LJ Idol Open Topic--Music
You know how when you're a writer sometimes there are moments that in order to truly comprehend something, you just have to write it out? Or, in the same situation, you're a musician, and playing something, being able to hear it, helps?
Sometimes I have to do that. I don't know what to call it, but sometimes it just doesn't feel real until I write or play it. Sometimes I have to vocalize it, and even I've called my own voicemail, sobbing, and it felt better because I could say how I felt, listen to it, and it made it better.
I'm being vague. Of course I am, but I honestly don't mean to. That paragraph up there makes sense to me, but maybe not to other people. But Monday, when I came home from running errands, my fingers itched to let it out. I would give anything to be able to be at home and have the chance to pound out notes on the piano, because it's been so long since I've been able to really let loose with my emotions there.
Music has been a part of my life since I was born. My mother played the banjo and the guitar when I was a baby, but stopped when she had to have major back surgery. When I was six, mom put me into piano class. I was taking piano lessons until I was 15, and hated every year of it. Finally, after nearly ten years, mom let me take off half a year, and I didn’t have any piano lessons. It was during that half year that I first started to love the piano.
I went back and really excelled in my lessons. I learned that instead of just playing the notes, I could pour my emotion into the song I was playing, just close my eyes, and let myself float in the music. When I was 16 is when I really gained an appreciation of playing music, and it’s really grown in the past five years. I always already a huge music buff, specifically soundtracks and musicals. My love of musicals started when I was very young.
I went to see Phantom of the Opera on June 21st this year with my parents in Tulsa. This is a very special musical to me because it's the first one I remember. My parents took me to see musicals before then, but Phantom is the first one I remember.
I saw it when I was 8 years old in 1996. I only remember a few things, but on the way to the play, I told me parents what I did remember in detail. I remembered the old opera house, and the chandelier being covered. I also remembered the lot number (666) and that two men would lift part of the flap of fabric to show parts of it off. Then, I remembered the line after it is shown ("How about some illumination!") and then the cover rips off, Phantom of the Opera starts playing as sparks fly out of the chandelier, and it starts to rise above the audience. And it happened just like I said it would.
I also have to admit, I cried when it went up. I remembered sitting on the edge of my seat when I was 8 years old, and this was no different.
I'm notorious for crying in musicals. I have musicals I will always cry in, no matter how much I prepare myself. Wicked is one--I cry in "Defying Gravity", and also get chills in "One Short Day". I balled my eyes out in "Circle of Life" from Lion King. I cry through the entire performance of Les Miserables, because hello! It's so SAD. I remember being 11 and seeing Jekyll and Hyde, and my dad had no idea why I was crying in "Lost in the Darkness". And holy crap, just listening to this song is making me tear up!
Anyway-back to Phantom, the next thing I remember was the elephant in the background, and then it skips to my one of my favorite songs of Broadway--Music of the Night. I only remember, as far as the acting goes, that she passes out halfway through the song. But the song itself I memorized. I don't remember any of the people who sang in this performance, but we got the cassette tape, and I listened to it all the time.
And I fell in love with Michael Crawford, the original Phantom from the 1986 original cast. Most Phantoms in the performances friends and family have seen have a deeper voice. And Gerard Butler did as well, and I'm not denying that he's very nummy as the Phantom, but something in me fell in love with Michael Crawford's voice, and no other Phantom can compare to him.
If you just listen to the words of this song, I mean, truly listen, I think you'll know why I fell in love with it so much. During the play in June, I just had to close my eyes and not focus on anything else. I, of course, cried, but it was so moving.
Phantom of the Opera was my first Broadway musical that meant something, and once I heard Music of the Night, my world shifted a bit. Since then, I've seen over 50 Broadway musicals and plays, and that's not counting plays that I've seen more than once. I've seen four shows ON Broadway in New York City--Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, The Color Purple, and Wicked.
My parents and I have dream lists, and two of my things on my dream list were to see an original cast on Broadway, and go behind the scenes of an actual Broadway show. I got to go behind the scenes of touring shows, and seeing an original cast on television just isn't the same. Well, when mom and I went to New York City last April, two shows were included in the price of the trip-- Jersey Boys and Wicked. We each chose another Broadway show. Mom chose Color Purple, because she loved it, and I chose Legally Blonde, because the original cast was still there.
I got to meet a lot of the stars of Broadway, like Laura Bell Bundy who plays Elle on Legally Blonde (who is incredibly nice and sweet), Christian Hoff who plays Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys. I got to go back stage of Wicked and meet the cast and see everything they get to do. I have to say, when I checked the cast of characters for Legally Blonde when we got to NYC, I was so SAD to see that Annaleigh Ashford was no longer in Legally Blonde, because she cracked me up.
Imagine my surprise to find she's Glinda in Wicked! I was bouncing in my seat!
AND I GOT TO MEET HER.
When we went backstage, we toured with two of the ensemble members, and we got to meet Annaleigh and Stephanie J. Block, who is INCREDIBLE. I mean, I've watched the YouTube videos of her, and meeting her in person was amazing. She showed us how she went up in Defying Gravity, which is where I actually first saw her--in a YouTube video of her explaining it. It gave me chills.
Broadway will always hold a special place in my heart, as will music. It’s next in line to get inked on my ankle, because I love it that much. Music will always be a part of me, and when I go back to my parent’s house, I always try to play the piano. The movie August Rush was one of the most touching movies I have ever seen, just because I can relate to August.
My goal is to be able to play piece before I can no longer play in old age. It’s from the movie Finding Neverland, and the piece is Piano Variation in Blue, by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. I tear up every time I listen to it.
Basically? I could sum up this post in three words: I love music.
Sometimes I have to do that. I don't know what to call it, but sometimes it just doesn't feel real until I write or play it. Sometimes I have to vocalize it, and even I've called my own voicemail, sobbing, and it felt better because I could say how I felt, listen to it, and it made it better.
I'm being vague. Of course I am, but I honestly don't mean to. That paragraph up there makes sense to me, but maybe not to other people. But Monday, when I came home from running errands, my fingers itched to let it out. I would give anything to be able to be at home and have the chance to pound out notes on the piano, because it's been so long since I've been able to really let loose with my emotions there.
Music has been a part of my life since I was born. My mother played the banjo and the guitar when I was a baby, but stopped when she had to have major back surgery. When I was six, mom put me into piano class. I was taking piano lessons until I was 15, and hated every year of it. Finally, after nearly ten years, mom let me take off half a year, and I didn’t have any piano lessons. It was during that half year that I first started to love the piano.
I went back and really excelled in my lessons. I learned that instead of just playing the notes, I could pour my emotion into the song I was playing, just close my eyes, and let myself float in the music. When I was 16 is when I really gained an appreciation of playing music, and it’s really grown in the past five years. I always already a huge music buff, specifically soundtracks and musicals. My love of musicals started when I was very young.
I went to see Phantom of the Opera on June 21st this year with my parents in Tulsa. This is a very special musical to me because it's the first one I remember. My parents took me to see musicals before then, but Phantom is the first one I remember.
I saw it when I was 8 years old in 1996. I only remember a few things, but on the way to the play, I told me parents what I did remember in detail. I remembered the old opera house, and the chandelier being covered. I also remembered the lot number (666) and that two men would lift part of the flap of fabric to show parts of it off. Then, I remembered the line after it is shown ("How about some illumination!") and then the cover rips off, Phantom of the Opera starts playing as sparks fly out of the chandelier, and it starts to rise above the audience. And it happened just like I said it would.
I also have to admit, I cried when it went up. I remembered sitting on the edge of my seat when I was 8 years old, and this was no different.
I'm notorious for crying in musicals. I have musicals I will always cry in, no matter how much I prepare myself. Wicked is one--I cry in "Defying Gravity", and also get chills in "One Short Day". I balled my eyes out in "Circle of Life" from Lion King. I cry through the entire performance of Les Miserables, because hello! It's so SAD. I remember being 11 and seeing Jekyll and Hyde, and my dad had no idea why I was crying in "Lost in the Darkness". And holy crap, just listening to this song is making me tear up!
Anyway-back to Phantom, the next thing I remember was the elephant in the background, and then it skips to my one of my favorite songs of Broadway--Music of the Night. I only remember, as far as the acting goes, that she passes out halfway through the song. But the song itself I memorized. I don't remember any of the people who sang in this performance, but we got the cassette tape, and I listened to it all the time.
And I fell in love with Michael Crawford, the original Phantom from the 1986 original cast. Most Phantoms in the performances friends and family have seen have a deeper voice. And Gerard Butler did as well, and I'm not denying that he's very nummy as the Phantom, but something in me fell in love with Michael Crawford's voice, and no other Phantom can compare to him.
If you just listen to the words of this song, I mean, truly listen, I think you'll know why I fell in love with it so much. During the play in June, I just had to close my eyes and not focus on anything else. I, of course, cried, but it was so moving.
Phantom of the Opera was my first Broadway musical that meant something, and once I heard Music of the Night, my world shifted a bit. Since then, I've seen over 50 Broadway musicals and plays, and that's not counting plays that I've seen more than once. I've seen four shows ON Broadway in New York City--Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde, The Color Purple, and Wicked.
My parents and I have dream lists, and two of my things on my dream list were to see an original cast on Broadway, and go behind the scenes of an actual Broadway show. I got to go behind the scenes of touring shows, and seeing an original cast on television just isn't the same. Well, when mom and I went to New York City last April, two shows were included in the price of the trip-- Jersey Boys and Wicked. We each chose another Broadway show. Mom chose Color Purple, because she loved it, and I chose Legally Blonde, because the original cast was still there.
I got to meet a lot of the stars of Broadway, like Laura Bell Bundy who plays Elle on Legally Blonde (who is incredibly nice and sweet), Christian Hoff who plays Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys. I got to go back stage of Wicked and meet the cast and see everything they get to do. I have to say, when I checked the cast of characters for Legally Blonde when we got to NYC, I was so SAD to see that Annaleigh Ashford was no longer in Legally Blonde, because she cracked me up.
Imagine my surprise to find she's Glinda in Wicked! I was bouncing in my seat!
AND I GOT TO MEET HER.
When we went backstage, we toured with two of the ensemble members, and we got to meet Annaleigh and Stephanie J. Block, who is INCREDIBLE. I mean, I've watched the YouTube videos of her, and meeting her in person was amazing. She showed us how she went up in Defying Gravity, which is where I actually first saw her--in a YouTube video of her explaining it. It gave me chills.
Broadway will always hold a special place in my heart, as will music. It’s next in line to get inked on my ankle, because I love it that much. Music will always be a part of me, and when I go back to my parent’s house, I always try to play the piano. The movie August Rush was one of the most touching movies I have ever seen, just because I can relate to August.
My goal is to be able to play piece before I can no longer play in old age. It’s from the movie Finding Neverland, and the piece is Piano Variation in Blue, by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek. I tear up every time I listen to it.
Basically? I could sum up this post in three words: I love music.