Music of 2010

I rely on music to help me sort through my thoughts, emotions, ambitions, frustrations, and priorities. I can utilize it to inspire me, calm me, make me mad, make me sad, or make me recognize the love and grace and beauty of God evident in this life.

I think music is incredibly powerful in its formative and transformative qualities. There are times where I purpose to listen to a particular song because the combination of the lyrics and melody and “other stuff” is something I believe I NEED to hear and let soak into my soul. There are other times when I have to avoid music – or at the very least, certain songs – so that I allow myself time to grow stronger before I submit myself to the battlefield that music can be for me.

This year has seemed very long in many respects. There have been some hard lessons to learn, some ugly shortcomings and faults in myself to face, some stretching, difficult, unanswerable questions that have surfaced, and some hard answers to recognize and accept. I didn’t really realize it until I was sorting through my iTunes library, but there seems to be a “theme” song that comes to mind from each month of this past year. I haven’t overly analyzed them to consider how much they reflect what was happening in my life during those months, but I’m pretty sure if I did I would notice at least some kind of link or characteristic between the song and my emotions – like I said, music seems to be intrinsically linked to who I am.

For record’s sake, I’ve compiled the titles and artists of each song that seems to “fit” with its corresponding month. To those of you who have closely tallied my life this year (or are regular stalkers of my blog), these songs and their month associations might not come as any kind of surprise. For the rest of you, I think this list of songs is pretty awesome for various reasons, and if you don’t recognize a song, I’d encourage you to check ‘em out. You just might find YOUR January 2011 song in this assortment.

January: “How He Loves” by David Crowder

February: “Seattle” by Jason Walker

March: “Hey Soul Sister” by Train

April: “Take Me As I Am” by FM Static

May: “Half of My Heart” by John Mayer

June: “What You’ve Done to Me” by Needtobreathe

July: “Let Us Love” by Needtobreathe

August: “Let the Waters Rise” by Mikeschair

September: “Shine On” by Needtobreathe

October: “Yet Will I Sing” by Audra Lynn

November: “Speak to Me” by Remedy Drive

December: “Arms Wide Open” by Misty Edwards

Happy New Year!

New Song!

I'm in the computer lab because I needed to actually accomplish something today, so I left my house! It's only halfway working.

When I went to sign in to blogger, I realized I automatically pushed AltGrand to use it for the @ sign (look at that, I just did it again!). Does this mean I'm going native around here? Euro keyboards don't through me for a loop? Yay!

I found a new song. I know, I know, you're thinking, "Didn't we just HAVE a blog about music???" and yes, you're right, we did. Yesterday. (OK, technically today, be went went over this already). But I like a new one I found enough to promote it on here!

Follow this link: www.myspace.com/daniL012988. It's the song on my profile. Title: True Love by Phil Wickham. If there's a more perfect, brand new Easter-type song, I've yet to hear it! (Hang on while I go push play on the song in the other window really quick!)

Come to find out, Phil Wickham has a whole new ALBUM out. How did I not know this?! Because I'm in Italy? Or just oblivious? Probably both. But really, being over here does play a part. Usually my sister and I will talk about music for an average of, oh, 10 hours a week? Usually at night when we should be sleeping. I don't hear about all her new discoveries all the time over here. Of course, she is good to myspace me and tell me about some, but there ARE more important things to talk about... Like shoes. Shoes are very important. Or sales. So, see, we have to reduce all that kind of communication.

Speaking of shoes and sales, I'm going to a black tie charity event next month! The Irish Embassy is hosting a Celtic Ball to raise money for homeless people in Rome and Ireland. And I've reserved tickets. I need a dress though. Anybody have a black cocktail dress they want to mail to me? And shoes? I'll bring them back in June!

And speaking of Ireland (don't you love how this is all tying in to Phil Wickham's song? And did you just go back to retrace this line of thought? Because I just had to...), I am the proud owner of a one-way ticket to Belfast for my spring break! I have friends there, and since I've never been to the Emerald Isle, I decided it was high time to check it off my list. Of course, it'll be for about 2 days, then I'm flyng to England for Easter dinner with some other friends there, then flying on to Southern France for a couple days there with a girl I just met, and FINALLY (hopefully!) on to Northern Spain to visit people THERE before I come home and read 3 books over the weekend and crash before school starts on Monday!

That's it. That's all the news I have. I think I'm going to sautee mushrooms and spinache and basil and tomatoes to have with integral (whole grain) pasta tonight, because I have all of them on my shelf in my fridge and I don't want them to spoil. Besides that, it's relatively calm here. I'm writing a paper on a Shakespeare sonnet, a Milton sonnet, and Keats sonnet. And finishing a paper on the concept and portrayal of virtue in restoration England (both due on Tuesday). I'm also still finishing up Emma, finishing The Woman In White, reading The Iliad, and revising a paper on Charles Dickens and the definition of plot. See why I'd rather be listening to fantastic music?!

Nickelback

OK, I'm a fan of the new Nickelback song "If Everyone Cared." It's a great song.

This past weekend was fun. Friday night I went to Chang's Mongolian Grill with my fam and the Pedersens. Good times. Saturday I worked on scholarship/school stuff, then hung out at my friend Melanie's house with Mel and her cousin-in-laws, Anthony and Adam. And Bethany, Mel's sister, and Bethany's boyfriend Kirk. A great group of people, for sure. Oh, before that I recorded keys on my friend Shannon's song. I think we got something worked out OK.

"And as we lie beneath the stars, we realize how small we are." That's a Nickelback quote, sorry. I'm just listening to the song and some of the lines are pretty sweet.

I'm starting to.... wonder about this whole college thing. Essentially I've got a college in Redding that I'm not too excited about, but I could potentially get 3/4 of my tuition paid for there, which would be nice. Even without the President's scholarship (which I'm applying for), I'd still get quite a bit of scholarship money. Then there is Cal Baptist, which I'm definitely interested in because of its location (southern Cal), and the housing situation (cottages or apartment options), and the fact that I could pursue music a bit (they've got STATE of the ART recording equiptment... I need to make some friends with musicians! Lol!), and the campus is gorgeous. Then there is Westmont, out in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara... how could you NOT like that??? It's gorgeous! But the school is the most expensive, and the campus is beautiful, but also kind of... eclectic. One of the things I really liked about Cal Baptist was how it was all uniform and University-ish. Westmont feels more like... camp. But the connection to having use of the formal gardens (wedding someday???) would be nice!

I dunno. I can't hardly imagine myself living in any of those places in 6 months, because none really excite me THAT much... But I'm also adaptable, I think, and I could handle being at any of them probably. I really don't want to do college that bad. I mean, I just want to skip through it... but at the same time I know I won't get enough out of it unless I LIVE it. And I want to travel abroad. If I had my choice I'd be going to Italy or Egypt next fall like I'd originally thought. But it's too late to do that at this point. I'll have to look at next spring. But then I've got Julie's wedding that I want to be here to witness. However, I know she'd understand too.

My contacts in Morocco haven't gotten back to me in a LONG time. I hope everything is still ago, because I'm going to be massively disappointed if it doesn't work for me to go. I'm just ready to ... get OUT of here. But at the same time, I don't want to go away for a long time. I've seen how Meg's connection to this area has really diminished, and I've been working on some new friendships that I'm afraid will just die out if I'm not around. That makes me sad.

I have Richard the III and Poli Sci to read, I best get off.

Midterms done, new music up, and chocolate....

Have you ever noticed how Americans have the capacity to completely slaughter certain words? Take the name "Peter" for example. My Shakespeare teacher says it beautifully. I say it like "pe-DER." She says it like "PE-tah." Try it. Say them outloud. "PE-tah" is much prettier than "pe-DER."

I had my poli sci exam tonight. I wrote my midterm for Shakespeare and turned it in last Tuesday, and had my health midterm last week. Yay! It's nice to have one round of tests done. I'll do the same thing again in a couple weeks, but then we'll be at the END of the quarter/semester (I'm doing both), which means I'll be only weeks/days away from departing the country, and that makes me immensely happy!

I joined the group "I'm Saving Myself for Wild, Passionate, Awkward Honeymoon Sex" or something like that on facebook. I saw it and just started CRACKING UP! I think it is awesome that someone started a group like that. I'm just getting the hang of this whole facebook thing. Actually, i totally don't have the hang of it because I haven't a clue as to how to upload pictures yet... but soon!

Meanwhile, I have another place to blog. As if two myspace accounts and this isn't enough! Lol!

I posted a new song on my music myspace. "Message" is what it is called. It's lyrical, probably more so than the other three I've got up. I like it. Actually quite a lot. I've popped over to the space just to listen to it several times.

I've decided that, for me, the fun part of recording is the vocals and the "extras." The initial keys are kinda a pain.

Heather bought extra dark lindor truffles last night. *blissful sigh* Those things are amazing. I'm glad I don't have them easily accessible all the time!

I went to fill my car up with gas today. I put in $9.00 and then it shut me off. I think that's because that was all I had in my checking account. *sigh* I supposed I better double check that. And reconcile my bank accounts. I hate doing that! Money is such a pain!!!

OK, yeah, this blog basically has no conhesive thought. Too bad. Long weekend this weekend, though, which I'm excited about! I might... go to Bible Study on Monday, or go to the beach, or watch a movie, or just sit home and do homework... BORING. I do want to go to a Romeo and Juliet performance this weekend or next weekend if possible. Then it is done performing, which would be a bummer to miss.

I should go running. I've been lazy this week. Actually I've been lazy for the past two or three weeks. It's raining like crazy and we all know I hate rain... I did a little running yesterday, but it wasn't enough! I thought I was starting to get sick last night, so I did extra doses of vitamin C and echinacea and multis, then downed a gulpful of Nyquil and went to bed. I was KONKED out... seriously! My alarm went off at 6:30 and I was COMPLETELY on cloud 27 when I got up to change the alarm time to later. It was bizarro.... but I slept really well and I feel fine today, so I think getting a good night's sleep might have done the trick... for now!

Yeah, K, time to close. I just thought I'd update this lovely site!