The Blissful Consummation!!

Well my fellow bloggers and kind readers… This, unfortunately, is my last blog post! I wanted it to be wonderfully exciting and unforgettable but, seeing how it is 10:41 p.m. and I have had an incredibly long day it will simply be a seemingly mediocre post.  I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my opinion of different genres and artists and my hope is that you have too; whether you have agreed with my assessments or not. As I am not meant to be an avid blogger, this experience has been extremely splendid and amusing and I thank each and every one of you for your patience and commend you all for sticking with me; even through my unpleasant posts.

My hope is that my blog has encouraged a wide variety of music choices for all people. Any artist who is truly gifted should be praised and at the least given the courtesy of a peeled, open ear before being utterly despised and forgotten. We should all keep an open mind that will applaud and advocate impeccable talent even though it may not be the personal music choice preferred. I'd like to name a couple of great artists that would be reliable, in my opinion, to just give a try in your spare time. I did not get to share a lot of my favorites so here are a few:

1. Brother Ali
2. Seryn
3. Between the Buried and Me
4. Sigur Ros
5. The Lumineers
6. Ray LaMontagne
7. Wilco
8. The Black Keys
9. Explosions in the Sky
10. Girl Talk
11. Iron and Wine
12. Old Crow Medicine Show {recommended by my husband ;)}
13. Sufjan Stevens
14. HAIM
15. Sarah Jarosz

I am optimistic that you can find something favorable in at least one of these bands or artists named above. They all have different beliefs, concepts, and motifs expressed in their music. However, that is the beauty of music in a nutshell isn't it? DIVERSITY! And diversity is what should bring us all together for we are all burning in the same melting pot! :D

Thanks against every reader who ventured onto my blog… I would love to hear your opinion on music and I'd love to test out some of your favorite artists or hear comments about the ones I have mentioned!

Pandora VS Spotify

While both Spotify and Pandora succeed as personalized internet radio websites by attracting enthusiastic music lovers all over the world with their simple design and fairly ease of navigation, Pandora’s restricted accessibility and exasperating advertisements do not surmount to Spotify’s wide range of music privileges and lack of frivolous audio voiceovers and pop-ups. Both Pandora and Spotify are recommendable websites for anyone who would want to experience various genres of music and artists to be played in one sitting.

Pandora and Spotify were created to allow the availability of free music from a multitude of artists and genres to be streamed to anyone’s computer through internet access. Although both websites achieve this goal with accelerated velocity and the simplicity of their design, Spotify’s dark background and white font attracts the wondering eye while big album cover’s of artists recommended for the customized profile of the listener are listed down the page. Many tool bar options are listed vertically down the page in the menu. Similarly, Pandora has a vertical tool bar menu though the options are much more limited. 

Maneuvering through any website should be elementary and straightforward like that of Pandora. There are few options with the main concept being as simple as searching for an artist, song, or genre and allowing Pandora to choose your music based on your search. Whereas, Spotify has many more options to choose from and could, given the right audience, get complicated. Pandora has all the information needed or wanted about an artist and displays artists similar to that genre directly under the album cover which makes searching much easier. Nonetheless, Spotify is much more detailed which results in deeper exploration and further clicking due to information not being as conveniently arranged on the same page as the album.

On the other hand, Pandora is a very limiting website when compared to Spotify. Pandora only allows a listener to search for a song or artist and it will give an option for a station that is similar to the search. Therefore, a listener may only listen to one song from the artist searched upon which Pandora randomly selects songs or artists similar to that station. Whereas, Spotify allows a listener to choose the random station selection that is consistent with a genre or artist chosen, as well as, the option to download or stream a complete album from a particular artist. Additionally, Spotify allows the listener to view all the songs in a particular station chosen so to allow the freedom to skip around or not listen to certain songs. In contrast, Pandora will only allow a listener to skip a certain amount of songs in a particular station and limits the preference to go back to a previous song or view ahead to see what is coming next. 

Both of these websites are free with a premium option that requires payment monthly. The free option is feasible due to advertisement wonderfully and brightly displayed on every page. Spotify maintains advertisement well, as a necessary evil, by displaying the banners at the bottom of the page. The advertisement is often pleasing to the eye because it is constantly displaying new artists and albums recently released that are available on Spotify. On the contrary, Pandora’s disappointing and extremely displeasing advertisements rarely have anything to do with music. Often Pandora has audio voiceover advertisements in between songs and uncommon occasions when a video advertisement will play and it can be skipped. Spotify has mastered the art of advertising intelligently so that the advertisement does not consume the listeners time, rather, it is intriguing and relates to the very reason he or she is utilizing the website.

Both Spotify and Pandora function well, though Spotify has numerous music options like adding albums, music from iTunes that has already been purchased and different station options. Unlike Pandora, where the only option is to search and choose various stations. Pandora functions well for the individual who does not mind casually listening to diverse artist in a particular genre, although, frustration follows for the individual who wants to listen to a specific artist or song. Spotify offers so much more to the listener than Pandora in the realm of downloading and streaming music. However, a listener would enthusiastically fancy listening to Pandora when wanting to explore new artists within a genre of music. Spotify is limited to stations available for random genres, while that is Pandora’s speciality. 

Spotify and Pandora have social media options to allow other individuals via Facebook and Twitter to see what is being listened to and what kind of music is being liked by an individual. These options are tricky for Spotify as a result of the nonchalantly placed social media option placed at the beginning of signing up for the website. If  signed up under a Facebook or Twitter account, Spotify will automatically post what a listener is listening to. Pandora, however, gives you the option for each song to share on Facebook or Twitter. These little ends and outs do get lost in the small print of the website and are obviously not extremely important. 

Spotify has incredible advantages to it’s website though a disadvantage is that without paying monthly for a premium package, accessibility is only allowed through a computer. The premium package must be purchased if a listener desires to use it on another devise. On the other hand, Pandora allows anyone to access their website through any and every device. Pandora has a premium package but it is purchased to eliminate the badgering advertisements that play after a couple of songs. Many listeners are persuaded to pay monthly for Pandora’s premium package just to eradicate the heinous advertisements constantly interrupting the beautiful flow of musical harmony. Correspondingly, the simple fact that Spotify is only available on one device without paying for an upgrade compels any connoisseur of music to pay a measly fee for unlimited downloads from an infinite amount of artists. 

Without a doubt, many people appreciate what Spotify and Pandora have to offer when searching for an internet radio station. Although Spotify provides more listening privileges than Pandora like adding complete albums to a listeners profile and allowing access to iTunes music previously purchased, Pandora is delightfully entertaining to those listeners who are casually listening with no specific song or artists in mind. Spotify deserves an overall evaluation of a nine out of ten, whereas, Pandora earns a seven out of ten. Both of these internet radio stations are recommendable; however, a listener would more alternatives when listening to Spotify.

"Tell Your Momma" by The Vespers

I first heard of The Vespers when I visited my now husband at Union University, where he was attending college several years ago. Union always supported new, upcoming artists and would have concerts in their coffee shop to help get their name out there. The Vespers were the artists of choice for that weekend and no one really knew who they were, but all the students loved the surprise of new artists coming so that they could discover something great in music.

Great The Vespers were, indeed. This collaborative group composed of two sets of siblings, the Cryar sisters and the Jones brothers, are extremely talented. They have never signed with a record company but continue to get their name out in the public through word of mouth and selling their merchandise while touring. They play over six different instruments each during a show and the Cryar sisters have an incredible vocal tranquility that can only come from being sisters. I love their albums because they have so much diversity infused in them. They do not label themselves as a "Christian" band, rather, their albums are interspersed with songs about life, love, and belief. Someone once said that anything labeled "Christian" that is not a person or Christ himself, is simply a tool used for consumerism targeted at a "Christian" audience. Whereas, The Vespers are the opposite and can appeal to many different types of people, though personally they do proclaim to be Christians.

"Tell Your Momma" is a wonderful album where the songs are filled with an arsenal of instrumentation and harmonic choruses that only siblings can create. I would recommend this album to anyone and everyone and to also support this band. They are working so hard to do what they love and share it with the world.
                                                                                          The Vespers | Eyes Wide Openby TheVespersOfficial 18,175 views 

Musicians Unmarked Manifesto

We, the Musicians Unmarked, are a group of very talented individuals who strive for success in music production. However, we refuse to succeed in the manner of allowing the record company industry take our money and prostitute us out as consumerism propaganda. We will remain unmarked by anything other than our music, especially, record companies. We are pleading with other musicians to stop the “selling of themselves” for fame and remember what you once loved and believed in.

In our opinion, the primary monster plaguing musicians is the mainstream recording industry. They are vicious lions seeking to devour any profit they can from us, the musicians. If you decide to sign with a recording label you get a big sum of money that you must pay back once you start making money. Then, you only receive about one-third of everything you profit from record sales, concerts, and merchandise sold while touring. Meanwhile, the record company makes the majority of their money doing nothing but selling you to the media. The record companies aid in your fame, but it is not because of  your music. This is why we, the Musicians Unmarked, disapprove with signing your soul over to the conniving devils of the mainstream recording industry.

Moreover, another consequent of signing with a record company is that you become the most valuable tool for marketing. You are transformed from the object of consumerism into the channel for consumerism. For example, millions and millions of headphones called Beats where sold at a high price last year because Dr. Dre endorsed them. Many musicians who have become celebrities are used in commercials to advertise weight lose products as well as cleansing and beauty products. Musicians, did you really think this would be your life: advertising for something other than the magnificence of music? The art of making music for the world to love and enjoy is demolished by the demand of advertising yourself to make more money due to the fact that the record company has made most of it’s money from your talent; you have not. Therefore, you feel forced into this lifestyle of promoting everything else except for what you truly believe in, your music. We, the Musicians Unmarked will not stand for this! We will not take part in this monstrosity and we beg of you to recant your decision and to think about how much you have given up to these companies just to record your music.

We, the Musicians Unmarked believe that musicians should be doing what they do best and that is MUSIC! We refuse to be marked by the mainstream music industry!! Making it through hard work and never giving up is the answer for success. It is outrageous that record companies get most of the profit from record sales and we will not support this. As musicians, let us not loose sight of our love for what we do. We can change the world through music and we do not have to sell out to mainstream music corporations to do that. We can make it without them! Macklemore and his producing partner Ryan Lewis have paved a beautiful road of success in this for us to follow down. They stuck their middle finger up to the mainstream record company industry and made a fortune themselves by purely making and recording their own music. Macklemore addresses these issues in his song “Jimmy Lovine”. He raps,

“We'll give you a hundred thousand dollars

After your album comes out we'll need back that money that you borrowed

So it's really like a loan

A loan? Come on, no

We're a team, 360 degrees, we will reach your goals!

You'll get a third of the merch that you sell out on the road

Along with the third of the money you make when you're out doing your shows

Manager gets 20, booking agent gets 10

So shit, after taxes you and Ryan have 7% to split”

 Furthermore, we propose a plan of action to boycott major recording companies. We, the Musicians Unmarked will never sign a contract with these vipers no matter how much money they dispense and will not relinquish our stance on this issue. We will use every kind of social media available to us to get ourselves out there and known. We will sell our record ourselves even if that means doing so on the streets like Immortal Technique did on the streets of New York. We believe that hard work, talent, and perseverance is enough to make it. We will record our own albums with the advanced technology that has been provided throughout the years. Anyone can virtually record their music from the comfort of their own home. We will have to work vigorously to get to where we want to be just like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Together we can succeed above and beyond mainstream record companies who lust for the blood of young, naive, and fame hungry artists. Hear my plea, musicians do not have to be the puppets of consumerism and big corporations any longer. 

In conclusion, you must all be urgently informed of this atrocity. The Musicians Unmarked maintain that we will not sign with any major recording company and we encourage all you other musicians to take heed and do the same. We will dedicate our time and efforts into making music and getting it out there in the world for other people to enjoy, because that is what music is about and if we can make money doing it then that will be great too! We will protest mainstream record companies and refuse to buy into to their slimy little schemes. We will use all types of free social media to get our songs and albums out there into the world and we will play and perform in as many bars, clubs, weddings, etc that we have to and get our name out there. If we have to work fifty times harder to do what we love and get people to love it to then we definitely do that. For it is better for all our work to come from us than to sell out to a major mainstream record company. Consequently, we will not allow our music to be put on the back burner and let consumerism be our avenue for success. 

WE WILL PRODUCE OUR OWN MUSIC OR DIE TRYING!

Personal "Short" Manifesto

So! I did not have time to listen to an album and fill you guys in about it. However, our lovely Professor told us that we could create a personal manifesto with a word generator. I decided to take this challenge and a challenge is what it was. I'd like to apologize for the quality of this artist piece because it did not turn out how I thought. But, it will suffice for the point I am trying to get across.

I was sitting in my family bible study tonight; thoroughly enjoying because it was encouraging as everyone was voicing their struggles and exhorting one another in Christ. And I though, "why do people not love the "Christian" when they are so open like this?" And here lies the problem... Many "Christians" especially in the southern culture that we live in are the first to call someone out on "sin" instead of people as Christ did. He was the friend to tax collectors and prostitutes; many people would be horrified that now. People are vicious and instead of shedding grace on others they are quick to condemn.

I took our assignment for this morning and revamped my original self help, make yourself better creative... thing? I made into something that I have been thinking about and always think about. I will write out for you what it was supposed to say but the word generator that I plugged my phrases into made it into a confusing chaotic mess.

It's supposed to say...

Be Open to change. Live HOPING in Christ. Do all that you can for your NEIGHBOR. Don't CONDEMN others. Stop being HYPOCRITES. START being open and HONEST about your life. Your not Perfect only JESUS was. NEVER forget Christ took on DEATH for you. ALWAYS forgive for YOU have been forgiven. WELCOME grace and LAVISH it upon others. CREATE trusting relationships. Bring LIGHT into a World of DARKNESS. Learn for YOURSELF, never just BELIEVE something someone SAYS.

I really do apologize for how bad the art turned out! Until next time....

Immortal Technique

And now I will introduce to you one of the few rappers I actually listen to, Felipe Andres Coronel, stage name "Immortal Technique". Coronel was born in Lima, Peru but as a child moved to Harlem, New York where he spent most of his life. In Coronel's teenage years he got arrested several times for minor offenses while still living in Harlem. He was having to fight to survive. He graduated from Hunter College High School and enrolled into Pennsylvania State University. Shortly after getting into Pennsylvania State he got arrested for assault-related offenses against some students.

While Coronel was in prison, for a year, he taught himself about religion, philosophy, science, and political issues. Once out of prison he took several semesters of political science classes from Baruch College in New York. Also, while Coronel was in prison he would have freestyle rap battles with other inmates which continued after prison in various New York underground hip hop scenes.

I preface all this information about "Immortal Technique" to help you understand his music better. He is not another Kayne West or Jay Z, talking about the girls, money, drugs, and the ghetto life that they never really lived. Coronel lived in Harlem and had a really rough life and more than anything his incredible music has life; it is raw and real.

I told you about his education background because his music is extremely intelligent. He really goes deep into different philosophies, ideologies, and political issues that are going on in our world. His music is brilliant and it speaks on real issues plaguing our country. These issues may be controversial but he is speaking out. He is trying to make a difference in the world by rapping what he feels the people should know. He gives a voice to the poor, oppressed, and misunderstood. Which is amazing because Coronel himself not only speaks on these issues but he takes action as well.

Coronel does not sell his music through a recording company but does everything himself. He started out just selling albums on the streets of New York. He bought an orphanage in Iraq with the money from his success to help educate forgotten children there. There is so much I could say about "Immortal Technique" but then this post would go forever so I am going to recommend his albums as well as his documentary "The Revolution".  I would like to warn all listeners that his music is pretty rough and raw so be ready it! :D


                                                                                          ANGELS AND DEMONS - IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE ( LYRICS ON SCREEN ) .wmvby PARRALTX 276,792 views 


                                                                                          Immortal Technique - The 4th Branch (Lyrics)by Raul Gavidia 566,212 views 

Kings Kaleidoscope

So..... My intentions were to write about an underground hip-hop artist this week, but I incidentally had a change of heart at the last minute. I will, however, save my hip-hop artist for later so be awaiting in anticipation! ;D

I'd like to introduce, for those of you who do not know them, Kings Kaleidoscope. They are one of my favorite Christian bands of all time, and I do not have many. You may be thinking; "crap this crazy girl is about to preach to us with her Christian music..." haha. Well that, my friends, is not my motive for this blog. This band has incredible talent and expertise in music.

Kings Kaleidoscope is an indie rock worship band from a particular campus of Mars Hill Church. Mars Hill Church is a massive church that is based out of Seattle, Washington. It has recently expanded so much that locations have developed, not only in various other cities in Washington, but also several other states such as California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Arizona. Kings Kaleidoscope is simply one incredible band that leads worship at Mars Hill Church at the Ballard campus in Seattle, Washington.

Led by Deacon Chad Gardner, the band is made up of about a dozen extremely talented musicians. There is an enormous amount of diverse instrumentation including a string trio, a horns section, two drum kits, and I simply can not leave out the occasional cymbal or two.

There is so much work and brilliance put into this worship music. The most beautiful thing I love about their work is that they take old hymns, you know the ones we all HATE singing in church that make us feel like we want to cut our ears off,  and recreate the sound, rhythm, and virtually every aspect of the song. They take these old deceased, loathed hymns and revitalize them; pumping them full of life, vibrance, and immense creativity. It's quite beautiful and it truly does awaken the soul.

For those of you who do believe that there is a God and specifically Christ Jesus, this band will truly bless you. For those of you who may not believe or find your searching for something to believe in or, perhaps, you have lost all hope in belief this band is genuinely inspiring. Rarely, in media, we find bands made up of many types of musicians all coming together to create a symphany of authentic sound. Kings Kaleidoscope is that band and I would completely and totally recommend them to anyone of any walk of life. ENJOY!! :D


                                                                                          King's Kaleidoscope - All Creatures/Come Thou Fountby Josiah Kaufman 37,543 views 

The Philosophy of Music

The dim lighting cast shadows around the avocado colored walls as Skipper Boatwright situated himself on the southwestern designed couch in his office. The office contained a big black desk with books and music sheets spread out on top of it. Bookshelves surrounded the walls and at the center of the room was a stand where three guitars and a banjo were displayed. Picks sat on multiple surfaces of the office as if to allow him, wherever he was, to pick one up and begin playing on one of his many stringed instruments. On the coffee table there sat a black modern tea set, along with several coffee cups. In his hand was a glass of Chimay that he gently sipped as he crossed his legs and awaited whatever might be ahead. 

He was calm, cool, and collected as his bright, sky blue eyes glanced up, down, and around the room. His green netted trucker hat sat backwards on his dark brown hair which was cut very short. He was wearing a button down shirt beaming of bright green and dark gray shorts accompanied by brown, worn out sandals. His stature and appearance spoke volumes about his nonchalant, philosophical, and self-controlled personality. He was assured and composed while he casually dove into his past concerning where his influence and love for music started.

Skipper grew up in Millington, a small provincial city north of Memphis, Tennessee. When Skipper was a child he was only allowed to listen to K-Love, a christian radio station. “I grew up in a very conservative, evangelical christian home where my parents, specifically my mother, did not allow me to listen to anything but K-Love,” he said,  “so from a child on into middle school I only listened to christian music, deprived of the classics and good quality music.” He was not introduced to any other types of music until many years later when he was in  the fifth or sixth grade. It was then that he began meeting friends and other people who would open the door to experiencing different types of music. 

Once in middle school Skipper said he discovered a loop hole to his mother’s rules about music by being introduced into christian “ska” bands. He explained, “The genre “ska” is a mixture between punk and reggae.” One of his best friends, who was a family friend from church, had an older brother who was five or six years older than him. When Skipper’s family would go visit their family, because they had moved away, he would stay in the older brothers room. This older brother would have “ska” music playing every night.  The bands were called Five Irony Frenzy and Relient K. These bands were not necessarily labeled christian bands, but the lyrics and content were perceived to be so and Skipper’s mother approved of them.

Skipper began venturing out into punk music, that was not christian, once he transferred to a new private school in the seventh grade. He developed new friendships that impacted his genre choices and eventually evolved his interest into heavier and heavier music. “I really enjoyed the fast, upbeat heavier music especially songs that used double bass. I began to crave and search for that style of music and still enjoy it to this day.”  

When Skipper started the eighth grade, his love for music came to a peak and inspired him to pick up a guitar and make music himself. At this point in his life, he was enticed by bands like Blink 182. The rebellious kind of artists. He stated, “I was drawn to music that you’re average person did not like listening to. I think that comes from a rebellion against my mom because she had such tight constraints on my music choices growing up.” He taught himself how to play the guitar and inevitably started a punk band with a guy from church, Michael Wade. They would meet every weekend with songs and music that they had written throughout the week and practice for hours and hours. Eventually their band came to it’s demise when Skipper decided that he wanted to write christian music and Michael did not. 

A year later, Skipper met some guys from school and they introduced him to a peculiar genre of music called hardcore. “When I first listened to hardcore with the screaming and breakdowns, I knew that was what I was looking for, that was what really set my interest in pursuing heavy music.” The bands that influenced Skipper and his friends were, ironically, christian hardcore bands. Many people describe hardcore lyrics as deep, guttural yelling like what you would think a demon sounds like. Skipper mischievously smiles as he says, “If music were to take on a film genre, I think hardcore, specifically heavy music, would be horror.” They were attracted to hardcore artists for various reasons such as the lyrics, instrumentation, and the screaming.  This flattery encouraged them to start a christian hardcore band on their own called “A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die”. 

A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die, with Skipper as the lead guitarist, practiced about once a week. They started by playing other band’s music and Skipper, not knowing how to read music, played by ear. Once they mastered other band’s music and different cord progressions, they began to write their own music. After a year of practicing, they were asked to play at a friends birthday party. During their encore, the cops showed up because a neighbor had said that they were being too loud. Following this, the band got connected with a booking company and  would play a show at different venues in Memphis about every three to four weeks. Several times they opened up for very talented and well known hardcore bands.  

The main venue they played at was on Lamar Avenue called “The Dregs”. A booking company in Memphis had opened it up due to the suffering of local venue opportunities. It was not a great part of town and the venue shared property with a liquor store, so most people were inebriated before and during the show. Several times the band would get cussed out or things thrown at them when they would try to talk about their faith. Nevertheless, they continued to play and show the love and grace of Christ during those times.

The band played continuously for about two years until the end came, with most of the band graduating high school. Everyone was planning to go to college which meant that the band would inevitable have to break up. Skipper says he would have loved to take a year or two off of school to tour but several guys were not willing to do that and it would have been difficult to replace them. Therefore, the band had their last show at a lodge in Atoka, Tennessee. Skipper said it was probably the best show they ever put on which made it even more challenging to break up. 

Now, five years later, Skipper still has an irrevocable love for music. His taste in music has changed, but he still enjoys some good hardcore music. He listens to various genres of music, although, he says he does not care for most mainstream music. When asked to elaborate, he responded: “I guess, um, because it sort of models what my mom would say: ‘This is what your supposed to listen to. This is what your supposed to like.’ I feel like that is really what mainstream music does. It puts crappy music before you and says, ‘This is what you supposed to listen to. This is what your supposed to like.’ So I hate that and rebel against that.” 

Some artists that have influenced Skipper which are not mainstream consist of Iron and Wine, Sigur Ros, a genre called post rock,  and Immortal Technique, an underground hip-hop artist. These artist are unique and bring something different to the table than most mainstream artists. Immortal Technique, for example, is a raw, underground hip-hop artist from Harlem, New York who “tells it like is and doesn’t hide anything. He is really big into conspiracy theories, political topics and more concerned with morals and ethics. . . He wants people to wake up from their slumber and listen to what he is saying.” Skipper excitedly stated. The content in an artists album is what really thrills Skipper. He is interested in the philosophy as well as the musical talent of an artist. This became clear as his blue eyes grew big and he leaned forward and said, “There are so many bands out there that are putting forth different philosophies and I love listening to each philosophy behind each piece. It’s a huge influence on my musical choice.”

Skipper has not completely gotten out of playing music. Every now and then he will pick up his guitar and play by himself or for his wife. Recently, he got asked to lead his church praise band on Sunday mornings and is venturing out of his normal box and to sing as well. He has never been the frontman for a band before and says that this is a new experience. But, also says he is willing to do it. He is simply delighted to be playing once more and is glad he can do that in his local church. Music will always be something that Skipper cherishes whether he is performing or not. “In one of my favorite quotes from Friedrich Nietzsche he says, ‘Without music life would be a mistake.’ There is something beautiful and true about that statement.”

"The Slideshow Effect" by Memoryhouse

The first album I am going to discuss on my blog is The Slideshow Effect by Memoryhouse. Memoryhouse is a collaboration of two extremely talented and accomplished individuals, composer Evan Abeele and photographer Denise Nouvion. Memoryhouse was never intended to be a band, but rather a collective project meant to serve as an artistic avenue to combine their musical and visual artwork. Evan had meant Memoryhouse to be a combination of his instrumental composition and Denise's photographs and short films, a multimedia conception that would appeal to multiple senses and allow an individual to think outside the box. What was meant to be an artistic expression for instrumental music and photos ended up being a beautiful start to an incredibly brilliant band.

The Slideshow Effect is a recent album that Abeele and Nouvion have released expressing Abeele's talent for composing as well as rustic vocals from Nouvion, who never imagined she would be the lead vocalist on an album. The mixture of Abeele's luminous compositions and Nouvion's fluorescent vocals set the stage for a calming, harmonious album. As I carefully listened to The Slideshow Effect, I was put in a mode of tranquility as if I should be on a beach somewhere; the sun setting and the warmth of it draping over me. 

The album is simple in it's quality. Nothing too intense or exciting but soothing and mellow. The lyrics are elegantly fashioned to reel you into the reality that things are not always what they seem. The lyrics hit home with those of us who want love or a relationship to be something that it is truly not. Therefore, we force this non-reality into something that we thing we can cope with, hoping that what we pretend is happening will eventually happen. That all the problems, disagreements, and hurt will just go away. 

This is a fascinating album that I would recommend to anyone. The style is very different, but the artists are very talented and proficient at composing and incorporating much creativity. Thanks for joining me in my adventure of discovering Memoryhouse. My hope is that whether you like soft, mellow music or not that you will give this album a try.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs3xVfCG0Hg

The Unveiling

My love and understanding for music started about nine years ago. Sure, we all loved Brittany Spears in her desperate need to find herself, Justin Timberlake as lead of ‘N Sync, and Nick Lachey with his sizzling comrades in 98 Degrees, but I am talking about a real passion and appreciation for music. Music that screams of love, heartbreak, cultural differences and the deep questions of life. Songs about life altering experiences and questioning the world and why things are the way they are. I never knew music could hold such profound meaning and intensity, that it really meant something until that normal day in eighth grade.

My friends, Bailey Duffy, Brittany Childress and I were walking down the hallway making our way to music class, the most dreaded class for us all. Bailey was a tall, brown headed girl. She had radiant, pale skin and vast bright blue eyes. Her personality sang of grace and humility. Brittany was a kind of beauty all her own. Her highlighted brown hair cascaded down her narrow face where her huge dark blue eyes sat full of mystery. She was charming with a looming scorn ready to jump out of her throat at anyone who would test her. And we were the fearless leaders of eighth grade, top dogs, making our way to the slaughter. 

As we entered music class, there she was, sitting at her desk searching out her next prey. Her name was Mrs. Walmack and she was a sight to see. She was a middle-aged adult with eyes hidden behind massive black-rimmed glasses that would drill a hole right through your skull and lips that were blood red, ready to kill with every word she spoke. She had a high screeching voice that always made my skin crawl when she spoke. She hated Bailey, Brittany, and I mainly because we were cheerleaders and would invariably get called out of her class for our extracurricular activity.  She would constantly call us out and humiliate us in front of the class by instructing us to call our mothers for all to hear simply for laughing at a joke made by another classmate or because we did not raise our hand when we spoke. Eventually, my mother memorized the number and stopped answering.

On this particular day, after Mrs. Walmack had completed yelling with her high pitched voice at every wide-eyed student, we started an introduction into classic musicals. Mrs. Walmack rolled out the television on a cart and stated that we would be watching West Side Story. The whole class erupted into moans and groans that sounded as if a thunder storm had just struck our classroom. Bailey and Brittany looked at me and rolled their eyes knowing that today would be a difficult class period. Immediately, she calmed the class down with her voice of doom as her big red lips parted and a black hole opened with an unbearable shrill that silenced us. As quickly as the thunderous objections started, it stopped. No one wanted to endure the wrath of Mrs. Walmack; it was worse than most people got at home. She quickly explained that participating in viewing the musical would be ten percent of our grade as well as crucial for the next several weeks of class. At this announcement, everyone mendaciously participated in viewing the film. 

Mrs. Walmack set up the television cart and dimmed the lights so that the white brick walls around us looked as though we were stranded in a dark cell of a prison. The opening credits started and I became instantly disheartened about the hour or more of entertainment ahead of me. The musical was presented in black and white with no vivid colors to help my imagination. What was Mrs Walmack thinking? This was, of course, the twenty-first century and not only did people in the twenty-first century not watch old, boring movies, they especially did not watch old, boring musicals. Brittany Childress leaned over and whispered what a joke this was and I was anticipating to agree with every negative comment that protruded from her mouth. However, as my mind opened to what was really happening on the screen, it was as if some invisible veil was being removed from my eyes. This was not just a movie or songs in a movie, this was a monumental moment in my life where music, dancing, and acting were all combined into one beautiful story. It was then, as I watched this modern day Romeo and Juliet, that my heart melted. I looked around hoping that no one would notice the softness of my demeanor and how a little smile had extended across my face. This musical was incredible. 

The story was set in New York, in the early 1950’s. It represents two different social class groups, who are portrayed in two different teenage street gangs.  A blue collar, working class gang called the Jets and a poor gang from Puerto Rico called the Sharks. The story centers around Maria, the sister of the Sharks leader, and Tony, who is a member of the Jets. Tony falls in love with Maria and throughout the story there is the dilemma of Maria being, not only ethnically different, but also socially different from Tony. The predicament which they find themselves in leads to fights between the gangs, heartbreak, disunity, and in the end death. As I watched these events unfold right before my eyes I was transfixed. How could music break through the boundaries of normality and allow an experience such as the one I was encountering. It was as if with every song and dance move, I was there. I was feeling every emotion that every character had to take on. Maria, as she was caught in this predicament of loving someone she was supposed to despise just because he was a white, blue-collared Jet. Tony, his love for Maria so evident and so profound that no ethnical or social boundary could stop him from loving her which resulted, in the end, with his death by Maria’s brother. The conflict constricting the two gangs, the same conflict that we have been dealing with and what I believe we will always deal with, is the beautiful problem of diversity that will always and forever exist in our world. It is an exquisiteness that we must embrace. I could not help myself from breaking down and completely loosing it, like I had some emotional instability taking place inside me and it had to escape. Bailey and Brittany both stared at me with utter disbelief as I grabbed a tissue and asked if I could be excused for a simple moment to put myself back together. I looked straight into Mrs. Walmack’s eyes, pleading for her to let me go just for a second and it was like I could really see her. See that she understood me at the moment and knew what I was feeling. My heart seemed to have softened of my hatred toward her, and it was this very barrier that music could break.

As the words of the songs of West Side Story come back to me even now, it’s life changing. How Maria felt coming to America, how Tony felt meeting and falling for Maria, and how Maria’s brother felt about Tony seeing Maria. I am amazed at how music transcends racial tension, hatred, violence, social classes and it can some how bring us together. It breaks the confinements of what and who we think we are and can make us one as a people. Music expresses so many emotions, feelings, and thoughts that can not be put into words, and somehow we can all understand and relate. It’s an elegance worth refining and sharing. Simply put, music is beauty that we can all see.

Tune In!!

You're here! Thanks for tuning into my blog this week. My name is Hannah Boatwright and I was not entirely sure of what I was going to blog about until I thought about the things that are really important to me. Things that cause life changing experiences and allow you to see the world in a different light. One of those things, in my life, is music.

Music can define a situation, moment, or an indescribable feeling. It transcends any other type of communication. It's a language that we can all speak, as well as, understand. Music brings people together no matter the color, race, ethnicity, or religious view. It is a beautiful and magnificent ingenuity. It's something we all engage in so that we are able to play on through life.

Each week I will listen to an album and provide information about the album, artist, and content of the album. I will give my opinion of various genres of music such as Indie, Pop, Folk, Hiphop, etc. There are certain types of music I prefer, but I think that there are so many things we can learn and appreciate from diverse artists. So join me as we tune into a composition of differing artists and music genres during the next several months.