Since April, I have been a fan of Nick Pitera, who is a singer on YouTube. Although he is an incredibly talented singer, singing isn't really his job; he works as an animator at Pixar Studios. He's worked on "Brave" and the Pixar short, "La Luna". He once auditioned for Glee, but I don't think Glee is good enough for him. I think he should be on Broadway. He has a very impressive vocal range - he can reach both high notes and low notes, which means he's able to sing both the female and the male part of a duet.
I love his cover of the songs from The Phantom of the Opera, which is my favorite Broadway musical.
I also love his cover of many of the songs from Les Miserables, my second favorite Broadway musical.
He's great at acting and performing, as well. This is a Disney song medley he made. He acts out every character, whether it be the hero or the heroine, or the villain. And it's all sung by him!
This is his tribute to The Lion King musical, which is based off of one of my favorite Disney movies. At the end he's singing on the stage at The Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco (he made this when The Lion King was showing in San Francisco). The Lion King is also a favorite Broadway musical of mine. I love the culture, the songs, the atmosphere, everything in this musical. It's so cool how the costumes are artistic and made to represent aspects of nature, or animals. It's a magnificent musical, and in my opinion, one of the best. The costumes are breathtaking. They're beautifully made, well thought out, and very detailed.
I really like his version of "Someone Like You", by Adele. He sings it in his low voice.
"Better Days" is Nick Pitera's first original single. This is the music video:
I like "Better Days" - it has a beautiful sound, and a hopeful message. I'm looking forward to hearing more of his music in the future!
I think this might be my favorite out of all of Jessie J's concerts. I love the glittery golden dress she's wearing, and how her spirited enthusiasm radiates about her on the stage. She puts all of her heart and soul into this performance, as she does with every performance. I don't think she stopped devoting all of her energy to her performance until after the concert was over. She's a true artist! She's where she belongs, performing for an audience. It's clear that she truly loves her fans, and you can tell by her smile that she loves when the audience participates in singing the songs. She is such a talented singer. Her vocals are incredible! She has so much control, and there is so much power in the volume she projects. Here is the live performance of "Laserlight"and "Domino" from this concert, which took place at Camden Roundhouse in London. I like this version of "Laserlight" better than the original. To me, it has a nicer sound, and I like how she sang the notes here.
And here is the live performance of "Who You Are" at Camden Roundhouse.
A song I have been listening to recently by Jessie J is "Technology". Here are the lyrics:
This song is about how the people of the present day world are steadily becoming more and more engulfed by technology. We seem to be spending more time facing a screen than looking at a real person. It's ironic that I'm saying this, when I am looking at a screen while typing this. It's as if our world has been transported onto a screen. Since we are social creatures, this lack of face-to-face contact is damaging to us both mentally and emotionally. We are losing contact with the real world, and are instead living in a false, fragile, and superficial world, where things are no longer real. In a way, technology is replacing people. Jessie reflects on this in a clever way through this song. Here, in this video, she sings a live version of the song. She explains the meaning of this song before singing it. I like the outfit she wears in this video. It's a nice violet color, and makes me think of abstract art. After she sings a bit of "Technology", she sings some of "L.O.V.E." as well. "L.O.V.E." is on her album "Who You Are".
It all started in fourth grade. One school day during lunch, I walked into the library, in search of a book. I had seen the first and second Harry Potter films in first grade, but I don't recall really making the connection when I came across a row of Harry Potter books on the shelf. My memories of watching the first two Harry Potter films were slightly blurry, and only certain scenes came to mind when I thought of them. I hadn't really understood what the Harry Potter films were about, or who the characters were. In first grade, I only really took in the atmosphere of films, and certain scenes would leave an impact on me and stay in my mind, but I never completely understood what was happening in them. So I didn't really make the connection between the books and the two films I had seen before. So, in a way, my discovery of Harry Potter did not begin with seeing the first two films in first grade, but when I began reading the books in fourth grade. I checked out Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and began to read it. Immediately I was swept away by the story, the characters, the atmosphere of the series. I read book after book, so that by the time I was in the fifth grade, I had come to the fourth book in the series. For some reason, I never finished the fourth book. I started reading it, but I found it less interesting than the previous ones. Not soon after I had started it, my dad bought me the fourth Harry Potter movie as a surprise one day, having caught on to the fact that I was obsessed with Harry Potter. I watched the movie, and after I had seen it, I didn't feel like reading the book, since I already knew what would happen. So I skipped the fourth book in the series, and moved on to the fifth book. By sixth grade, I was finishing reading the sixth book. I remember very vividly (spoiler alert if you haven't read the sixth Harry Potter book before) when I read the scene in which Dumbledore dies. I was sitting in my car, waiting for my brother's art class to finish, when I read that scene. That was one of the few times a book has ever made me cry. I couldn't believe it had happened. Professor Dumbledore was a well beloved character, and would be painfully missed in the next book. Not long after I had finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I excitedly moved on to the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which is the last in the series.
I loved all of the Harry Potter books dearly, especially Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which opened this whole new world of fantasy and imagination for me. You know how reading a book takes you into a world which you have trouble leaving when you have finished reading it? I didn't want to leave the world of Harry Potter when I had finished reading the series. I had Harry Potter in my mind almost all of the time. I went through an incredibly long phase of being obsessed with Harry Potter. I had read all of the books by J. K. Rowling (except for the fourth one), seen and loved all of the movies with Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, Rupert Grint as Ron Weasely, and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger. By the way, I used to think her name was pronounced Her - mi - own, instead of Her - mi - nee. When I began to get into watching the films, I realized her name was not pronounced like that. So from then on, I pronounced her name differently in my mind when I read the Harry Potter books. Her character never felt exactly the same for me after the change in pronunciation, though. It's funny how much a name helps to create a character.
When I was younger, I would often wish I could receive the letter of acceptance to Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I even designed the kind of wand I would want to have, what sort of owl I would like, and what house I would be in. I've always wanted to be in Ravenclaw, but I think it more likely I would end up in Hufflepuff. I decided I would want to play Quidditch, and fly on a broom. I even imagined meeting Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. As Harry Potter grew up and the films continued, I grew up. It was as if the Harry Potter series grew up with me. This made Harry Potter a large part of my childhood. When I turned eleven, the letter never came. To this day I still wish I could go to Hogwarts and be a witch.
The world of Harry Potter never left my mind. I'm not "obsessed with it" any more, but the story, the characters, are all in the back of my mind. I would say despite not reading a Harry Potter book for a long time now, and not seeing any of the films in a while, I am still an expert on the subject of Harry Potter. Watching any of the Harry Potter movies, even a short scene from it, will bring it all back to me.
I've decided to begin a series in which I will discuss my favorite moments from season one, and perhaps the current second season as well, of the show Once Upon a Time. The moments I will choose to talk about won't follow any sort of pattern; they will be chosen from various episodes, most likely out of order. One of my favorite episodes from Once Upon a Time, is called "Hat Trick". It was episode seventeen of season one. I thought the episode was brilliant from beginning to end, but what really struck me was a certain quote. I thought the conversation between Emma Swan and Jefferson was very well written and thought out; it left a strong impression on me. I always agreed with this idea, this philosophical perception of reality vs. fantasy. So to hear it being spoken aloud in this show made me so happy, I felt like squealing and jumping up and down at the same time while watching it. I was practically fist-pumping the air when this dialogue began. This is the quote I'm raving so much about: Emma: "They're just stories. The mad hatter is in Alice in Wonderland, a book. A book I actually read - " Jefferson: "Stories. Stories? What's a story? When you were in high school, did you learn about the Civil War?" Emma: "Yeah, of course." Jefferson: "How? Did you read about it, perchance, in a book? How is that any less real than any other book?" Emma:"History books are based on history." Jefferson:"And storybooks are based on what, imagination? Where's that come from? It has to come from somewhere. You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants a magical solution for their problem, and everyone refuses to believe in magic. Now get it to work." Emma: "Here's the thing Jefferson. This is it. This is the real world." Jefferson: "A real world. How arrogant are you to think yours is the only one? There are infinite more. You have to open your mind. They touch one another, pressing up in a long line of lands, each just as real as the last. All have their own rules. Some have magic, some don't. And some need magic...like this one." I love this moment. It's like the characters actually turned around and analyzed themselves, or the whole concept, the whole idea this show is based on. It almost felt as if they were "breaking the fourth wall" in that scene. It made this world feel so real, as if it could be happening right now, in our world, so that one forgets that Once Upon a Time is just a T.V. show, and not really happening. Moments like this make me love this show more and more. For me, this was definitely one of the best moments from season one of Once Upon a Time.
This is one of my absolute favorite songs by Jessie J. I think it's one of her best. The live version of this song, which is on her album "Who You Are", is amazing. Her vocals are very, very impressive. "Big White Room" has a beautiful and therapeutic sound. It's one of the first songs by her that I heard, when I first discovered her music.
Note: I forgot to mention what the meaning of this song is. "Big White Room" is about when Jessie J was in London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, when she was eleven years old. She was being treated for an irregular heartbeat. A friendship grew between her and a boy she shared the room with. One night she woke up to see the boy praying to God that he would live, as he would have an operation the next day. The next day, he passed away. Here is a quote from Jessie J about this song: "He died the next day so I said to my mum 'but God didn't save him'. I was so angry and it really confused me. I always wanted to write a song about the experience, but I knew I had to be of an age where it wasn't tacky or depressing and had a lightness to it." Jessie decided that the live version sounded best, and as I stated above, it is on her album "Who You Are". This is a very emotional and meaningful song. "Big White Room" is the first song Jessie J wrote.
I just can not stop listening to this song. It's addictive! It's so energetic and cheerful, I just want to blast it on a radio or my iPod and jam out to it, and "dance like nobody's watching". But I won't, since that would be a little really embarrassing...I mean, imagine how ridiculous that would look. As you can tell, I am far too self conscious to ever be brave enough to do that and not give a hoot about all the strange looks I would get. Still, it's tempting to do that with some songs. And this is one of those songs. It's like every beat demands you to get up and start dancing!
"Domino" is more carefree and less serious than some of Jessie J's other songs, but I like it just as much. When I first listened to it, I wasn't sure if I liked it, but it wasn't too long before it grew on me. Below is the music video for "Domino". I lost count of how many different outfits she wears in the course of this video a while ago.
Regarding the outfits she wears in this music video, I would say I like most of them. If I were asked which is my favorite, I would say the one with the decorative butterfly mask (Is that what it is? Well, I think that's what it is...).
I've heard that some people think she sounds a bit like Katy Perry in this song. To them, I say psh. In no parallel universe will Katy Perry ever be able to sing as well as Jessie J. As Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind would say, don't make me laugh. (Apologies to any Katy Perry fans reading this who were offended by that true statement - ehm - I mean, personal opinion. Okay, okay. Sorry. But seriously, Jessie J is a better singer, I don't care how much a fan of Katy Perry you are.)
Another song I've been listening to recently is "Cold War" by Janelle Monáe. There is so much meaning behind this song, on more levels than one. It gives me chills when I listen to it. There's also a lot of emotion present, which becomes especially clear when you see the tears form in Janelle's eyes as she sings. This song has the ability to strike a tune with our emotions, and our thoughts, as well. There's not much else for me to say, except that this is just a really good song.
Yet another song I have been listening to, is Mika's song, "Happy Ending":
These are the lyrics:
This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory, No Happy Ending. This is the way that we love, Like it's forever. Then live the rest of our life, But not together.
Wake up in the morning, stumble on my life Can't get no love without sacrifice If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well A little bit of heaven, but a little bit of hell
This is the hardest story that I've ever told No hope, no love, no glory Happy endings gone forever more I feel as if I'm wasted And I'm wastin' every day
This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory, No Happy Ending. This is the way that we love, Like it's forever. Then live the rest of our life, But not together.
Two o'clock in the morning, something's on my mind Can't get no rest; keep walkin' around If I pretend that nothin' ever went wrong, I can get to my sleep I can think that we just carried on
This is the hardest story that I've ever told No hope, no love, no glory Happy endings gone forever more I feel as if I'm wasted And I'm wastin' every day
This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory, No Happy Ending. This is the way that we love, Like it's forever. Then live the rest of our life, But not together.
A Little bit of love, little bit of love Little bit of love, little bit of love This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory, No Happy Ending. This is the way that we love, Like it's forever. To live the rest of our life, But not together.
This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory, No Happy Ending. This is the way that we love, Like it's forever. To live the rest of our life, But not together.
This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending. No hope, no love, no glory, No Happy Ending. It's a beautiful song, both in the way that it has a beautiful yet sad message (perhaps bitter sweet, as well), and sounds beautiful to the ear. I've listened to it numerous times. My impression is that the lyrics speak of a heartbreak. It's interesting how the message of "Happy Ending" is sad, yet the sound of it is happy and uplifting. But then, all of Mika's songs sound happy and uplifting, which is part of why I enjoy listening to his songs so much!
I take an interest in evaluating things - especially people. Today, I'm going to evaluate an aspect about myself.
I am a contradiction. One side of me is
quiet, shy, thoughtful, reserved, and unassertive, like Jane Bennet.
The other side of me is more like Elizabeth Bennet. The Elizabeth
Bennet part of me is talkative, spirited, and of a more open temper. This
part of me is also cheerful, energetic, and hyper...perhaps a bit like Emma
Woodhouse?
I call these contradicting sides of me the
"Melanie side" and the "Scarlett O'Hara side". Half of me is like Melanie Hamilton, the other
half of me is like Scarlett O'Hara.
Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamilton
in Gone with the Wind.
I feel that the Melanie side of me is what most
people see at first. When people come to know me well enough,
the Scarlett O'Hara side of me is revealed. Because of this, I feel
like the Melanie side of me is on the outside, and the Scarlett O'Hara
side of me is on the inside, though in truth I think they're both a part of me. Most people think of me as someone
who is shy, timid, and nice. The problem with this, though, is I end up being tactless more often,
since I'm so used to others assuming I'm always polite. Politeness seems to be associated
with shyness. My great grandmother was like Melanie Hamilton in the way that she
was gentle, kind, selfless, and pure of heart. As a result of this
association with my great grandmother, I have always liked the character of
Melanie in Gone with the Wind, despite her one sided nature.
Scarlett O'Hara is more complicated. She has more
layers and more faults, which make her appear human and "three dimensional",
and people can relate to her. I don't completely agree with this idea,
however. I think Melanie is also a complicated character, but this is
harder to see because of her subtlety. I'm not even sure if her character
was meant to have complications. It's an idea of mine, and even if the writer of her character didn't intend it, that is what I perceive. It's open to interpretation. Now I'm
contradicting myself again! This is another way I contradict myself - there
are usually two different ideas in my head at the same time. This is why I do not do well in debates, despite how much I love them; I always come up with another idea that opposes the first idea I had. I also have trouble with not
wandering to different topics in discussions...
...where was I?
Melanie Hamilton and Scarlett
O'Hara are like two opposite elements of human nature. Melanie seems to be the
opposite of Scarlett in every way. If I were to express their
differences using color, I would paint cool colors to represent Melanie, and warm colors to represent Scarlett. Whenever I watch Gone with the Wind, I find myself relating to
and sympathising (Living in America, I presume I'm supposed to spell sympathise
with a z, but I prefer to revolt and do it the British way. An s looks better, anyway...) with both Melanie and Scarlett. Underneath
the English-like coolness and reserved attitude (the reserved attitude is known
to be present in English culture), I am more like Scarlett, and the Irish
in me comes to life. Irish women are known for their fiery temper.
They are strong and spirited, which I believe was present especially in
the time of the Celts, and the Pre-Celts, as well. Pre-Celtic and
Celtic culture perceived women as equal, and they were very powerful and full of
spirit. This reminds me of the women in Spartan culture. Spartan girls were trained physically for fitness as well as the boys, and Spartan women had more rights and were more equal compared to Athenian women. Of course not all Irish women are as I have depicted, but in my
eyes, those that are shy are most likely spirited beneath. Who knows? They could just be hiding it.
Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.
One of the things I
identify with the Scarlett O'Hara side of me, is the desire for vengeance.
I'm a very vengeful person. Even if I accidentally hit my elbow on
a wall, I will hit that wall back - and I have pretty sharp elbows, let me tell
you. I know, it sounds a bit nasty, and maybe a little intense...but I
can't help it. Vengefulness is a part of my nature, and my personality. It's debatable whether or not it is a flaw, but flaw or not, I will always have it. No matter how contradictory, it is how I will always be.
