Hello, and welcome to the beautiful season of spring!

Spring is one of my favorite seasons, and music being one of my favorite things is easily connotated to spring in my mind. As some of you may know from past blog posts, I visited Hawaii last year during the spring and summer season, and the islands flourished with wonderful music to defrost the frigid past season of winter (well, as frigid as Hawaii can get being a tropical paradise). Here are some videos to give you a glimpse into the relaxed and beautiful world of music that I visited.



I hope that you enjoyed these videos and that they gave you a jump start into the bright and magnificent season of spring. Good luck in all of your musical endeavors!

I experience music everywhere, constantly. Most people believe that music is strictly limited to the ears, but I believe that music affects absolutely everything. Our health, emotions, perspective, senses and much, much more are controlled by music. But even then, music isn't even limited to humans; the trees, animals, and the flow of the river, to name a few, are representative of music.

I wanted to touch on a subject that is very important to me, and I sense it every day. 

My piano teacher, Mary, is one of my closest friends, and her home is a little hidden speckle of happiness in this world that only I know. I remember when I would go to her house to have my lesson, and she would tell me, "You know Ariana, when I play, it's like my praying. I feel the closest to God when I play piano."

Her beautiful statement inspired me to go home and wonder when I feel closest to my God. I then realized that it was a combination of music and nature. I am able to connect with my spirituality through these two things. I believe that music is definitely everywhere in nature. I see music in the eyes of animals that inhabit the woods near my house. I hear song from the birds in the trees. I feel melodies under my feet in the dirt and in the leaves that I brush against. I taste harmonies in the breeze. Music surrounds me and everything I believe in.

This was a moment captured in Hawaii during the summer of 2015, and I remember the chimes hanging in this beautiful, sacred tree were singing songs that were new to my ears, and I had never experienced such tranquil beauty. I hope that one day I will be able to combine music and nature to create something so beautiful, and I hope that you will be able to create or experience something like this too.

Commentary - Music-Making For the Deaf

Hello!

I have always loved reading recent news articles on random topics, but a certain one caught my eye and I would love to share it with you all. Of course, it involves music and is definitely worth your attention. 

Music-making for the deaf

Basically, the article states that Birmingham (UK) researcher Richard Burn is exploring how to heighten the experience of music for deaf people. I applaud his interest in including everyone in the wonderful and indescribable adventure that is music. 

Through new technology, Burn hopes to illustrate haptic and visual feedback so that the person can identify different tone and sound. This is usually done through vibrations of the instrument itself (especially through percussion instruments), but now it is easier to understand music with other instruments through visual indicators as well as vibrations.

I emulate that this man is attempting to spread music to everyone because its healing properties and benefits are like no other. I predict that someday in the (hopefully near) future, we will be able to display music in all of its magical glory in more advanced ways to those who can't experience it. Maybe we could attempt to reach the auditory cortex in the brain to trigger memories, emotions, and movement through music.

I am glad that steps are being taken in the right direction towards making our lives better and more enjoyable, no matter our circumstances. I hope that Burn seeks his idea out, and soon, so that we are that much closer in a better direction.

Thank you for reading and good luck!

Happy new year! 

I am glad to experience my 16th rotation around the sun this year, and I will no doubt welcome some big changes in my life. I hope that you find your inspiration for this new year as I sit here and rattle on about mine.

I don't like to make new year resolutions or goals (contrary to last year's new year post), but I like to expand my mind to allow more inspiration from places that I would not expect. 

Of course, albums from other artists are always there to inspire me to be truthful and insightful in my writing. My favorite albums at the moment are The Lumineers' self titled album The Lumineers, Justin Nozuka's You I Wind Land And Sea, and John Mayer's Paradise Valley as well as Room For Squares.

"Paradise Valley (album)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

"You I Wind Land And Sea." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

"Room For Squares." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

"The Lumineers Vinyl + Digital Download Card." The Lumineers. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2016.

I also try to find inspiration in my environment, because what surrounds me is also what I will end up fascinated with. I like to hike up at the foothills near my house and listen, watch, and accept how small I am in this big world. It helps to clear my mind and find out what is really important enough to express on pen and paper.

My last huge inspiration is in myself, and as narcissistic as that sounds, just hear me out. I have been having absolutely CRAZY dreams lately, to the point where I think about them all day. Don't worry, I won't go into detail, but they inspire me to strive to be a better version of myself. I constantly struggle with self purpose, but it is in those midnight visions where I find an elevated sense of self.

I hope that you all take every moment in this new year to find your own inspiration and figure out what that means to you. Apply your wisdom to your passions and you will definitely create beautiful things. Thank you for reading and I wish you all the best!

Hello!

Just last week while my mom was cooking dinner I was doing my homework, which is a normal routine for us. My mom usually puts on BB King radio on Pandora which we both really enjoy. A song came on that really hooked me, and I immediately smiled and just listened. This song was "Angelina" by Keb' Mo'.

I loved everything about this song, the lyrics, the upbeat tempo, and the amazing guitar work. I found this video by the youtube user Pedro Guimaraes that I believe most of you will enjoy.

"Angelina" Keb' Mo'

Thank you for reading and I wish you all the best!

Hello again! I just wanted to make a quick blog post to share an amazing video I found today. 

As I do my homework in the evenings I usually listen to music that soothes and relaxes me. My playlist on Spotify mainly consists of Ed Sheeran, Corinne Bailey Rae, Claude Debussy, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Justin Nozuka, and John Mayer. Earlier this week I heard "Neon" by John Mayer, and the intro hooked me; I have to admit that I got really excited over this song. How had I not heard this before?!

In an attempt to also progress in my guitar playing I frequently look up live shows of my favorite artists and focus on the guitar. After hearing "Neon" I looked up a live video and came upon this one by the user Paul Kellerman. I just had to share it because this has changed my life. 

John Mayer - Neon (Live in LA - 1080 p)

Thank you for reading and good luck!

How to: Compose an original song

Hello again! I am back to share my insight on writing songs. And before you begin to wonder, no, I am not a very experienced or formal song writer; I just go with the flow and follow my own inspiration. Now, down the fun stuff... songwriting!

There isn't a step by step process of writing a song; you should follow your inspiration and let the words and music flow through your mind and body. If you find that your creation feels too technical, try opening the wells of your mind, listen, and be patient.

To begin, I usually encounter or experience something that instantly generates a flow of poetry in my mind, whether that be new life (like my baby cousin), nature, or anything that makes me feel a wave of emotion.

All of these images are moments captured by my amateur hand when I felt a surge of emotional energy. Moments like these should be a huge inspiration in songwriting/poetry.

Letting the flow of poetry take over is a key step in writing an amazing song, but you also need to have control over your creativity. Adding a musical instrument to poetry makes a song come to life. In my opinion, a song is most easily put to piano. By learning the key signatures and chord scales, you can easily create melodies and tunes that will coincide with your poetry. 

http://www.piano-keyboard-guide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/key_signatures_chart.gif

http://www.bandcoach.org/KSC/ScalesMain72dpi.png

 A final step in songwriting is to have fun and let loose. You should always channel emotion into creativity, and when you feel frustrated, tired, sad, joyful, or any other feeling, it is best put into poetry and music. I have a journal in which I document the innermost workings of the poet and musician in my head. When a melody or line of poetry comes along, I take hold of it and immediately write it down. 

I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of songwriting! I find inspiration in everyday life, and the beauty of life itself is enough to make me feel gratitude and joy. After reading this post, go outside, take a breath of fresh air, and promise yourself to be an inspired, grateful, and humble soul. A beautiful song may be on the horizon once you reach a nice state of mind.

Thank you for reading and good luck!