywhere, you should be a fan of them on facebook. They post videos and other random things about what they're doing, musically, on there. So check them out and enjoy! Goodnight :]
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Hollywood Bowl
Last Sunday, June 20th, was not only Father's Day but also Yeasayer's concert at the Hollywood Bowl. They weren't the headlining band, but they were the reason I wanted to go. They played with Fool's Gold, Tinariwen, and Baaba Maal. First, Fool's Gold performed. Their music is so good and different, I love it.
Then came Tinariwen. Tinariwen is a band of Taureg musicians from the Sahara Desert in northern Mali and their story is amazing. The person who started the band, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, built his first guitar out of a tin can, a stick and a bicycle brake wire. To my understanding, he was an orphan and lived with other Taureg exiles. In 1979, the band was officially formed but not under an official name. People started calling them Kel Tinariwen which in the Tamashek language means 'The People of the Desert.' They became the voice of the Taureg rebel community. With some years spent in the military, they finally decided to devote all their time to music in 1991. Over the years, they gained more and more international recognition and have performed all over the world for the past 30 years. If you want more details about their story, look them up. It's inspiring.
So, back to The Hollywood Bowl...
After Tinariwen, was Yeasayer's set! They put on a pretty good set and played my two favorite songs :D. I really want to see them live again, when they're the headlining performer. Because I really think they would do some crazy things, visually, if they had a longer set and were the main band. But they did a really good job and it was really cool to be able to see them do everything they do live haha
Then came Baaba Maal. His music was really fun and had a lot of people up and dancing. It was a very diverse line up of musicians from all over the world and I really enjoyed it.
Here are a few pictures from the night. I recommend that you listen to some music by all of these musicians, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
I love the colors of the bowl.
Then came Tinariwen. Tinariwen is a band of Taureg musicians from the Sahara Desert in northern Mali and their story is amazing. The person who started the band, Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, built his first guitar out of a tin can, a stick and a bicycle brake wire. To my understanding, he was an orphan and lived with other Taureg exiles. In 1979, the band was officially formed but not under an official name. People started calling them Kel Tinariwen which in the Tamashek language means 'The People of the Desert.' They became the voice of the Taureg rebel community. With some years spent in the military, they finally decided to devote all their time to music in 1991. Over the years, they gained more and more international recognition and have performed all over the world for the past 30 years. If you want more details about their story, look them up. It's inspiring.
So, back to The Hollywood Bowl...
After Tinariwen, was Yeasayer's set! They put on a pretty good set and played my two favorite songs :D. I really want to see them live again, when they're the headlining performer. Because I really think they would do some crazy things, visually, if they had a longer set and were the main band. But they did a really good job and it was really cool to be able to see them do everything they do live haha
Then came Baaba Maal. His music was really fun and had a lot of people up and dancing. It was a very diverse line up of musicians from all over the world and I really enjoyed it.
Here are a few pictures from the night. I recommend that you listen to some music by all of these musicians, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
I love the colors of the bowl.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Post-Music Festival
I know it’s been several days since I’ve written anything here about the music festival, but it was a super busy weekend and I really didn’t have time to update this.
Everyday began at 9am and didn’t end until sometime around or after midnight – the earliest I went to sleep was last night around 1130. The festival was fun, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I got to watch a few of the performances, too. The entire program was really amazing. Some of my favorites included:
Indian Ragas with Aashish Khan and Javad Ali Butah; they were amazing in both of the performances I saw. I had never heard Indian Ragas before and I was just blown away by them.
Frank Zappa performed by Ensemble Modern, conducted by Brad Lubman; although I didn’t get to see much of the actual concert, I was able to see a lot of the rehearsals and it was all so cool to watch and listen to. I also took some videos of the rehearsals:
George Benjamin’s opera Into the Little Hill with Anu Komsi and Hilary Summers; it was [obviously] very contemporary and different from anything else I have ever heard and I know a few people weren’t huge fans of it, but I really did enjoy it. I think Hilary Summers has an amazing contralto voice and she did extremely well. And Anu Komsi, she hit that high D so easily and naturally each time. Also, it had a good message so who can’t appreciate that? Here’s some video from those rehearsals:
Needless to say, it was a busy and exhausting weekend. Sunday was probably when I was the most tired; I ended up taking a short nap in box office haha. But, I did enjoy it. Amongst all the chaos, running around, malfunctioning phones, and a sold out show, I got to listen to some great music, meet some amazing people and have fun every so often. Speaking of meeting people, this weekend I did get to meet Serni from Puget Sound and I believe he’s going to be doing a story about the Ojai Music Festival in Arches, a newspaper in Tacoma. He was taking pictures of different things and people at the festival. I also found out that he has read my blog – another unexpected reader haha. I am definitely planning on setting up a time to meet with him in August. Also, I met a woman who works at KUSC and we started talking about radio and the ups and downs and stresses that working at a station can bring about, but also how much fun and rewarding it is at the same time.
I experienced a lot this past weekend and I’m glad that I was able to be a part of this team to put on this festival. Working with Christiana, Katie, and Kayla was great; I think we all worked together really well. I hope I can come back next year to experience it all again! I only have a few more days left here in Ojai, and it’s weird. I can’t believe it’s over. Of course, we do have a few more things to wrap up and finish. But, for the most part, it’s done.
By the way, Jeff, I didn’t come up with some secret code or way of writing your name so that my blog wouldn’t pop up on your Google Alerts, I just haven’t been writing anything. I’m sure this did show up, though!
Anyway, I hope you’ve all enjoyed these posts about the festival at least a little bit. I don’t know when I’ll be writing on here again. Until then, bye and have a good rest of the summer!
Oh, p.s., I found out that I got into the Business Leadership Program at the puge! That was exciting and I’m looking forward to starting it all in the fall!! :]
Also, it is ridiculously hot in SoCal. I’m ready for some nice cool fall weather in Tacoma.
Everyday began at 9am and didn’t end until sometime around or after midnight – the earliest I went to sleep was last night around 1130. The festival was fun, I really enjoyed it and I’m glad that I got to watch a few of the performances, too. The entire program was really amazing. Some of my favorites included:
Indian Ragas with Aashish Khan and Javad Ali Butah; they were amazing in both of the performances I saw. I had never heard Indian Ragas before and I was just blown away by them.
Frank Zappa performed by Ensemble Modern, conducted by Brad Lubman; although I didn’t get to see much of the actual concert, I was able to see a lot of the rehearsals and it was all so cool to watch and listen to. I also took some videos of the rehearsals:
George Benjamin’s opera Into the Little Hill with Anu Komsi and Hilary Summers; it was [obviously] very contemporary and different from anything else I have ever heard and I know a few people weren’t huge fans of it, but I really did enjoy it. I think Hilary Summers has an amazing contralto voice and she did extremely well. And Anu Komsi, she hit that high D so easily and naturally each time. Also, it had a good message so who can’t appreciate that? Here’s some video from those rehearsals:
Needless to say, it was a busy and exhausting weekend. Sunday was probably when I was the most tired; I ended up taking a short nap in box office haha. But, I did enjoy it. Amongst all the chaos, running around, malfunctioning phones, and a sold out show, I got to listen to some great music, meet some amazing people and have fun every so often. Speaking of meeting people, this weekend I did get to meet Serni from Puget Sound and I believe he’s going to be doing a story about the Ojai Music Festival in Arches, a newspaper in Tacoma. He was taking pictures of different things and people at the festival. I also found out that he has read my blog – another unexpected reader haha. I am definitely planning on setting up a time to meet with him in August. Also, I met a woman who works at KUSC and we started talking about radio and the ups and downs and stresses that working at a station can bring about, but also how much fun and rewarding it is at the same time.
I experienced a lot this past weekend and I’m glad that I was able to be a part of this team to put on this festival. Working with Christiana, Katie, and Kayla was great; I think we all worked together really well. I hope I can come back next year to experience it all again! I only have a few more days left here in Ojai, and it’s weird. I can’t believe it’s over. Of course, we do have a few more things to wrap up and finish. But, for the most part, it’s done.
By the way, Jeff, I didn’t come up with some secret code or way of writing your name so that my blog wouldn’t pop up on your Google Alerts, I just haven’t been writing anything. I’m sure this did show up, though!
Anyway, I hope you’ve all enjoyed these posts about the festival at least a little bit. I don’t know when I’ll be writing on here again. Until then, bye and have a good rest of the summer!
Oh, p.s., I found out that I got into the Business Leadership Program at the puge! That was exciting and I’m looking forward to starting it all in the fall!! :]
Also, it is ridiculously hot in SoCal. I’m ready for some nice cool fall weather in Tacoma.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Rehearsal Video!
Here's the final product of the recordings I did of rehearsal a few days ago. I just finished and uploaded it to youtube today! The youtube account is OjaiFestivals, check out some of the other videos on there, they're pretty cool.
Enjoy :]
Enjoy :]
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Festival Week
[I wrote this last night but wasn't able to post it until today]
It's the week of the festival, the few days before it begins, the days in which everything needs to be finished. Yesterday, I got trained for the box office and we set up everything there. Today was my first full day in the box office. It wasn't crazy at all, it was the perfect time to learn everything there is to know in running box office. Of course, I probably haven't learned everything, but I've learned the basics, at least. Not much has been happening besides all the setting up and printing of tickets and organizing of things. But it's pretty cool to see the transformation of the park take place. All the tents were going up today, in the park, and lighting and sound was being figured out in the bowl. Rehearsals were also going on and it was nice to be able to listen to it all from box office. I actually got to sit in on some of the rehearsal today and filmed some of Ensemble Modern and George Benjamin for Christiana. I think she's going to be posting those videos on the festival's facebook page and/or the actual website. I also filmed some of the rehearsal on my own camera, I'll add the video at the end of this post for you to watch and listen to!
It's really cool being a part of the festival. I get access to basically everything. It's actually kind of weird because I can go back stage and to the dressing rooms and watch everything and it's not even a problem. I've never been involved in a music festival in this way, so it's definitely exciting and fun. I'm looking forward to the rest of this week and the weekend and hopefully being able to watch a few of the performances myself. Anyway, it's late and I'm tired so, goodnight!
Here's the video I took today from stage left. Enjoy!
It's the week of the festival, the few days before it begins, the days in which everything needs to be finished. Yesterday, I got trained for the box office and we set up everything there. Today was my first full day in the box office. It wasn't crazy at all, it was the perfect time to learn everything there is to know in running box office. Of course, I probably haven't learned everything, but I've learned the basics, at least. Not much has been happening besides all the setting up and printing of tickets and organizing of things. But it's pretty cool to see the transformation of the park take place. All the tents were going up today, in the park, and lighting and sound was being figured out in the bowl. Rehearsals were also going on and it was nice to be able to listen to it all from box office. I actually got to sit in on some of the rehearsal today and filmed some of Ensemble Modern and George Benjamin for Christiana. I think she's going to be posting those videos on the festival's facebook page and/or the actual website. I also filmed some of the rehearsal on my own camera, I'll add the video at the end of this post for you to watch and listen to!
It's really cool being a part of the festival. I get access to basically everything. It's actually kind of weird because I can go back stage and to the dressing rooms and watch everything and it's not even a problem. I've never been involved in a music festival in this way, so it's definitely exciting and fun. I'm looking forward to the rest of this week and the weekend and hopefully being able to watch a few of the performances myself. Anyway, it's late and I'm tired so, goodnight!
Here's the video I took today from stage left. Enjoy!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Weekend
I've definitely caught up on my sleep this weekend. It's been nice. Tomorrow will be the beginning of another week at the Ojai Music Festival! I spent some time at the office this weekend. Kinda just hung out, but I did get some things done. I did more picture stuff for the slideshow - there are so many to go through! But I didn't get to finish that because today the server was being super slow for some reason and wasn't loading the pictures. So I couldn't see any of them, therefore I couldn't choose good pictures. Lame. Tomorrow I'm gonna have to finish that. But I did add more to all the Artist Packages today. We have 50th anniversary books for the festival and I had to add those to all the bags, so I got that done today. Tomorrow morning, Margaret and I will finish them off with the final copies of the artist schedules.
Not much else happened this weekend. I went to the farmer's market today. Everything there looked sooo good, especially the fruit! The colors were so pretty. Oh, and I bought a pretty cool mug on Friday and I got a free cup of coffee to go with it :D I'll probably donate it to Diversions when I go back, so DON'T STEAL IT. I hate when people steal our mugs, and I would REALLY hate it if someone stole mine :[ I just want to contribute some cool mugs...
Anyway, what else...? I'm pretty sure the people across the street had a party last night hahaha it was a little loud and at one point someone kept yelling 'whooo' over and over again. It was entertaining.
Oh! Also, I have discovered that my blog has become a bit popular within the OMF office. It was posted on the festival's facebook fan page earlier today and I've noticed that several other people have been reading it. It's funny haha but it's cool. I'm glad someone's reading it! And hopefully it's somewhat entertaining. Here's another link to the OMF facebook page! Become a fan, like it, whatever it's called now, do it!
Have a good night! I'll talk to you tomorrow :]
Friday, June 4, 2010
Jour Quatre
Today marked the end of my first week as an intern at the Ojai Music Festival. Surprisingly, today was not as hectic as yesterday. There were still a few things to get done, but nothing too horribly time-consuming. I had to 'design' 200 signs for reserved seating and get those all ready. Today we completed Tom Morris' and George Benjamin's Artist Packages, yay!!! Those went out to them today, I do believe...All I know is that I didn't have to deal with them anymore. Oh, and today we also found a whole other box FULL of the green bags that we thought we had run out of and were scrimping for..wow. Oh well, I guess it's a good thing we now know that we have a TON extra. Other than those two packages though, the rest are still yet to be completed :[. I also started my next project today: to go through all the pictures from Ojai Music Festivals past and compile a file of hundreds of pictures to play as a slide show in the VIP Lounge - fancy! Not really haha, it's the same room all us interns are using during our internships. Let's see, what else did I do today? I ate Thai food and had Thai iced tea, yum! Hm, I guess not much else happened today.
Oh! But I did talk to Jeffrey a little bit today and he told me that Serni - someone from Puget Sound - is coming to the festival and he's going to introduce us! Apparently, Serni is a really big music business/industry guy at Puget Sound [which I had no idea] and Jeff had told me about him in the past when we were exchanging emails about this internship ordeal. So I'm looking forward to meeting him because hopefully he can hook me up with some cool projects at school! Exciting :D
Also, I found out that two people in the offices read my blog! Hahaha I guess since I posted a link to it on my facebook, Gina - the woman in charge of the festival's facebook fan page - saw it on the news feed and read it. And then Jeff has a Google updates thing [?] that notifies him whenever his name is used somewhere online and it popped up from my past post since I used his full name. So that was kind of funny when they both told me that they read my blog post, it was definitely unexpected haha. I wonder if either of you two are reading this post...??
Because of the lack of craziness in the office today, we got to leave a bit early today. However, since we're such dedicated interns, a few of us stuck around for about another hour [or maybe longer] and were just hanging out and talking and trying to figure out things to do because we all basically have the weekend off unless we have other little things to do. So five of us ended up going to Ventura! Margaret had to get a score by George Benjamin copied and bound so we went to a FedEx Business Center [NO MORE KINKOS! They're all called FedEx Centers now or something along those lines] in Ventura. Unfortunately, because of copyright stuff, they couldn't process the order right away. Maraget has to give them a signed letter of permission from George and then she'll be able to pick it up later. Apparently all us music kids forget about copyright; I don't know if that's a good thing...Anyway, so after that Margaret took us to a really cool record store called Salzer's Records. It reminded me of a mini Amoeba Music. So of course we were all super stoked to go to a record store [especially since there aren't any around anymore!] and I DID feed my music/CD-buying addiction by purchasing 4 CDs; I had about 6 at one point, but decided to try to control myself and cut a few out, I was upset though :/. It's an awesome record store and I'd really like to go back sometime because I barely explored it at all. The CDs I bought were:
Yeasayer: Odd Blood
Jaga Jazzist: One-Armed Bandit
Los Campesinos!: Hold On Now Youngster
The Little Ones: Morning Tide
The last two aren't the newest albums from the bands, but they're CDs I don't have and the music is good. So why not?
Then, we went to eat dinner at Rubio's. So classy, I know. Haha no, the food is actually pretty good. And of course, I'm the youngest one there and everyone buys a beer with their dinner except for me and my lowly water...I think we actually might go back to Ventura tomorrow, because Margaret definitely needs to go back for the FedEx thing and then Josh was talking about how he really wants to go to the beach and I wouldn't mind going back and I don't think Elizabeth or Phil would either. So hopefully we do, it would be nice!
Overall, today was a good day. I'm listening to some amazing tune-age right now from Yeasayer; it was definitely worth the 15 dollars, oh my god. So good. Listen to them!!! And check out their music videos! I've only seen a few clips of one of them but I was talking to Elizabeth about them and she was saying that all of their videos are insane. Have a good weekend everyone, don't go too crazy and rest up for a busy week! I know I'll be resting a lot, for sure. Next week is going to be ridiculously busy and crazy, I can feel it. Okay, another long day behind me. Goodnight!
Here's something to listen to and watch while getting ready for bed:
Oh! But I did talk to Jeffrey a little bit today and he told me that Serni - someone from Puget Sound - is coming to the festival and he's going to introduce us! Apparently, Serni is a really big music business/industry guy at Puget Sound [which I had no idea] and Jeff had told me about him in the past when we were exchanging emails about this internship ordeal. So I'm looking forward to meeting him because hopefully he can hook me up with some cool projects at school! Exciting :D
Also, I found out that two people in the offices read my blog! Hahaha I guess since I posted a link to it on my facebook, Gina - the woman in charge of the festival's facebook fan page - saw it on the news feed and read it. And then Jeff has a Google updates thing [?] that notifies him whenever his name is used somewhere online and it popped up from my past post since I used his full name. So that was kind of funny when they both told me that they read my blog post, it was definitely unexpected haha. I wonder if either of you two are reading this post...??
Because of the lack of craziness in the office today, we got to leave a bit early today. However, since we're such dedicated interns, a few of us stuck around for about another hour [or maybe longer] and were just hanging out and talking and trying to figure out things to do because we all basically have the weekend off unless we have other little things to do. So five of us ended up going to Ventura! Margaret had to get a score by George Benjamin copied and bound so we went to a FedEx Business Center [NO MORE KINKOS! They're all called FedEx Centers now or something along those lines] in Ventura. Unfortunately, because of copyright stuff, they couldn't process the order right away. Maraget has to give them a signed letter of permission from George and then she'll be able to pick it up later. Apparently all us music kids forget about copyright; I don't know if that's a good thing...Anyway, so after that Margaret took us to a really cool record store called Salzer's Records. It reminded me of a mini Amoeba Music. So of course we were all super stoked to go to a record store [especially since there aren't any around anymore!] and I DID feed my music/CD-buying addiction by purchasing 4 CDs; I had about 6 at one point, but decided to try to control myself and cut a few out, I was upset though :/. It's an awesome record store and I'd really like to go back sometime because I barely explored it at all. The CDs I bought were:
Yeasayer: Odd Blood
Jaga Jazzist: One-Armed Bandit
Los Campesinos!: Hold On Now Youngster
The Little Ones: Morning Tide
The last two aren't the newest albums from the bands, but they're CDs I don't have and the music is good. So why not?
Then, we went to eat dinner at Rubio's. So classy, I know. Haha no, the food is actually pretty good. And of course, I'm the youngest one there and everyone buys a beer with their dinner except for me and my lowly water...I think we actually might go back to Ventura tomorrow, because Margaret definitely needs to go back for the FedEx thing and then Josh was talking about how he really wants to go to the beach and I wouldn't mind going back and I don't think Elizabeth or Phil would either. So hopefully we do, it would be nice!
Overall, today was a good day. I'm listening to some amazing tune-age right now from Yeasayer; it was definitely worth the 15 dollars, oh my god. So good. Listen to them!!! And check out their music videos! I've only seen a few clips of one of them but I was talking to Elizabeth about them and she was saying that all of their videos are insane. Have a good weekend everyone, don't go too crazy and rest up for a busy week! I know I'll be resting a lot, for sure. Next week is going to be ridiculously busy and crazy, I can feel it. Okay, another long day behind me. Goodnight!
Here's something to listen to and watch while getting ready for bed:
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The life of an intern
I'm gonna do some updates on my internship at the Ojai Music Festival on here for the next couple of weeks, just fyi.
Today was ridiculous, not a bad ridiculous, but crazy. It wasn't that crazy of a morning, but it definitely picked up pretty quickly. Most of my projects today were fairly simple, but the big project [that I started on Tuesday, and still isn't done] was the source of my stress today: the Artist Packages. Oh.My.God. These things are taking forever to finally get together perfectly. Some are missing, some people don't have one, we ran out of bags, we're missing lanyard name tags, we need to make more, those are in the wrong pile. So many different issues. But, finally, they're almost done. The only thing that they all need now is the schedules, and to be delivered. Then, I will be done with them and be happy to give them out! I was so busy today, I forgot to eat lunch until 3.30-ish and even then, I didn't have much of a lunch break; I was just eating while I went through the bags and sorting them all out. This was also a long day: 9am to 5.30pm. Which I guess really isn't that long of a day, but considering the fact that the two days before today I had gotten out around 4.30, it seemed extra long with 2 cups of coffee instead of 1. Yes, my coffee addiction is continuing to be fed...and I LOVE it. I love coffee, don't hate don't judge.
Today my father also came by to say hi...random, but it was cool. It wasn't completely random though. He's going on an early-morning hike tomorrow with some friends in the Castaic Lake area, and Ojai isn't that far from there so he decided to come by here and then head over there for the night. Anyway, we went out to a nice dinner and he treated, yay! I'm so full right now.
So today was a long busy day, I'm exhausted and I have to get up early again to be ready for another full day tomorrow! Tomorrow George Benjamin and Tom Morris are coming to Ojai! I wonder if I'll meet them? That would be cool, but who knows. All I know is that their Artist Packages are FIRST on the list to complete tomorrow morning.
Okay, I'm gonna fall asleep soon. Goodnight! And I'll keep posting more things up here about the internship. Time to get some Bedhead :]
Today was ridiculous, not a bad ridiculous, but crazy. It wasn't that crazy of a morning, but it definitely picked up pretty quickly. Most of my projects today were fairly simple, but the big project [that I started on Tuesday, and still isn't done] was the source of my stress today: the Artist Packages. Oh.My.God. These things are taking forever to finally get together perfectly. Some are missing, some people don't have one, we ran out of bags, we're missing lanyard name tags, we need to make more, those are in the wrong pile. So many different issues. But, finally, they're almost done. The only thing that they all need now is the schedules, and to be delivered. Then, I will be done with them and be happy to give them out! I was so busy today, I forgot to eat lunch until 3.30-ish and even then, I didn't have much of a lunch break; I was just eating while I went through the bags and sorting them all out. This was also a long day: 9am to 5.30pm. Which I guess really isn't that long of a day, but considering the fact that the two days before today I had gotten out around 4.30, it seemed extra long with 2 cups of coffee instead of 1. Yes, my coffee addiction is continuing to be fed...and I LOVE it. I love coffee, don't hate don't judge.
Today my father also came by to say hi...random, but it was cool. It wasn't completely random though. He's going on an early-morning hike tomorrow with some friends in the Castaic Lake area, and Ojai isn't that far from there so he decided to come by here and then head over there for the night. Anyway, we went out to a nice dinner and he treated, yay! I'm so full right now.
So today was a long busy day, I'm exhausted and I have to get up early again to be ready for another full day tomorrow! Tomorrow George Benjamin and Tom Morris are coming to Ojai! I wonder if I'll meet them? That would be cool, but who knows. All I know is that their Artist Packages are FIRST on the list to complete tomorrow morning.
Okay, I'm gonna fall asleep soon. Goodnight! And I'll keep posting more things up here about the internship. Time to get some Bedhead :]
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Ojai Music Festival
Today is my second day of interning at the Ojai Music Festival. It's been pretty good so far, not too crazy or intense, but definitely busy. The days are 9 to 5, so it's kind of a long day but I enjoy it. The other interns are pretty cool, too. They're all ridiculously smart and knowledgeable in music and composition and everything else that has to do with music - I feel a little weird not knowing everything that they do. I'm also the youngest intern here. The next youngest is going to be a Junior in college, and the oldest just graduated from grad school. So I guess it's normal for me to not be as knowledgeable as they are, considering I haven't had as many years of studying music as everyone else. Oh well. Anyway, I'm pretty excited for next week. It's supposed to get pretty crazy and busy and all the artists are going to start coming in and arriving and having rehearsals and such; it'll be cool to see all that happen. Also, just a little random side note, Jeffrey Haydon, the executive director of the festival, is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound! He's basically the reason why I got this internship. A family friend met him at a function and told him about me and he gave all his information to her to pass along to me. So once she gave it all to me, I emailed him asking about any available internships or other positions that I could apply for and he pointed me in this direction and I applied and I'm pretty sure you can guess the rest of that story. He's super friendly and really cool, I'm looking forward to getting to know him a little better in the next couple of weeks. Also, you should become a fan of the Ojai Music Festival on facebook, right HERE :D
It's an amazing event every year and you should definitely look into it and maybe think of attending one or some of the performances next year!
Okay, gotta go do more intern duties. Bye!
P.s. I hope everyone's having a good summer :]
It's an amazing event every year and you should definitely look into it and maybe think of attending one or some of the performances next year!
Okay, gotta go do more intern duties. Bye!
P.s. I hope everyone's having a good summer :]
Thursday, May 13, 2010
On Hold
So I wasn't able to do my LAST SHOW of the semester last Wednesday [5 May] because I had bronchitis which sucked. I was really quite upset...anyway, I guess this might be the last post I have for a while. Thanks for listening this semester, I've had fun. I might post randoms this summer about music happenings, etc. that I attend. Until next semester, bye!
Friday, April 30, 2010
28 April 2010
- The Purple Bottle by Animal Collective
- Electrocution by Nada Surf
- Caroline, Yes by Kaiser Chiefs
- Centrifuge by Pomplamoose
- We Are The Sleepyheads by Belle & Sebastian
- Chaos by New Young Pony Club
- Underground by The Sounds
- Alphabetical by Phoenix
- Once Tasted Ever Wanted by Point Juncture, WA
- Lewis Takes Action by Owen Pallett
- Sad Sad Feet by Cate Le Bon
- Deep Blue Sea by Grizzly Bear
- Window Blues by Lykke Li
- Boy Boy by Lissy Trullie
- Stranger by Dr. Dog
- Taxi Cab by Vampire Weekend
- Yer Face by Dosh
- When It Started by The Strokes
- Communist Friends by Kaki King
- Lights On by Cassavettes
- Rio by Hey Marseilles
- Baby Doll by The Fratellis
- Morning Tide by The Little Ones
- I Am Not A Robot by Marina and The Diamonds
- In The Mausoleum by Beirut
- Cello Song by The Books (feat. Jose Gonzalez)
- The Candle Burned Out by Shout Out Louds
- I'm Finding It Harder To Be A Gentleman by the White Stripes
- Fooled Myself by Angus & Julia Stone
P.s. only 2 more shows left this semester, make sure you listen next Wednesday! and I can't believe this year is already almost over. wow.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
21 April 2010
- Four by Four by Shout Out Louds
- Love Like a Sunset, Pt. II by Phoenix
- Please Don't Tell Her by Jason Mraz
- Sorry Sorry by Rooney
- Alive by Goldfrapp
- Pam Berry by The Shins
- Rambling Man by Laura Marling
- Lights Out by Santogold
- Whisper by A Fine Frenzy
- Tikwid by Animal Collective
- Big Bounce by Nice Nice
- Young Adult Friction by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
- History Lessons by Dinosaur Feathers
- Vose and Sons by $2000 Puma
- Patricia's Moving Picture by The Go! Team
- When I'm Gone by Ani DiFranco
- Maps by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
- Congratulations by MGMT
- Eyes As Candles by Passion Pit
- I Could Say by Lily Allen
- Last Song by Clogs
- Blood Cops by Yukon Blonde
- Sub Symphonika by The Submarines
- Birthdays by Brothers Young
- Restless Heart by Desolation Wilderness
- Little Bit by Lykke Li
- Taking The Farm by War On Drugs
- Vampire by Pink Mountaintops
- Our Swords by Band of Horses
Here's this week's playlist, I know I still owe you last week's and I'll put that up as soon as I can - things are just getting pretty crazy right now. Enjoy!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
7 April 2010
- Caring is Creepy by The Shins
- Lullabye by Grizzly Bear
- ALive by Goldfrapp
- Drugs In My Body by Thieves Like Us
- Fruit by Rafter
- Outta Harms Way by King Khan and the Shrines
- Think I'm In Love by Beck
- The Birds Were Singing With All Their Might by Love Is ALl
- The Party Punch by Oh No! Oh My!
- Peppermint Blues by Let's Get Lost
- Like It or Not by Architecture in Helsinki
- Lupe Brown by The Fratellis
- The Ghost Inside by Broken Bells
- American Names by Sebastien Grainger
- You're A Target by No Age
- Lover by Devendra Banhart
- Dreamworld by Rilo Kiley
- In The Sun by She & Him
- That Kind Of Man by Josiah Wolf
- Fake ID by The Go! Team
- Sleepyhead by Passion Pit
- Service Bell by Grizzly Bear & Feist
- Make You Mine by The Drums
- Beat the Horse by Pomplamoose
- Caves, Hollow Trees And Other Dwellings by Post Harbor
- Pieces of What by MGMT
- GfC by Albert Hammond, Jr.
- Jackhammer (Slim Version) by The Spinto Band
- Comme des enfants by Coeur de Pirate
- Die Alone by Ingrid Michaelson
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
31 March 2010
1. Caring is Creepy by The Shins
2. Got Nuffin by Spoon
3. Title and Registration by Death Cab for Cutie
4. Lullabye by Grizzly Bear
5. Bhang Bhang, I’m Burnout by Dum Dum Girls
6. If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix
7. Drugs In My Body by Thieves Like Us
8. Hello Sunshine by Super Furry Animals
9. Prognissekongen by Jaga Jazzist
10. No Surprises by Radiohead
11. Keep Your Mind On It by Mike Preuss
12. Dominos by The Big Pink
13. Outta Harms Way by King Khan & The Shrines
14. ???????*
15. Think I’m In Love by Beck
16. Rhinestone Eyes by Gorillaz
17. American Names by Sebastien Grainger
18. Love Doesn’t Just Stop by Standard Fare
19. Saddest Summer by The Drums
20. How Hard I Try by Felili
21. Lover by Devendra Banhart
22. Has That Life Gone by The Marrying Type
23. Remember When (Side B) by The Black Keys
24. Transatlantique by Beirut
25. Seaweed Song by Passion Pit
26. Shadowplay by The Killers
27. Changin’ by The Moondoggies
28. The Angels Hung Around by Rilo Kiley
29. It Gets Your Body Movin’ by Suckers
* 14 is '???' because I accidentally put in the wrong CD [someone had put another CD in the Gorillaz CD case] and I don't know who the song was by or what CD it was because it was basically blank, besides some random design that meant nothing. Anyway, I got to fit in a lot of music into today's show. I hope you liked it and tune in next week! :]
2. Got Nuffin by Spoon
3. Title and Registration by Death Cab for Cutie
4. Lullabye by Grizzly Bear
5. Bhang Bhang, I’m Burnout by Dum Dum Girls
6. If I Ever Feel Better by Phoenix
7. Drugs In My Body by Thieves Like Us
8. Hello Sunshine by Super Furry Animals
9. Prognissekongen by Jaga Jazzist
10. No Surprises by Radiohead
11. Keep Your Mind On It by Mike Preuss
12. Dominos by The Big Pink
13. Outta Harms Way by King Khan & The Shrines
14. ???????*
15. Think I’m In Love by Beck
16. Rhinestone Eyes by Gorillaz
17. American Names by Sebastien Grainger
18. Love Doesn’t Just Stop by Standard Fare
19. Saddest Summer by The Drums
20. How Hard I Try by Felili
21. Lover by Devendra Banhart
22. Has That Life Gone by The Marrying Type
23. Remember When (Side B) by The Black Keys
24. Transatlantique by Beirut
25. Seaweed Song by Passion Pit
26. Shadowplay by The Killers
27. Changin’ by The Moondoggies
28. The Angels Hung Around by Rilo Kiley
29. It Gets Your Body Movin’ by Suckers
* 14 is '???' because I accidentally put in the wrong CD [someone had put another CD in the Gorillaz CD case] and I don't know who the song was by or what CD it was because it was basically blank, besides some random design that meant nothing. Anyway, I got to fit in a lot of music into today's show. I hope you liked it and tune in next week! :]
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
24 March 2010
- Caring is Creepy by The Shins
- Title and Registration by Death Cab For Cutie (the name of this song reminds me of Kanye West for some reason....maybe because of his Late Registration album? Wow, I can't believe myself right now. anyway, back to the playlist)
- Laura by Girls
- Jacqueline by Franz Ferdinand
- Rhinestone Eyes by Gorillaz
- A-Punk by Vampire Weekend
- Your English is Good by Tokyo Police Club
- Mingus and Pike by The Ruby Suns
- The Party Punch by Oh No! Oh My!
- Dark Shades by The Splinters
- Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
- Don't Stop The Music [Rihanna Cover] by Jamie Cullum (love love LOVE him. see the previous blog post for my complete adoration of him...)
- The Royal Court by World's Greatest Ghosts
- Like It or Not by Architecture Helsinki
- Lupe Brown by The Fratellis
- Ambling Alp by Yeasayer
- Love Like a Sunset Part I by Phoenix
- I Want to Stay (I Run Away) by Happy Birthday
- You're A Target by No Age
- After Hours by We Are Scientists
- Dreamworld by Rilo Kiley
- Funeral Song by Laura Gibson
- Wolf Like Me by TV On The Radio
- Starter by The Cardigans
- Anytime by My Morning Jacket
- Death to Los Campesinos! by Los Campesinos!
Thanks for listening, and don't forget to wake up with Bedhead next Wednesday!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Jamie Cullum
Spring Break came to a good end last night when my friend, Chelsea, and I went to a Jamie Cullum show [for FREE]! I won the tickets through KUPS on facebook - which is a really good reason to join the KUPS group on facebook, by the way. Anyway, Jamie Cullum performed at The Moore Theatre in Seattle [I love that city] and it was the most amazing show ever. I was blown away, and so was Chelsea. I hadn't known much of his music, and Chelsea actually didn't know any of it, but we both had an amazing time at the show. He is such a great performer and he's funny, too. He covered songs - or segments of songs - ranging in artists from The White Stripes to Justin Timberlake to Radiohead and Rihanna; all of which sounded amazing. His band is a group of some of the most talented musicians, each of them played at least two or three different instruments and Jamie is just ridiculously talented, I'm definitely jealous. I recommend listening to his music, it's really good. His style is very jazzy with a pop twist, it's some feel-good music. He gets the crowd really involved in his shows, too and the whole thing was a ton of fun I can't explain how nice it was to be there. I bought his CD and every song is perfection.
The only thing I regret about the show is the fact that I forgot my camera...horrible, I know. Anyway, the whole night was a success and the next time Jamie Cullum is in town I am buying tickets to his show.
The only thing I regret about the show is the fact that I forgot my camera...horrible, I know. Anyway, the whole night was a success and the next time Jamie Cullum is in town I am buying tickets to his show.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Spring Break
As you may have noticed, I wasn't on air today. It's Spring Break and I just couldn't wake up early enough to do my show this week. However, I have been thinking of going down to the station and just doing a random show for a while, because not many of the other DJs are here; I wonder if I can do that though...anyway, tune in next week!
and I hope everyone's having a good spring break :]
and I hope everyone's having a good spring break :]
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Pipettes
So I don't know how many of you listen to The Pipettes, but I discovered them a few years ago and immediately fell in love with their music. The Pipettes consisted [notice the past tense] of Gwenno, RiotBecki, and Rosay. They were an awesome trio with great, catchy songs from the UK. However, recently RiotBecki and Rosay have left The Pipettes to 'pursue other music careers,' leaving Gwenno by herself, great. Now, apparently they've found 2 new members, but when I watched the music video for their brand new release, there were only 2 people...? So I'm not sure if The Pipettes are now 2 or 3. Either way, their new song is definitely a very different sound and I'm not sure if I like it as much. They were so poppy and catchy and fun before, now their sound is...I don't know, I feel like it's trying too hard. There's a part of the song when they heavily you a synthesizer, and I find it to be more annoying than anything. And the song is a little weird for me, the title is: Our Love Was Saved by a Spaceman. interesting choice. Call me stubborn, but I definitely miss the old sound - although I know it won't be made again since the original members are no longer a part of The Pipettes.
Anyway, this whole Pipettes raid started because I heard one of their old songs today when I was working and I remembered how much I loved them! I think you should check out their old stuff - and their new stuff, too, maybe you'll enjoy it more than I do.
with Gwenno, RiotBecki, and Rosay:
Anyway, this whole Pipettes raid started because I heard one of their old songs today when I was working and I remembered how much I loved them! I think you should check out their old stuff - and their new stuff, too, maybe you'll enjoy it more than I do.
with Gwenno, RiotBecki, and Rosay:
Week 6 [March 10, 2010]
- 1940 by The Submarines
- Inside and Out by Feist
- Vivid Youth by The Pastels and Tenniscoats
- Me and Jane Doe by Charlotte Gainsburg
- The Blues are Still Blue by Bell & Sebastian
- Young Folks [Peter, Bjorn, and John cover] by The Kooks
- My Drive Thru by Santogold, Casablanca, and Pharrell
- We Come From the Bright Side by 60 Watt Kid
- Rich Girls by The Virgins
- Family Waves by Dinosaur Feathers
- Winter Wonder Land by Animal Collective
- Picky by The Graze
- There There by Radiohead
- Liar, Liar by A Fine Frenzy repeated single-word titles much?
- Yearnin' by the Black Keys
- Alley Cats by Hot Chip
- Hug Me by Meg & Dia
- Sun Hands by Local Natives
- Always Love by Nada Surf
- Tell Me What Will It Be? by Javelin
- You Make it Right by Red Robot
- Years Later... by The Color of East
- Chinese by Lily Allen
- Used To Be by Beach House
- Walking in Los Angeles by Kate Micucci
- Lasso by Phoenix
- A Dustland Fairytale by The Killers
- Always by Rilo Kiley
P.s. CDs are beginning to bother me...i need to figure out how to use serato instead, hmm.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Week 5 [March 3, 2010]
- My Lack of Skill by The Early November
- Brothers by Hot Chip
- White Sky by Vampire Weekend
- Keep the Dog Quiet by Final Fantasy
- Anchorage by Surfer Blood
- Peaches & Cream by Beck
- Bulletproof by Rilo Kiley
- Just For Now by Rilo Kiley
- All These Things That I've Done by The Killers
- Boardwalk Theme by Desolation Wilderness
- Kiss You Goodnight by Meg & Dia
- Single Fine & Safety Pins by Japanese Motors
- Sing by Four Tet
- I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab For Cutie
- Higher by The Cardigans
- Feel Better by Schooner
- Percussions Gun by White Rabbits
- Free Range Coffee by The Warner House Cat
- Eviction Party by Darlings
- Cranberry by The Ruby Suns
- Hey, Soul Sister by Train
- Too Late Too Slow by Shout Out Louds
- Live to Tell the Tale by Passion Pit
- Howling at Summer by You Me + Iowa
So today's show didn't go as smoothly as I had planned. A few of my songs decided to just not play, so that's the reason for the awkwardly long pauses between some songs. Sorry about that. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the show and listen next week!
:]
P.s. does anyone know where I can make color copies for [almost] free?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Girl Talk at The Puge
So tonight was Girl Talk's concert here at the University of Puget Sound. It was pretty legit, like a huge dance party - which was super fun. Taylor and I stuck together the whole time and we had tons of fun. It's weird that the concert ended so early though, I've never been to one that's been over by 10pm; I guess it's because it's on a Sunday night at a college.
Anyway, so my thoughts on Girl Talk: he has good mixes, but basically just plays his song mixes straight off of his laptop rather than mixing live, which is kind of disappointing. I've seen tons DJs perform live, and they always have their laptop and a digital turn table - probably something like Serato? - and you can tell that they're mixing their songs right then and there. But Girl Talk definitely was not doing that, he just had two laptops out and yea...that's kind of lame, but I guess it's not horrible. At least he puts on decent shows, but I was surprised that the lights weren't more elaborate.
Honestly, I'm hardcore jealous of all the people who were on the stage! A few of my friends were up there and I wanted to be up there so bad! It would've been amazing.
And to all the people who were f***ed up on alcohol and e: have fun waking up tomorrow morning and going to class!
Don't forget to listen to KUPS 90.1FM Tacoma The Sound Wednesday morning from 7 to 9am! [and every other moment of your life]
:]
Anyway, so my thoughts on Girl Talk: he has good mixes, but basically just plays his song mixes straight off of his laptop rather than mixing live, which is kind of disappointing. I've seen tons DJs perform live, and they always have their laptop and a digital turn table - probably something like Serato? - and you can tell that they're mixing their songs right then and there. But Girl Talk definitely was not doing that, he just had two laptops out and yea...that's kind of lame, but I guess it's not horrible. At least he puts on decent shows, but I was surprised that the lights weren't more elaborate.
Honestly, I'm hardcore jealous of all the people who were on the stage! A few of my friends were up there and I wanted to be up there so bad! It would've been amazing.
And to all the people who were f***ed up on alcohol and e: have fun waking up tomorrow morning and going to class!
Don't forget to listen to KUPS 90.1FM Tacoma The Sound Wednesday morning from 7 to 9am! [and every other moment of your life]
:]
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Week 4 [February 24, 2010]
- If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle & Sebastian
- 1999 by Shout Out Louds
- A Pirate' Anthem by Oh No! Oh My!
- Central and Remote by Grizzly Bear
- Day Five by Explosions In The Sky
- Swing by Ani DiFranco
- She Just Likes To Fight by Fourtet
- The Perfect Crime No. 2 by The Decemberists
- Tempo Bledsoe by Smile Smile
- Tree Hugger by Antsy Pants
- Dear Child (I've Been Dying To Reach You) by Anthony Green
- No Tomorrow by Desolation Wilderness
- The Boys of Summer by The Ataris
- Give Them A Token by Adam Green
- Darts of Pleasure by Franz Ferdinand
- Summertime by Sublime
- Lewis Takes Off His Shirt by Final Fantasy
- Heavy Metal by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- The Birds In Your Chest by Cars & Trains
- Glass by Ingrid Michaelson
- This River Is Wild by The Killers
- Bo Diddley by Angelo Spencer
- Lolita by Throw Me The Statue
- Cousins by Vampire Weekend
- Little Bombs by Dashboard Confessional
- Be Love, Be Wild by We All Have Hooks For Hands
- Thick Skin by Hannah Georgas
- Something Familiar by Field Music
- Phantastes by Worlds Greatest Ghosts
I noticed that this week's playlist includes a lot of instrumental songs, I didn't do that on purpose. But hey, they're good songs. Enjoy!
:]
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Week 3 [February 17, 2010]
- Breaking It Up by Lykke Li
- Missy by The Airborne Toxic Event
- Mis Pasos, Tus Huellas by Kinky
- Little Things by Pomplamoose
- Seduced and Abandoned by Magnetic Fields
- Suzie by Boy Kill Boy
- Chit Chat by Hannah Georgas
- Mix Tape by Brand New
- Dancing In The Snow by Ernest Gonzales
- Nude by Radiohead
- Dondante by My Morning Jacket
- Red Square We're There by You Yell, You Kick
- Expiration Date by Pomplamoose
- Hang Me Up To Dry by Cold War Kids
- Huddle Formation by The Go! Team
- California English by Vampire Weekend
- Who Let You Go? by The Killers
- 300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues by The White Stripes
- Tessellate by Tokyo Police Club
- Take It Easy by Surfer Blood
- Us by Figured Out
- He by Red Robot
- Lions by Pacific Theater
- Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective
- Not Fair by Lily Allen
- Phantastes by World's Greatest Ghosts
- Milk Man by Deerhoof
- Two Weeks by Grizzly Bear
a pretty awesome video:
KUPS playlist week 2
[February 10, 2010]
- I'm Good, I'm Gone by Lykke Li
- Scratched Out by The Matches
- All Over Town by The Kooks
- Here, Here and Here by Meg & Dia
- Portions For Foxes by Rilo Kiley
- 12:51 by The Strokes
- The Wake Up Song by The Submarines
- 15 Step by Radiohead
- Sixties Remake by Tokyo Police Club
- Campus by Vampire Weekend
- One Week of Danger by The Virgins
- Brainstorm by Arctic Monkeys
- I'm A Lady by Santogold
- Blue Light by Bloc Party
- Turn A Square by The Shins
- Hanging Around by The Cardigans
- Wolf Like Me by TV On The Radio
- It Beats For You by My Morning Jacket
- Lupe Brown by The Fratellis
- Keep Your Head by The Ting Tings
[This playlist is incomplete, it does not include the songs I played off of rotation - from the station's CD collection - because I didn't write the songs down]
My first KUPS playlist
[February 3, 2010]
- Springtime Out The Van Window by Anthony Green
- A Lack of Color by Death Cab For Cutie
- The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot by Brand New
- You're A Waste by Be Your Own Pet
- Is This Love? by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Intervention by Arcade Fire
- Nantes by Beirut
- War by The Cardigans
- Dusk and Summer by Dashboard Confessional
- The General by Dispatch
- Uh Oh by Honeypie
- Oh What A Day by Ingrid Michaelson
- Lucky by Jason Mraz feat. Colbie Caillat
- Headlock by Imogen Heap
- I Feel It All by Feist
- Ever So Sweet by The Early November
- We Intertwined by The Hush Sound
- Indie Rock 'n' Roll by The Killers
- LDN by Lily Allen
- Cha Cha Cha by The Little Ones
[This playlist is incomplete, it doesn't include the songs played from rotation - songs from the station's CD collection - because I didn't write them down]
Hello Blogging World
Hey there,
so this is my first blog post, EVER! The reason I started this blog is to post my playlists up here from my radio show Bedhead with Maddy [me] on KUPS 90.1FM Tacoma - the radio station at my school, University of Puget Sound. I just started DJ-ing this semester and have LOVED it so far. I've had many people asking me to send them copies of my playlists or just asking about songs and such, so I decided that this would be the best and easiest way to get this information out to the masses.
Feel free to make requests, or comments on the music. Let me know what you think, I am a huge fan of getting feedback. Enjoy the playlists, and thank you for listening to my show!
Bedhead with Maddy
Wednesdays from 7am - 9am
KUPS 90.1FM Tacoma
If you're not in the Tacoma area, you can stream it live online at kups.ups.edu
peace&love
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