Spring/Summer 2014

Hello, everyone.
I know I haven't posted since this past winter, but it's because during the semester, I rarely have time for anything other than doing schoolwork and trying to live my life in general. I do still care about my blog (how many times have I said that?) and I try to come back to it whenever I am able to.

Currently, I am taking a three week long summer course which is my lab requirement for the geoscience class I took this past semester. I just finished my Sophomore year. After I am done with my summer class in a couple of weeks, I will be going back to work at the ice cream parlor where I worked last year.

A word on my writing: I know many of you have faithfully followed "The Travelers." I realize I have left all of you in the lurch, as well as my poor characters, unless my having been so sporadic about it has meant that everyone has lost interest. I am undecided whether I will continue the story, partially because I have been unsure of where to go with it. Please comment if you have any thoughts about this story and whether you would like to see it continued.

I also am interested in doing more song covers for my youtube channel, but I have to get going and figure out which songs I want to do and then actually get my act together and record them. Again, let me know any thoughts you might have or if there's any song requests (I will try to fulfill requests but again, I do not know when any of this will happen).

I realize all of this seems up in the air, but know that I will continue trying to keep up the blog over the summer.

For now, I'll leave you all with a fun question (I hope it is fun): comment and tell me one of your favorite things to do in the summer! (I love to have picnics with family and friends.)

SURPRRRRISE!

Someone is actually posting on here!!!! Please do me a favor and don't all die of shock! Thank you! Much appreciated!
Anyway this has been a lively year on this blog, what with all SIX posts. That's one every other month! Except not really cause most of them were in January, and the year I guess still has like a month and half left... Oh and this is the seventh post of the year so anyway this is going nowhere.
Well anyway... It's the day before Thanksgiving, sooooo HAPPY THANKSGIVING! :)
Anyone want to take a wild guess at what made me decide to post on here? DING DING DING! you guessed it! I was bored! It's the night before Thanksgiving remember? So none of the holiday fun has started but all the pre-holiday work is done. :)
Anyway so if you all are looking for some great new music, I would just like to suggest the Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack. Seriously, even if you don't like the movie the music is really good! Both the score and the other stuff. The score is composed by James Newton Howard who I have never heard of before but he did a really good job! So if you like the scores from movies I defiantly go give it a listen and then the other music has some great songs on it too, Coldplay has a song on it called Atlas which is really cool, most the other people I've never really heard and to my knowledge haven't really heard any of there other stuff but I like their songs on the soundtrack! :) Plus if you are looking for a movie to go see Catching Fire was amazing!!! I plan to go see again if I can! Just be warned it is kinda sad, and I was supposedly crying for like half the movie (I don't think it was that much of the movie but w/e) but a movie that can make me cry that much must be good! And actually it's not really THAT sad.  However if you want a happy make you feel good movie I'd probably pick a different movie go see. Oh and for all you LOTR fans, there was a preview for the Hobbit before Catching Fire when I went which was pretty awesome so you could always go just to see that. ;)
Welp anyway once again HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! have a great weekend!!! :) Be Thankful, be happy and eats something yummy!


p.s. I'll to post again before the end of the year, but I don't make any promises!

200th Post

Wow! 200 posts. I was thinking I should write a post and just happened to notice that there have been 199 posts published on Las Tres Amigas--and now 200!!! Pretty cool.

A question about The Hunger Games for all of you fellow fans: I have the movie soundtrack now (music by James Newton Howard) and so far (I have not listened to the whole soundtrack yet) what I have heard has not been overly remarkable as movie music goes, but two have impressed me.

Track 6, Preparing the Chariots, is in itself not entirely memorable, but it has an intro to a very good track, Track 7, Horn of Plenty. I believe both of these are taking place while the other tributes and then Katniss and Peeta are entering in their chariots. There is a fairly epic theme at the end of 6 and throughout 7 that is definitely worth listening to, so for these tracks alone I would say the soundtrack is a good addition to a Hunger Games fan's collection.

So, anyway, the question for all of you, if any of you listen to the soundtrack, I'm interested to hear what you think of any or all of the tracks.

 http://www.amazon.com/The-Hunger-Games-Original-Picture/dp/B0078467LC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1339708803&sr=8-4
If you go to the link, you can hear samples of all the tracks on this soundtrack.

The Hunger Games

I finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on Friday and saw the movie on Saturday.  Since I saw it so soon after reading the book, everything they changed even the slightest bit in the movie immediately jumped out at me!!
Good/Not-So-Good things about the movie (according only to me) ;)

• I didn't think Peeta and Gale were as well-developed characters in the movie as in the book.
• Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss didn't quite fit with my image of her at first, but I pretty quickly got used to her and thought she did a great job.
• Taylor Swift's/The Civil Wars' song "Safe & Sound" song in the credits is really awesome!!
• I liked the rest of the soundtrack (by James Newton Howard) too.  It may not be immediately memorable, but I felt that it fit with the movie.
• I thought the movie was too long.  Perhaps it would have been an okay length, but I don't know what they would have had to do to make it an okay length. I almost feel like the book isn't long enough for the "epicly" long movie I think they were shooting for.

Just a few thoughts!! What did you like/dislike about The Hunger Games movie?

New albums from Taylor Swift and/or Bruno Mars?

So we all have singers where we're like, "Oooh, I want MORE awesome songs from this person!" For me, those singers would be
1) Taylor Swift (I would love it if she recorded a new album! I love her other ones!)
and
2) Bruno Mars (he has some great songs on his album and now I think he should record another one, maybe with "It Will Rain" on it!! :)
So who do YOU want to record a new album? :)

Valentine - Kina Grannis (Official Music Video)

Happy Valentines day everyone! :)

musicals

In the past few years, I've had a fantastic time being able to go to live performances of three great musicals. In 2009, I was able to go to NYC with my mom and we saw 'Phantom of the Opera'. This was my first live musical, and I loved it! I was in love with the whole performance, particularly the staging and the music. Some of my favorite songs in Phantom are 'The Phantom of the Opera', 'Think of Me' (as sung by Christine), and Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again'. Also very lovely is 'All I Ask of You'. In short, I pretty much love all the music! You can find out more about this musical at:

http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/

In 2010, I finally was able to see live the first musical I ever loved: the Broadway classic, 'Annie'--off-Broadway. I saw a touring production in New Haven, CT. This musical features well-known songs such as 'Tomorrow' and 'Maybe', as well as 'Hard-Knock Life' and 'You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile'. This musical is in a bit of a different style than 'Phantom', with more of the robust, strutting, brassy music, whereas the music of 'Phantom' is more towards a rock feeling, and never has what might be thought of as a 'classic Broadway feel' in regard to the music. Annie may be thought of as a 'kids' musical', but truly, it's just a fun show.

http://www.anniethemusical.com/

The third musical I bring up is one I saw a touring production of just last year in Hartford, CT. This is the fairly recent musical, 'Wicked', which centers around the 'back story' of the Wicked Witch of the West, of Frank L. Baum's 'The Wizard of Oz'. While I am not crazy about 'Wizard of Oz', I love 'Wicked'. I can say in all honesty that you do not have to be a fan of 'Wizard' to like 'Wicked'! It helps to have an idea of what 'Wizard' is about, but 'Wicked' can stand on its own pretty well otherwise. The music of 'Wicked' is amazing, particularly 'Defying Gravity'. Others I enjoy are 'What Is This Feeling?', 'Popular', and 'For Good'. I urge you to check out the official website; last I knew they had some of the songs up from the original Broadway cast recording.

http://www.wickedthemusical.com/

'One More' by Superchick

This is a great song called 'One More' by Superchick. I just discovered this song a couple days ago and I love it! The video does not do the song justice at al: the video is just a not very good slideshow. I really wanted to share the song with you guys, though, so just bear with me here! :)

Christmas Is All In The Heart - Steven Curtis Chapman

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs (by one of my favorite singers!) and I thought the part about it not being about the snow that may or may not fall was fitting for this snow-less Christmas. ;)

Consider giving these songs a try...

My thoughts on the following songs...
Stereo Hearts, by Gym Class Heroes:
this song is a bit ridiculous in nature but fun to listen to!
Far Away, by Nickelback:
this song has a country/pop feel and a bit of rock feel as well. It's a pleasant song to listen to, although at times I find the lead singer's voice gets a bit too husky.
If Everyone Cared, by Nickelback:
A feel-good kind of song (country/pop/bit of rock feel): this is the type of song I find helps to bring my mood up. Pleasant like Far Away, and like Far Away, the lead singer's voice gets slightly too husky at times!
Home, by Chris Daughtry:
Chris Daughtry is a country singer (I am not crazy about country music...) but I found that this song also tended to pop and rock (I am also not crazy about rock music but, a little bit doesn't ruin my fondness for a song...) This is a soul-searching, feel-good type of song that may either help to bring your mood up or leave you sympathizing with Chris Daughtry...or both, as it does to me.

I realize that all of these songs are all sung by men artists/groups. However, I do like certain female artists, such as Taylor Swift, and although I don't always like Adele's music, I have to admit that Adele is a talented singer, and actual, talented people are hard to find within the pop music industry!

Women's Choir Christmas Concert

Just wanted to make a short post telling everyone that our Women's Choir concert was yesterday afternoon and it went well!! If I ever get ahold of any good recordings, I will be sharing them with you!!!! :)
We also participated in a Jazz concert on Saturday, in which we sang two of our pieces.
:)

Bruno Mars

Some pop music with lots of bells and whistles (such as when it's obvious the person's voice has been run through auto-tuning and other electric stuff) can be fine and even enjoyable to listen to. I would call it an art form, really. Other times, however, you may wish you could hear pop music being sung by people who actually can sing. Or, you may be listening to the radio, and suddenly you hear someone singing, and you think, "Hey! They're actually good, and it doesn't sound like they had to do tons of stuff to make the singing enjoyable to listen to!" If you're really wishing you could find music like this, however, I would recommend Bruno Mars. Bruno Mars isn't totally new, but he's also a sort of recent sensation in the pop music world. Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to be as famous as maybe he should be. In an industry of many artists and songs that have obviously been tampered with to make them worth listening to, Bruno Mars seems to need very little help. He is a very good singer, with a nice range, of fairly low to pleasantly high. You don't hear many men pop singers who 1) sing high or (2 sing high well, but Bruno Mars can do both. He has very good technique and is obviously a skilled and gifted singer. I really recommend giving his songs a try.

Christmas music, continued! :)

Just wanted to say I'm listening to a new Christmas album right now. It's the Michael Buble Christmas album...normally, he's not one of my favorite singers, but I decided to give his Christmas album a try. I'm enjoying it, so yes, I recommend it! :)

Christian Contemporary Music

For a long time I've had a list of great Christian Contemporary music on my blog...that is not my entire list, though! I have an on-going list that I keep on my computer, and I thought I'd publish it as it is now...feel free to post your list, if you have one, in the comments! :)

• On and On by Chasen
• To Know You by Nichole Nordeman
• Blink by Revive
• I Want to Know You by Sonicflood
• So Long Self by MercyMe
• The Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North
• Undone by FFH
• Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath
• The Lost Get Found by Britt Nicole
• For Love of You by Audrey Assad
• Legacy by Nicole Nordeman
• Back In His Arms Again by Mark Shultz
• Wait For Me by Rebecca St. James
• All You Got by Tait
• I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin
• Who Am I by Casting Crowns
• This Man by Jeremy Camp
• Jump, Jump, Jump by True Vibe
• Forgiven by Sanctus Real
• Beautiful, Beautiful by Francesca Battistelli
• Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus) by Chris Rice
• We Live by Superchick
• This Man by Jeremy Camp
• My Own Little World by Matthew West
• Free To Be Me by Francesca Battistelli
• Let The Waters Rise by Mikeschair
• Here I Am by Downhere
• Before the Morning by Josh Wilson
• By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North
• Hold My Heart by Tenth Avenue North
• What Faith Can Do by Kutless
• Healing Hand Of God by Jeremy Camp
• The Words I Would Say by Sidewalk Prophets
• Before The Morning by Josh Wilson
• Get Back Up by TobyMac
• More Beautiful You by Jonny Diaz
• The Motions by Matthew West
• There Will Be A Day by Jeremy Camp
• Human by Natalie Grant
• City On Our Knees by TobyMac
• He Will Carry Me by Mark Shultz
• Your Love by Brandon Heath
• Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns
• Light Up The Sky by The Afters
• Praise You In This Storm by Casting Crowns
• Jesus Saves by Jeremy Camp
• If We Are The Body by Casting Crowns
• Born Again by Newsboys
• More Like Falling In Love by Jason Gray
• You're Worthy Of My Praise by Jeremy Camp
• Live Out Loud by Steven Curtis Chapman
• I Will Lift My Eyes by Bebo Norman
• Your Grace Is Enough by Matt Maher
• Voice Of Truth by Casting Crowns
• You Are More by Tenth Avenue North
• Sea Of Faces by Kutless
• Whatever You're Doing by Sanctus Real
• Two Hands by Jars Of Clay
• Hold On by TobyMac
• To God Alone by Aaron Shust
• I Am New by Jason Grey
• Gave It All by Parachute Band
• Until The Whole World Hears by Casting Crowns
• There Is A Way by Newworldson
• My Help Comes From The Lord by The Museum

Christmas music

Wait. Isn't it too early for Christmas music? Well, maybe! That hasn't stopped me from listening to it recently, though...including today! hehe...The truth is, I love Christmas music, and lately I've been enjoying listening to it once in a while. My favorite Christmas album is probably MercyMe's Christmas album. They took a bunch of awesome Christmas songs, mostly ones that are really well-known, and rocked them up (Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree is on it too...and that one doesn't need to be rocked up that much but still I love their version of it!) Anyway, who else listens to Christmas music off-season? What are your favorite Christmas albums/songs?
I also am excited about singing Christmas carols and playing Christmas music on the piano! I have to wait a bit longer for that though.........;)

Prince of Persia fans??

Hey! So, as you all probably know by now, I'm a Prince of Persia movie fan. I don't have an interest in the video games, just the movie (with Jake Gyllenhaal, who's really cool! and I saw him in Source Code recently and he's really good in that too!!! ;)
Anyway, so, I don't know that many other people who are fans of the PoP movie. Where are you, fellow PoP fans?? If you're one, I invite you to comment on this post!! :)
On the subject of movies and such, what are some of your favorite movie soundtracks?

A Year?

So, I realized that it was a year ago that I started this blog. Well...I don't know exact dates or anything, but it was last May that I started it. A whole year of posts? Wow! Of course, I've had help. My friends Rene and Preciosa have been authors on here for...I'm not sure how long. At any rate, THANK YOU to you both!!!
Over the past year, we've talked about a huge variety of different things on the blog and in the comments, all the way from re-written Spiderman comics, music, to who's cooler: Caspian or Edmund! It's been fun, huh? Well, I hope this past year you've been enjoying the posts here on the blog.
As we enter another year, comments and suggestions are welcome! Enjoy and thanks for reading! :)

Happy Almost March!!!

Well, here we are: it's almost March, and I'm looking forward to this ice and snow melting away.
And here's a question that will hopefully result in interesting discussion!! What sorts of music have you all been listening to lately? You can say what albums/artists, or type of music--you get the picture.

Defying Gravity

I'm working on a new song!!! Defying Gravity from Wicked!!! :D It's a REALLY cool song!!!! and I'm excited and yeah!!!! It's a hard song but yeah i'm going to try my best at learning it!!! Because I really want to sing it.
I've started voice lessons again, and had my first one last night. I've sung like, a lot of choral pieces, contemporary Christian (mostly not the really "rocky" ones!!! :), some Broadway--all of which I have enjoyed at one time or another, but...i'm really wanting to try some new stuff. I'd like to try to learn how to sing pop & rock, as well as more modern Broadway. Like Defying Gravity!!!!
As far as piano goes, i've been playing a couple pieces in particular lately: Lament for Gandalf from the FOTR book and some Clementi.
Other songs i've been known to sing fairly recently........"Time to Say Goodbye", and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again".
So that's how my music is going!!!