GLEE!

The television show Glee has become a way of life and style for several crazed television and music junkies around the world. I was unsure of what to discuss in my final blog entry until we watched the Glee flash-rave that took place in Rome, galleria Colonna in class. The fact that there was such a great abundance of people so passionate about the music that is broadcasted on the cute, satirical, new television show on FOX made me realize that music is a force that can connect people on a whole different level. It is fascinating to me that the soundtrack to this comedic Tuesday night hit has so quickly become a way of life for so many fans across the globe.

In my past entries, I have discussed how people use music as an outlet to express their emotions and individuality; yet, what I find to be so interesting about Glee is that the music featured in each episode of the television show demonstrates that music can also be a strong way to bring people together. Every Tuesday night when I curl up in my dorm room with my friends at 9:00 P.M. sharp, it feels comforting to know that my mom, dad, and thirteen-year-old sister, are doing the very same thing on our big comfortable couch at home in Armonk, New York.

This past summer, I worked as a camp counselor. Although I love children, my friends tease me because naturally, I am extremely awkward when it comes to one-on-one interactions with kids. That being said, I was very nervous about how I would be able to establish a connection with my eight-year-old campers; but, thanks to Glee, I had no problem whatsoever. One day during clean-up hour as I was begging the girls to clean, the Glee version of the song "Don't Stop Believing" began to blare from my i-pod speakers. Before I knew it, my campers shot up and began singing, dancing, and believe it or not, cleaning - using the brooms as microphones and electric guitars. Not only was I shocked that this one song had encouraged them to clean, but I was also happy to find a connection between myself and my campers. I was delighted to know that the girls were anticipating the premiere of the show just as much as I was, so happy that I jumped off my bed and joined in with them, singing and dancing while cleaning the bunk. From the rest of the summer on, cleaning was referred to as "Gleening", and the Glee soundtrack would be on the entire time.

These are just my personal experiences with the music from the television show; however, it is evident that people everywhere are just as caught up in Glee is I am; news reporters and famous bloggers (i.e. Perez Hilton) have referred to Glee obsessors as "Gleeks". It is so refreshing to know that the music that makes me so happy evokes that same feeling in other listeners. My primary attraction to the music is that the Glee club performs songs that are upbeat and recognized universally. For example, last weeks episode focused solely on Madonna. Each song in the episode was the Glee club's spin on a different Madonna song that fit into the script of the show, but each song was also popular enough that the show's viewers could sing along and engage in each number.

To wrap up this entry, and my blog as a whole, I would like to thank my readers for taking the time to take a step into my world of music. I hope that each entry has been able to instigate a thought process and make my readers think a little more deeply about the way that they perceive the music that they listen to. It has been a pleasure writing and sharing my ideas about music, and I hope that these ideas have made an impact on the lives of my blog followers as well.

"The Bamboozle"

Last May I attended a concert called "Bamboozle" which is an annual two-day concert that occurs rain or shine in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This festival incorporates several different bands and artists every year. A few friends and I decided that we wanted to go to this concert because it was supposedly a lot of fun, and especially because we wanted to see one of our favorite bands at the time, Fall Out Boy. Because we were mostly coming to the concert to see Fall Out Boy perform, we all purchased Fall Out Boy t-shirts and wore sunglasses with our converse sneakers (don't make fun!). We were really excited, but had no idea what we were in for because we had done little research and had assumed that we would see Fall Out Boy and maybe a few other similar bands and then home.

As soon as we got there we realized that our assumptions about this concert were very wrong. There were all different types of people. And yes, although I don't want to admit it I have to say that I was guilty of stereotyping each and every one of them. There were people who were dressed in all black, people wearing checkered Vans sneakers, people with nose-rings, mohawks, silver chains, streaks in their hair, and so much more. I was automatically intimidated and immediately I felt out of place. We went to the stage where Fall Out Boy was supposed to be playing, but little did we know that prior to Fall Out Boy there were numerous bands, including Cartel, The Get Up Kids, Dead Man Dreaming, Paramore, and so many more. I had never heard of any of these bands and assumed that they were weird and not entertaining. One of my friends even said, "ewwwwwww these people are so emo" when Cartel began to perform on stage.

The only other concerts that I had ever been to were a Ricky Martin concert, Z100's "Zootopia", a Britney Spears Concert, an OAR concert, and a Dave Matthews Band Concert. I had never seen anything like what I was witnessing at Bamboozle. People were being thrown in the air and pouring beer on each other. My friends and I were holding on to each other for dear life because we thought we were going to be trampled. We did not understand what was going on. My jean shorts were covered in beer and my hair had transformed from straight to curly in a matter of minutes.

What is the point of this story? The point is that I had been so closed minded about the type of music that I listened to and for the first time I was being exposed to a new way of thought and a new way that people identified themselves. People were calling us "posers" when we walked by because it was so blatantly obvious that we did not understand the magnitude of the concert that we had bought tickets for. Everyone around us took their music and not only listened to it, but they so clearly embraced it and showed their devotion by exposing their fandom through their clothing, their overall attitude, and their behavior.

Before Fall Out Boy performed, we had the opportunity to walk from stage to stage and watch other artists. I had became intrigued at the array of people that were standing in the crowd. There were mosh pits where people were standing in a giant circle jumping up and down and there were people crowd surfing through the audience with hopes of reaching the front without falling. The artists that were performing were clearly singing their own music and playing their instruments with so much passion. Most concerts that I had previously attended which were mostly pop concerts, it was hard to tell if the performers were lip-singing or not. The performances that we had witnessed that day were so real.

This experience taught me so much about broadening my horizons. I have spent the past week reflecting on this particular concert and going back in time to research the bands that I had watched perform. I recently saw the movie Alice and Wonderland, and upon viewing the movie I noticed that the band Family Force 5, who I had watched perform at Bamboozle had a song in the album for the movie titled Topsy Turvy. Though this song is not something that I may not have ever stumbled upon, I recognized the voice of the band from seeing them at Bamboozle, and now this song has become one of my favorite songs.

The point of this blog post is that I want to encourage my readers to not make judgments about certain artists or groups based on the way the band appears or the way that the fans dress or act. It is important to embrace different types of music and step outside the box by experimenting with all types of music. Though I do not consider my music preference to be more alternative or "emo", I have found that I happen to love several songs that fall under this category of music. I am happy that Bamboozle opened my eyes to a musical culture that I would have otherwise not thought to pay much attention to.

What's Your Tune?

As you have all learned from my former posts, particular songs and artists serve as bookmarks for me when I yearn to turn the pages back to certain times in my life that remind me of significant memories. Music for me is a way that I can express myself. Artists like the Backstreet Boys and The Spice Girls bring me back memories of my goofy younger years, while artists like John Mayer bring me back to my senior year at Byram Hills High School. However, I would like to shift the focus of this blog to explore music in a different light.

Now that my bloggers understand the way that I identify with music; the question now becomes, how does the rest of the world interpret music? How do you, my bloggers, perceive music? When other people scroll through their i-tunes libraries, what do they feel? These questions, in my mind, will never be able to be answered because although I can ask my peers, I will never be able to jump into their bodies and feel if their hearts, too, speed up when the introduction to the song Viva La Vida by Coldplay blares out of a set of speakers. The appeal to a song like this, to me, is the way that the way that the steady, fast beat makes me want to bob my head like they do in the movie Night at the Roxbury. However, for all I know it could draw emotions of frustration or anger from the stranger sitting next to me at the library due to a memory of a horrible time in his life that is instantly brought back whenever this song starts to play.

What brings forth these strong emotions? Is it the lyrics of the music we listen to? The melody? Both? Neither? I know that whenever I am feeling lonely and upset, I automatically go to my "sad" playlist on i-tunes. Though this sounds depressing, the lyrics to the songs on this playlist bring me comfort. I can't help but wonder if my feeling of comfort is the same feeling of comfort that athletes feel when their "pump-up" playlist permeates a field or arena on a game day.

My best friend, Liza, was captain of the varsity soccer team at our high school and she took it very seriously (a little too seriously if you ask me). Anyway, when it was our senior year, the girls varsity soccer team made it to sectional finals, which is an extremely big deal. The opposing team warmed up to the song "Let it Rock" by Kevin Rudolf ft. Lil Wayne. They repeated the song over and over again for the duration of the half hour warm up session prior to the game because they believed that this song would bring them good luck and help them win the game. Sure enough, the game went into double overtime and our team lost. Although the song probably had nothing to do with the reason why we lost the game, Liza refuses to listen to the song "Let it Rock" ever again. If we are driving in a car and it begins to play on the radio, she will immediately change the station. If it begins to play at a party, she will cover her ears and run out of the room.

Liza epitomizes the idea that music has different meanings for different people. The meaning of music is defined and tailored specifically to each person. There are endless types of music whether it be punk, rock, pop, classical, show tunes...etc, there are countless songs and artists who's messages are delivered, yet received differently by each individual person.

I plan to take the time in between this post and my next one to explore different genres of music that I do not typically listen to and see if it sparks any emotions or interests. I think it is essential for people to find their comfort zone when it comes to music, which I clearly have; however, I think that in order for me to fully understand all dimensions of the way that music affects my life, it is necessary to experiment with different types of music to see what impact that they have on me.

I hope that you, my readers, will set aside some time to think about the music that reaches into your soul, the music that makes you want to jump and scream, the music that makes you want to break down and cry, the music that makes you angry. How do you value music and how does it play a role in your life? What's your tune?

McLaughter and Tears

Human - Jon McLaughlin

Play Count: 513

Though the play count for this song may seem unbelievably high, I urge my readers to trust me that this number is in fact legitimate. After much contemplation and brainstorming about what my next blog post should be about, I realized that it was a no-brainer. The song Human by Jon McLaughlin, each time I listen to it, brings me back memories of a certain feeling that I can only do my best to describe.

Though it may sound childish (being that I am an 18 year old college student), I have attended sleep away camp for the past ten summers of my life. At Camp Kinder Ring, I learned to grow and develop into the person that I am today. Kinder Ring is the place where I met my ten best friends, I learned to love to shower with flip flops, I became able to feel confident enough to portray the weirdest sides of myself to my bunkmates, and I began to understand what it really felt like to have a home away from home.

You are probably questioning what Camp Kinder Ring has to do with Jon McLaughlin's music and lyrics. My answer to this question is...everything.

When I was a "teen" (this is what the 15-16 year old age group is titled) in the summer of 2007, our division was responsible for writing a song together and performing it in front of the camp before an important ceremony. Every year, the teens are given this responsibility and it is taken extremely seriously. Though it seems like a simple task, the song choice is extremely important because it is a melody that should be memorable and significant, as this song represents a milestone in our camp experience. After several hours of bickering and listening to an array of songs, we had finally agreed that this song was perfect.

We all sat down and wrote meaningful lyrics to Jon McLaughlin's melody. The lyrics represented the entire division, all 26 of us. The song involved lines that described our anticipation and butterflies that we had felt when we first drove through the gates of Camp Kinder Ring on the first day of camp. The song then went into detail describing how we were able to overcome our greatest fears and make friendships that will last us a lifetime within the gates of our summer "fantasy land". We coined this term because we all agree that the things that we have experienced together were nothing short of magical. As we wrote the lyrics all together, we pressed pause, rewind, and play countless times to make sure that our words matched the melody. We chose every word carefully, and we practiced singing our new alma-mater until it sounded flawless. As the ceremony approached in August, we all were anxious to give back to Kinder Ring what it had given to us. We sang about our friendship, our love, and our spirit for the place that we all we all had grown up and learned to accept the worst and the best in each other and also in ourselves.

I title my post "McLaughter and Tears" because the feeling that this song brings to me each time I listen to it I can only describe as bittersweet. Each time I hear the melody, I think of my camp experience and how fast time truly does pass us by. I think of the happiness I experienced on the first day of camp, and the sadness that I felt on the last night in August. It feels like just yesterday I was eight years old and watching the older girls sing their song to all of camp, and I can remember only hoping to be them one day. The incoming summer of 2010 is going to be the first summer where I do not return to 335 Sylvan Lake Road; Hopewell Junction, New York with my ten best friends. However, even though we live far apart and do not always get to see each other, I will always have Jon McLaughlin in my i-tunes library just a click away.

Why My I-Tunes Library is Better Than Yours

"My Top Rated"

1. YES - LMFAO
2. Wordplay - Jason Mraz
3. Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band
4. Spice Up Your Life - Spice Girls
5. Riding Solo - Jason Derulo
6. Lose Control - Timbaland ft. Jojo
7. I'll Be The One - Backstreet Boys
8. Walking on Broken Glass - Annie Lenox
9. I Believe - Blessed Union of Souls
10. Run-Around - Blues Traveler
11. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen

Eleven reasons why my i-tunes library is better than yours. Although songs may not be considered reasons in the eyes of some of my blog-followers, I would have to respectfully disagree. Each song on this playlist tells a different story. The reason why music (in my opinion) is such an interesting and intricate subject is because each of these stories is depicted differently and specifically by each listener. In addition, the artist of each song is trying to pass on certain emotions, opinions, and values to their audience. For these reasons alone, I believe that music is one of the most powerful aspects of culture.

I say culture without putting a descriptive word before it (i.e. "American" or "Teenage") because I am a strong believer in the idea that music is a significant part of every type of culture. Culture, similar to music, is interpreted differently by each person. Everyone expresses his/her culture in a way that is meaningful or specific to his/her personal values and emotions. I believe that being a teenage girl living in an American society, my form of culture is best expressed through the music that I embrace and listen to. Music is a part of my life, a part of MY culture, that is irreplaceable and necessary in order for me to function the way that I normally do.

Though these viewpoints may seem extreme and thus borderline ridiculous, I hope that my blog-followers will be able to understand where I am coming from. When I title this entry "Why My I-Tunes Library is Better than Yours", I truly do not mean to sound arrogant. I simply think that the music I listen to is representative of the type of person that I am. Therefore, my i-tunes library may convey different messages and meanings than that of the library of my fellow blog-followers.

My "top rated" play list is simply a list of songs that I not only enjoy listening to; but, songs that I believe describe my life in some sort of way. For example, Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" offers me exciting memories of the several Springsteen concerts that I used to go to with my father when I was a younger until he was diagnosed with Kidney Disease; thus, impairing his hearing and preventing us from going to these concerts together. Although we are not able to go to the concerts together anymore, it is a song that will always remind me of the times we had together when I was a child. Therefore, this specific song has significant meaning for me behind Springsteen's lyrics and music, as I'm sure it may for several other Springsteen fans or listeners who may have other experiences that are specific to their past endeavors in their own lives.

By creating this blog, I hope to enhance and instigate a thought provoking process for those who choose to read and follow my entries. I may not be a musician, a singer, or a famous lyricist; however, I do have substantial and creative thoughts about the music that I listen to. I am looking forward to expanding my horizons and truly looking in depth at the music that shapes my very own culture and my way of thought. I hope that my readers will be able to do the same for themselves. Even if this means just simply opening up their i-tunes and taking a closer look, I hope that my entries have a strong impact on my blog audience.