"I Got a Song to Sing..."

Hello there, Blue Powerblogger here! And I'm wrapping up the music theme this week!

So to start of with, I love love love love love singing. Its something I am very passionate about. I have been singing since the second grade, and I have always considered it to be one of my talents. I sing in my church choir, worship band, and praise team. I take voice lessons. I sing at weddings. I sing for every holiday with my family. I sing in chemistry and engineering (much to June's and Daniel's dismay). I even sang for french dignitaries once.

But contrary to popular belief, I do not sing along with the radio or along with CD's. When I am in the car, I pop in my favorite CD, plug in my headphones, and tell everyone else not to disturb me. Then I just listen to the music. I memorize every little key change, every guitar lick, the melodies, the harmonies, every detail. When I find a song that I absolutely love, I set my ipod to repeat and listen to it over and over. Thats just a weird habit of mine, and I don't sing along until I have a song completely memorized.

So up until eighth grade year, I had my heart set on being a singer. I started voice lessons in sixth grade and discovered my love for performing. I even recorded a song on a christmas CD, and was all set to make a demo to send to Nashville when I started having second thoughts. I once read that only 5 percent of musicians actually made a profit from performing. I didn't want to be a deadbeat singer living in my car and playing at little gigs in hole-in-the-wall type places. I didn't want to be away from my family and be always on the move. Plus, singing requires almost no education. I mean, all you have to do is know how to read, basically. So that meant that the ten years I spent making straight "A's" was in vain. Thats when I decided to become an architect instead. But, as June always says, I can be a "singing-architect". I will always sing, even when I'm a successful architect, even when I'm a mom, even when I have no teeth and am confined to a hospital bed.

Something thats also unique about me as a singer is the fact that I write my own songs. Here are some lines from a few:

"And then, you left, the day we departed/I thought I'd be dead, but I was left broken hearted/and we'll never be apart, and I know we'll make a new start/but it hurt me just to hear you say those words/ Goodbye"

"Seems like/you don't even know who I truly am/inside/ I feel invisible, please understand/realize/I was there for you standing by your side/ its time/ that you heard the truth/so open up your eyes/ oh, now, what is your excuse/for all the pain that I've been through/for you"

"Are you there God/ do you hear my prayer/ are you there God/ in my deep despair/ are you there God/ when this broken heart/ is just about to fall apart/ Hold me tight tell me its alright/ let me believe what I can't see and/ take my hand, help me stand/ when everything around me's falling..."

"You'll never know me/ you'll never know the things that I've gone through/ you never helped me/ when all I did was reach my hands out to you/ you only hurt me/ spreading lies you knew were never true/ you'll never know me/ so please/ quit acting like you do"

So with that being said, here's a list of my favorite songs
-Hallelujah-Paramore
-Fall For You-Secondhand Serenade
-We Shine-Fee
-From the Inside Out-Hillsong
-Matthias Replaces Judas-Showbread
-You're Ever So Inviting-Underoath
-Because of You-Kelly Clarkson
-Life is a Highway AND Me and My Gang-Rascall Flatts
-Wasted-Carrie Underwood
-Hold On-Jonas Brothers
-Hurt-Christina Aguilera
-Defying Gravity-Wicked
-I Got it Bad-Leann Rimes

Okay, so that wraps up music week! I hope you enjoyed the theme, and stay tuned tomorrow for our new theme!!!

-Caroline

More Than You'll Ever Know

I started writing this on Wednesday because I didn’t want to leave anything important out of this musical post.
If there is any music you really need from me, then contact me so I can email it to you.
Right now, I am listening to my Paramore songs, most notably “Misery Business,” “Crushcrushcrush,” and “Hallelujah.” Paramore came at time I needed something kind of more directed for girls, and more hardcore than Avril Lavigne, whose later songs I general like. In reference to Lacey’s post, after listening to “Misery Business” 157 times, I’m pretty sure it’s about the guy cheating, if cheating at all, on his ex-girlfriend. The main girl has “gotten” the guy after waiting for eight months. So, it is actually a pretty happy song, in a slightly harsh way. But, if my boyfriend were to cheat on me, then Paramore would be a very good choice.
I also agree with Brianna and Lacey that “You and Me” by Lifehouse is a nice song.
My first exposure to music was Sir Elton John. Living in England and owning a small, old TV, he was one of those people absolutely everyone seemed to have heard about. He played “Candle in the Wind” at Princess Diana’s funeral. It was a special version that he would only perform that one time.
Meanwhile, I had begun my piano studies. At the age of four and a half, I spent anywhere from two to three hours on the first floor, where the landowner had a shiny, black upright piano. I began with some Alfred books, and sped through them.
Soon, we had to move to Wisconsin. I got my own piano with which to eventually get intense. My favorite is probably Chopin’s “Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23,” and my favorite concerto is Rachmaninoff’s “Concerto No. 2,” but I also enjoy Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto No. 1.”
At some point in eighth grade, I would listen to classical music. Then, the laptop my father bought (that we still use) went on sale at Dell.com, so he received a coupon. He used this to buy an mp3 player. I remember one afternoon using our extremely old walkman to listen to the radio. I really liked “Pieces of Me” by Ashlee Simpson. Eventually, he stopped using the mp3 player, so I began to build my own music library. I took off some of the Elton John and Celine Dion songs.
Japanese music is so prominent in various Anime series. From the beginning, my favorite was “Fushigi Yuugi,” and a song I adored was “Perfect World” by Sakamoto Chika.
Without the common illegal downloading, my library was pretty small.
Right before I moved down here, I spent some of my time listening to Green Day. My favorite were “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” and “Holiday.”
One day in freshman year, Clara handed me a memory stick with over a hundred songs. This included Ben Folds, The Hush Sound, Straylight Run, Metric, OK Go, Shiny Toy Guns, Ozma, and I might be forgetting something important. I loved listening to The Hush Sound because the girl’s voice was so pretty, and the melodies were quite happy. Ben Folds was great, with his great piano skills. OK Go was cool, and seemed like something that most people might enjoy. Shiny Toy Guns was totally out there, and I remember hearing it being blasted in the middle of the night at Relay for Life, especially “Le Disko.” I like some of the lyrics from “Wake Up,” by Ozma. Wake up and love me, baby.
I like The Academy Is…. I think their band name is cool, even though they would be The Academy if they didn’t have copyright infringement issues. I think “Everything We Had” is different from their other songs, since it’s not so much Alternative Rock as a sad song. I like it very much.
I listen to The Bravery’s “Believe” and “An Honest Mistake.”
“Welcome Home” by Coheed & Cambria is well-known for those of you who play Rock Band. At first, I heard it somewhere on the internet when I was searching for new music. In fact, it took a few tries until I could place my liking on the song. “No World for Tomorrow” is slightly similar to the style of “Welcome Home.” “The Suffering” and “A Favor House Atlantic” are also good.
One of my most played songs is “Yellow,” by Coldplay. As soon as Brianna posted it on her blog, I downloaded it and listened to it on repeat. It’s so sweet and a little sappy, but I still haven’t gotten tired of it.
I don’t like Death Cab for Cutie. Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten into Alternative Rock so much that my mind doesn’t match up with it. I do have 12 songs by them, though.
Elton John, how could I forget? The piano from “Bennie and the Jets” is interesting. I also like “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” “Your Song,” and “Daniel” is alright, but a little gay. But hey, it’s Elton John, and I have respected him for about eleven years.
One day, Jerrod sent me “In Memoriam” by Everybody Else. You probably haven’t heard of this artist, or this song (unless you read my personal blog). It was a marvelous day. It’s about remembering all these days in the past, and how much fun they had, so I guess it’s a bit sad because everything was in the past, but it’s so innocent and a great “remember me” sort of song.
“Dani California” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers kind of fit when we were going to California for MAO Nats.
Relient K is likable.
I listened to “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles for a short period of time. Maybe I have heard enough it now.
“Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi seems encouraging to some extent- to really go out and life your life.
“Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer is so dreamy, though I suppose the guys don’t really enjoy it much.
Jack’s Mannequin is amazing, and possibly my second favorite. “Holiday,” “Mixed Tape,” “MFEO,” and “Miss Delaney” are some of the best from Everything in Transit. But with no doubt, “Dark Blue” truly stands out for me.
Before Andy McMahon began Jack’s Mannequin, he was in Something Corporate. The style isn’t exactly the same, and in my opinion not as likable as Jack’s Mannequin, but “Straw Dog” and “Konstantine” are not bad.
Sometimes, Clara’s Natty-poo puts up the chorus of “Heart” by Stars. It is a very sweet song. Every now and then, I sing along to it.
Alright, I can say what you want me to,
Alright, I can do all the things you do,
Alright, I'll make it all up for you,
I'm still in love with you,
I'm still in love with you.
I’ve listened to “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World a bunch.
If I didn’t hear about Elton John as a little girl, then people would mention The Spice Girls. I can’t imagine stepping into the late 90s in the UK and not listening to any of their songs. They are amazing.
At MAO Nats, they played some really good songs at the three awards ceremony. One of these was “Island” by The Starting Line. I love the lyrics, the chorus, and listening to this song so often.
You may be surprised, by I like two of Taylor Swift’s songs. “Teardrops on My Guitar” is the sort of song I’m very glad I didn’t have a while ago. Ann, Sarah’s sister, was playing “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) one day while taking me home from school. It is my favorite country music song, even though I don’t actually like country music.
I guess I should tell you about my favorite love song. Well, it is “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. One night, I felt more awful than I had ever felt. I listened to this song over, and over, and over… crying my heart out like a girl. I even listened to it the next morning (but didn’t tell anyone). The emotion that I can attach to this song is so profound that it seems as if I placed much of it into a box, and gathered it together like a big, fluffy towel. The box would be this song.
“Almost Lover” by A Fine Frenzy is beautiful.
Modest Mouse gets me almost hyped up about living, with “Dashboard” and especially the beginning of “Float On.”
I like “How to Save a Life” and “Over My Head (Cable Car)” by The Fray.
“Here In Your Arms” by Hellogoodbye was another one of those songs I put on infinite loop for a while.
The Strokes are unforgettable for me. I really like their style, particularly in “You Only Live Once, “Someday,” and “Reptilia.”
After researching Grammy Award Winners for best rock song on Wikipedia, I downloaded “Drops of Jupiter (Don’t Tell Me)” by Train, which I really like because the singer sounds so caring and like one of those great guys who truly wants to know the answers to what he is asking. Also, “Vertigo” and “The City of Blinding Lights” by U2 are not only good, but also I think How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is such a great album title.
The evening before Homecoming, Erica and I were invited to Lacey’s house. As soon as we entered her room, I noticed that she was playing some pretty good music that I had never heard. Lacey said it was “Mr. Brightside.” Whatever that was. She made us stop talking about ten minutes later so we could listen to a song that she excitedly informed us was “This River Is Wild.” Lacey loved The Killers. I couldn’t forget that.
I went home and looked them up, downloading every song by them that I could find. Later, she burned me their three CDs (I think I lost Hot Fuss, though), and even more recently, I downloaded their two Christmas songs. The Killers are truly profound. I love all of their songs, but I guess there are a couple that I do not seem to listen to as much. Imagine the excitement for Lacey when they put “Romeo and Juliet” on Sawdust. It was like one of those crazy dreams that you have, but it came true. I think I’m going to listen to The Killers for the rest of my life. They mean so much to me, if I didn’t have them, then my music selection would be bereft of greatness.
One day, I quickly punched in all the play counts from all my Killers songs. They added up to over a thousand.
“When You Were Young” is distinctly my most-played song. I wanted to move the music in my iTunes, so the play counts had to be reset. But yeah, this is probably my favorite of all time. There are so many good songs out there, but for some reason, this one sticks out a bit more than the others.
However, telling you about all these songs and artists isn’t the same thing as you listening to them, and getting to know them for yourself. You don’t need to listen to any of them, actually, but I wish you luck in finding even more good music- whatever you want to hear!
www.skreemr.com is pretty baller, if I do say so myself. ;)

I feel pretty lucky to get to post on Friday. It is another special day: at 8:08pm, on today, 08/08/08, the Beijing Summer Olympics begin! So, I hope you don’t mind if I post this at that time, but it shall be 8:08am for us because of the time difference.

Sorry for forgetting to tag my posts...

-Kejing

Pineapple Tidbits

So I just got back in town yesterday, and my mind is kinda fried, and I couldn't think of something to write about. So instead I'm writing about several things.

Last year in october, I went on a beach retreat with my church. Now, I am extremely picky, so the food situation was an issue. The food served was cafeteria-style, and I've never actually eaten anything out of a school cafeteria. It was disgusting! Instead, I brought my own food-apples, ritz crackers, teddy grahams, and, of course, pineapple tidbits. Thats what I lived off of for the weekend.

Those of you who read this blog regularly probably remember my television rant from about a month ago. So last fall, I saw commercials for this new show on ABC family called Greek, which is about partying, drinking, and frat life. I was slightly appalled by the fact that that sort of content was being shown on a family network, but I saw an episode of Greek and I must say, I'm hooked. It revolves around Casey Cartwright, who attends Cyprus Rhodes University and is in a sorority. Her geeky brother, Rusty, arrives, and he decides to join the frat led by Casey's ex, Cappie (who is really hot) and Rusty gets into a huge fight with Casey's current bf, Evan (who is also really hot). And Cappie still loves Casey. Its a great show, so you should watch it. And its more than just partying and drinking, I promise.

We were up in the mountains for the fourth, and my family decided to go see some fireworks that were being set off in a park. The park was really crowded though, so we ended up sitting in a parking lot down the street to watch the fireworks. All we could see were some tiny fireworks from behind some trees, and it was pretty sucky. A lot of people started leaving, and we considered doing the same. After about half the people had left, thouroughly disappointed with the fireworks display, the real ones started. They were amazing! I couldn't help but chuckle about those who'd left before the show.

Up in the mountains, my cousins and I play this game called "Richies". Its kinda ridiculous. We pretend that we're these really rich kids whose parents died in a plane crash. I play the oldest girl, Amelie, who is 23 years old and has to raise her siblings while balancing college and a social life. I attend "Atlanta Institute of Engineering and Design" (which is a made up university) and I actually teach myself architectural history and design concepts. Its weird, I know, but I've learned a lot from it!

This little "tidbit" is about stuffed animals. I have a stuffed animal collection, but my mom always wants me to put them in plastic bags and throw them in the attic. I can't do that!! They'll suffocate!! So instead, I found a hiding place for them. My bed has a trundle bed underneath it, so I push the trundle against the wall behind my bed. This creates a little ledge for all of my animals to sit on, and they can't be seen by my mother.

My aunt has a nice car, and it has XM radio in it, which I love. Her kids listen to Top 20 on 20 all the time. This is a real treat for me, because my mom only plays christian music in her car. I love christian music, but after a while, all the songs sound the same. On Top 20 on 20, there are all types of music. I've recently fallen in love with "That's what you get" by Paramore, "Fall for You" by Secondhand Serenade, and "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven. When I get a car, I'm getting XM radio.

So those are all my tidbits of information.

And I just looked at my calendar, and its still on April 19.

-Caroline