I Hate Copyright

I am really upset about this. I was planning on going to Youtube today to listen to some of my music that I really love and haven't listened to in awhile, and this is what I find:
(Sorry for the bad quality) Ridiculous! Out of fourteen songs, five of them are no longer available due to copyright. What is up with that crap? What, people aren't allowed to make videos anymore, showing how awesome the music or the show is? Or wait, are the artists just so insulted that someone would *gasp* use their song to make-in this case-an awesome AMV? If no, then what is so messed up with the people forcing the videos off Youtube? I really don't understand. It took me about ten minutes to find one of the songs off of my playlist that got deleted. Ten minutes! Usually, I wouldn't have that problem. But today, I realized that people who had put the same music up had either been forced to change the music to something else, or had to remove their audio. What are people supposed to do if they're just trying to look up a song and it's deleted the same way, or the "supposed" audio is in fact a different song? I find this completely ludicrous.

If someone can explain to me why people are being so grr about this, then please, go ahead, enlighten me, because I really want to know.

The Magical Josh Groban

I don't know about you, but I love Josh Groban! I mean, he has an amazing voice, beautiful songs, and very heartfelt expressions. He doesn't seem to sing just for publicity and to show off and become the best. Instead he seems to sing from the bottom of his heart and sings just for the joy of singing. I could be mistaken though. For all I know, he absolutely hates singing and is a manical performer who merely wants to make money. But I don't think so.

So, this is really short, I just wanted to say that.

I Loathe Pwer

I hate being told what to do. This has absolutely nothing to do with what I've written before, but as I am in a foul mood, blogging helps.

I am rather positive that I am not the only one who feels this way. I hate the fact that parents can tell their child to do whatever it is they wish to do, regardless of the child's own feelings or want. While this is usually a good thing, after all, young kids don't know enoughy of the world to make smart choices, I disagree with the idea that 17 or 18 year olds be treated as young children as well. I believe that by that time, not only have they garnered the ability to think for themselves, or at least attempt to, but they are also not one to stand by idly and do something that they themselves do not firmly believe in or want to do.

In my case, I refuse to audition for something that I have been in for years, just to make it to a higher section. I play my instrument for the joy of playing it. I don't play it to say, "Hey, look at me, I'm better than you." It's true that beginners are not always as good as those who have been playing for longer than they have, but I see no point to shove that in their face. I also refuse to audition when the director knows my playing talents as well as the fact that there is never anyone other than myself in my section. That's a rather easy choice even without an audition. Add in the fact that my section has no different points, and presto! I see no reason to audition. Of course, there's also the fact that I haven't had to audition for years, and my parents have never raised a huge fuss about it. It appears that all that history goes out the window once the idea of a easier and harder orchestral split comes into play.

Now, I love to play complicated music that challenges me to work harder and become a better musician. However, I refuse to be forced into auditioning for a harder orchestra when I do not want to. I'm all for a harder orchestra. Hell, I've been wanting one for years. But I don't like being told that even if I don't want to audition, it doesn't matter because I wil. That's where I draw the line.

And you may be asking, "Why would you not audition? Isn't this what you wanted?" And the answer is quite simply: Yes, I wanted this. But not when being forced into it. I am a busy person. I am involved in many activities, and as such never really have free time. My friends can all attest to that. The original orchestra is two hours long, and the harder one would be only one. But when you add in everything else I do, it really piles up. The smartest thing to do would be to drop something. And since I already play in bands at my school, my logical choice would be to drop whatever would be redundant. And see, I would rather not drop it. It's my last year with it. Kind of sad in a way. But if I'm being told that what I want has no say concerning it, and that I have to do it, and that people already assumed I would audition and be in the harder orchestra, that's when I feel the need to stop and dig my heels in.

I'm all for free will. And if doing something that imposes itself on my free will, then I'm not a happy camper. I don't think anyone would be. So, to make a long story short, I disagreed, rather loudly, that I was going to audition, and instead of ending in the familiar stalemate, it ended with my parents blackmailing me. If I don't play for one, then I don't play in my school band, which happens to include the marching band, which is my life from summer till January. So we are at an impasse: Either I do as they say, or I do what I told them and I loose my music. Most of my friends know me to be an extremely stubborn person who hates being ordered around, so chances are I will not audition. However, I can most ardently promise that I will not give up my music without a fight. No matter what.

Anyways, sorry about this little, or not so little rant. I'll be sure to post something literary soon.

The Power of Music

Music is a powerful thing. You may be thinking that you already know that, but have you ever really thought about the power this can give to people? Why do you think countries play patriotic music before sending their soldiers off to war? Because it pumps them up and gets them all ready to kill for their country. That using music to encourage nationalism. Hitler used it. Other than the fact that he was a great orator, the Nazis also used music. They knew that they could use music to sway people, to get people on their side.

Has anyone seen Brokeback Mountain? If you listen to the music, you'll see-or should I say hear-that the music is all beautiful and amazingly loving when the two cowboys are together, but once they go home and are with their wives, then the music is unhappy. Yes, music has moods. Moods it inspires in the listener. So obviously, different music can be used to inspire different moods and actions/responses.

If you don't believe me, just listen to your own music. Put something in that's loud and hard to understand. Next put something in that's quiet and almost like classical. Which one was easier to listen to, and which one was it easier to relax too. Obviously, the answer would be the second style of music.

As I have said, music can dramtically, or not as dramatically, affect people's moods. This is something that people will always use, since it gives them power. And power is something that almost no human being can pass up. So we might want to be careful about what we listen to and where. After all, what's there to loose?