The Purpose of My Blog

This semester, my fifth semester of college, I decided to take a writing class for my major. Writing for Mass Media to be exact. I wanted to experience different kinds of writing and that is what was done. We created these blogs in order to publish our stories and put them out in the public. I definitely learned more than I thought I would. Considering there was only 5 of us taking this course, we learned from each other and critisized one another's work, only to their benefit, of course. I plan to keep my blog up in case there are other things I would like to write and put on this site. I now know that you can have a terrible first draft, but that's the point...you get to revise your work and fix whatever is wrong, hopefully making it better. Thank you Mrs. Worthington, you were such a big help!

Ray LaMontagne Review

On November 1, 2009, in downtown Atlanta, Ga., at the well known Fox Theater, Ray LaMontagne put on a pleasing performance for music lovers. A soft spoken and introverted person, Ray LaMontagne performs with such passion for life and music, singing his heart out as if to save the world. His raspy but soulful voice captivates the audience from beginning to end. With just one guitar and one spotlight, Ray LaMontagne proved to be a true singer/songwriter by performing a variety of songs from his three albums.

Starting the sold out show, Ray LaMontagne showed his compassion through the uplifting and motivating words of the six minute song "Be Here Now" from the "Till the Sun Turns Black" album. The song contains a tranquil melody to go along with its touching words that pulls one into a mesmerizing state of mind from the very beginning, holding you in there until the very end of the concert.

After a few more songs were played, he had yet to speak to the audience, but then proceeded to tell a disoriented story about Elvis Costello deciding what LaMontagne’s signature song would be. A few familiar strums were played, and the crowd lost it, knowing exactly what it was. "Jolene" tends to be a more popular song among fans because of the real heartbreak he seems to undergo by the depressing tone he holds throughout and the lyrics "I still don’t know what love means." Most people have been "facedown in a ditch" of heartbreak before and these lyrics portray what one goes through after being hurt.

Around the sixth song, LaMontagne decided to play "Empty." After the first few lines, the unexpected happened; he forgot the words. Not only was the audience rowdy, but at a mellow show such as this, there was no need to be rude. He completely stopped playing and admitted to us he had forgotten the words due to people in the audience screaming and clapping. After laughing off the embarrassment of forgetting lyrics, he recollected his thoughts and began playing once again, which turned out to be just as perfect as one could have hoped.

LaMontagne’s expressive cover of the Bee Gee’s "To Love Somebody" was perfectly planned out for being played solo. Usually he covers this song as a duet with another artist, but he preferred to be alone on this night. Considered to be a more upbeat and happier song, "To Love Somebody" takes a twisting turn into the soul making it a bluesy cover of the Bee Gees version.

Making it through two more songs, next on the set list was his radio hit "You are the best thing" from the album "Gossip in the Grain." This song tends to be performed with the backup band and singers making it a happy and upbeat song about being in love. Since LaMontagne’s show was solo, he decided to slow things down, turning it into an undoubtedly, remarkable version, that continued to hold the audience’s attention by the cool sound of his voice.

Towards the end of the show, the powerful vibe had yet to die down. After LaMontagne performed his last song of the set, disappointment rose throughout the small theater. No one within the 5,000 person audience was ready for the end. Row by row, audience members began standing and chanting for the encore. As he walked back out on stage, the mesmerizing feeling was back in the picture and filled the theater once again.

His encore consisted of two songs; "Burn" and "All the Wild Horses." Cold chills crawled down the back of my neck all the way to my toes. The lyrics for both of these songs may be simple and repetitive, but he grasped the audience by the heart, in a way I had never seen before in all of my concert history.

Ray LaMontagne proves with this performance that true singer/songwriters really do exist within this world. He gives performers in the folk genre a reputation of being lyrical geniuses. The show was a memorable performance, put on by a fantastic performer who happens to sound better in person than on a CD, making him a rare find for concert goers.

Backpacks: To Pack or Not?

People tend to think that fashion is all about those new designer shirts, skirts and jeans, and forget about other aspects of fashion like accessories. But backpacks happen to make a statement about the person hauling it around. Whether is has a designer sense or is just there to shove everything in, never forget that beauty is pain.

For decades, backpacks have been evolving. Even from a time when there was no such thing, people were creative enough to tie belts around books to form a way of carrying belongings.

Today, on most college campuses, there is an assortment of bags carried. Whether it’s the back-breaking bag filled with every book, a rolling suitcase bag or the messenger bag that hangs to the side of one’s hip, every student seems to choose a style and comfort that fits each personality best.

Backpacks were first fashioned in the early 1900’s, making it easier for people to transport belongings back and forth. Eventually, they weren’t just used on school campuses, but the military found use for them as well according to John Kitchling from “Big Fashion Online.”

Without the invention of backpacks, there would be no simple way to carry around property. Backpacks don’t necessarily have to carry just books. People put everything in backpacks from books, cell phones, computers, keys, mp3 players, clothes, and so on.

“I have learned to carry my backpack everywhere with me because it holds all my things- Ipod, keys, phone, books, pens, pencils, jump drive, notebooks, etc,” said student Ben Boggess, a freshman at University of the Cumberlands.

Since being created, backpacks have become a necessity around campuses. After many decades backpacks are still the number one item on a school shopping list.

Around a college campus, different styles and varieties of backpacks can be spotted while walking along. Varieties include the L.L. Bean backpack with initials or a name stitched on, the backpack that really looks like an oversized purse, the messenger bag that hangs on a hip and looks like someone is delivering newspapers, and the joke-worthy rolling backpacks people roll through campus. Some people decide to carry expensive name brand backpacks as well.

“Backpacks have undergone a radical evolution in recent years and now many are designed to be ergonomic while remaining fashionable,” stated Robert Longley in the article “US School Children at Risk from Heavy Backpacks.”

The original style of backpack, two straps and one big pocket for belongings, is considered to be dangerous because it can carry more books and belongings than the other styles causing back injuries and problems throughout a person’s life. Since there are so many designs and styles, people get to choose the style that fits their personality as well as comfort. The American Chiropractic Association offers many tips that people would give to someone looking at buying one. Some of these tips include:

1) The backpack should never hang more than 4 inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing your child to lean forward when walking.
2) Wear both straps to use more support.
3) Wide, padded straps should be taken into consideration because they give more comfort to the person wearing it.
4) Remember, bigger isn’t better. The more room in the backpack, the more someone will put in there causing more discomfort for one’s back, neck, and all the muscles in between.
5) Straps should be adjustable so one can conform the bag to his or her body type.
Considering there are many items that can be carried within backpacks today, it can be very painful and back breaking to one’s body. All of these tips should be taken into thought and a decision should be made around these factors.

In 2001, over 7,000 emergency room visits were because of back pains and spasms caused by carrying too much weight within a bag said the ACA. These are only some of the negative aspects given about backpacks.

The invention of the backpack is one that anyone can use to their benefit, and has been a trend for as long as anyone can remember. Not only are backpacks chosen on comfort, but as well as designs and colors. “The backpack I chose this year was chosen based on comfort and style. It is a normal style bag, but has the design and colors on it that I tend to choose,” said Courtney Ward, junior at University of the Cumberlands.

Backpacks will never go out of style. They are a strong factor for students from campus to campus. They have negative aspects, but if used correctly and appropriately, they can be the most helpful tool taken to school. Decisions should be made on comfort and style, with both positive and negative aspects overviewed.

It's All About the Music

The next four blog entries are all about music. The two genres of music I have focused on are soft rock and folk music. I chose these two because of my love and passion for music. I cannot go a day without hearing it because it brings my soul and spirit to a calmer place. These four posts contain everything from artist profiles to the way technology influences music creation. I hope you enjoy reading about these types of music and the influences music has within our world!

Back to the Future

"I believe musicians have a duty, a responsibility to reach out, to share your love or pain with others. "- James Taylor

Soft rock and folk music have had major influences on songwriters and artists within the 21st century. Some of the most popular and well known artists within the soft rock and folk genres include Cat Stevens, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Peter Gabriel and the list continues for hundreds more. Soft rock, the unaggressive style of rock-n-roll focusing on lyrics not the beat, might have been a genre created after folk music, but it still took in that strong lyrical presence and tied it in with clever musical notes and chords to get the message across to the audience.

There may be thousands of genres now ranging from country, to rap, to rock, and etc., but it still doesn’t change the fact that music has been around for centuries. Most of the music genres such as rock, rap, pop, punk, etc. were not brought about until the 1980s and 1990s. Even though those genres were not around until that era, musical artists of today still give credit to the older artists they received a majority of their influence from when folk and soft rock were created.

"Nothing separates the generations more than music. By the time a child is eight or nine, he has developed a passion for his own music that is even stronger than his passions for procrastination and weird clothes," quoted Bill Cosby.

James Taylor is one of those artists that ties in folk and soft rock genres. He released an album entitled Sweet Baby James, which is considered to be a "folk-rock masterpiece." In his song "Fire and Rain," his folk background of music can be identified because of how much more the lyrics are heard than his guitar playing.

These two similar styles of music still hold a great influence in what we hear on the radio today and will continue to hold that calm and peaceful sound that we know coming back from time into the new world of technology and music.

Technology Changing Music

“Music can change the world because it can change people.”- Bono

Music is a big part of our society during this present time. Everyone has their own taste of what they like and dislike. Many people now have the power to convert the old music they once adored to a little handheld music player. Because of the influence of folk artists, as well as soft rock artists, on the performers of today, music will continue to be made and played through these little contraptions.

Since the creation of computers, iPods, mp3 players, cell phones and so on, we, as a society, are constantly connected to music and the outside world. Today, music can be heard blaring through the headphones of a kid walking by on the street, someone’s car speakers driving by or a random person sitting at a table with their laptop open and speakers playing one of their favorite songs. No matter where you may be, or how bad it may sound, music is still heard.

Used to, back before all these crazy inventions, the only place to buy records, not even CDs, was record stores, not an iTunes music store or Limewire. The 20th century started out music technology with record players, 8 tracks, then tapes, CDs, which has now developed into mp3 players and touch screen iPods. All occurred over a time span of a few decades.

Since these changes in technology occurred, we can connect to the roots of music easier by sifting through lists of songs off of a screen instead of those old records most deny having out of embarassment. Soft rock and folk artist's music are hard to find within stores nowadays because most people are looking for the new popular music of today. Because of technology, these oldies can be found simply by typing in the artist and buying a song for around 99 cents.

Continuing to change, technology, as well as music itself, will constantly be setting new standards for upcoming products and each new technology will be just a little bit better than the last.

Whether it’s the latest touch screen with built in speakers or that old junky CD player tucked away in a drawer, the way people listen to music will always be changing and conforming to the next generation of technology.

Artist Profile: Cat Stevens

“Music is part of God's universe.”- Cat Stevens

Cat Stevens started out in the music business in the mid 1960s continuing into the 1970s. He began releasing hit after hit on his two most popular albums, "Tea for the Tillerman" and "Teaser and the Firecat." These albums brought about his most popular and well known songs such as “Wild World” and “Peace Train.”

Stevens' gentleness and softness in "The First Cut is the Deepest" continues to take over the minds of listeners where he appears to sing beyond the page, but still captures the voice of a true soft rock artist within an intimate setting.

After the overwhelming fame he received from his fans, he slowly began fading away from the limelight. Stevens began to study the Koran and converted to the Muslim religion in 1978. He once stated "I'm no longer seeking applause and fame," and from that point auctioned all his personal possessions and belongings.

After accepting the Muslim religion into his mind, body, and soul, he changed his name to Yusef Islam. He stopped creating music throughout the 1980s and 1990s, but around 2000, he founded his own music label called Mountain of Light.

Since leaving the world known as Cat Stevens, he entered back onto Atlantic Records, the label he left back in the 1970s, and released new albums still using his folk background, but incorporated his religious beliefs within the music and lyrics.