Blog Post #15 - Video Response

Blog Post #15 - Due 5/16

Watch the video below:

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQm3BG8FxGg

 In your first paragraph, describe the music you hear (instruments, tempo, texture, dynamics, language, feelings, etc). In your second paragraph, please make some comments about the ensemble's’ performance practice. In what ways do they appear unified? How can you learn from what other ensembles do, even if they are not singing the same musical pieces that you are?

Soundtrack to your Day!

Blog Post #14 - Due 5/9 “Soundtrack to your Day”

Choose 5 different songs that correspond to 5 different events of your day and explain each song choice. You may choose your 5 different events, or use the 5 below, or mix it up!

1. Waking up
2. Travelling to school
3. Lunch Time
4. After School
5. Going to Bed

1. For my "Waking Up" song, I chose "Opening Up" by Sara Bareilles from her musical, "Waitress". I chose this song because it is upbeat, and the lyrics are about the start of the day. One line from the song that I think is relatable to me waking up each day is the chorus: "Opening up, letting the day in! Pour you a cup and say 'Hello, Howya been?'" I like to wake up in a good mood, and of course, drink my coffee! Listen to Opening Up!

2. My "Travelling to School" song is "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. I used to listen to this song when I was a kid in the car with my parents, and it always puts me in a good mood. (Especially the "doo-doo-doo"part at the end) I love their 3-4 part harmony mixed with their rhythmic folky guitar style. Listen to Suite: Judy Blue Eyes!

3. My "Lunch Time" song is "Summer Sun" by Jukebox the Ghost. I chose this song because in the middle of the day, I usually need to refocus my energy to make it through the last two periods. The song "Summer Sun" is a medium tempo song that features piano, voice, drums, and guitar. I lie the way the song builds after the chorus, and I like listening to it in the mid-afternoon. Listen to Summer Sun!

4. After school, I usually have a lot of stuff to do like running errands or teaching private lessons. However, I like to relax when I get home, so I picked the song "After the Storm" by Mumford and Sons. I love this song because it is calm and relaxing, but contains a lot of really beautiful harmonies in the chorus and the lyrics are relatable. My favorite line in the song is: "Love will not break your heart but dismiss your fears." Listen to After the Storm!

5. I used to listen to music so I could fall asleep easily. One song that I love listening to is "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds. He is a really talented musician that a lot of people don't know about. He plays piano and sings, but also collaborates with a lot of my favorite artists, such as Regina Spektor and Sara Bareilles. The song "the Luckiest" seems a little sad, but it is a really nice reflection on being grateful for the things you treasure in your life. The prettiest line in the song (to me) is at the beginning when he sings: "And where was I before the day that I first saw your lovely face, now I see it every day, and I know that I am the luckiest". Listen to The Luckiest!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the soundtrack to my day! I love listening to music, so it was really hard for me to narrow down my choices. These songs are really meaningful to me, and I hope you listen to them and branch out in your musical choices!