Music, Expressing Things That Can't Be Said

      Music has always been a part of our culture, whether cave man or sophisticated king. Like the tale of Pan, the god of wild things and the pan flute, music has always been so strong that it takes up a part of our history.

      I believe that music is a way to say love, hate, sadness, or jealousy without ever saying a word. It's the most powerful type of talking because it invokes feelings so that the listener can take the music and make it part of him. Nowadays it's hard to get feelings from music because it's all heart throbbing, jumping up and down, mash pit stuff that talks about sex and late nights at the club with a newfound beau. It used to be that music was wordless and only used the emotions of the listener to give it it's power. Maybe it's a personal thing with me, but I think that the reason people like the mash pit music is because it is safer and easier to listen to then symphonies and great ballads. For example, I recently listened to a track that told the story of a man. He falls in love with a woman but it's a false love, she betrays him and ends up being burned alive for being a witch. Yet while she's dying he still loves her and he pledges his heart to the girl. But, as all stories do, his life moves and and he forgets about her. But when he dies he goes to hell to be tormented by a hag he discovers is the soul of that witch. It's a difficult piece of music to figure out and it teaches a lesson.

      Music that has only words of love and lust is easy to listen to so most of the populace listens to that and they distain anything with the words "old", "modest", or "symphony" near it. It takes a bit of time to be able to listen to classical music and not die of boredom. It also takes a mature mind... little kids can listen to classical music but everything they hear is a blur and all they see in their heads is swirls and bursts of color. To close your eyes and see and feel a song is a wonderful but hard-won thing.

      What brought this on you ask?

      I recently went to a high school concert for the end of the year to showcase all their hard work. It was a wonderful concert but all my friends confided that they found all the songs - except for the violin rendition of Apologize - boring. I don't know how, my foot was tapping along to all the songs. But when I think about it, I realize that they have only been exposed to the mash pit music and therefore the slower, more meaningful songs such as the Cannon Waltz and Swan Lake would seem boring and slow to them. There is a reason those songs are still listened to after one hundred years while Justin Beiber will be older than Bob Marley by the time I turn twenty five. I love them dearly, but my friends have been close minded to listening to music. As a favor to your favorite Irish Princess, listen to a song called "In the Hall of the Mountain King" with an open mind. It might surprise you what happens when you just let go of your walls and listen for the little muse inside you that can tell you the next great idea. Music feeds our muse, and not just Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Try some Beetles, Beach boys, Rockapella, and if you're brave enough to open you eyes wide enough try some Hayden and Gershwin.

      Being able to listen with an open mind to a century old piece of music takes skill and willingness that shows you are an open mided individual who can think for yourself and make up your own moral and prefrences. Even if it's not in style at the moment, being true to yourslf and who you are is an important part and everyone.

      To cap off this enlightening post, I will request two things. One, the request I said above and Two, when you go to the next school concert or hear a ballad on the radio, try and listen without instantly scoffing and walking away. You might surprise yourself with who you are.

Irish Princess
      (in my dreams)
Rabecca

Scottish Clans

      I am trying to find out if I can join a scottish clan or not, even though I have no idea if any of my blood has come from Scotland.

      It's probable that I have some scottish blood in me, my Dad's family came from Northern Europe countries but the problem is I don't know which clan would be mine, how I could join it, or even if I can. I'm an American and therefore I can't really claim any one nationality because I was raised eating sausages and pizza in the same meal, two nationalities that are no where near each other but mixed together in American society. I wish I could claim to be scottish, that I could eat haggis without puking, and dance the fast songs without tripping over my feet but I can't say any of that.

      All my life I've wanted to go to Scotland or Ireland (though Ireland sounds more fun in the sense of stories, Scotland has a lot more history and places to see though someone could argue it is the opposite way around.) This entire thing has been brought on because I am going to Scotland for slightly more than a week this summer and I really want to be able to claim that I do, in some small way, belong there more than a common tourist. But because I'm shy about asking for things in person, I'm writing this now is hopes that one of the people who glance at my blog while they browse can comment and answer my question.

Irish Princess
      (in my dreams)
Becca

Skipping Class... :'(

      It doesn't count when you accidentally skip class right?

      I know how that sounds, like some cock and bull story that a kid would tell to get out of detention. But seriously, I'm going to school tomorrow and asking for detention because I feel horrible about the whole thing. But I have an honest good reason because I AM NOT THE KIND OF PERSON WHO CUTS CLASS! I promise.

      When I read I get sucked into the book and don't surface for anything, unless someone yells my name while shaking me so I lose my spot on the page. I'm serious, World War 111 could start and I wouldn't realize until a bullet slammed into my body. I can read for the entire day - forget to eat, move, hydrate - and I won't really notice. My Mom calls it me going into a coma. Truthfully this is all Mrs. Social Studies Class Teacher's fault because she gave me the book.

      The book in question is First Light, a story about a boy and a girl who are cousins but have never met each other. The Girl, Thea (can't tell if it's said Tia or Thea) who lives under the ice of Greenland where her people fled to from medieval Britain. She's never seen the sun or sky, never felt wind and she wants to find a way to expand her people's land but she ends up finding a path to the surface. The boy is taken by his father to Greenland for researching the glaciers. I loved the book, it had so many twists and turns and it was a descriptive paradise that I loved. I loved it a bit too much though.

      I recently came back from a basketball tournament (we got 4th place out of 6 teams, I know... pitiful) where I pulled a muscle. It really hurt and I couldn't do Gym today so my teacher sent me to the library to read a book. This book was the before mentioned First Light, which I ended up finishing in that one sitting. I looked around, saw my friends walking away and assumed the were walking to fourth block.

      Turns out that they were going to the buses because school was over. Yes, I'd been so absorbed in my book that I'd missed the last block. But honestly it wasn't entirely my fault (mostly it was but not totally) because our school has no fourth block bell, the librarians didn't call out their usual "Time to go Middle School!" warning, and the author was just so stinking good that I couldn't put the book down.

      Not my fault right? ...Nah, it was my fault. I'm just a retard person who gets sucked into books and loses all track of time, causing a probable telling off in the future.

      Yeah, that's my fascinating story into the life of a writing/reading -aholic who can't keep her head straight enough to notice that 3 hours had gone by, taking 2 class periods and a chance to improve my spanish grade with it. Yup... I'm such a dumby.

      Irish Princess (in my dreams)
Rabecca