"I used to listen to only tu pac n ice cube since I was 13 and thought that it's music. Past week I discovered Bach. This is real music. I never Jumped out of my skin and floated to the moon listening to rap..."
This was a direct quote from a comment on a video on You Tube of Yo-yo Ma Playing a cello concerto that I was watching. I did not change the "grammar" of the quote because I thought it gives some validity to the quote. I truly feel like this person has never listened to anything but rap music since they were young.
(This is the video I happened to be watching, if you want to check it out.)
I love the way that he put it. There are some pieces that just make you jump out of your skin- like Night on Bald Mountain, or Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King
There are some that make you are floating on the moon. Classical can take you anywhere. At the beginning of Disney's fantasia they describe different types of music, some that tell a very clear, obvious story, and some that are more abstract and allow the listen to create a vision of their own.
I love classical music. It somehow just speaks to my heart and soul. When I started playing the cello in 7th grade I knew a few pieces, but as I played in orchestra I learned more music and love almost everything that I played. Some of my favorites you ask? Bach- Toccata and Fugue in D minor,Liszt- Liebstraum, Saint-Saens- The Swan,Dvorak- New World Symphony, Rimsky-Korsakov- Scheherazade,Handel's Messiah, Vivaldi's Four Seasons,Debussy- Claire De Lune, Aaron Copeland's Rodeo (played this one in High School. It is the Beef song) I could go on forever really! Just two more- first is Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. This is another one that I played in high school. It was my sophomore year, and it was a tough piece. It really challenged me, and I learned so much from this piece. It is so moving, and haunting. I love haunting music.
The last one is Nessun Dorma from the opera Turandot. I have never been to an opera, I have no idea what this show is about (I think I will go look it up on Wikipedia)But this song is amazing! The way it swells and the power of it is amazing. I want to see the opera just because of this song. Here is a video of Pavoratti singing it. AMAZING!
So tell me- are you a classical music fan? What are some of your favorites? What made you become a fan or if you are not, why not?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Th Bling
So the other day in one of my classes (Family Financial Management) we were talking about engagement rings. Everyone knows that they say that the guy should plan on saving 3 months of income (or is it two?) for the ring.
I know that engagment rings are sometimes a touchy subject for some people. I once had a conversation/slightly heated discussion with then boyfriend regarding engagment rings. This was the closest we came to talking anything marriage... anywho. There was a girl in his neighborhood who had just gotten engaged and she apparently had a MASSIVE ring. I don't remember what it was, and really did not care. Well we were talking, I had mentioned something that I liked regarding rings- this was in no way stating that a- he had to ask me to marry him b- that we were anywhere close to discussing marriage between us anyways or c- that I was setting my requirements on the subject. "C" was how he took it. He kind of freaked out saying that if I did not get the ring size, or whatever, than I would not marry that guy. Ugh. It annoyed me. So we avoided the conversation the whole time we were dating because he had flown of the handle at then mention of something little that I liked. Which by the way was nothing... it was small and nothing extravegent.
Anyways- back to the class discussion. Our teacher had asked the class what we thought about getting a fake diamond, and then for like the 5th or 10 anniversay replacing it with a real one. I had never really thought about this. But I kind of like this idea. And a boy in our class made the point that he is saving for the "Ring" and when he proposes will offer the girl a choice as to a real or fake diamond. Smart boy.
What do you all think? Married ones- does it really matter if it is real or fake?
Single- Do you have a preference? Why is it that you have this preference?
I am interested just because I have never really had a specific preference, mostly because I am not really a Bling Girl...
I know that engagment rings are sometimes a touchy subject for some people. I once had a conversation/slightly heated discussion with then boyfriend regarding engagment rings. This was the closest we came to talking anything marriage... anywho. There was a girl in his neighborhood who had just gotten engaged and she apparently had a MASSIVE ring. I don't remember what it was, and really did not care. Well we were talking, I had mentioned something that I liked regarding rings- this was in no way stating that a- he had to ask me to marry him b- that we were anywhere close to discussing marriage between us anyways or c- that I was setting my requirements on the subject. "C" was how he took it. He kind of freaked out saying that if I did not get the ring size, or whatever, than I would not marry that guy. Ugh. It annoyed me. So we avoided the conversation the whole time we were dating because he had flown of the handle at then mention of something little that I liked. Which by the way was nothing... it was small and nothing extravegent.
Anyways- back to the class discussion. Our teacher had asked the class what we thought about getting a fake diamond, and then for like the 5th or 10 anniversay replacing it with a real one. I had never really thought about this. But I kind of like this idea. And a boy in our class made the point that he is saving for the "Ring" and when he proposes will offer the girl a choice as to a real or fake diamond. Smart boy.
What do you all think? Married ones- does it really matter if it is real or fake?
Single- Do you have a preference? Why is it that you have this preference?
I am interested just because I have never really had a specific preference, mostly because I am not really a Bling Girl...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The Viewing
First to preface- I do not mean this in any rude, offensive, or insensitive way at all. I am sorry if anything I say, comes across that way, but it is in NO way intended to be hurtful or offensive.
With that said, on to the purpose of the post.
In the last year, I have found myself attending more funerals than I have in many years. My aunt past away this summer after suffering for many years with cancer. Her funeral was the first one that I had been to since I was fourteen. This week, an old Bishop in my home ward also past away, and his funeral is this weekend.
Now there is one aspect that I just do not understand about funerals at all. That would be the Viewing. It seems a little creepy to me to be honest. The idea that you invite everyone to come see a dead body is a little weird. Why do they need to see that? Is it to confirm that the person is dead? I really do not want the last thing that people see of me to be my empty shell of a body in a casket.
I know that the Viewing is suppose to help people with thier greif of loosing this person, and that it also helps bring about the reality of this person actually being gone, but I really do not want this to be the last image of me.
At my aunt's funeral, her brother said something that really stuck with me. (Well there was alot, but this is relevent) He said that death is only a hard thing for those who are getting left behind, that is us. It is hard because we are going to miss the person that is gone, and that there is so much uncertainty that exists after death, and that is why we are sad. But it is not that way on the other side- that is to say Heaven. If we have faith, and believe that there is life after death, and beleive in the Atonement of Christ, than death should be a celebration because we are returning to our Heavenly Father, and our family who has already passed on. And that there is a party that is going on in Heaven whenever anyone returns home.
I love this idea! This is how I want to be remembered. I want a big party to happen both here on earth and in heaven!
So that did not quite go the direction I thought it would, but that is where it went.
What is the point of all this? I think it is to celebrate life at all times, young or older. Everyone has a life to live, and has lived a life and that is what we should celebrate at partings- the time we had to spend together.
With that said, on to the purpose of the post.
In the last year, I have found myself attending more funerals than I have in many years. My aunt past away this summer after suffering for many years with cancer. Her funeral was the first one that I had been to since I was fourteen. This week, an old Bishop in my home ward also past away, and his funeral is this weekend.
Now there is one aspect that I just do not understand about funerals at all. That would be the Viewing. It seems a little creepy to me to be honest. The idea that you invite everyone to come see a dead body is a little weird. Why do they need to see that? Is it to confirm that the person is dead? I really do not want the last thing that people see of me to be my empty shell of a body in a casket.
I know that the Viewing is suppose to help people with thier greif of loosing this person, and that it also helps bring about the reality of this person actually being gone, but I really do not want this to be the last image of me.
At my aunt's funeral, her brother said something that really stuck with me. (Well there was alot, but this is relevent) He said that death is only a hard thing for those who are getting left behind, that is us. It is hard because we are going to miss the person that is gone, and that there is so much uncertainty that exists after death, and that is why we are sad. But it is not that way on the other side- that is to say Heaven. If we have faith, and believe that there is life after death, and beleive in the Atonement of Christ, than death should be a celebration because we are returning to our Heavenly Father, and our family who has already passed on. And that there is a party that is going on in Heaven whenever anyone returns home.
I love this idea! This is how I want to be remembered. I want a big party to happen both here on earth and in heaven!
So that did not quite go the direction I thought it would, but that is where it went.
What is the point of all this? I think it is to celebrate life at all times, young or older. Everyone has a life to live, and has lived a life and that is what we should celebrate at partings- the time we had to spend together.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
My Goal for 2011
This is something that I am going to need some help with. Mostly encouragement and let's be honest sometimes a little nagging from some people. My entire life, I have never been a runner. I see people running on the street and think one of two things- 1- They are insane to be running at this time of the year outside! or 2- Wow, that is really cool. I wish that I could just run like that. So my goal for this year is to become a runner. Now this is starting as a person who has never had any experience running, in fact I hated that part in PE classes.
The reason for this sudden change? Not sure really, maybe a combination of different things, the desire for change, the desire to have something happen for me this year, I don't know. I just know that I need to do this. So the goal is to run in the Provo City Half Marathon on Halloween. That gives me 11 months to get ready for it. I am going to start slow, and by the spring I hope to be able to do a 5k. Then in the summer do a 10k, and then get ready for the half marathon.
So for those of you who are runners, and have ran in races/marathons before, what did you do to train? Has anyone else started from point zero in training like me? anyone have any suggestions that will help me?
Please share! I have learned that the more people that you share your goal with, the more people you have to "answer to" And right now I think this will be the best motivator for me! If you need help with motivation for your goals, let me know what I can do.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
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