A Start of a New Journey

This musical journey is coming to an end, a new one is just beginning. Throughout life, we have the opportunity to continue to learn and grow and become better. We are all blessed with so many talents and are commanded to use them and develop them and share them with others. I cannot imagine my life without music and am so grateful that I am blessed with this great talent. Throughout the course of this blog, we have explored so many different aspects of music and now it influences us each and every day. It's amazing how something so simple can have such a profound impact. Life without music would be deprived of excitement, entertainment, and most importantly, creativity. It allows individuals to be themselves, to express themselves, to invent, to explore, to find happiness. I honestly can't say enough good things about the great effects of music.

Matthew 5:14-16
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men lit a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

I thought this scripture perfectly illustrated the idea of using our talents and sharing our light and passions with others. God gave us talents for a reason and it is up to us to find purpose in our lives and develop the talents we've been given. A couple weeks ago, I was at a Relief Society Commemoration for my stake. One of the speakers made a perfect analogy between life and music. She talked about how we all have soul music, but some people die with their music still in them. It's important to share our music. It does not always come with ease and we have to be willing to practice. The Lord is our master musician and with his help we can perform any piece. It's also important to not compare ourselves to others because our music is all inspired from the same composer. In fact, I think we should all be working together to create this great music. Everyone bringing their soul music, or talents, and becoming one as we serve and love one another. We should all say to ourselves, "I know who I am, I have music in me by divine nature." I hope we never forget that thought and that it will be able to comfort us when we feel discouraged or feel no motivation to use our talents.

Last week, BYU had a music assembly in place of devotional. Kory Katseanes, the director of the orchestra, added some thoughts about music. He said that embedded in music are great truths. With music, it's possible to discern virtue without using any words. While listening to good music, you can feel the spirit. Music is a language that you do not need to study to understand, you just have to use your heart. He encouraged us to become life long seekers of truth. I LOVED that. Music does speak so much truth and I think that is one of the reasons why I am so passionate about it.

Here are some quotes about music and creativity that I have gathered throughout the years:
~If you have a song in your heart...then sing it!
~Don't just play the notes, make music
~Music and memory: Can there be a stronger amalgam weighing on the heart?
~We all die, the goal is not to live forever, but to create something that will
~The only way for a woman to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own
~Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world, it's your life, Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live
~Music is what feelings sound like
~The soul is like a violin string-it makes music only when it is being stretched - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank
~When he played, there was "magic in the air"
~The piano is clear, precise, perfect in the narrow sense of the term. But song lets me dream
~Legato: Here the melody is a river, not a lot of raindrops!
~It's almost as if you are breathing together and the music is your breath
~He might have been talking about all of life, not just music
~There is no such things as music note by note, just as there is no such thing as a book word by word. We have to accept that things are ambiguous

~Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination...And don't bother concealing your thievery- celebrate it if you feel like it. - Jim Jarmusch

I wanted to end with this quote because even though not everything on this 60 day blog is original, it means so much to me. It has helped shape who I am and gives an overview of the amazing experiences with music I've had in my life so far. I do celebrate this blog as a great work of art that stands as a collection of some of the finest aspects of music in this world. I do not consider it thievery, but more of a dedication to the many people who have created these great works. However, it is creativity on my part to appreciate such works and do share my memories and thoughts on the subject. Music is one of those simple things in life that makes it worth living. It adds so much brightness to my day and makes me feel complete. I know that music will be a huge part of my life forever and I encourage you to make it prevalent in your life as well. I hope you enjoyed this musical journey and that you will learn to find joy every note of the way.

The Power of One

Some of my favorite songs have come from Especially For Youth. I would have to say this is the best youth camp in the world and I had the opportunity to go 4 years in a row! Someday I hope to be a counselor and provide younger teens with the same amazing experience I had.

The main reason why I love these songs is because I can relate to them so easily. They bring such a sweet spirit and teach many great truths.

There is a pattern with every single EFY CD:
1) song that illustrates the theme
2) song directed towards young women
3) song directed towards young men
4) piano or other instrumental song
5) an arrangement of a hymn

These songs prove that music has the power to change a life and can make all the difference in the world. These are those inspirational songs that make you want to go out and do something. They can help you feel peace, they can give you courage, they can affirm your testimony, they can testify of the truths that you want to know.

There truly is nothing like listening to wholesome music. In fact, there is oftentimes that I would prefer to listen to EFY music rather than some popular song on the radio. I love the good, positive feelings that accompany such music and the opportunity it gives me to reflect and feel peace in this ever changing, fast paced world. They are great songs that just make you feel good and are perfect for being used in church lessons and other devotionals.

I love knowing all the words to these songs and not have to worry about a bad word, or an inappropriate message. They are perfect for any occasion!

Here's a couple of my favorites, although it's definitely hard to choose!

At the Beginning

I thought I would take a step back in time and write about nursery rhymes. They are a huge part of childhood and are some of the first songs that kids are exposed to. I truly believe that music should be a part of every child's life in any capacity and what better way than in the home. There's songs like the ABC's and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that even have the same tune. I remember learning Rock A Bye Baby, Mary Had A Little Lamb, and the Itsy Bitsy Spider. Nursery rhymes are so much fun to sing with little kids and are so entertaining! Countless rounds of Patty Cake and Little Piggies are sung as kids never get tired of hearing the same thing. I love interacting with little children and look forward to introducing my own children to music someday. I love how simple they are and that children are so innocent and free loving and easily entertained. They have so any great qualities and can bring so much happens to us and we realize what matters most.

Become As Little Children

Isn't he just adorable? The kid has some talent and it looks like he's definitely practiced a lot! He has it down perfectly and I would love it if he conducted one of my orchestras! 

There are some people are who just born with talent. We often refer to them as prodigies. 

As children under the age of 18, a prodigy is someone who displays talent in music that makes them competitive with skilled adult musicians. They have provided us with some of the best music out there and have made so many contributions to society as they used their creativity to create great works of art. 

In regards to classical music, you would often think of:

Mozart

Bizet

Liszt

Chopin

Mendelssohn

But something new that I have never thought of are modern day prodigies. People such as:

Taylor Swift

Michael Jackson

Charlotte Church

Stevie Wonder

Yo Yo Ma

It's amazing the power that our mind has and the ability we have to develop such great talents at such a young age. There will continue to be musical prodigies and it's always exciting to see new stars arise. 

Another thing is that in addition to the skill that just comes naturally, these prodigies have lots of help along the way. There are so many great teachers and mentors out there who put so much time and effort into helping such talent children to reach their potential and perform to the best of their ability. 

Fricky Fricky Fresh

I don't think fricky is even a word. And that proves my point exactly about this type of music...Rap. It breaks the rules and does whatever it wants. I don't think there's a limit to the possibilities as I'm sure every day there are people layin' down beats and breakin' out some rhyme. That is creativity right there.

Definition:
spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics. can be broken down into different components such as content, flow, and delivery. it is a primary ingredient in hip hop and reggae music.

So there you have it.

Rap has become an important part of today's culture but is not always the most appropriate art you can find.  But let us take a short blast to the past to when it all started: the 1970's. One of the first is Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang.

Not really sure what happened in the 80's but it came in strong in the 90's with Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Ice Ice Baby

And today it's everywhere. But a few highlighted artists are Lil' Wayne, Jay Z, Kanye West, and Eminem. Although I don't recommend listening to all of their music, there are some clean versions or other songs that can give you a taste of how rap music has evolved today. 

Many people often think of rap artists as being African American which is true, especially given that it started during block parties in the Bronx, but there are many white rappers as well. Which shows that our society has become more integrated and that things which may be signature to a certain culture, have become universal. 

Rap is definitely not my favorite genre of music but I thought it was important to address because it is a major part of our society and has become a focus of popular music today. I also think it's important to appreciate or recognize all types of music in regards to their creativity regardless of whether you spend your time listening to it or not.

A Taste of Creativity

"Song writing is both an art and a craft: if you've got the craft without the art, it's boring, if you've got the art without the craft, people don't know what you're talking about. Conceive it, believe it, achieve it."

          -Mary Gautier

I appreciate composers so much because, without them, there would be no music. Their skill and dedication has changed the world and I guess the way we repay them is by playing and appreciating the music they write. Let me tell you, writing music is difficult! I honestly don't know how they do it, but they all have a vision. It seems as if music is always running through their head. Different melodies, plenty of ideas being formed and all they have to do is put it on paper and make it come to life. 

Composing may be the most creative part of music and so many composers are musical geniuses. They always find a way to do it better or come up with something new. They are never limited and their ability to be creative is limitless.

This week for extra credit in my music class we have the opportunity to do a little composing. There are a couple criteria and I honestly have no idea of where I'm going to begin! Let's hope that I can come up with something creative. I guess you never know what you can achieve until you try. And it's always good to stretch yourself and do things you're not extremely good at. That's the only way we learn, grow, and become better.

Compelled to Action

Have you ever heard a song that just completely changes your life? Music has the power to affect our emotions and truly make a difference in our lives. There are so many songs out there that are truly inspirational and lead people to act on how they feel. Many times it can happen at a benefit concert or at a religious event or in a wholesome movie.

Inspirational songs make you feel good and make you feel like there's hope in this dark world that seems to just be going downhill. It proves that there are still good things out there and that you can choose to make a difference.

There's two that come to my mind right now. One is a song about remembering 9/11. I just recently heard it and I really enjoyed it. This terrible event brought our country together and created a sense of nationalism as we mourned about the disaster. This song is called If I Had My Way and it really emphasizes the fact that life has the potential to be so great if people act in kindness and have faith and hope.

Another song I really enjoy is You Raise Me Up by Josh Groban. It has such a positive message and leads people to bring others up and to be selfless. I aspire to be this type of person that puts other people above themselves and sees the potential that other people have. Everyone likes to feel special and feel like they can do anything they put their mind to and that's something I want to be able to do...make people feel good.

Pay attention to the inspirational songs in your life and see what you can do to take action and truly make a difference.