30 songs in.... however long it takes me to write this post

One of the many blog post ideas I found on Pinterest is something called "30 songs in 30 days." It's intention is for users to follow the prompts and post the videos on Facebook or whatever. But since I've got this blog and I can never think of things to blog about, I'm going to do my version of this challenge on here. I've linked to YouTube videos of all the songs I've mentioned in case there's one you've never heard before, or you just want to listen to them, or whatever. Also it makes me feel like a more official blogger, but details. So, without further ado, I present to you, the 30 songs challenge thing!

1. A song from your childhood- She Thinks my Tractor's Sexy by Kenny Chesney
- I used to sing this song a lot when I was a kid. Sorry Mom.

2. A song that reminds you of one/both of your parents- Little Willy by Sweet
- My dad used to sing this song ALL THE TIME when I was a kid, and it helped me develop a liking for this band (who doesn't need a little British Glitter Rock in their lives every now and then???)

3. A song that calms you down- Man in the Moon by Jukebox the Ghost
- I can't even describe the calming effect of this song, both the recording and when someone is playing it on the piano and singing it to you.

4. A song that reminds you of a best friend- Aaron's Party by Aaron Carter AND Oh Darling by The Beatles
- Aaron Carter first: Amy Jo and I have been friends for 16 years now, and we were obsessed with Aaron Carter when we first became friends as little kids. We used to sing his songs at recess, and even handed out Aaron Carter valentines in first grade (because we were super cool, obviously.)

- The Beatles: Kam is also someone I consider to be one of my best friends, and as I've mentioned before we both love the Beatles. There is a group of guys in Cherokee who do Beatles cover concerts every now and then, and Kam and I have been to two of them. There's this guy named Brooks who always sings this song, and I just stand there and fangirl so hard because damn, he's good (both with the whole singing thing and just good looking in general.) *swoon* AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A VIDEO OF BROOKS SINGING FROM ONE OF THE SHOWS KAM AND I WENT TO!!!!

5. A song that reminds you of last summer- Uma Thurman by Fall Out Boy
- This song was HUGE in the summer of 2015, and after I heard it for the first time, I loved it immediately. It was super catchy and just got stuck in your head. I worked in the financial aid office at my college during the summer, and all I listened to from the hours of 9:00-5:00 was the local radio station, and one day, this song was played 4 times on the same station in that time period. I also took a road trip with my bestie Amy Jo to see Kamron's band play in Des Moines, and we listened to this song probably 15 times.

6. Favorite musician or band that you have met- Abracadabra by The Steve Miller Band
- So I haven't actually MET the Steve Miller Band, but I did see them in concert last May, and it was pretty fantastic. This is my favorite song by them, closely followed by Fly like an Eagle.

7. A song you like with a color in the title- Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells
- I've always liked older music, and I have no idea what this song is supposed to be about or what it means, but it's great none the less.

8. A song by your favorite band- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
- I have lots of favorite bands, but my number band by far is The Beatles. They are just fantastic. There are so many of their songs that I love, so I'm just going to randomly select one of those now.

9. A song on the soundtrack of your favorite movie- Tara's Theme~ Gone with the Wind
- I don't know if a soundtrack was ever released for Gone with the Wind, but this is the main theme of the entire movie, named after the O'Hara plantation.

10. The last song you heard- We're Painting the Roses Red ~ Alice in Wonderland
- I'm watching this movie as I write this post, and this was the last one they sang :)

11. A song that is often stuck in your head- Do Your Hear The People Sing~ Les Miserables
- I played in a pit orchestra for Les Mis a few summer ago, and the entire show has pretty much been in my head ever since then, and the earworms still come back and every now and then. This is usually the one that revisits my head most often.

12. A song you love singing along to- Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler
- This song. This freaking song. No matter where I am at when I hear this song, I belt my little heart out when it comes on. And, I have been known to stare longingly out the car window and act like I'm in a music video while singing along.

13. A song that has made you cry- How Great Thou Art
- My cousin Tyler sang this song at my Grandma's funeral, and there was not a dry eye in the church. He has an awesome voice and managed to hold it together without breaking down in the song, which is something I could not have done at all. Carrie Underwood does a good job too ;)

14. A song that makes you want to dance- The Twist by Chubby Checker
- I mean, the whole point of the song was to get you to dance, and it fulfills its purpose.

15. A song you love but rarely listen to- I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston
- This song is awesome, and is another great one for when you just want to belt out a song really loud but I don't own it, therefore I hardly ever listen to it.

16. The first song alphabetically on your iPod- A Movie Script Ending by Death Cab for Cutie
- Another band that Kam introduced me to. I haven't listened to all their stuff he gave me, but everything that I have listened to (mind you, that's maybe like 5 songs tops) doesn't suck so I'm optimistic that I'll enjoy the rest of it when I get around to it.

17. The last song alphabetically on your iPod- 1997 by Saint Motel
- And, AGAIN, another band I would know nothing about if it weren't for Kam. These guys are awesome. This song is good. Enjoy.

18. A song that you could listen to all day without getting tired of it- The Great Unknown by Jukebox the Ghost
- See the post entitled "The band that changed my life" for explanation

19. Your favorite song- Let It Be by the Beatles
- Although I have LOTS of favorite songs because I have LOTS of favorite bands, this is one of the top ones. Plus I love me some Paul McCartney.

20. Favorite St. Patrick's Day/Irish song- My Wild Irish Rose and When Irish Eyes are Smiling
- My Grandma Struck came from a HUGE Irish Catholic family, and when we would go to my dad's family reunions as a kid, these songs always got sang. When my grandma passed away in August, my aunt and great-uncle led us in these songs at the cemetery right before we all left. These always make me think of my family and the great times we had singing these songs when I was younger.

21. A song that needs to be played LOUD- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
- Do I really even need to explain this one??? It's gotta be LOUD so you can still hear Queen singing above me belting out every part, including the instrumental riffs.

22. Favorite Christmas song- Do You Hear What I Hear by Idina Menzel
- It's so hard to find Christmas albums with this song on them, and it's one of my favorites. Idina does an awesome job in my humble opinion.

23. When you think of classical music, what is the first piece that comes to mind- Eine kleine Nachtmusik by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Mozart is my favorite composer by far, and he's actually a classical composer so this song is actually classical music. Huzzah!

24. What is your favorite version of Pachelbel's Canon?- Pachelbel Rant by Rob Paravonian 
- My friend Andreya showed me this video of a comedian ranting about how a bunch of songs have the same chord progressions as Pachelbel's Canon in D, and it's hilarious!

25. First song or album that you bought- I Want You Back by NSYNC (NSYNC)
- I didn't buy this CD myself, it was a gift from my aunt, but it was the first CD that was actually MINE. And here's a song off that album for your enjoyment.

26. Band/artist you would like to meet, but never have- Jukebox the Ghost
- BUT HOPEFULLY I GET TO MEET THEM IN FEBRUARY. Again, see the post entitled "The band that changed my life" for more information. Here's another good song I haven't mentioned before by them:

27. Favorite Album- Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
- It's just a good album with awesome songs. Here's one of my faves

28. A song you listen to to cheer you up- Hey Jude by the Beatles
- How can you be in a bad mood after listening to this song, and by listening I mean singing every single word and going crazy with the "na na na's" at the end???

29. A song you would want played at your wedding- God Must Have Spent A Little More Time on You by NSYNC
- I've loved NSYNC for my entire life, and as long as I can remember I've proclaimed that this will be the song my future husband and I dance our first dance to at our wedding. So hopefully the guy I marry can tolerate NSYNC or we might have an issue...

30. A song that you know every single word to- Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks
- Garth is the man, and this song is one of my favorites by him.

So, there you have it. Another look into some of the songs that define my life. This post was long, so if you made it this far, good job and thanks for reading!!!
:)

Not-So-Guilty Pleasures

I've never really understood the phrase "guilty pleasure." Let's break it down: guilty means "I feel bad about this," whereas pleasure means "This is something that makes me happy," so logically a guilty pleasure is something that you makes you happy, but you feel bad that it makes you happy. Perhaps the reason I don't understand this phrase is because I don't feel bad about liking what I like, nor do I feel bad about doing things that make me feel happy. The only time I feel bad about doing something that makes me happy is if me doing so creates a problem for someone else, but that is a very rare occurrence (both because my life is INSANELY boring, and I don't socialize with many people for a variety of reasons.) So, I don't really feel like I have any guilty pleasures because I don't feel bad about liking what I like. That being said, there are certain things that I tend to like or indulge in on a less-frequent basis than other things, but when I do indulge in these things it's almost borderline obsessive for an undetermined period of time. In brainstorming for this post, I discovered that I have a ton of these "not-so-guilty pleasures," but for time's sake I have narrowed the list down to what I deem to be my top five. Here we go:

1. Saved by the Bell
- It actually pains me when I am talking with friends and/or acquaintances, and I reference an episode of Saved by the Bell, and they stare at me like I just spoke in Korean. I grew up watching this show, and I think it is an injustice to society that there are so many people out there that haven't seen it. But that's not the point of this post so I shall move on. I freaking love this show, and I have seen every episode literally hundreds of times. I can recite these episodes, I can pull funny quotes from these episodes when necessary, and I can tell you which season this episode came from, along with the episodes that preceded it and followed it. Even though I've seen them so many times, there are times when I get in a mood, and I will sit and watch Saved by the Bell for hours or even days at a time. (This is what I meant when I said "borderline obsessive.") There are things that come and go in life, but I am beyond certain that I will always turn to Saved by the Bell when the mood strikes.

2. Boy Bands
- Much like I get in Saved by the Bell moods, there are days when I want to do nothing but listen to boy bands and dance around my bedroom. Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, O-Town, NKOTB (New Kids on the Block for you rookies out there,) Dream Street, the list goes on. This is not music I listen to exclusively at this stage of my life, mainly because I have more developed tastes, and a lot of stuff from which to choose. I've had to make a lot of decisions about which music to take off my iPod just because I've got so much to put on there and no money to buy a 64 GB one right now, but those boy band playlists are constant, and they never get removed. You know, sometimes you just need to listen to a teenage boy sing to you about true love, even though he has no idea about true love, and dance around your room singing into a hairbrush. It happens.

3. Mint Oreos
- Growing up, getting name-brand anything was not something we were used to, because generic brand was way cheaper and everything tasted the same. Oreos were no different. I rarely remember having actual Oreo brand Oreos as a kid, we usually had like the Fareway brand sandwich cookies which weren't the same, but sufficed none-the-less. So actual Oreos were a treat. Even now that I have a job and make my own money, I hardly buy any food that is name brand, and I can't always justify spending $3.00 on a package of Oreos that I will more than likely eat in one sitting. However, when I do justify that spending, and it's usually when I'm stressed out or have had a bad day/week/whatever, it's always going to be mint Oreos, and yes, the entire package will get eaten in one sitting, and I'll probably either be listening to boy bands or watching SBTB while I eat them. Go ahead and judge.

4. Jimmy Fallon YouTube Videos
- I rarely watch Jimmy Fallon when he's actually on TV, but holy crap I watch the heavens out of his videos on YouTube. He is one of the funniest guys ever, and he always manages to get celebrities telling at least one funny story while he is interviewing them. Not to mention he always has some funny games, and any video that features him and Justin Timberlake is bound to be a good one. I spent 4 hours watching his videos before work one day (again with the borderline obsessive thing.) I really think Jimmy and Justin need their own show together, because I would watch the shit out of that thing. Moving on.

5. Easy Listening Music
- Much like with boy bands, my easy listening playlists (think Sinatra, Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr., etc) never get taken off my iPod because when the mood for that music strikes, it must be there for me to listen to. Not nearly as many playlists as the boy bands, but they are still critical. CRITICAL (that was just for emphasis.)

So there you have it. Five of my not-so-guilty pleasures that I turn to when the mood strikes. Happy Monday!

The band that changed my life

As I mentioned in my last post, my friend Kam (his name is actually Kamron, but I literally never call him Kamron, I always call him Kam, therefore I always refer to him as Kam) gave me a BUNCH of music last year. Among all these songs were all the albums by this indie band called Jukebox the Ghost. I had no idea this band existed, had never heard of them, and had no idea what to expect when listening to their songs for the first time. Now, these guys are like Kam's second favorite band, so he was super hyped about them, and just talked about how amazing all their stuff was, and that he thought I was really going to like them since we have very similar tastes when it comes to music, among other things.  I didn't dive into listening to their tunes right away, because I was honestly super apprehensive about it. My whole thought process was "Oh God, I'm going to hate their music, and then it's going to be super awkward because Kam really likes these guys and I'm either going to have to lie about liking their music or just be straight up and say that I hate it and it's just going to create tension and I have no idea how to handle this situation." Don't mind the fact that that last sentence was a super run-on sentence; I'm over the fact and you should be as well. This all went down last semester, and that's when Kam and I first really started hanging out and getting to know each other, among other things, so I didn't want to like punch our developing friendship relationship thing in the face by absolutely hating his second favorite band. It was a legitimate concern if you ask me. So, forward a bit towards the end of the spring semster. I was talking to Kam one night, and we were both planning on staying up obnoxiously late to work on all the homework and projects that had been neglected over the last few days (well, I had been neglecting my work, no idea whether or not he'd been neglecting his.) As I often had done (and still do to be honest,) I asked him what music I should listen to while I was working [sidenote: I'll just randomly message him and ask him "what should I listen to right now?" "What's the best chill music to listen to right now?" "I need to focus: what should I listen to?" It's a miracle that he still answers me as often as I bug him, but that must mean I don't bug him nearly as much as I think I do. Back to the story ----->] Upon his suggestion, it was that night that I finally dived into the musical experience that is Jukebox the Ghost. I listened to every single album that night, in order, and... holy God. Any fears I had about the awkwardness that would develop if I hated this band were gone. The instrumentals were amazing, the voices were even more amazing, and some of the lyrics punched me in the feels harder than anything I've ever listened to ever (but more on that later.) As I'm listening to these songs, I'm still talking to Kam and randomly bringing up the ones I absolutely love, my reactions to everything, etc., and I know he was just sitting there like "Yes, I was right, this band is amazing, I told you Kelsey, I win."
The crucial moment for me the first time I listened to JtG was the song "The Great Unknown." I had never cried upon hearing a song for the first time, until I listened to that song that night at some ridiculously obscene early hour of the morning. The lyrics to that song majorly punched me in the feels, like total knockout of my feels. That song alone has changed my life, enough that I made a canvas with part of the chorus that hangs in my bedroom (which I shared a picture of on the JtG Facebook page and they totes liked it, no big deal or anything,) listened to that song 32 times in a row one night when I felt like my whole life was falling apart, and even started designing a tattoo that incorporates part of the lyrics. I'm going to link to this song at the end of the post because me talking about it doesn't do it justice, you really just need to hear it for yourself.
Now, since that initial hearing, I've literally listened to every single JtG song probably 100 times. That playlist is the most played one on my iPod, call me obsessive if you will. And even now that I've listened to them so many times, there are still moments where I truly "listen" to a song that I've heard 100 times and have another crazy emotional response like I did the first time I heard "The Great Unknown." Just a few weeks ago, I was listening to that playlist once again while working on final projects. There were two songs that night, "Man in the Moon," and "Show Me Where it Hurts." I had heard these songs a million times, but I think the first time I had actually LISTENED to those songs was that night, and I'm just sitting on my bed sobbing while listening to them because the instrumentals are so good, the lyrics are so good, and this band is just so good. That's 3 times that this band has made me break down and cry like a baby just due to the pure BEAUTY and realisticness (is that a word? If not I'm making it a word right now) of their music. I will link to those videos too. I could really link to every single video because they don't have a single bad song, but if I only give you 3, your appetite will be peaked and then you will seek them out and listen to more and my job will be done. *cue evil, maniacal laughter*
NOW, it's not just sappy, crying emotions that come into play when listening to JtG (Kam once said that it's not just music, they are an experience, and boy was he right.) Some songs just make me laugh, some make me want to rock out and dance like a super white girl, some songs get me super pumped up to be a productive member of society and get sh%^t done, and some just make me really ridiculously happy. I'm definitely one of those people where my mood affects what I want to listen to, and no matter what mood I'm experiencing, I can find at least one JtG song that will help with that mood: anger, sadness, heartbreak, happiness, nerves, etc., etc. etc. Hearing songs with lyrics that really connect to what I'm going through in life is an experience that is really hard to explain, but the feeling that comes with it is amazing: like I'm not alone in my struggles, and, as cheesy as this sounds, those songs will always be there when I need them, which is huge for me because I am a girl that feels like I don't have a lot of people there for me.  This band that I was so nervous that I was going to hate has become one of my top 5 favorite bands, and really did change my life. I have no idea how I can possibly ever repay Kam for that (and if he has any ideas, he should probs let me know about that, and this sentence is only in here because I know he will be reading this post at some time or another. *thumbs up*)
Two months from today, Kam and I are going to see JtG in Omaha. It's crazy that at this time last year, I had never even heard of this band and now I am so close to finally getting to see them in concert. I've had a countdown going since I bought the tickets, and you can guarantee that the whole experience is going to get thorough coverage on this blog thing that I've got here. I know that I'm most likely going to cry like a baby when they sing the three songs that got specific mentions in this post, and I'm probably going to cry just because I will actually be experiencing a band that means so much to me. This band had such a profound effect on me when I was just listening to recordings of their songs, so I can only imagine that the effect is going to be amplified by about a million when I am in the room with them listening to them live. I'm super glad that Kam is going to the concert with me, because I can't think of somebody I would rather experience this with than the guy who introduced me to this band that changed my life. That sounds super sappy, but holy CRAP I don't even care right now because I am super sappy where JtG is concerned. The guys in this band could probably care less that some over-emotional, 21 year old girl claims them to be "the band that changed her life," but I would love to get the opportunity to meet these guys after the show, get all my merch signed, and thank them for always being there for me.
So, I said this in my last post and I'm going to say it again here: go listen to Jukebox the Ghost. They might not have nearly the effect on you that they did on me, but they still have killer tracks. Check them out: http://www.jukeboxtheghost.com

VIDEOS

The Great Unknown            

Man in the Moon           

Everybody do the iTunes shuffle (now let me see you do the...)

Happy Winter Break blog-readers! Winter Break means you are about to get a barrage of posts on this blog, some of which may be really great, and some of which may be... not so great. I'll let you be the judge of that. I've been struggling to come up with topics to blog about, so I turned to the one thing that can help you think of anything when you are out of ideas: the Internet, more specifically Pinterest. I found several like "30 day blog challenge" type things, and printed a BUNCH of them out, and plan on pulling ideas from them to blog about while I'm home on break, and even after Winter Break has ended. A lot of these are going to dive deeper into the mystery of "Who exactly is Kelsey Monica Struck, and what makes her tick?" Sooo, if you have no desire to learn anything about me, my likes, my dislikes, or my life in general, you should probs find a new blog to follow or something better to do with your time. This is your last warning!


If you made it to this point, you've decided to continue reading and learning more about my life! Congratulations!
Anyone who knows me will be able to tell you that music is my life. It's who I am, it's what I do. Not only do I love to make music, but listening to music is one of my favorite things to do, right behind binge watching Netflix, but that's a post for another day. My iTunes library is home to 3,540 songs, which is quite small in comparison to some of the people I know. A big shout-out must go to one of my BFF's Kam for literally providing over half of the music in that library. I know he's probably reading this, so you're the bomb dude. I'm not going to write about all the songs in my library because let's be honest, I just don't want to. But, I am going to put my iTunes on shuffle and write about the first 10 songs that come up. I'll talk about how I feel towards that song, any memories it brings back, etc, etc, etc. There is a possibility that there will be songs that I am listening to for the VERY FIRST TIME as I'm doing this blog post because I haven't even had a chance to listen to half of the music that Kam gave me, because he gave me a bunch of music. A bunch. Literally, so many songs. So without further ado, here we go.

Song Number 1: Hungry Like the Wolf- Duran Duran

• I have a huge obsession with 80's music, especially 80's pop music. I have seen every special that VH1 has ever aired about 80's music. The 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's, the 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80's, I Love the 80's, all of them. I actually used to sit and watch them with a piece of paper and pencil, and whenever I heard a song on their that I liked, I would write down the title and the artist. And I of course went and obtained all of those songs legally (heh, heh, heh.) Duran Duran actually has a ton of good tracks, and I'm kind of disappointed in myself that this is the only Duran Duran song I have in my iTunes library. May need to fix that. Duran Duran was also beautiful in the 80's. And their British, can't go wrong there. 

Song Number 2: Mistletoe- Jukebox the Ghost

• You may be asking yourself "Who the heck is Jukebox the Ghost?" If you are asking yourself that very question, GO LOOK THEM UP RIGHT NOW AND LISTEN TO ALL OF THEIR SONGS. Once again, Kam is to thank for introducing me to this band. I owe him super big because this band literally changed my life. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail because there is going to be more posts in the future that explore my love for Jukebox the Ghost and how exactly they changed my life. They don't have a bad song at all, but this certainly is not one of my super super favorites. But again, they don't have a bad song, so I'm not sitting here cringing just waiting for the song to end. Kam and I are actually going to see JtG in February and I'm freaking beyond excited for it. Here's their website, I was serious about checking them out: http://www.jukeboxtheghost.com

Song Number 3: Blue Ocean Floor- Justin Timberlake

• This is off JT's latest album, and this is the first time I've heard this particular track from that album. So you, readers, are getting my first hand opinion of this song. I've loved JT since his N'SYNC days so we will see what my opinions are of this song. First impressions: JT's voice is like fine wine, it just gets better with age. The instrumental tracks are also pretty good, the way the volume and different sounds play together make it feel "wave-like," which makes sense since the title involves the word ocean. This is just really pretty, and very chill. I've been big into chill music lately, and this is probably going to get added to my chill music playlist. I wouldn't mind having JT just come serenade me with this song. The instrumentals at the ending just made this song. Good stuff. 

Song Number 4: I Will Always Love You- Dolly Parton

• Yes kids, it's true, Whitney did not originally sing this song. I'm not bashing the Whitney version at all, because that song is one of my faves to put on when I just need to belt really really loud. Dolly's version is not nearly as bombastic as Whitney's, but a lot of it's beauty for me is in the simplicity. Simple instrumental backing, and Dolly's light country voice. I'm not nearly as big of a country fan as I used to be, but Dolly will always rank up there in my tops for female country artists.

Song Number 5: I Want to Hold Your Hand- The Beatles

• The Beatles. The Fab Four. Literally my number one favorite band, hands down. I haven't done a story yet, so I'll do some stories with this one. I went to Hawaii for Spring Break last year, and there was a Beatles tribute/cover band playing at some fancy hotel down the street from where we were staying. I went to this show with Kam and his roommate Chase. This was the first Beatles tribute band I had ever seen, but Kam and Chase had seen several because they are also both huge fans of The Beatles. This band was not that great, and Kam and I ended up going to see a band do a bunch of Beatles covers in Cherokee, IA a few weeks later that was way cheaper and way better, but I digress. The best part of that entire show in Hawaii was how Kam and I just kept talking about how the guy playing George looked like a creepy serial killer. Anyway, Beatles: fantastic, good, love them. 

Song Number 6: You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You- Michael Buble

• Oh, Mr. Buble. Easy listening, Sinatra-esque music is one of my guilty pleasures. Mr. Buble definitely delivers on this song. I envision myself in like the 1930s in some speak-easy laying on the grand piano drinking a Gin and tonic while Michael sings this song to me with the horns backing him up on stage. Too much information? #SorrynotSorry. Being an instrumentalist, I'm a killer for songs with good horn lines and horn sections, and this song delivers. 

Song Number 7: Always- Paul McCartney

• Another song that I am hearing for the first time right now. Being that it's a song by Paul McCartney, I know it's not going to suck. I appreciate the simplicity of the accompaniment: bass and guitar. What more do you need honestly? Oh now we've got some piano and some brushes on the drums, a light jazzy feel. Me gusta. This is another song that I wouldn't mind someone singing to me (hint hint to any future suitors out there, or any musician friends who need to give me a birthday present.) I really want to learn to play guitar, random side-note. Another random side-note: I think my Uncle John looks a lot like Paul McCartney. I don't think he has the musical talent of Paul McCartney, mainly because Paul McCartney is a wizard and my uncle is not.  

Song Number 8: Huron Carol- The Five-Fifths

• Yay, a Christmas song! This is off an Irish, Celtic-y Christmas album. We love Christmas in this house, and we love Christmas music more than we love Christmas. We have an entire CD case that is just Christmas CD's. I'm not even kidding. This is not one of the well-known Christmas carols, so if you've never heard it let me give you quick synopsis of the song: it's about Jesus being born. AKA it's about Christmas. It has some cool instrumentals: guitar, like a recorder or lute or something along those lines, violin, finger cymbals. A stereotypical Celtic sounding song, but not in a bad way. And it ends with a Picardy 3rd (for non-music people, a major chord in an otherwise minor key.) 

Song Number 9: Stairway to Heaven- Led Zeppelin

• This song is just a classic. I don't know what more to say about it. The guitar part is probably my favorite part of the song (I tend to either really love the guitar part or really love the drum part, in terms of instrumentals.) One of my mom's high school prom themes was "Stairway to Heaven," as many schools probably did after the song became popular, so that's a fun fact. I would ask her more about her "Stairway to Heaven" themed prom, but she's sleeping since she actually has to get up and be a contributing member of society tomorrow, unlike me (well, I don't have to contribute until 3:00, so I've got some time.)

Song Number 10: All For Love- O-Town

• Another guilty pleasure is boy bands. Now, I was not nearly as big of an O-Town fan as my big sister, because I was a NSYNC loyalist (although I also listened to BSB, but don't tell anybody.) Young, teenagey voices singing about love and how it's all for me, who doesn't need that stuff in their life every now and then? If nothing else, it provides a fun flashback to childhood and the simplicity of it all. I don't even remember half of the names of the dudes in O-Town, just Ashley Angel because he was my sister's favorite and his posters adorned her bedroom. 

So, there you have it: a small sampling of my vast iTunes library. As you can tell, I listen to lots of different stuff, and possess lots of music that I haven't even had a chance to listen to yet (partly because I have lots of songs [thanks Kam] and partly because I tend to get into moods where I fixate on one particular playlist or one particular band for months at a time. Like, lately it's been a back and forth between 3 particular bands, who I'm not going to mention now because they may or may not get their own blog posts in the near future, who knows?
Let me leave you with one last piece of advice: GO LISTEN TO JUKEBOX THE GHOST!!!!

Holy Wow

As of about 4:15 this afternoon, I am completely finished with the academic coursework portion of my undergraduate degree. I'm still sitting here almost 3 hours later trying to wrap my head around the fact that I am done with college courses at this point in my life (and I only say that because I'm 95% confident that I will end up at graduate school someday.) I am a month away from student teaching, about 4 months away from graduation, and about to embark on actual adult life. And to be completely honest, I am so freaking beyond scared for all of that stuff to happen, it's not even funny. There are so many "what if's" that are going through my head right now. What if I hate student teaching? What if a middle school student makes me cry? What if a high school student outsmarts me? What if I'm a terrible teacher? What if I fail the Praxis II? Now, I've been told it's very normal to be scared about student teaching, and one of my education advisers told me she would be worried if I WASN'T scared. It's very overwhelming to suddenly try and synthesize 3.5 years of stuff I've learned in college into my head for everyday use, and it's even more overwhelming to think about the fact that I'm going to be in charge of actual STUDENTS, not just my fellow music majors pretending to be students. I'm sitting here thinking "Oh dear God, I don't remember anything about the alto saxophone;" "How do I play a Bb on a tuba;" "How do a put a new head on a snare drum?" It's scary. I'm so worried that I am going to let myself down, and let down everyone who has helped me along my journey of becoming a band director. But wanna know what's not scary? The fact that right alongside all the fear in my body is a whole bunch of excitement. I've spent the last 3.5 years learning about music, something I absolutely LOVE, and now I get to go out into the field and share that love with students. That's pretty damn awesome if you ask me.
So I'm scared. But I'm also excited. And I know that I've got a ton of people that will always believe in me and are there to cheer me on. So bring it on student teaching, I'm ready for you!