The Opry

Okay, so while I'm on the subject of being a little bit off the subject (of my blog that is) I decided to share another musical experience, which happened on the same week of Beale Street believe it or not.

Now we are in Nashville Tennessee, at the ever so famous Grand Ole Opry. We had originally just stopped there too look around (or that's what my parents told me). One Direction happened to be in town that week so there were a good amount of people walking around, trying to soke in the experience that hundreds of thousands had before them. My favorite part of that day wasn't taking a picture in front of the guitars though, it was the shocking announcement my dad made before we left, we were going back that night to see a show, specifically featuring Carrie Underwood and Trace Adkins.

That night we went out to eat before the show, and boy are the restaurants in Tennessee different than any other place in the country. The way people talk to you and the accents thrown out are an experience in themselves. After we went to eat and enjoyed a rather bitter sweet discussion with our waiter, we were off to see the Opry show.

That night the show just happened to be one that was going to be broadcasted all over the world, and how incredible it was to hear the roar of the crowd and see the ever so famous "On Air" sign light up bright, just as it has ever since the Opry first began. Seeing the circle from the original Opry stage was one of the most breathtaking moments of my life, and knowing that I get to preform there in just one short year (for show choir nationals) made the moment even more incredible.

I remember Carrie sharing that the Opry was home to all of the existing country singers and all that came before them and between that and knowing that every country performer EVER has preformed on that stage made me realize how special of a place it really was. 

That night Sam Hunt had his first ever performance at the Opry, and I have never seen a famous person more nervous in my life, what and incredible experience it was to see just how important this really was to all that take the stage. Even Carrie said that she still gets nervous walking on that stage, knowing all of those that had come before her. Wow.

After the show, we walked through the gift shop and I got a pin for my Happiness jacket and a coffee mug that said "The Grand Ole Opry" on it. I will never forget how it felt to even walk through the gift shop. You could feel how important it was to that of many incredible people, and how much of a home it really is. No matter how many hundreds, thousands, millions, billions of people that walk through it, it will never lose it's value. And that alone, is truly inspiring. 

Beale Street

Now, I know this isn't one of my normal posts and it doesn't exactly fit the description of my blog title. But it is a "musical experience" I want to share so, close enough.

Beale Street, Memphis Tennessee. Sounds like just another place a car drives down or people walk by, but it is so much more. In fact, no people can drive down it because it is too much of a tourist attraction. There you will find BB Kings, where some of the most famous Blues singers have played. There you will find some of the greatest undiscovered talent playing on the corner. There you will find Blues groups playing their music empty grassy spaces between restaurant or shops. But most importantly, there you will find soul. 

Walking down that road for the first time, made me feel like a changed person (as weird as that sounds). It takes you back in time, where people share a deep passion for Blues and no one is afraid to get up and dance and enjoy themselves. Being surrounded by such positivity totally changes your outlook on life, and just for a little while get away from any negativity of your world.

I remember going into BB Kings and sitting down, listening to an amazing undiscovered talent singing with his guitar alone. I remember sitting down and seeing smiles on every single persons face that sat in that restaurant. Even biting into one of the best rack of ribs I have EVER tasted changed my experience. By the time we left we had talked to the waitress who told us that Elvis had preformed on the very stage we were sitting next too, and we had bought the CD of the man (Will Tucker) who had been preforming the night we were there.

As we walked down the street we stopped at tons of shops, some antique, some tourist inspired, but nonetheless all unique in it's own way. I remember stopping and watching a Blues group preforming and seeing people getting up and dancing, sharing their happiness with everyone around them, what a sight. We also stopped and listened to a man with a simple pair of drum sticks and a bucket, and man, he was one of the best drummers I have ever laid eyes on.

All of this happened within a few hours, but changed my look of music forever. It's incredible to see how much music can bring people together, take you back in time, or spread joy right within the moment. I will never forget Beale Street, and hope to go back again one day. If there is anything I have learned in my short experience there it's that no matter how lost you are in the world, you will always be able to find yourself back on Beale Street.  

Down to 4

After rising all the way to the top of the charts in America, One Direction has lost a key member of the team. Zayn decided to part ways with the group in order to live a quote "normal life". Now down to 4 in counting, the group decided to go on without him (for more information click here). Alrighty now I believe I have more than enough to discuss on this "unfortunate event" so lets get to it shall we?

First off I would like to say that this is not at all surprise to me (at least the specific situation isn't) to be honest considering all of the guys in the group I could have picked Zayn as the one to break off. Now I can't say I am a quote "expert" of the group, I'm actually probably the farthest from it in terms of teenage girls (if you can't tell, I'm not that much of a fan). Don't get me wrong I love their music and all but I just never got that starstruck feeling that every other girl in the world seemed to be hooked up on. Anyways, on to my next, and strongest feeling, of the whole issue.

We all know that becoming famous means practically signing your whole life away, after all "everything comes with a price" am I right? It doesn't take an expert to realize this, quite frankly all it takes is for the average citizen to pick up a magazine and read a few articles or turn on a talk show watch it for an hour to realize this. In that case, you would have to be merely clueless to think that after becoming ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS GROUPS IN AMERICA, by choice may I add, that you can just wake up one day and decide that you want to be "done". Don't get me wrong it sounds like a cruel truthful statement, and that's because it is just that. It's not that Zayn didn't have a choice though or didn't realize before that this was his life now, he knew. 

Don' get me wrong I don't want the worst for him, as it may seem, it's just that I can't fathom how he thinks it's just that simple, to up and leave and live a simple life again. Maybe he truly doesn't realize it or just doesn't want to face the truth, but either way reality will one day hit him, and he's not that far from it. All it's going to take is for him to walk into one mall or grocery store or even take a walk on the street to have a group of girls swarming him or reporters hiding in the bushes trying to sneak peeks of his new "normal life", I just hope for his sake everything works out. Wouldn't want a feeling of excitement in the next step in his life to turn to disappointment.

Nick and Mariah

So as many of us know by now (or maybe not) Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey are officially on the outs. In other words, after trying to figure things out they decided it just wasn't working out anymore, and now are proceeding to get a divorce. While I would like to say I am surprised, divorce rates are scarcely high now-a-days and are not that uncommon to see that much anymore However what was quite extraordinary to see was pictures of the couple (or rather not anymore?) getting together with their kids for an Easter egg hunt this morning, now that is not something you see everyday. However, I believe this is something we could all take careful note of.

A lot of times divorces these days are not very discrete, especially in cases that involve conflict over custody of a child or child's. They often end up in ugly battles resolving with neither of those involved ending up completely satisfied, and along with that comes the strong feeling thrown around, hate. What's extraordinary about this picture is the fact that in the process of their divorce, Nick and Mariah and seem to be displaying just the opposite. That's right, love. Something so simple yet rarely thought of in this kind of end to a relationship.

What many adults fail to realize or pay attention to is the fact that more often then not children that are involved in a divorce get it the worst, and we all realize that, just maybe not so much in the moment. This picture of the family together is not merely a coincidence, in my opinion it is a strong statement. Nick and Mariah easily could have had separate egg hunts with the kids or just chose which one would get the kids for the day, but instead they decided to get together, as a family, and share the moment together. What a great example of commitment.

How incredible it was to see that the parents put their differences aside and put what truly means the most to them ultimately ahead of everything. We all have been kids (or are kids) before, and we know how great it was to see that our parents recognized us and cared about us as we grew up, regardless of what the situation. Nick and Mariah made quite the statement spending time together with their kids today, talk about hope for humanity, this is one to get your pencils out for and jot down.

Bruce Jenner

Okay so by now I'm sure that we all know about Bruce Jenner's "Transformation" ( click here to catch up if you haven't). Not surprisingly, there are many questions following his complete change, and understandably so. Was it a midlife crisis? Has he always had this ambition? Is he jealous of the rest of the Kardashian's and wants to be like them? So many questions, and very little answers.

Now first I would like to point out the fact that I believe that everyone deserves their own privacy, and no one should have to make a statement explaining themselves in front of the public solely for the fact that they are a "celebrity" and that people are "curious". Jenner must have had to know that this was going to happen though, wouldn't you think? A big celebrity making such a dramatic decision changing his image, literally! It seems as if he kept it well under wraps for a while, but it seems as if we learn more and more the more every time an interviewer decides to sit down and ask question him about the public's specific interests about the change.

As a society, we are all very quick to judge, which is honestly a weakness in my opinion, but only in certain circumstances. For instance, judging people just off of the way they look or dress is a little far fetched for me (not really fair), however in situations like this, how can you not wonder? The question still remains, why did Bruce Jenner decide to change his gender and his name? In my opinion, many spend too much time trying to wrap their heads around something they will never understand, because it something some of us would never think of doing, EVER, in the first place. Maybe the reason we can't figure all of this out is because of simply just that. In that case, its okay to be curious, but we need to be careful about how far we chose to go to understand the whole story.

Ariana Grande

" The little girl (or woman rather) with the big voice, Ariana Grande sure does fit this category well, and millions of trending fans seem to agree. Just a few years back when people heard the name Ariana Grande they though of that one girl named Cat on Victorious. But now, only a short amount of years later, she is thoroughly known as a phenomena. Touching the lives of many and constantly taking the breathe from the millions that travel to go see her in concert, Ariana Grande has done nothing shy of impressing and inspiring the world. 

We've known many to be the way that Ariana is, soft spoken but not near shy when she hits the stage. Some examples would include Martina McBride, Micheal Jackson just to name a few. But we never seem to fall short of loving celebrities that live such different lives on and off stage. Watching someone get on stage and relive certain moments of their lives right in front of you is truly inspiring, but that is just the beginning. 

I envy Ariana. Now I get it, I sound like a crazed fan (which I couldn't totally repent) but I do truly envy her. We all remember Miley Cyrus's rough "transition"  from Hannah Montana to whatever she is now, and that in no way was a graceful way of doing things. I mean, how do you manage to change from teenage sweetheart to most rebellious immature young adult in a matter of a couple of years? Ariana however set an amazing example. Slowly sipping out of Cat and into a matured adult (still expressing her longing of growing and moving forward to a more mature part in her life) and being able to keep herself poised was quite a sight to see. I mean, how else could you successfully transition from Cat on Nickelodeon to being invited by president Obama to preform in the white house along side of some of the greatest soulful singers of our generation, not many I would say. 

Along with the success of her transition, she has also been able to keep a lot of her same fans, while also gaining more from the older adult category. Going back to the Miley Cyrus comparison, there is no way parents of Disney watchers could let their kids continue to fan girl over someone who does drugs and rides hot dogs half naked in concert. Which again, shows just how extraordinary it was it was to watch Ariana be so amazing at her transition to a greater part of her life. 

Now Ariana is one of the most known artists  around the world and has achieved what most only dream of. And as for her fans (speaking from the perspective of one) it is just as pleasing to watch her succeed.

By Fashion

As the seasons change yet again, we continue to see the constant change in fashion. A lot of times we are swayed towards our particular tastes based off of what celebrities are wearing, and find countless magazine pictures with ratings as to if the particular celebrities outfit is "hot or not" therefore comparing the two (or three or four or however many there are). To accompany this there are also a ton of fashion shows in bigger cities all around the world show casing some of the worlds greatest fashion designers and their new takes in the fashion world. My question is though, why do we pay such close attention to these specific things.

Whoever has a snap chat knows that there have been plenty of "stories" lately that have shown fashion shows in action (you could also find this information in countless articles on the internet) but the truth is, a lot of the outfits that are show cased never really trend (at least not in america). The fur coats and daring makeup all seem to catch our eye on the red carpet and may even spark an inspiration in us, but it never seems to go beyond that.

While we do see a trend in certain celebrities and the way they dress, we never really see to fully grow off of their ideas of fashion either, in fact a lot of it just seems like a way to compare a great out fit from celebrity number one, just to compare it with and bash on celebrity number two's. Now, as we all know there are plenty of celebrities that have their own lines of fashion (such as Selena Gomez and J Lo) which are to an extent successful in the make up of our fashion trends, but still not to par with all of the other ideas brought up in and out of seasons. 

So what is the make up of our societies idea of fashion? In my opinion, it is very well scattered. As mentioned earlier I do believe that some of it has to do with celebrities, some with their own line and others we see trying new things and really get hooked on. Another major part of it though I believe is the experiment of consumerism. Some new things are put on the shelf as the new season comes around (some succeed, some fail) and then whatever is bought most in the end, is what we make more of. Companies get more money and we get more of what we want. Our eyes often times tend to drift towards what looks good on the manic ans as well, so stores adjust to what catches the eye the most as and display it. As we all can probably agree, it is easier to make the decision when the choice is laid out right in front of you.