An excerpt

So, here is an excerpt of a recent reaction paper for my pop music class:

I had a hard time picking which video to write about this week as two of them really stuck out. However, my choice is for Justin Bieber’s video, “Baby.” On a completely emotional, “frank” level, I totally hated everything about this - the song itself, the video, the inclusion of Ludacris, and the general vibe I got. Everything about Justin Bieber irritates me to no extent, from his image, voice, and music, to how the general public seems to think that this is what musical talent is.

The music itself is catchy, but there is nothing that helps me distinguish it from any of the other pop song of today. Granted, I don’t listen to pop music other than what’s in my iTunes playlist or what I hear in public, but there’s nothing special about this. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought this was another pop chick. The interlude with Ludacris is awful. It doesn’t flow and I’m having a hard time trying to get what this collaboration is attempting to do. The video/song from last week, featuring Eminem and Rihanna was a successful collaboration for a variety of reasons, including the social issues both have dealt with, the juxtaposition of all of the male/female identities, etc., as well as the obvious musical/stylistic differences. Musically, I’m left wanting something that hasn’t been done 598,402 times already. Granted there are subtle differences between every song an artist does versus the massive compilation of radio playlists, but again, I don’t find enough to differentiate anything well enough for me to grasp onto and say, “Hey, who/what is that? That’s interesting.”

Vocally, I don’t find Bieber’s timbre appealing. I can see why some would, though - it has a seemingly innocent, pure sound. But, if I want a pre-pubescent male voice, I’ll listen to someone who can sing without fake intention and/or auto-tune; like the Vienna Boy’s Choir. I also find his delivery to be somewhat forced, fake, and overdone; is he even old enough to be singing about this type of stuff, to begin with? That’s a whole other topic, but roughly put, his image is a bit...too mature for him. The voice, style of music, and image just don’t add up in a cohesive way, in my opinion.

I can somewhat see the appeal of Bieber to a mass audience, but one can only wonder what’s going to happen in the future when he might grow up. Cheezy…

Just thought I would share that.

:-)

back to the grind!

It's the first day of classes. So far, so good. Only one class on Tuesdays/Thursdays, which means I'll be down here all week, but that's okay. I'll make it work.

So, to retouch some stuff:

The Commute: Not bad. @ midnight, it takes exactly 45 minutes to get from the music building to my driveway. That's pretty damn good. Traffic has been great lately, w/ the exception of idiot drivers and construction. However, Dr. King recommended getting off @ Geddes Rd., the one past Plymouth, to avoid the nasty construction. I tried it this morning and it seems to work well. I just take it to Huron Prkwy, then Hubbard, Murfin, and I'm home free. I do need to get a parking pass soon though, but I'm not sure if it'll work. But, @ least it's a hell of a lot cheaper than USC's...

I've also started looking for a place down here. More on this @ a later date when there's something worth telling.

The People: Everyone here is really nice, welcoming, and helpful. It's nice to know that you don't have to know everything the first day. I've made some good friends already and hope to make more! I think I'm going to do well here, socially.

More to come on this, as always.

The Academia: I passed out of every theory/aural skills class except form/analysis, which really isn't surprising. I'm terrible @ the stuff, so it's probably best that I be in remedial theory. I also got into the Univ. Phil. Orchestra, the 2nd group. I thought I bombed the audition, so this was/is a nice surprise!

So far, my schedule looks like this:

M: Orch. in the morning, Studio Class, late afternoon

T: 2oth Century Music (musicology class)

W. Orch., Pop music theory

TH: 20th C. Music

F: Orch., Pop music theory

Somewhere in there needs to be lessons and chamber music. It's a pretty light load, but not really.

Also, I need to find a job somehow, regardless of where I live. Gah.

Ok. I was planning on a long post, but just lost my focus. Damn hot boys.

Back to it...

Wow. So, the last week or so has been absolutely nutzo...but in a good way. Orientation is done and classes start on Tuesday. O.M.G. I'm a grad student AGAIN (yes, that month @ USC does count!)

My allergies have been a real bitch to me - instead of being stuffy-nosed and having respiratory misery, they're going a really dirty route - my sinuses keep draining and making me really nauseous. Granted, I know how to deal with nausea, it's a real pain in the ass to feel that way all the time. At least I have a cause. I wish there was a med that would just dry up everything and not make me drowsy or have odd side effects. Gross. I also haven't been sleeping well. It's so strange. You would think that being able to sleep in more often would be okay, but it seems to just make me feel even more weird throughout the day. Gah. I can't win! I sleep well, but am really groggy when I wake, even when I've gotten a great amount of sleep. I almost feel like I want to revert to my LA schedule, per say.

There is so much to tell about school stuff that I can't possibly fit it all in. But, the major things are that I'm mostly registered, I've met some great friends, I've met all of the oboe studio, I've gone clubbing, I've felt incredibly welcomed and "at home," and placed well in my ensemble audition. I'm so glad things have gone relatively smoothly so far and that I'm not the only one in the boat. @ CalArts, I often felt stranded. So, for a later post, I'll try to talk about everything I listed above. I'm not feeling particularly descriptive right now...

Quintet is going well - we're progressing and things are coming together well. Naturally, there are issues, but I'm trying to learn how to deal with them in a more professional manner. It's tough, but nothing worth doing is ever easy. I can't believe our recital is next week...this week will be spent practicing Mahle, Pasculli, and Borne. It's so weird to be accompanying someone again. I really hope I don't fuck it up. Then, there's the topic of the encore, my arrangement of "The Music of the Night." I've never hit a note above a...G in public. But, I think this is a great challenge for me, both technically and artistically. Getting more comfortable singing in front of an audience is something I need to do, if I'm to have any sort of career in the pop industry. It's nice to not have a reed and worry about getting water in your keys, but it's very scary to know that everything is YOU. Your voice, your artistry, your everything. But, I MUST remember to be relaxed and enjoy the moment. This is one of my favorite songs and while I'm not attempting to seduce anyone, I've gotta bring it. Otherwise, it'll just suck. My main thing is to just utilize tonal color, a bit of rubato, and keep it real. So, if the high note cracks or dies, well, oh well. I meant to do that. :-)

So, musically, I'm ready for all of the adventures and challenges to begin. I've gotten lazy and need to have my ass kicked back into gear. Bring it!

On a completely random note, my hair looks really great today - I wish it would cooperate like this ALL the time. Like, the picture on my UM card is TERRIBLE. But, who ever takes a good ID photo? It had to be a really hot, humid day and me all out of breath and sweaty. ugh. Oh well. My passport pic is worse!

My car is like a child. If it's not one thing, it's another. First the A/C, now the damn driver's seat belt. I think because it's fraying at one point, it gets caught just before it reaches the right length for me to fasten it. Ergo, I spend at least 5 minutes looking like an idiot trying to just get it to come out all the way! Grrr...I swear. When this car dies (knowing our luck, it'll last until the year 2748), it's going to be a pile of metal and plastic that is totally worn down into dust. I would be nice to look for another car (and a new oboe), but ha. $$$$ rules the world and neither the parents or I have any right now. I really have no idea how any of us are surviving. I'm not working full-time anymore and won't have a nice paycheck coming in 2x a month. Fuck. Oh well. One day @ a time.

For all that I bitch, I really hope that I can look back on everything and say that it was worth it someday. I hope it's not all in vain. I think if it ends up like that, I'm going to be a basket case.

Anyhoo, the fingers are tired now. More later.