its my therapy

music is really a comfort zone to me. yesterday i got in an incident wif my room mate, and it got really out of control i needed back up..It was a very stressful moment in my life and i wish ladies would act like they have class instead of just announcing it all the time. But I swear, the moment i put on my bob marley play list, my life jus did not seem that bad....even when it really iz. Like everything iz going to be alright, becuz these problemz are temporary, god will not put more on my plate that I can not handle... I just need to appreciate the small thingz, or the good stuff that iz going my way, but time will tell how bad my problemz really are.

why cant we all say goodbye like this???

YES... i do hate to say good bye....but in a way I don't. But I wish I could say goodbye to everything like this, its a littl cute, a little corny, and yet too classy.

And another reason why I love this song so much because, I remember when my parents use to put me and my brothers to bed early when they had their parties and socail gatherings. We would try to stick around and act is if we were entertaiment and the life of the party when we were just bad azz little kids. I use to crack out my violin and my little brother d jean would "try" to by my accompanist on the piano, it was cute though, because it did not sound bad...but a little unrehearsed.

This jazzy christmas tune from charlie brown's christmas special iz indeed one of my favorite peices. My younger brother who is currently 17 years, and a senior in highscool is trying to prepare to play this song on his bass with the other seniors within his music class, and I know it will sound like this, or maybe even better.

so the semester iz coming to an end

I am so happy that the fall 2008 is finally coming to an end, and this school semester has brought great stress, and now its leaving, praise god. So I have decided to post up some songs that remind me of when things come to an end, maybe some christmas jams that I love so much...nothing to corny, but somewhat classy...

a little kid using the suzuki method

proud big sister

So over the thanksgiving break I was around my family...ofcourse, and I was able to be around my little brothers and sister. All my siblings play instruments, and my youngest brother who is currently 7 years old, started to play the cello, it this weekend I heard him play for the 1st time. And when he picked up his bow and placed it on the string with so much grace, and started playing simple suzuki tunes, I wanted to cry because it sounded pretty decent for a beginner. It brought me back to my early child hood when I first learned how to play. Always so eager to practice with out complaint because I was determined to be a great musician. Sometimes I wonder where I lost my drive and passion for it....

the requim...my favorite movemets

i know I am young gifted and black

I always believe that my generation of african americans take a lot of things for granted, and may sometimes take our present situations in not in the light of a blessing but as a curse. I really do not know what is more beautiful than being young, because no one can ever take our youth away but ourselves. And to ensure out our youth we as a people must continue to take care of ourselves by not being substance abusers, staying in violent relationships, and to participate in criminal activiites. Those are some of the problems that black people have and it really takes a way our youth, purity and our soul.
And to be gifted... I truly do believe everyone has a gift, it is really up to that individual to take their gifts and use to their advntage in a positive way. You do no have to be a drug dealer or con artist to be a businees man. Ladies, we should not have to use our sexuallity as a way to get what we "think" we want. Sometimes having a certain gift does not ensure the things that may appear right to us, sometimes our purpose is not always for us, it could be for someone else.
But to be black...what an honor. Black people are indeed one of the strongest people on this earth. We suffered (as well as in the suffering process) of genocide, being stripped and raped from our true heritage, being conformed into what others think is right, and experiencing self hatred. However, despite all the negative, I beleive blacks still find the way, even though it sometimes it may seem hard to be true to one self, but still have to cater to what others think should be acceptable. But as a black woman, I feel as though nothing can stop me.

nina again

i jus love me some johnny

I love myself some jonh legend, like I remeber when i first heard him singing on kanye west hooks, and hearing baby I use to love you when I was in highschool and jus listening to his voice just made me wonder, maybe johnny is the man for me. So I posted up one of his recent works called "goodmorining", and there are no words that litterally explain how I feel about this song. One, i alwyas say goodmorning to people, even when its no longer morning...(something my and I started doin in highschool, and we never stop doing it). And 2, do you hear these lyrics, why wouldn't you want to start your morning without being next to the one you love, and it does not have to be in a boyfriend or girlfriend kissy poo poo type of shyt. Like just waking up in the morning next to your dog or cat, or watever... or just waking up in the morning and being joyful...thats what I want, to wake up to sweet happiness, no problems, no stress, no hassles.

goodmorning to music

reaction to like a dream

chrisette michelle is a more recent jazz singer that I truly beleive knows the meaning of a true love song. Her voice is different from the typical r&b singers of today and i think that it makes her music more soothing and pure. Like a dream is a beautiful song that I bassically listen to everyday...it kind of reminds me of "good morning" by john legend, almost its prelude

like a dream

sometimes i really think I fall in love to easily

reflection on billie holliday's strange fruit

When I was 11 years old I heard the song strange fruit on my grandfather's record player, and i really did not know what the song was about, but I knew it had something to do with death because the music was somewhat depressing. But that I am older, and I have a better understanding of the lyrics, I realized the "strange fruit" was black...african american dead bodies hanging off trees as if they were fruit. And the word play used in these lyrics just amazes me, and the history behind the lyrics of the song brings me to an understanding and somewhat of a confusion at a time. This song is apart of american history...not just black history, because when are black people are going to be classified other than americans, why do we have to distinguish our race within our own country and culture. But going back to the history of the lyrics, "strange fruit" was poem written by a jewish teacher who goes by the name Lewis Allen, and this was his reflection on how blacks were being treated in the south. And he wanted it to be a song, and somehow Billie Holliday was asked to sing it, but she was afraid for her career because during this time for her to sing about the political and civil rights issues would be risky for her career. But she sang the song anyways, and it one her best known pieces that she has performed, and it was said that every time she performed it she cried at the end.
Another reason why I decided to mention this song is because how people sometimes neglect the importance of the civil rights movement, it was not that long ago when many whites did not see the significance of black person's life, and now we have a black president. If it was not for the struggles of african american societies, the pain, the blood shed, tears, and lets not forget the music that got my people through these hard times, Obama would not be the president today.

reaction to misty

Misty is one of my favorite long songs, and every time I hear it i think of my boyfriend because he makes me misty. jazz long songs I beleve are the most genuine love songs written by black artisit becaues they do not glorify sex and money in their lyrics. They emphasize the beauty of love with your signiifcant other, and how precious it can be to be in love. And sometimes a person can be so caught up in loving a person that they do not recognize the big things but the see the little things. But I really enjoy "Misty", it just reminds me how sharing your emotional, intellectual and maybe physical side with another person can be beautiful.

misty

what is it with jazz musicians and paris?

If you ever look at a lot of jazz music titles, one might begin to notice that a lot of the songs have the word "paris" in it. It appears that Paris may be the paradise for artistic creativity. And for many african american jazz artisits, or any black artist Paris was paradise. The people in this romantic city did not see these extraordinary performers for their color, like in america, but for their art, and what they brought to the table. I once read in an article that a white man from america said that the people in France "treated, or spoiled" black americans, and thats not even the case. Black people who artistically superior will express their talent where it will be appreciated, rahter than ridiculed. Even for non african american jazz musicians of the 30s, 40s, and 50s were inspired by the romantic scenery of Paris. I been to paris, when I was 4, and all I remember is how much my parents loved every bit of it, and I know its because of the music, and hopefully when I become financially stable, i will too enjoy Paris.

i am guessing where it went off to...

Whenever i hear this song by ella fitzgerald, I think of my grandpa and how he plays all these old jazz albums when I was small child. This song really brings me back to a time of peace and innocence that i can never go back to. In the begginig of this school semester a young man in my class mentioned, where did our innocence go? It was a rhetroical question, however I feel as though our innocence left with the music that our generation in take. Almost everything that our generation listens to is about sex, drugs and money. Music is not about music anymore, its not about REAL life, or the love we have for one another. Lullaby a birdland, and other music of this genre brings me to that place where my innocences is still in existance, and to a place where negativity is not praised.

the feeling of jazz

Just because I am classically trained does not mean that I do not have the appreciation of jazz music. I really feel as though jazz is the african american classical music, but in itself its richer. I can relate to jazz more on an emotional level rather than a technical. Meaning jazz music has a uncontrolled more relaxed, and freesrtyle rythem, like me, I never know what I am going to do on any day except going to class, but anything else, my life is not built on a specific stucture like most classical music. And I think thats why most african americans can relate to the musical structure of jazz, its free, you can do almost anything, there are no limits, abd it makes you feel...more than think. So i am going to switch it up a little bit, and center some of my focus on jazz...the feeling of jazz

This cello concerto is one of the most played cello concerto written byt Antonin Dvorak, and it his last solo concerto. One of his colleges begged him to compose a cello concerto because he loved the medium tone of the instrument, it was not to high too bassic. And he wrote this piece in New York in the late 1800s.

a composition by paganini

niccolo paginini

niccolo paganini was like a rockstar of the 19th century romance period of classical composition. He created many of the hardest compostions of music for the violin, and other string instruments. But the main reason why I am mentioning this artist because he was far from the traditional classical music player. He was known to be a womanizer and a gambler, even though he made a lot of money from concerts and the peices that he wrote, he was down on his luck and gambled away his violin. My violin instructor told me when I was 14 years old, that paganini also composed one of his songs in jail, and he was also known for a lot music tricks with his hands.

Nokothula Ngwenyama

it explains itself

listening in

So today I was listening to one of my good friends quartet rehearsal at Towson University. The members of the string quartet are Asia Douglas on cello, Joseph Lauver on viola, Katie Gray 2nd violin and Yuting Wu playing 1st violin, rehearsing Quartet No.6 Op. 6 Composed by Anton Dvorak. Listening to a group of colleges rehearsing rather than performing brings me to a different place. A familiar place though. Watching students trying to be an intuitive player rather just playing the notes, and listening to each others parts, and relating the viola's part with the 2nd violin's. And monitoring a rehearsal, you are bassically listening out for mistakes, and the minor and major details while they are playing. When i am just listening in, i feel more of a critic rather than an audience. But soon, i will be able to record them playing, and post it.

passion is a must

Antonio Vivaldi is one of the greatest venetian boroque composers, and personally my favorite. He was a well gifted violinist who was beleived to have asthma, so he was not an active child, but he continued to play the violin. When he became an ordain preist he was sent to an orphanage that was owned by the church, and he was titled maestro de violino or the master of the violin, and taught the girls at the orphanage. Most of his peices that he put together were for the young women at the orphanage.

The main reason why I fell in love with Vivaldi besides from his artisitic nature of composing music is because of his life story. How he basically gave his life to help the less fortunate through music. And when ever I pick up my instrument I always wanted to know what is the good of me playing this. How can I help others with this craft, and when I was a small child I did not know. Most musicians I know, who are classically trained musicians rather become teachers then work for music companies or play in big orchestras. I use to think that these music teachers that work at these piblic schools were just the failures, and could not audition in to the right progtrams, but it is not like that. When a person becomes a music teacher, they are bassically sharing their life and skills to a person who does not have these fine skills and techniques, they are bassically teaching their passion. And when I looked up Vivaldi's bio in highschool, I started to feel the same passion of sharing my art through the form of teaching. I began to give private lessons to my little cousins and neighbors... and soon I started teaching children who were less fortunate and gave them free lessons. And they were like a couple of sessions each before concerts and recitals and I was able to give my advice to these young people.

the convention

I was 11 years old when i fist heard this violin concerto at a orchestral convention that my performing arts middle school took me and my class mates. This peice is beautifully composed by saint saens, and it makes me think about how much I missed going to classical concerts as a child, and I wish I had the means to continue to listen to professional musicians more than what I do now.

what do you say... i learn somin' new

over the weekend i was at my granparents house and i was talkin about this blogger project with them, and told them how i was going to write about classical music and ballet and what not... so my family are originally from haiti...(cant speak french nor creole... i am in total ingorance of my heritage...) and my grandfather always emphasizes the thought that i dont know anything about my culture, and then he told me about a crazy story that haitians compose classical music, and i really dont know if he was telling the truth because he always tells us something crazy about what haitians did, and me being ignorant i was jus laughing at this old man, and was like ok grandpa...
then i deciced to go home and actually google black afrcian american violinists, and the first thing that came up was a creole native violinist who family originated from the french west indies...haiti to my beleif and he was a known prodigy and composer, his name was Edmond Dede. He actually learned his skill from a free black man, Constanin Debergue who conducted free creoles in the south. He began studying music with an italiam native Gabici, but it angered a lot of whites in the south that a black man was participating in the classical arts...so many haters...
Dede was a typicial starving artist, working low income jobs just to keep his funds steady to participate in the art of violin such as making cigars, and playing an instrument is not a cheap thing to participate...from personal experience. During his cigar making time he composed a melody called "mon pauvre couer" (nope cant pernounce it...still very sad), and this is the oldest known sheet music composed from a black person. he later went to france and married a french woman and son, who also became a composer like his father.

taking your training to another level

when i fist saw charlli east on you tube i was like amazed how a young black artist, one of my friends who does a lot of spoken word poetry told me about her, and I had to look her up myself. I love her work, and she is like a big inspiration in my life, and it makes me want to pick up my violin again, and restart my music career. and i you tubed black violin, and they remade a bradenburg concerto, i believe its the first movement, and I am currently not sure what key its in, but i posted it up because it was a dreaded composition that i played in highschool because I lost my principle chair to a sophomore within my section. I was a little disapointed, but I got my chair back before the concert, but the remake of this concerto makes me laugh because I whish I could have payed around with a lot music, and made it fun in highschool.

this composition was one of my favorite pieces in highschool. when i first played it, i was a freshman, and it was the biggest struggle because I was not use to playing music in minor keys, and it seemed like it consisted of a million of accidentals, so getting my fingers use to playing at fast speeds was ridiculous, and I think it was level 5, when i was use to playing level 2 and 3 from middle school. but i really love this song, the main reasons was because I was struggling like shyt trying to get the intonation and rythym at the same time.  this piece also brought me closer to three beautiful ladies that i love and cherish to this day who are amazing musicians as well. and we use to struggle in various quartets within our highschool career

it has to start somewhere

when i was a small child i realized there were not a lot of black ballet dancers, and it was not like they did not exist, its just i have never met one. Being a black ballet dancer and to continue this art is something way harder then what people may think. In my situation, I took ballet classes in predominantly white dance schools, where it was important to have this particular body size. My school emphasized that you had to have a long torso, long legs, the arch in the foot, small boobs, no BUTT...NO HIPS....the looks that i did not have.

But I knew other professional black dancers had it worst, and they had the body type. Raven Wilkinson was the first black american dancer hired in the 1950s by a major ballet company in america. The obstacles that she faced was ridiculous. She was kicked out of a hotel because someone realized that she was black, and hunted down by a mob of Ku Klux Klan because they did not want a black female dancing in the performance hall. But one thing that Raven received from her colleges, that I never received as a dancer, was support. The dancers that she worked with were always by her side, and tried to snitch on her because she was a passing negro. But if I had half of her talent, maybe my fellow dancing classmates would not give me a hard time.

Watching another terrible movie

Today I was out with one of my highschool friends to go and see a movie called "house bunny". Not only was this movie stupid, but it was dramatically corny. There was not one thing about this movie that I could naturally relate to. The movie was about this play boy bunny who was tricked into leaving the playboy bunny house by another house mate. As this poor little bunny was out in the streets looking for a place to stay, she decided to become a house mother at this sorority house. The house belong to this group of girls who where considered"college rejects". These select girls were often teased and ridiculed by there peers, which seemed a little immature for a group of college students. So this playboy bunny decided to turn these "geeky girls" into fashionable co eds. So the girls went from geek to chic, and they started becoming popular, and blah blah blah. Sometimes i wonder if movie makers really enjoying creating significantly corny comedic movies. And this movie was just to predictable, what ever happen to the suspense, or movies that have me hanging by the edge of my seat. I really feel that film industry should not limit the creative content of a funny movie. Sometime putting an satirical intellectual twist would do a lot of comedies some good, and give it some depth.