This is the End

Here we are friends. Thursday is the last day of my junior year of high school, and I must say, it flew by fast. And with the end of the school year comes the end of this dear blog. It was only an assignment, and though I wish I could say it became more than that, I cannot. Blogging is just not the life for me, but I do appreciate the journeys we have gone on together exploring the mysteries and complexities of music. I have poured my heart out to you, whether I meant to or not, and I greatly appreciate you always being there to listen. Goodbyes are hard, and who knows, maybe if I’m feeling inspired in the future, I’ll grab my laptop and smash out another post. But I wouldn’t count on it…

I know I have shared a lot more personal stories than my counterpart Lyman on this blog, and I believe that is due to the different ways we perceive and experience music. He doesn’t listen to music all that much, he is more about playing and composing and figuring out the logistics of music. I, on the other hand, am drawn to the emotion of music. I listen to it to feel things, to hear others expressing the same feelings I may be having at any given moment, to be an outlet for all my pent-up teenage angst I hold inside. I hope, no matter what music means to you, that you never give up on music. I’ve come close to giving up, not only on music but on everything, and I cannot express how grateful I am to say that I didn’t. There is so much beauty in the world, whether it be in a song, a dance, a sunset, or an exchange of smiles. Never forget the little beautiful moments in life. Remember the feeling you get when your favorite song comes up on shuffle, or how you felt the first time you ever sang or played an instrument. Music is so intensely powerful, not even scientists are aware of how far the capabilities of music stretch. I know that no matter where I end up in life music will always be a part of my life, and I hope all of you can say the same.

It has been a wonderful journey, and I hope that you keep your eyes, ears, and hearts open to the incredible beauty all around you.

Castell ♥ ♫

Goodbye All

It has certainly been a busy and interesting year. I have learned a lot and improved a ton. I have come out of this year successful in my academics and decorated with awards from my various extra-curricular activities. This year has been nothing but a blast and writing this blog has been no exception. It is now the end of the school year and this will be the final post to this blog. I would like to thank all who read it or commented on it or gave me any kind of feed back that would help me improve. To me, this blog has become a success because I found the means to get my ideas out to people through it. I think that this blog has made me a better writer and thinker and I again thank all who helped and read.

As for music, it is truly passion. I love music and everything about it and I hope that everyone in the world has the chance to experience music. I encourage everyone to listen to, play, or write as music music as they can as I think it helps with everything from being able to focus to being happy. Music really does bring joy and I hope that if anything, I have given you at least a few videos with some good music or something like that.

Lastly, remember the phrase “Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.” Let music fill your soul and enjoy every day with a song in your heart. Trust me, people will notice a difference if you walk into a room with a song in your soul. You will be happier and more fulfilled, guaranteed.

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

Goodbye all,

Lyman

Graduation Goodbyes

This was a very busy weekend. It was graduation! The choir, band, and orchestra all have the “privilege” to perform at the cerem0ny, but the choir and orchestra are fortunate enough to be able to leave after they are done. The band gets the short end of the stick and are forced to sit through the entire ceremony until they play the processional as the graduates walk across the stage. I’ve never actually stayed for the entire ceremony so I have not witnessed said event, but it sounds extremely dull.

Singing at graduation is always an emotional time because it is the very last time that we will ever sing with the seniors, and the last time they get to sing for our beloved director, Mr. Z. We sang several songs at graduation. A quartet of senior members of the Chamber Choir sang the national anthem at the very beginning of the ceremony. Then the choir joined forces with the band and orchestra for a large performance of “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Then the choir sang the popular song “For Good” from the musical Wicked. This was especially emotional for everyone due to the heart wrenching lyrics of “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” I know every single senior leaving us this year has affected me someway, somehow, and I’m going to miss nearly every single one of them dearly. They are amazing people and I know they are going on to do bigger and better things, and I’m so thankful that I got to work with them and get to know them at this point of my life and theirs. After that song, with the tears now flowing, we began to sing our last song of the night, our school’s Alma Mater. This song is short and very unremarkable, but what makes singing the Alma Mater special at graduation, especially for the seniors, is when Mr. Z looks every single senior directly in the eyes. This is his own special way of saying goodbye to these extraordinary people, and few make it through with a dry eye.

It was a pleasure singing with these beloved seniors for the last time at graduation, and I cannot wait to see what they will accomplish in their futures.

Plato 5

As the school year slows down and comes to ad so does this blog. To end this year I would like to do a series trying to explain what I think is the most important quote about music and how I interpret it. In my first blog we looked at the phrase, “Music is the moral law.” I gave my opinion saying that I think he meant that music is what guides our hearts and minds. Next we looked at how the soul of the universe is really just the passion and the meaning humans get from music. In my third blog we looked at music and it’s ability to free our mind, or our thoughts and feelings, and allow us to have new thoughts and emotions and be expressive. My latest blog was all about how important music must be to the immagination if Plato cited it separately from the mind. We also talked about how music allows our immagination to soar and effects it in so many very important ways.

“Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” -Plato

I think that this is the most simple part of the quote, but I also think that it is a very important part. I thin that it simply means that music brings joy. It brings joy to everything including our lives and the lives of others. It is very simple and self explanatory, however I think the quote wouldn’t be complete without it. In the last four posts I have talked about what music is and how it effects us. I talked about its effects on our meaning, our passion, our thoughts, our emotions, and our imaginations, and this part of the quote sums it all up. The rest of the quote leads to this. Music is what makes us happy. It does it in many a different way but in the end music is here to make us happy. I think if there was one thing that Plato was trying to say it is that music makes us happy. That is why I think this quote is so important, because it tells us the meaning of music; to make us happy.

Thanks for reading the series, I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave comments about your thoughts!

Plato 4

As the school year slows down and comes to ad so does this blog. To end this year I would like to do a series trying to explain what I think is the most important quote about music and how I interpret it. In my first blog we looked at the phrase, “Music is the moral law.” I gave my opinion saying that I think he meant that music is what guides our hearts and minds. Next we looked at how the soul of the universe is really just the passion and the meaning humans get from music. In my last blog we looked at music and it’s ability to free our mind, or our thoughts and feelings, and allow us to have new thoughts and emotions and be expressive.

“Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” -Plato

Flight to the imagination sounds a lot like wings to the mind to me. They sound almost like they are talking about the same thing. So, is there a difference? Let’s think about the word mind verse the word imagination. Mind, to me, is more generally talking about the ways we think and our emotions. I think that imagination is part of our mind. So why did he so specifically highlight imagination if he already mentioned the mind?

I think this is because of how much of an impact music has on our imagination. When you listen to music you can close your eyes and see a scenario in which that music can be used. You imagine a war or a peaceful village, or maybe even dinosaurs, something you have never seen before. Those who write music have an entirely different type of imagination, one creative enough to write a masterpiece. Music has all these effects on the immagination and I think that is why it was highlighted.

Music gives flight to the imagination by letting us use our imagination to either listen or write. We can interpret the music with our imagination or we make music with it. Have you ever written music? If not then give it a try. Slap together a melody real quick and see what you can come up with. It can be really good if you let music take over and give flight to your imagination!

Special Banquet

Last night was the choir and show choir banquet, and by golly was it a good time.

At the annual banquet, an optional dinner is served beforehand, and then students and their parents pile into the auditorium for the awards. Though it can get a bit lengthy, usually about an hour and a half to two hours long, it is always very exciting to see who will be receiving which awards. Nearly all of the awards are selected by the directors themselves so its a really great feeling if you receive one, letting you know your director has noticed and is now acknowledging all the hard work you’ve been doing throughout the year.

Some of the types of awards at the banquet, though there are many, include MVP’s of each section (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass), and the most improved of each section. As a freshman, I received most improved alto in choir, and my sophomore year I was awarded the Most Valuable Female in the prep show choir, Protege. Both of those were great honors and I was so excited to receive them, but nothing can trump how I feel after this year’s banquet. Besides receiving some of the standard awards such as participation for the women’s choir performance at the NCDADC choral convention in Des Moines, Iowa early this year and participation in my school’s chamber choir for our performance at the Dorian Festival at Luther College last fall, I also received some special awards. My director, Mr. Z, awarded me as the most improved female in our concert choir, one of our top choirs, and it made me feel great to know that he has noticed all the hard work I’ve been doing in class and in my private voice lessons. As I went up to receive my award and was shaking Mr. Z’s hand, he leaned in and whispered, “You inspire me!” That was one of the best compliments I could ever receive, and it meant even more coming from a man I so deeply respect. Towards the end of the banquet, there are a couple awards that are decided and presented by students, one representing each section of the choir. They have been passed down for many years now and are a really cool tradition we have in our choir program. It must’ve been my lucky day, because my good friend Danni, the previous owner of the award, selected me to receive the Awesome Alto award! It was so great to receive such a cool honor from one of my really good friends before she leaves for college in a few short months, and I’m really thankful. The cool thing about these student awards is they are not simply a pin like every other award at the banquet, but instead they are unique little trinkets or objects. The Diva Tenor award is a tiara with sparkles and the word “DIVA” printed proudly across the top, and the Super Soprano award is a bedazzled microphone for our lovely high-singing ladies. The Awesome Alto is an adorable teddy bear with markers attached to the back, and all the previous owners have signed their names on the bear. I cannot wait to sign my own name this year and be able to pass on the bear to another great, completely deserving girl next year.

This choir banquet and year in general has been completely amazing, and I’m going to greatly miss the  outgoing senior class. They have made it such an incredible year and possess so much talent, I know everyone is hating to see them go. But I’m so excited to see what next year, my senior year, has in store for me and my choirs!

Stay awesome, friends.

Castell

Giving Back

Readers, Friends, Foes, Passersby, Whomever you may be,

Charity. We all seem to think we know exactly what this word means, but do we? Take note of the definition here:

char·i·ty

/ˈtʃærɪti/ Show Spelled [char-i-tee]

noun, plural char·i·ties.

1. generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless: to devote one’s life to charity.

2. something given to a person or persons in need; alms: She asked for work, not charity.

3. a charitable act or work.

4. a charitable fund, foundation, or institution: He left his estate to a charity.

5. benevolent feeling, especially toward those in need or in disfavor: She looked so poor that we fed her out of charity.

Okay, that seems easy enough. Then why don’t more people put forth time, effort, and money to help those in need? I’ve come to realize how immensely important volunteering is. You can make such a huge difference in someone else’s life just by donating a few hours of your time, or just your loose change out of your pocket. I started doing more charity and volunteer work this past summer so it would look good on my college applications that are soon approaching, but quickly after I started I realized there was so much more to it. I began with a very selfish reason, but the more I did it, the more I realized that actually none of it was for me. The whole purpose of volunteering is to help someone else, which is a pretty cool thing.

Now that I’m a little more experienced with the whole volunteering thing, I’ve made it my mission to help the more unfortunate people with something I love very much: music. Music is such a powerful tool that everyone should have the opportunity to experience. So, after doing a little research, I found the Fender Music Foundation. It is a charity founded by the former CEO of Fender Guitars, and through donations it provides musical instruments to music education programs across the country. Unfortunately, they are a granting organization so mostly the help they need is through donations and grants, whereas I would love to volunteer and be able to interact with the people and children I’m helping, it still has a very respectable mission. I’m sure with a little more research I can find hundreds of other charities that are striving to provide music to the less fortunate. People can also submit their music programs to see if they will be selected to receive a grant from the foundation, which is really cool.

As someone famous and philosophical once said, “No one has ever become poor from giving,” and that could not be more true. I’ve found so much fulfillment from the little amount of charity work I have done thus far in my life, and it is something that I hope to continue for many years to come. Providing music to those who don’t currently have access to it is merely a bonus because it is something that I love.

If you want more information about the Fender Music Foundation, here is the link:

http://www.fendermusicfoundation.org/

Castell

Plato 3

As the school year slows down and comes to ad so does this blog. To end this year I would like to do a series trying to explain what I think is the most important quote about music and how I interpret it. In my first blog we looked at the phrase, “Music is the moral law.” I gave my opinion saying that I think he meant that music is what guides our hearts and minds. In the last one we looked at how the soul of the universe is really just the passion and the meaning humans get from music.

“Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” -Plato

So what could that mean? We can probably rule out the possibility of it meaning that our rain sprouts feathery wings that allow it to fly away. That has never happened to me and I hope it has never happened to you. However, if we look at the imagery that it gives to us we can figure it out. First, let’s clarify the word mind. Mind does not mean the soft squishy thing found in our head cavity, but it is the thoughts and feeling that we have. Our mind is not so much something you can hold but what makes us human. Now if we think about the imagery, our mind, our thoughts and feelings, are flying, bing allowed to be free. Our mind is free. I think that answers our questions.

A free mind is allowed to be imaginative and have thoughts that are creative and new. A free mind can iterpret music and come up with new pieces and rhythms and melodies. I think Plato was try to say is that with music we have he ability to open our mind and free to new ideas and feelings. Music is very expressive, that is its purpose, but it only works if we fee our minds.
Give it a try next time you listen to music. See if you can’t get something new out of a piece of music. Try to listen to the messages and emotions and find out what you can really hear. If you free your mind then you may suprise yourself and understand what Plato was meaning.

Make sure to check out my next blog!

Many Goodbyes

Hello,

It’s at this point every year where everyone starts to get sentimental. The seniors are counting down the mere hours they have left in this retched high school, and with that comes many goodbyes. Though I am not graduating this year, it will be hard to see nearly all of my friends leave to go embark on bigger and better things, leaving me behind to suffer through another monotonous year of high school. I really hate this place and wish more than anything that I was graduating along side them, but they did their time, and now I have to do mine. I’m sure I’m far from the only one who feels this way, and I’m excited to see how far they will go.

One of the most painful events (in my opinion) for the seniors is singing the alma mater for the very last time at graduation. The seniors line up at the front of the choir, and while we are singing the two verses, our choir director looks every single person directly in the eyes, as a way of his final goodbye. This is so touching because our director, Mr. Z, is often the only teacher who has made a positive impact on these kids. We go to school learning to dread teachers and homework, and yet when we go to choir, it is like a shining beacon of joy in our dreary day. Mr. Z is a man I and nearly everyone else greatly respect, and I know that once I’m the one that’s graduating, he will be the adult I miss the most. He has taught me so much more than just music and singing – he inspires me to be a better person and to look for the good in everything. He has shown me the payoffs of hard work and perseverance, and the strength and power that comes from people uniting and working together. I would not be the person I am today had I not been involved in choir with Mr. Z, and I’m sure many of the seniors feel the same.

So as they tearfully sing the last notes of our dreadful alma mater, I hope those seniors have cherished their time here. High school sucks, but some of us are lucky enough to be struggling through it all with someone as great as Mr. Z.

And besides, it’s not goodbye, it is only see you later.

Castell

SCALES

I don’t know about anyone else but I have a lot of troubles with scales. It has gotten better over the years but I am still not the greatest at them. Even understanding the pattern behind them didn’t help. I always go to the wrong position on my trombone or play a high G too flat. To me, scales are not the most important things in the music world, however I think my band director disagrees. Every time I have to audition for something scales are a very prominent and sometimes a deciding factor. I think that the fact that a set of twelve tones that must be memorized are the deciding factor. Why not let sight reading be the deciding factor? Why not tone or maybe ability to keep up with the band. The audition process at my school is the all-state tryout material. This is troublesome because only 28 people get to audition, so the rest of the band gets placed in lower chairs. You would think that if they didn’t try out fro all state then they can’t be as good as someone who did, but sometimes a really good player just doesn’t want to audition, and then are handicapped for chair placement auditions. The order that we should be in and the order that we are in is mixed up and it places players in high chairs who don’ have high enough abilities. This audition process is a terrible way to do it and needs to be changed, as our band could be so much better if we were sat in the right order.