Deal With It.

Mistake: –noun

1.

an error in action, calculation, opinion, or judgment causedby poor reasoning, carelessness, insufficient knowledge, etc.

2.

a misunderstanding or misconception.

Truth of the matter is: we all make mistakes in life. It happens. Things go wrong, and we can't fix them, which is exactly why I'm posting this. I know it seems like I make a lot of my posts revolve around band and how what I'm saying relates to it, but it all just fits so well, so I'm going to use band as an example once again. 

As soon as marching season began, my stress level went up, and it's been going up every day as we get closer to our contest that is in one week. I think it's this way for most people, and I can include myself in this category, but I don't perform well under stress. I'm working on that issue, but it still sucks. When I go out on the field on Friday nights, and I have the least hint of doubt, I screw up. I make mistakes.


The past three weeks, I've walked off of the field after our halftime show, bawling my eyes out. Why? Because I screwed up. I wasn't completely, 100% confident in what I was doing, so I made mistakes. Now, let me get something straight. Crying like I've been doing isn't the right way to handle my stress and mistakes. I realize that. I fall apart too easily, and I let stress take me over without fighting it off. Bad habit. 


What am I going to start doing about it? Dealing with it. I haven't been dealing with it, and letting it take me over makes me look weak. I don't want to come across as weak, especially when so many people have to look to me as being a leader in this band. So, here is my promise to everyone: I'm going to handle myself and keep my cool. All I ask in return is that you call me out when I don't, and that you help me through the rough times. I'll do the same for anyone who asks for it.


-Kayla

Friday Night Lights.

It's football time! (: Which also means it's marching band time (huzzah!) Call me weird, but I think the band needs to get JUST as pumped as the football team before a game. We have a pretty important job too, right?! The following is just a fun little blog post to throw into the mix since I've had so many serious ones lately. The following is my Friday Night Lights Playlist. Enjoy.

• All The Right Moves - OneRepublic
• Anthem for the Underdog - 12 Stones
• Barracuda - Heart
• Crank That (Travis Barker Remix) - Soulja Boy
  
• The Downfall Of Us All - A Day To Remember
  
• Enter Sandman - Metallica
  
• Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
  
• Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
  
• Ignorance - Paramore
  
• Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas
  
• In Da Club - 50 Cent
  
• Invincible - Ok Go
  
• Invincible - Pat Benetar
  
• Kids - MGMT
  
• Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolph
  
• Let Me Blow Ya Mind - Eve
  
• Lose Yourself - Eminem
  
• Lovegame - Lady Gaga
  
• Misery Business - Paramore
  
• Miss Murder - AFI
  
• Not Afraid - Eminem
  
• Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliche - Escape The Fate
  
• Poker Face - Lady Gaga
  
• Rock That Body - Black Eyed Peas
  
• Shell Shock - Gym Class Heroes
  
• Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
  
• Somebody Told Me - The Killers
  
• Spotlight - Mutemath
  
• Stronger - Kanye West
  
• Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
  
• Undead - Hollywood Undead
  
• Uprising - Muse
  
• Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Please alert me if I've left off anything that absolutely needs to be on here.

 

-Kayla 

Passion.

*Be forewarned that this blog is going to skip around a lot. Sorry.*

Passion: -noun 1. Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. 2. Strong amorous feeling or desire. 

Source: dictionary.com. 

Over the past several weeks, the UC Marching Patriots have been busy at work trying to get our show on the field. I see it two different ways. Obviously, getting this show on the field is 50% music and 50% drill. Once we have both down, we have the show. Done. But that's not all there is to it. What does it take to get that music? What does it take to get the drill?

Adjusting to someone new and learning about them is hard. I thought that making the transition to a new band director would be a very difficult change. Not really. I've already learned so much, and one thing that he has drilled into my head is this: Everything you do, do it with passion. I'm doing just that. It takes a certain amount of dedication and passion to get what you want out of anything. Music is no different. If my fellow band mates and I didn't have passion and dedication, we wouldn't be where we are today. We wouldn't be preparing for competitions. We'd be nothing. But, instead, we've applied ourselves. All those 8 hour days at band camp and all those two hour practices after school are going to pay off. They're already paying off. If we had come into any of those practices without the passion that we have, we wouldn't have accomplished anything. We want to do well. We want to be amazing. We want to walk out onto that field with passion for what we do.

Now, erase the thought of music. This post isn't meant to be just about music. Everything you do, do it with passion. I'm applying this to a lot of things. For instance, I want to go to college. I have to make the decision of where I'm going and what I'm doing within the next year and a half or so. No matter how lame it sounds, if I don't have passion for school, then I'm going nowhere. I have to have at least some passion for making good grades and succeeding in school. If I don't, everything is going to fall through. 

Erase the thought of school. This post isn't meant to be just about music and school. Think about life. Everything you do, do it with passion. I have a passion for living. I want to make the absolute best out of every little thing I do. I want to do great things. Always be reminded that tomorrow isn't promised. Ever since I saw Meghan's struggle with cancer (for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, click here.), I've wanted to make more out of everything. Who knows? I may not even make it through the day. Things happen, and we just aren't promised the next second. It's not a happy thought, obviously, but it's the truth. There's no way to fix it. It's how things are. But I do have one solution that works: Everything you do, do it with passion. Do something that you've always wanted to do, and do it today. Tell someone you love them... with passion. Sit down at a piano and play something... with passion. Dance like there's no one watching... with passion. Live, live, live... and do it with passion.

-Kayla

"Love is not a victory march..."

"... it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah."


I love this song. There's like 254545512427573970 different versions. (My numbers may be a tiny bit off... that's just a rough estimate.) Soo... After discussing this song and it's many versions with a buddy *cough*JamieTurner!!!*cough*, I decided to iTunes/Google/Youtube some of the different versions and pick my favorites. Top Five are as follows:


5. Jason Castro
Skip the first 27 seconds



4. Allison Crowe
I had never heard of her until I saw this on iTunes.



3. Kate Voegele 
Her voice makes me feel like I've died and gone to Heaven.



2. Jeff Buckley 
Most popular version on iTunes.



1. Rufus Wainwright 
I want to lick his sideburns.



I am now on the search for some sheet music for this. And if I could sing, I would sing this. If you don't think it's pretty, you have a terrible taste in music. Just saying. 


-Kayla 

This Doesn't Happen Often

I'm not a fan of rap music. Everyone who knows me knows that. However, I have found that Eminem has talent. Real talent. And I have also found that his new song that features Rihanna is downright amazing. It's gorgeous. I love it. "Love the Way You Lie": 





I have the sheet music for this, and I will be working on it next. I'll update on how it goes. Also, if anyone wants the sheet music, I can give links to where I got it and/or scan and email it to you.


In other news, band camp starts tomorrow, so my posts will probably be non-existent. Sorry. I'll get on it as much as I can, but I can't promise anything. There will be lots of pictures and hopefully videos too. Watch for them! :D


-Kayla

Happy, Happy, Happy Feel-Good Music.

Remember my older post about how music never fails and how it can make you happy and whatnot? Well, this is my example. This song made me happy this morning.





I like This Providence. Now, off to play my piano as it is a rainy day and that's what I do on rainy days. <3


-Kayla

A Cursive Memory.

If this is the last song I learn how to play, I will learn how to play it. I love it, love it, love it. 





If anyone has some sheet music for this, please let me know. I've been searching for the past two days and cannot find any. (*sad face*) Buying sheet music isn't fun, but I'll do it this once if it means playing this. This song might actually be one of the most beautiful I've ever heard. Thoughts? Also, I might have an actual good thought coming up. I'll probably make a really well thought out blog before band camp starts. Be watching for that, but don't get your hopes up. I'm kinda busy so it may or may not happen, just depending on how much thinking I can get done between now and then. 

"If I could turn the clock again, it's the same three words I wish I never said. The phrase that breaks a heart in two, because angel, I love you." -A Cursive Memory.

-Kayla