the soundtrack of my life

Take me out to the ballgame: when i was very little, i had already gotten into baseball. At as young as two years old my dad would take me to the baseball field and toss me wiffle balls. Take me out to the ballgame was the first song i can remember knowing all the words too, and i will always remember this song. The Lion King: my grandma and i always used to love the lion king movies, and books. she would read them to me over and over again, to the point where i knew exactly what happened. We would sing along to the songs in the movies, and i used to pretend to be Simba the lion. Toy Story: I know toy story is a movie, which was not part of the criteria for this blog, but i HAD to list it because it was so important to me. I grew up watching these movies everyday, and i still enjoy toy story, whether its toy story one two or three. Whenever i see the moives it reminds me of those days when i was a kid, when everything was fun, and there was so much less stress. Toy story was a big part of many of my favorite childhood memories, along wih many other disney movies. By the Way, the entire album by the red hot chili peppers. The red hot chili peppers have been one of my favorite bands for aslong as i can remember. I remember the long car rides where the only thing that occupied me was the RHCP CD playing the whole time. I still like their music and have already seen them live twice. Snail City by Jane O'Connor. This was very important in my childhood because it was the first book I learned to read! I will always remember the crazy pictures in this book, and how excited i was when i learned to read it. The Sandlot: Although this is another movie, this was also a part of my favorite child hood memories. I knew every line to this movie, and still do to this day. When i was little i used to pretend i was Benny, swing my imaginary baseball bat, and run around the bases. When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin: When i was three i got a drumset for christmas. i fooled around on it for a few years until my started really teaching me to play. This was the first song i learned on drums, and it really helped me learn the basic half time and full time beats of rock drumming. The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osbourne. When i really learned how to read, i read through these books almost every week. After every visit to the library i would bring home the next book in the series and read it very quickly. these books really got my imagination flowing, and were some of the first chapter books i read. Metallica and The Misfits: I can't pick one particular song to use by either of these artists so I am combining them into one. These two bands were by far the most infuential musicians on my music today. Infact most modern Metal bands are strongly influenced by both of these bands. Soundtack 2 my Life by Kid Cudi. This song fits into this blog for obvious reasons! This is the first song i thought of when I heard about our soundtrack blog. This song reminds me of one of the first summers in my new house, with my new friends. We listened to this song over and over together on summer nights by the fire. I still love this song, and it still reminds me of those summer nights when i hear it. This is one of my feel good songs! If it Means Alot To You by a day to remember. This song gets me through alot of tough times in my life, and is one of my favorites. this is also the first song i learned to play guitar and sing to. It just helps me get through life, when im not feeling well, or am upset about something.

Soundtrack Of My Life

1.) Mickey Mouse Theme song. When I was one year old, I don’t remember it at all really, but I was a huge Mickey Mouse fan. When looking back at old photo albums, I saw photos from my first birthday, where I had a Mickey Mouse birthday cake. Also, my room was painted with Mickey Mouse on the walls. 2.) “Thomas and Friends song”. I was also a big Thomas fan when I was 2 years old. I knew every single train engine from the show and I got a lot of train tracks for my birthday and Christmas. My parents still have these toys in a box in our basement since it was a huge part of my infant life (and my little cousin enjoys them too). 3.) Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. This story is very significant to me because it was the first book that I ever learned to read. I loved Dr. Seuss books because they were funny and encouraged me to use my imagination. I think that imagination is an important tool for people because it lets us explore the possibilities of every situation, and without it, there wouldn’t be any electricity, cars, airplanes, sports, etc. 4.) The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle. This was another book that was one of my all time favorites. My parents say that I would read it almost every night before bed. I think it was because it made noises. I think that I still have it because sometimes I like to look back at how much I have changed over the years, as far as my reading level. I still enjoy to read these books sometimes. 5.) “Tootie Tot”. This song became very annoying, but still sticks in my memory. I can even remember most of the lyrics and the dance. It was the song/dance that we sang for kindergarten graduation. I remember rehearsing every day at school for about 2-3 weeks before graduation. I don’t think that we needed that much rehearsing considering that I can still remember it. 6.) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first chapter book that I ever read and the series is one of my favorites. I remember reading it so I could go and see the movie. 7.) The Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne. This series was another series that I followed intently. I read a lot of the books and I remember that the Poestenkill librarian used to update me with the new ones and save certain ones for me, since I was a big fan of this series. 8.) “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”. I went to my first New York Yankees baseball game this year at Yankee Stadium. It was really hot and I went with my family. Also, my little league team went to the championship this year, but lost. Baseball became a huge part of my life then and I followed the MLB a lot and new almost every statistic for the Yankees. 9.) “Hell’s Bells” by ACDC. This was the first year that I went to my first professional hockey game. “Hell’s Bells” was the opening song for my dad’s favorite team, the New Jersey Devils. We went to about six or seven games that year, and this really sparked my love of hockey. It also introduced me to classic rock. 10.) “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang. This was my last year in elementary school and I knew I would miss it. Even though it was only the first step of my school career and it was nice to get it over with, I was going to miss the good times I had and I was not looking forward to middle school, which was going to be more difficult. Also, it was crazy to think that it went by so fast and I know I’m already in high school. Back then, high school seemed like light years away. 11.) “Back in Black” by ACDC; “Limelight” by Rush. I chose these two songs because they were a couple of the first songs that introduced me to classic rock. Classic rock is one of my favorite genres and I still listen to these two bands a lot. I thank my dad for introducing me to this. 12.) “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls. I chose this song because this was my first year of middle school and I was really nervous. I didn’t know what people from the other elementary schools would be like, and didn’t know how to approach it. I think it was because I am the first child and I didn’t get any advice on what it would be like. 13+14.) “Free bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I chose this song for both eighth grade and ninth grade because they are the start of the rest of my life. I am now in my final four years of school and just starting my path toward college and beyond. This song symbolizes the freedoms that I now have and how I can now make decisions by myself and set the course that I want to follow for the rest of my life.

Granddaughters Sled:

In this society people were thought to be useless as they got older but they never realized the impact of one person. One small thing can make a huge difference in the world. They underestimated the knowledge of the elderly people they only cared for their ability to make a living. No one paid any attention to their knowledge and wisdom and would have left him to die but he saved all their lives in the end. With out him they all would have starved to death. There has to be problems in the world in order to learn a lesson. That one man changed the people of that towns mind.

Water Fountains:

Segregation and racism are just wrong. Were all people and no one is better than any one else. Segregation of water fountains, bathrooms, restaurants, etc. is not right, for people to think that they are better than others and judge people on their skin color, were all the same. Blacks worked hard to be equal and to stop segregation. Segregation was finally illegal but people continued to be racist. Racism is still continued today years and years after it was banned. But whats the point of racism I can't see any difference between me and them, there skin color. It's like saying you don't like apples because there red, like judging a book by it's cover. You don't know anything about these people and yet you judge them.

separate entrances:

Segregation is like in middle school and high school when people look different or do things that other people aren't used to so they think they are weird. People will bully and make fun of these people just because they are different. They never get to know these people they just judge. It is what they did with the blacks, they were different so they didn't like them. I also think that maybe they just got a little cocky and since they could boss these people around they did. When the blacks tried to change this some were put in jail or killed, is it really right to kill someone because they wanted to be equal. The things that the blacks didn't to rebel mostly never hurt anybody, the tried more hands off approaches, they never turned to physical violence.

Rosewood Massacre:

Events like this were unnecessary. They had absolutely no proof that the man had done anything to the woman and for all they knew it just could have been a setup. The man they killed could have been innocent. Blacks were often lynched and killed for no reason and most of the time they were framed or random accusations were made. Some whites got together and went around hunting innocent blacks that had done nothing and burnt down the whole town. They did this and it was all unnecessary, life would have been much easier if they just got along with the blacks.

Simon Wiesenthal:

I like that he had taken action against the Germans and tried to help. The holocaust is another unnecessary thing just like racism against the blacks. Hitler had no reason to kill all these people. The concentration camps were horrible. The conditions were terrible, the people were treated badly, they weren't given enough food, hygiene was not even thought about, the work was hard and outrageous, and much more. When the camps got too full they would start to burn people alive or if they were sick or injured they were burned alive. They were people just like everyone else and yet they were treated like dirt, they didn't care.

Cultural background of the times:

It seems like much of the movies of this time period were comedy. During the 1930s is when the Great Depression was occurring. During this time people needed something to cheer them up because the economic problem had such a huge impact on their life. These comedies were just the thing to cheer them up. People didn't want to watch serious movies. They needed something to make them laugh and get their minds off of things.

Field pic:

The work that they had to do was hard and time consuming. Just seeing this one picture you can see that it must be terrible for your back. Doing so much field work is very tiring and you could seriously hurt yourself. They have to work a lot with there hands which could also cause health problems. You can see that it is very sunny out and hot. Working out there is not enjoyable in any way and caused lots of problems.

Dorothea Lange Tent pic:

For anyone to have to live in conditions like that is horrible. The people look malnourished and dirty. There is barely any space in that tent and what happens when a storm comes along. They barely have any shelter and it would be very dangerous out in a storm. Not only that but it can destroy everything that they have. The woman had to young children and a little baby and in conditions like that then can easily get sick or the parents get sick and if they were to die, they would be off on their own and they would have a very long chance of surviving too. For anyone to have to live like this, it's bad, the people look so sad. Its definitely not a way of life they wanted to choose.

Dorothea Lange:

This migrant family had it hard off because of their failed crop but during the Depression people couldn't afford anything and there was no jobs available. They are starving and have nothing left. They just sold their tent for food and now they have no shelter. But this woman has seven children and she doesn't have anything much less to sell. She looks so sad and worn out. This woman is only 32 and she looks twice that, this is all because of poor health and hard work which causes a lot of stress. I would hate to live like this but it is hard to stop things like this from happening.

We Cater to White Trade:

Not allowing someone to eat at a restaurant if they are not white is not right. The restaurants, bathrooms, schools, etc. were not made equal between whites and blacks. This is wrong because everybody should be treated equal. Laws said that segregation could exist as long as the segregated places were equal and they weren't. No one was able to get this changed for a very long time though many like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, and many others tried.

Soundtrack of my Life

1996: My Sharona by The Knack: I have been listening to this song literally since I was born. My Dad did and still does sing this to me at some of the most random times. The only change is that instead of singing “my Sharona” it’s “my Fiona”.

1998: What’s This by Danny Elfman: At this time I was two which is when every child is very curios and is continually asking “why”.

2000: Feed the Birds by Rodgers and Hammerstein: When Lauren and I were little there was a very narrow cabinet in the kitchen and we thought that Mary Poppins lived in it. If anything bad ever happened we would open the cabinet door and scold her and blame her for doing it. We would also have to say goodnight to her every night before we went to bed.

2002: Barbie Girl by Aqau: I was obsessed with Barbie Dolls!!!! One day my dad showed me the music video to this song I and I thought it was so cool.

2004: E-bow the Letter by R.E.M.: This song came out at this time and my parent’s both listened to this band. My mom thought that one of the lyrics said “tastes like Fiona” and so did her friend. The line really was “tastes like fear”.

2006: Which Side are you on Boys by Natalie Merchant: I have always been interested in history but in 5th grade I became obsessed with the time of the civil war and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. I also started listening to Natalie Merchant around this time when my dad introduced her to me.

2008: I’m a Little Teapot: I know that this is a children’s song and I was in Middle school at this point but I have one specific memory of waiting for my mom to pick me up after school and I was outside with few of my friends and we started singing random songs and the only one I remember is this one.

2010: My Skin by Natalie Merchant: Natalie Merchant is one of favorite artists and I found the piano book of one of her albums. This album happened to have my favorite song of hers on it My Skin. I can now almost play it perfectly on the piano.

Simon Wiesenthal

Simon Wiesenthal was a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, and documentated the ways of the Nazis. I think that it was very brave of him to do, but also very smart of him to do. People today realize how terrible the Nazis were to Jews, and it was important that this information was written down. It can be used today. It bothers me the way that the Nazis treated the Jews, as I'm sure it does for many people. Discrimination is still around today, but at least it isn't really to this extreme anymore.

The Soundtrack of My Life

Through my entire 14 years, I have listened to many different types of music. When i first started listening to music, I was probably nine years old. That was when Eminem was first introduced to me. Now, i am a big Eminem fan but back then, I never really liked Eminem. I was more of a hip hop kind of kid. I never really knew the songs that I listened to because i would just listen to them when my friends showed me them at school. As i grew up, i started respecting all types of music, except country music because to this day, I have always hated it. Starting at about age 12 is when i reallys started getting into music and now I absolutely love listening to music. I am actually listening to music as I am writing this!!

Soundtrack to My Life

1996) I don't really remember my favorite song from this time, but my parents said I liked the Barney theme song. Aparently I laughed the whole time it played. Wierd. My favorite book during this time was Goodnight Moon. My parents read it to me every night. It put me out like a light. It was both a happy and calming book. 1998) I listened to a lot of Beatles around this time. Not by choice, my parents liked it. My favorite song was "The Yellow Submarine". It was a simple yet funny song. My favorite book was the Big Red Barn. I liked all the animals in it. 2000) My favorite song around this time was "Taxman" by the Beatles. It was sad, but at time, I just liked the beat. My favorite book at this time was "Green Eggs and Ham". Such a funny book. I loved it. 2002) My favorite song at this time was "Lose Yourself" by Eminem. This was the first rap song I ever heard. I loved the rhythm and feel of it. My favorite book of this period was the first Harry Potter. It was a difficult read, but I read it. I loved how interesting it was. 2004) My favorite song was Stairway to Heaven- Led Zepplin. I loved this song. My dad listened to them, so I did too. 2006)My favorite song of this time was Down With the Sickness by Disturbed. Logan Fahrenkopf and I jammed to this in 5th grade. My favorite book was Ender's Shadow. It was super detailed and packed with twists and turns. 2008) My favorite song was Till' I Collapse by Eminem. I'm not sure why I liked it so much. 2010) My favorite song was J's On My Feet by Mac Miller. Really good song, packed with energy. Favorite book- F451 by Bradbury.

Rosewood Massacre

As I was reading this article, I realized how eerily similar it was to Tom Robinson's case in To Kill A Mockingbird. I know that this was supposed to be completed before we read the story, but reading it now makes me realize how much of a deal it was if a black man was involved with the treatment of a white women. It is just very sad to see that other people were killed due to the hatred toward the black man. I am very glad that times are different now.

Separate Entrances

In this picture, there are two different entrances to a building. The entrance that you enter is determined on the color of your skin. The fact that where you were allowed to go was based on the color of your skin is ridiculous. I understand that this was due to the discrimination against black people. I just don't like this because it just doesn't seemed right at all and there is no reason to go to those lengths to make someone feel lesser than another.

"Whites Only"

In this picture, there is sign in a window saying: "We cater to whites only". This is awful. It shows how racist and discriminatory America used to be. This picture makes my stomach churn. I wish that no one ever thought up the ridiculous idea that one's skin makes him better or worse than someone else. It would have changed so much, helped so much. Unfortunately, this will never happen, so we have to live with what we have. I both like and dislike this photo. I don't like the message, but I like what it is trying to show to the viewers. I can only hope we can continue to advance in the fight on prejudice.

Dorothea Lange

This is another depressing picture. The script says that this woman has seven children and just sold her tent to pay for food. This makes me sad. It is horrible that someone would have to decide between shelter and food. The type also says that they are pea pickers but the pea crop failed. This shows how they ended up in such a terrible position. This picture makes me think of all the homeless people in cities that have no where to go. The government knows about them, but does not help. This angers me. No one should be forced to endure this. Getting a job isn't easy, especially for people like that at a time like this. Errrr...

Tent Picture

This picture is very depressing. The family is in the middle of a dry field, under a makeshift, ratty tent. They look miserable. I think this picture represents how people felt after the Great Depression. They have a baby with them, which makes me feel sorry for them. I do not see a man, and I wonder if he died. This makes me even more sad. I don't like this picture. It reminds me of the sad times of losing a pet, or a relative. I'm stopping now.

Field Picture

The people in the field picture are working very hard. They are planting/harvesting a crop. The black and white makes the picture a bit dreary, but I don't think that is what it is supposed to be like. The soil in the picture is cracked, but the crops look plentiful. This seems like it is contradicting itself. I think the picture represents how people overcame the Great Depression. I like this picture. It is inspirational.

Stars of the 1930s

The 1930's were an interesting period. People wore weird clothes, had weird hair-do's, and odd hobbies. The 1930's were filled with horrific incidents like the Great Depression. People like Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple, and Mae West helped America get through these tough times. They distracted Americans from life. For however brief it was, it helped. People needed someone to look forward to, to talk about, and they got it. These iconic figures had a lasting impression not just on the culture of the 1930's, but on modern America.

nuclear power plant stops leaking

After a long wait the contaminated water coming from the #2 reactor in japan has been finally plugged using a silica based (liquid glass). the crack was caused by the massive earthquake that hit japan almost a month ago. The radiation levels found in the water was 7.5 billion times the normal limit. as of yesterday the radiation was 5 times the normal limit. although the Japanese government has stopped a minor leak at the plant the real danger which is a meltdown of the core is still said to exist, although some statements say that this particular incident is no more likely to harm anyone than 3 mile island has ( http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/3mile-isle.html). There is still no news on if the already contaminated water will affect us or other neighboring countries yet. APHS http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42440388/ns/world_news-asiapacific/ http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/06/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html#

Soundtrack to My Life

Here’s the soundtrack to my life. Based on the top hits of each year. 1995) Creep by TLC. I chose this song because my parents listened to this band a lot when I was born. I remember watching home videos and hearing this song a lot. 1996) Name by The Goo Goo Dolls. I remember my parents got big into the Goo Goo Dolls in this year. 1997) I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly. I believed I could fly when I was 2. I liked this song when I was younger, the first I could remember. 1998) How’s It Gonna Be by Third Eye Blind, another song from my youth. 1999) Believe by Cher, although I just recently heard this song, it reminds me of going camping when I was 8-9ish 2000) Higher by Creed. The first rock song I can remember. 2001) Beautiful Day by U2. This is a very good song, this first U2 song I heard. 2002) Lose Yourself by Eminem. This was my first favorite rap song. 2003) In da Club by 50 Cent. This is a good song, It was made in the year 2003. Although I did not listen to rap when I was 8 2004) Let’s Get It Started by The Black Eyed Peas. This is the only Black Eye Peas song I kind of like. It’s upbeat, just like I try to be. 2005) Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day. This is a really good song, and no, I’m not on the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. 2006) Move Along by The All-American Rejects. This was my favorite song up until about a year ago. It inspired me to start drumming 2007) Buy U a Drank by T-Pain. I still really enjoy this song and it’s the only T-Pain I like. This made me really big into Hip-Hop. 2008) Lollipop by Lil Wayne. I love the base to this song. It’s really good, but my parents find it disgusting. 2009) Poker Face by Lady GaGa. Wow. I have found a huge hate for women pop artists due to this artist. 2010) Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z. This song reminds me of one of my favorite places of all time, New York City. I go here a lot because my parents like the city as well. 2011) Well, we haven’t quite completed 2011 yet but if I had to choose one it would be Black and Yellow by Wiz Khalifa. Its such a good song, and all my friends enjoy this song as well.

Simon Wiesenthal

Simon Wiesenthal was a man who documented the horrific attrocities that occured during the Holocaust. He also hunted down the responsible Nazis. He was a great man, who made sure the Nazis did not get away with the bad things they did. Simon's accomplished life was made into a movie. Simon was born in 1908, and his father died in WW1. Simon was a very accomplished man who did a lot to hold the Nazis accountable for their actions. We should hold him up on a pedestal, look back on him to learn things, we should honor him. He shows us how we should be, how we should act, and how we should react to things people do. Simon Wiesenthal was a great man. Let us hope we will see his spirit live on in future generations.

Current Event Update

The struggle in Libya is still continuing, even after two weeks. Forces of Moammar Gadhafi have been using a defensive strategy to help protect the key oil town al-Brega from rebel forces that are surrounding the city. The rebels have been using rockets to bombard the area. Also, there has been a lot of destruction and warfare in the town of Misrata. Gadhafi is currently under investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/ africa /04 /04/libya.war/index.html). During the struggle in Libya, there have also been bombings on rebel forces by NATO. One aerial bombing killed 13 rebels and injured 7. The rebels have also been responsible for a few car bombings (http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-rebels-struggle-to-explain-rift/2011/04/02/AFEpJFRC_story.html). Gadhafi’s forces are much more well-trained and organized than the rebels, but the rebels are managing to continue wear down stand up against Gadhafi. Even though they don’t have as heavy artillery as Gadhafi forces, these rebels have proven themselves to be very tactical and tough to defeat. I hope that this struggle will soon end in Libya, so that we can safely get oil and gas prices will go down. http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/04/04/libya.war/index.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/libyan-rebels-struggle-to-explain-rift/2011/04/02/AFEpJFRC_story.html http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/04/04/libyan-rebels-reclaim-key-oil-town/

Current Event

9/11 Burial Arguments

Although September 9th, 2001 was a long time ago to some of us there are still many issues being dealt with regarding the event today. For instance the issue of the final burial of the unidentified bodies from Ground Zero is something that is still being argued over. The original plan is to create a memorial for the day in a museum and to bury the dead there within the museum but almost in a basement of sorts. There is a lot of dispute among the planners of this and the families that lost loved ones to the attack. They want a proper burial for the remains and find it very demeaning for the dead and for their families wherever and whoever they may be. But some people are not opposed to it as they believe that it would be the same as a burial just in a building and it would be at a memorial towards them. I believe that the bodies should get a proper burial regardless of who they are and whether or not they have been identified. Putting them in a museum where anyone can have access to the room would be in some ways disrespecting and ruse towards the families that lost loved ones on the September day.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/03/new.york.repository/index.html?hpt=Sbin http://www.dnainfo.com/20110403/downtown/families-urge-911-museum-developers-scrap-plans-entomb-remains

Soundtrack

1) "I Love You" by Barney - I used to love Barney and would hug the tv when they played this song at the end of an episode. 2) "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" - I liked kids songs and used to do the hand motions to this song. 3) "You've Got A friend In Me" by Toy Story - I liked Toy Story a lot and had this song on a Disney CD. 4) "Baby Take A Bow" by Shirley Temple - I used to do dance and I remember dancing to this song at a recital. 5) "Put One Foot In Front Of the Other" by Santa Claus is Coming To Town - I used to like Christmas music and had this song on a CD of songs from different Christmas cartoons. I remember dancing to this song in my kitchen. 6) "Genie In A Bottle" by Christina Aguilera and "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears - I remember listening to these two songs on a cassette I had. 7) "Complicated" and "Sk8er Boi" - I loved Averill Lavigne when I was younger and these were my two favorite songs. 8) "Why Not" by Hillary Duff - I loved Hillary Duff and went to her concert that year. This was my favorite song. 9) "Best Of Both Worlds" by Hannah Montanna - This was the year Hannah Montanna came out. I liked her show and her music, and this was the theme song. 10) "We're All In This Together" by High School Musical and "Graduation (Friends Forever)" by Vitamin C - My friends and I liked High School Musical and would watch it when we had birthday parties. I chose "Graduation (Friends Forever)" because that was the song they would play in a powerpoint when you graduated from elementary school. They didn't play it that year (because you start middle school in seventh grade) but I remember listening to it with my friends and being sad because we were going to different schools. 11) "See You Again" by Miley Cyrus - I liked this song and went to her concert that year. 12) "Burnin' Up" by the Jonas Brothers - I had liked the Jonas Brothers before but really liked them in seventh grade. This was my favorite song of theirs. 13) "Shark In The Water" by V.V. Brown and "That's Not My Name" by the Ting Tings - I liked these songs and eighth grade was when I started listening more to songs that weren't on the radio or by Disney.

Update on Libya

The protest in Libya is continuing. Last week, cnn.com reported that rebels were advancing westward through Libya, now there's a debate whether to arm the rebels or not. These weapons of course would be provided by other countries. It may also level the playing field. According to thetelegraph.com, the rebels goal is to try and take down Gadhafi and replace him with a Democracy. Gadhafi is still launching attacks across Libya to stop the rebels. According to cbsnews.com, the rebels have already conquered the entire east side of the country already. Will Gadhafi surrender? Will a Democracy arise in Libya? The only thing we can do is hope for the best.

Soundtrack

Soundtrack of My Life 1996- Who I Was Born To Be Susan Boyle I think this song connects with this year of my life because it was the year I was born and because I am very Scottish just like the singer of this song. 1998- Ordinary World Duran Duran When I was two years old my mom and dad used to put the cd with this song on the stereo and the four of us would dance to it at night. 2000- Don’t Cry For Me Argentina Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice When was younger I would ask my mother to play this song for me and I would dance to it in my ballet outfit. But being the little kid I was I was always watching what my shadow was doing while I danced making the dance very awkward and funny. This is one of my favorite memories form when I was little. 2002- A Little Bit Longer The Jonas Brothers I’m not really a Jonas brothers fan and quite frankly have only really heard about two songs but this song fits perfectly with this year of my life. In 2002 I was diagnosed with diabetes which is exactly what this song is about. 2004- The Circle of Life Elton John This song connects with my life because when I was eight I went to diabetes summer camp for the first time and it was called Circle of Life Camp. All of the cabins and buildings were named after people and places from The Lion King. Camp was one of my favorite parts of the year and I still go to camp every year. 2006- Hindi Sad Diamonds Soundtrack of Moulin Rouge When I was in 5th grade my sister and friend and I entered the talent show and we hula hooped to Hindi Sad diamonds. It was one of the funniest things I had done and I loved the routine that we did. 2008- Georgiana Soundtrack of Pride and Prejudice I have always loved period dramas but I wasn’t a fanatic really until 2008. One of my all-time favorites is Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly and it is one of the best music soundtracks as well, with Georgiana being the best song in the entire movie. 2010- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John The Wizard of Oz started this year and with every musical that I’m in by the end of all the rehearsals and all the performances you are utterly sick of the play, the songs and all things related to it. So I will be sad to be saying goodbye to the yellow brick road but during the first few weeks that I don’t have to see it I will finally be relaxed. And I love Elton John especially this year.

Soundtrack of your life!

A fun blog!
This week you will work on considering a soundtrack of your life. Reflect over your life in terms of 1) MUSIC and 2) Books, from infancy through today. What music and books reflect your life.

You need to name the song title and artist and then write an explanation as to why that particular choice fits. You may chose a song for every year of your life or every two years.

Then you must also have a book list which does the same thing. Title and author and why that book choice was important and special.

Have fun with this! :)
This will be due 3/31
V. Gaboury

Baby Songs To Now

1997

  “Little Black Rain Cloud”

    From Winnie the Pooh

            This song is probably one of my most favorite songs when I was a baby. It just brings back memories of me sitting in front of the T.V. watching Winnie the Pooh. I even remember that he sang this song when he was all covered in mud and he was tied to a balloon trying to get honey from the bees’ nest in the tree.

1998

“All the Pretty Little Ponies”

 By Kenny Loggins

            I loved this song so much when I was a little. My dad used to sing it to me. I also remember listening to it in the car. It’s a lullaby so it was relaxing to me.

1999

“The Beginning”

  By Seal

            I love Seal! He is just an amazing singer. My parents would put on his CDs all the time when I was a baby. They said his voice was soothing and it helped calm Madeline and I down when we were upset. This song in particular reminds me of going to daycare, and my dad would play this song in the car. We recently listened to his CD and it just brought back so many memories.

1999

“Violet”

By: Seal

            This is another one of my favorite songs. When I was little, I remember I was sleeping and there was a huge thunderstorm outside. I woke up and I was really scared. I called for my dad and he came in and he put on “violet” and he opened the blinds to the big window in or living room (this was in our apartment) and we just watched the storm until I fell asleep. I don’t know why I remember that so well it was just a nice memory I guess.

 2000-2001

“Larger Than Life”

By: Backstreet Boys

            Hahahaha! I love the Backstreet boys. When I was five or six years old I used to listen to them all the time. It’s kind of embarrassing but they were great. I remember I got their concert on VHS and I watched it and I was dancing to it! It was great! Larger Than Life was my favorite song by them. I actually just recently heard it on the radio.

2001

Short Skirt Long Jacket

By: Cake

This song is so funny if you really listen to the lyrics. I remember listening to this song in the car on the way to go bowling when I was little. I remember the strangest things…it is one of my moms favorite songs.

2001

“Oops I Did It Again”

By: Britney Spears

            Britney Spears was awesome. I loved to listen to her music. I thought she was so cool. I used to listen to her with my neighbors and we used to make up dances to the songs…I know we were cool...

2003

Ants Marching

By: Dave Matthews

Both my parents were in love with the Dave Matthews band. I remember in the summer time when I was with my mom and sister in the car, she would put on the Dave Matthews CD and we would listen to it with the sunroof open. I miss summer so much…

2004

Hey Ya!

By: Outkast

I really like this song. I remember seeing the music video to this song and it was really weird. Yet again Outkast is really weird. 

2005

Clocks

By: Coldplay

Coldplay is probably one of the best bands ever. Their music is so relaxing and different. It’s not like all of the rap music today. “Clocks” was a song that my family really liked. We ended up looking for more Coldplay songs.

2006

Over My Head (cable car)

By: The Fray

Once again another summer song! This song, I first heard, when I was sitting on my porch and my mom just put some music on. I had no idea what he was saying when he said “cable car” I thought he said Cape Cod. Haha…I was like, “he said Cape Cod!”  I thought it was so cool that he said that because we go to Cape Cod every summer. And then my family was like “no…he said cable car…”

2007

Ain’t No Other Man

By: Christina Aguilera

This song reminds me of the summertime. We would always listen to fun dance songs when we would have parties with our neighbors. This song is one of the songs we would dance to. It was so much fun.

2007

The Sweet Escape

By: Gwen Stefani and Akon

            This song brings so many memories back to fifth grade. A couple friends and I wrote a parody to this song. It was pretty cool. We preformed it at the end of the year in the talent show. It was one of the best days of my life!

2008

Viva La Vida

By: Codplay

  This is another great Coldplay song. This song reminds me so much of seventh grade English class because I needed to have a song for the poetry unit and I picked this one. I read it so many times because I loved it so much. The cellos and violins are great in the song.

2009

Gravity

By Sara Bareilles

This song originally came out in 2007 but I heard it in 2009 On “So You Think You Can Dance”. It is an amazing song and the piano in the song is beautiful. She also has an amazing voice. The song is really about something that she keeps going back to but its pushing her down. Its just a really moving song and if you listen closely to the lyrics its pretty powerful.

2010

Secrets

By: One Republic

 This song is great. I love the cellos. I first heard the song on a commercial for “Pretty Little Liars” and I really liked it. I can tell this song is going to be on our summer play list for sitting by the pool.

2010

Show Me What I’m Looking For

By: Carolina Liar

Great song! My friend actually showed me this song. And I couldn’t stop listening to it.

These are only some of the songs that should go on an album of my life. There are a ton more. My family is a big music family and so I have many varieties of songs I could choose from. These are songs that I remember the most.

Music&Books of my life

Year 1&2- The Winnie the Pooh theme song deffinetly goes along with my first years because The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was my absolute favorite movie when I was younger. I watched it over and over and somehow, I never got bored. I would sing along to the theme song. My favorite part was when he blew the butterfly off his nose. It made me laugh every time. Year 3&4- “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. Describes this part of my life perfectly. I was always a quiet kid, but I loved to sing and dance. At this time in your life, you have no worries, and life’s great. I had a new baby brother at this age and I was always happy and excited about everything. I think ABBA’s song captures this idea of a carefree life perfectly. Year 5- I started preschool when I was five. I didn’t really have too much trouble without my parents around. However, I would want my mom when I got in trouble, or something. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn helped me through those moments. The story was about a little raccoon preparing for his first day of school. He didn’t want to leave his mom but she gave him a special kiss on his hand. If he held it to his cheek he would feel better. Whenever I was feeling lonely that little trick always helped. Year 6&7- My kindergarten and first grade year were really fun for me. I made a lot of new friends, which is why “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” by Randy Newman fit into my life. Two of my best friends were in my kindergarten class. We were best friends and then slowly drifted apart over the years. In fifth grade, we were in the same class, and it was as if no time had past. We were instantly friends again. Friends are important to me and it’s good to know that someone can have your back for all that time. Year 8- The Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene and the Judy Moody series by Megan MacDonald were some of my favorites. I’ve always liked reading but it was second grade when I was really able to start reading chapter booking on my own. I loved mysteries and always thought that I would be an author when I got older. Year 9- “This One’s For the Girls” by Martina McBride represents a funny memory from my third grade year. I sang this song in the talent show with Darby and Mackenzie, and we had made up a dance to go along with it. Mackenzie messed up halfway through and I meant to give her just a little reminder by give her a shove but she stopped and stared at me when I knocked her off balance. Everyone laughed, but it’s a good memory to have. Year 10&11- “We’re All in this Together” by the High School Musical cast brings up another talent show memory. It was our last year at WSL and we wanted to do something really cool. Holly, Jess, Mackenzie, I, and a few other friends attempted to do the dance to this song. It went well…for the most part. Year 12&13-”When I Grow Up” by the Pussycat Dolls was not only one of my favortires at the time but it kind of describes what you think about as a 6th/7th grader. Your not too worried yet about college and grades and stuff, so anything is possible to you. You have lots of dreams at this time, and this is when I set goals for myself. Year 14&15- “Changes” by Butterfly Boucher goes with the current this of my life somewhat. We’ve moved on from middle school and all of a sudden grades really matter, there’s more pressure to do well, and we have to be more aware of what’s going on around us.

Soundtrack 2 My Life (KiD CuDi)

Instead of the normal assignment, I put my iPod on shuffle and for each song put why it applied to that year of my life. 1996- "Monster" by Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver- I was a baby at this time so it could apply to the fact that all babies are horrible. When I was little I also liked to pretend I was a monster. 1997- "Whatever You Like" by "Weird Al" Yankovic- I was still a baby technically, and babies get whatever they want or else they'll cry or throw a tantrum. 1998- "Basketball" by Fabolous featuring Lil Bow Wow- I started to get interested in sports around this time. I would watch them on TV and played some of them. I remember this little purple and orange basketball that I had. I also played wiffleball and soccer. 1999- "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna- I was starting preschool around this time and I had discovered lying. I lied whenever I could. Lying became an important part of my life and it still is. 2000- "Heart of a Lion (KiD CuDi Theme Music)" by KiD CuDi- Little kids have so much energy and so do lions. Kids can play for hours on end and lions can hunt for a long time. 2001- " 'C' is for Cookie" by Cookie Monster- Sesame Street was the best. I loved to watch it. I also loved cookies. Two main components of childhood. Cookies and Sesame Street. Those were the days. 2002- "Teach Me How to Dougie" by Cali Swag District- I was just starting elementary school, and we were starting to "learn" stuff. I say "learn" because it wasn't really anything important. School was so simple back then. 2003- "The Tip of the Iceberg" by Owl City- I was still just begginning school and it was starting to get a tiny bit tougher. It wasn't hard, it just wasn't as easy. That was just the tip of the iceberg though. It was going to get a lot tougher. 2004- "Over" by Drake- I began to hate school. It was so boring. I just couldn't wait until it was over and I went home. I would literally count how long it was until school was done. 2005- "Big Picture" by T.I.- I was starting to understand life. I was seeing and noticing more things. My horizons were expanding and my gaze was getting wider. 2006- "All I Do is Win" by DJ Khaled featuring T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Rick Ross- School was becoming a competition. Middle school was coming up and I was scared to no longer be on top of the school. 2007- "I Love College" by Asher Roth- I wasn't in college, but I did kind of like middle school. I wouldn't say love, but it was better than elementary school. 2008- "Move Along" by The All-American Rejects- The years were piling on, and things were starting to move quicker. Childhood was fading away faster than ever. 2009- "Everything On Me" by T.I.- I was under a lot of pressure and had a lot of stuff going on. The homework was starting to be to much, especially in Earth Science. 2010- "Day 'n' Nite" by KiD CuDi- There were a lot of good times, but there were a lot of bad ones as well. The whole year was up and down. It was like a (very crappy) rollercoaster. 2011- "Fame" by B.o.B- The year isn't over, so maybe I'll become famous this year I guess that that would make it a pretty good year.

Soundtrack of my life.

year 1) Goodnight Moon by Margaret Brown. Although i can't remember this book my mother has painted vivid images in my head of me curled up in her lap and every night begging her to read to me, Goodnight Moon.

year 2) The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This book was my very first ever pop up book, and fascinated me in so many ways. I would spend hours playing with the pop out pictures and was almost inseparable from the book.

year 3-4) Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. The young child version of me loved this book. By the time i was four i could finally understand the book and was intrigued by the fact that the book said u=it could rain spaghetti. For years to come i would pray for meatballs to fall from the sky.

5-6) No David! By David Shannon. Although the book was originally gifted to my mischievous older brother, i claimed the book as my own. I wanted to be like the trouble making and rebellious David in every way. The book, though not a hard read, peeked my interest in various was.

At six years old i was already beginning to get involved in the world of pop culture and loved the hit song, Baby one more time by Brittney Spears.

7-8) Where the sidewalk ends By Shel Silverstein. This was my first and one of my only endeavors into the world of poetry. Shel Silverstain made reading fun for me as young kid with his brilliant but simple and funny poems.

I was obsessed with Lets Get it Started by the Black Eyed Peas in 2004 and demanded that my parents by the CD. i would get home from school and relish the moments of dancing around with out any one watching.

9-10)The serious of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket. Snicket, whose name was probably more interesting than the books, hooked me into this tale about two orphaned children. I was suddenly wishing i could be an orphan too because of how outrageous and exciting they made it seem.

when i was 10 years old i was getting into music that maybe was a little inappropriate for my age with songs like Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake.

11-12) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Yes, every girl on the face of this earth had a brief of obsession with this literary phenomena, and i was no acception. It was the first time i ever had a crush on any fictional character and also launched me into my love for books and especially sci-fi.

I kissed a Girl by Katy Perry quickly became one of my all time favorite songs, even to date, when i was twelve. It was edgy, different, and breathed new life into boring radio stations.

13-14) The hunger games By Suzanne Collins. This book had it all, action packed scenes, blossoming relationships, dense characters, and many inspiring moments. I immediately fell in love with Katniss and made many connections between the characters and myself.

The song, The crow and the Butterfly by shine down was by far the most played song on my ipod. The crow and the Butterfly showed me a different side of music and opened me up to all genres of music.

Current Event- Update

Three Weeks after the crippling disaster in Japan, high radiation readings have caused officials to warm people within a 12 mile distance of the Fukushima nuclear plant to evacuate as of Wednesday March 30. Citizens have been told to stay at least 50 miles from the plant to be cautious. Officials argue that there is no need for people to panic since the warnings are just cautionary but radiation is nothing to take lightly. They say that the high readings of radioactive iodine are just from one town and they are not much of a threat but emergency crews are working in this small town, Iitate, to keep the radiation from spreading. Radiation has also been contaminating the soil and water supplies in Japan as far as 140 miles from the Fukushima plant. Workers are continuously working on the nuclear plant but they have decided that it probably can not be saved after pouring seawater on the reactors and taking other measures in order to try and repair them. Japan is working hard to rebuild after a tragic disaster and it will take a while to resolve their issues but slowly they are figuring out how they will create stability again in their country. Sources: http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/UN-High-radiation-outside-Japan-s-exclusion-zone-1314421.php http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/30/setbacks-crippled-japanese-nuclear-plant/ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/world/asia/31japan.html?_r=1&ref=asia

Soundtrack to My Life

1-2 years: “Winnie the Pooh (theme song)” My favorite movies and books when I was little were Winnie the Pooh and my nursery theme was Winnie the Pooh. My favorite character was Tigger and I had a stuffed animal of him that I carried around everywhere. 3-4 years: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendek This was my favorite book when I was around the age of 3 or 4. My parents would read it to me a lot and I loved all of the pictures of the animals that were in the story. 5-6 years: “Bye Bye Bye” by *NSYNC *NSYNC was really popular in the early 2000s and “No Strings Attached” was one of the first CD’s that I ever had. I listened to it constantly with my neighbors who were teenagers at the time. 7-8 years: Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Parks I loved to read when I was younger and my favorite book series was Junie B. Jones. My second grade teacher would read them to us and I remember that my favorite was Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. 9-10 years: “So Yesterday” by Hilary Duff Hilary Duff was my favorite singer and actress at the time and I had every one of her CD’s. Most people our age watched Lizzie McGuire and listened to her music, including myself. My friends and I went to her concert, which was my first concert ever. 11-12 years: “We’re All in This Together” by The High School Musical Cast When I was in fourth and fifth grade, High School Musical was immensely popular and everyone seemed to watch the movie and listen to the music from it. I probably watched the movie at least five times and went to the concert with my best friend. 13-14 years: The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer The Twilight Saga is a huge phenomenon of our generation and like just about every other teenage girl, I read the series and it was my favorite series for a while. Even though I really liked it I was never obsessed with it like some people were and still are.

japan one week later

one week later in japan they have decided to scrap 4 reactors in the fucashima power plant( www.japan today.com/catigory/executive-impact/view). they have found high levels of readiation in safe areas( www.japannews.co.jp).

The Soundtrack of a ginger's life

Age 2 "In color" by Jamey Johnson when your that young, you cant remember anything or anyone but then when your older you want to know what it was and if you could remember it it could have been a moment of laghter and color in your life Age 4 "How you remind me" by nickelback the time to have fun and play with many friends and enjoy cookies lots of them age6 " The dollar" by jamey johnson. When you want to play with your parents because there to busy but keep buggin them to play with you with a ball or a board game or somthin to keep you busy and you do anything to get it age8 "time of Dying " by three days grace The age where you could obbatain more imagintion and you think of your favorite super hero like super man or even your parents and how you want time be like them. age 10"let me be myself" by 3 doors down when you start to not want to bearound your parents in front of your friends because you think they would embaress you or somthing and just want to be yourself age12 "unwell" by matchbox twenty reminds me of being free and wanting to do nothing but chill age14 " the animal i have become" by three days grace to show what i have become over the years and why i have become it

Soundtrack of My Life

1996- The Winnie the Pooh Theme Song: "Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh. Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff. He's Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh. Willy nilly silly ole bear." This song is the story of my life... 1998- "American Pie" by Don Mclean: When I was two and my parents couldn't stand my crying, I was put in the car and went for a cruise listening to this song. Everytime they played it, I would stop crying and fall right to sleep. The music never died... 2000- "Who Let the Dogs Out" by Baha Men: I don't there was a time that year that this song wasn't being sung by me or anyone I knew. I remember dancing to this song with some of my cousins and eating ice cream. 2002- "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day: This song was shown to me by my older cousin and would be played in the basement. We would just mess around like little kids would and have good times. 2004- "Yeah!" by Usher ft. Lil' Jon and Ludacris: I started summer camp this year at the YMCA and when this song came out, it was the coolest thing ever. It was the first "cool" song I ever learned the words to. I was pretty siked that summer. 2006- "Snap Yo Fingers" by Lil Jon ft. E-40 and Sean Paul: Well I learned how to snap my fingers after the discovery of this song at a birthday party. It was a good pool song... And if it came on the radio, I felt obligated to turn it up (mom shot it right back down though). 2008- "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance: I learned how to play this song on the piano as soon I heard it. I really liked the tune and couldn't get it out of my head. It it one of the very few songs I am sort of able to play on the piano (just the tune). It was my favorite song for awhile. 2010- "Second and Sebring" by Of Mice and Men: I have learned to appreciate that my parents recognize the hard work that I do in school and life and that I am lucky to be where I am today. This song has shown me that not everyone is as lucky as others.

Soundtrack To My Life

1996

Just A Girl- No Doubt

Well, I was born on May 12, 1996. I was my parents’ child and I was a girl. So I think that this song just sums up the fact that I am and continue to be a girl. I can’t remember much from my first year, but this song introduces my birth.

1997

All For You- Sister Hazel

This is one of my favorite songs up to this day. At this time, it was just my mom, my dad, and I, living together. I don’t remember much of this time, but I believe that it was a time of us doing things to help each other and make each other happy.

1998

I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing – Aerosmith

When I was two years old, my parents divorced. I can remember living by in Albany, just my mom and I. This is about the earliest that I can recall memories of my life. I remember that I missed my dad a lot, and I know he felt the same. It was hard not seeing each other all the time, and it still is today. I didn’t want to miss out on having him around all the time, and I’m sure he didn’t want to miss out on seeing me grow every day.

1999

Back At One- Brian McKnight

This song relates the fact that my mom and I were starting all over again, without having a man in the house. That is, until my stepdad entered the picture. My mom began dating again, and they are still together today. Also, I really like this song.

2000

Oops! I Did It Again- Britney Spears

When I was four, I loved Britney Spears. I remember dancing around my room to her music, and I had all of her Barbie dolls. So, as silly as it sounds, Britney was a big part of my life at this time.

2001

The Space Between- Dave Matthews Band

In 2001, my dad moved to Maryland, therefore increasing the space between where I lived with my mom and where he lived. It also decreased the amount of time I was able to see him, as opposed to when he lived in western New York. This was a major turning point in my life, and my life has been very different since then.

2002

The Middle- Jimmy Eat World

When I was six, my little sister was born. This now made me the middle child, between my older brother and now my younger sister. This was a big change for me, especially about having a baby around the house. It was here when I sometimes got that middle child envy.

2003
Big Yellow Taxi- The Counting Crows

In second grade, my family made the big move from Albany to Averill Park. This meant me leaving my friends at my old school and making all new ones in an area that I had never even heard of. This was a big thing for me, as it would be for any kid.

2004

1985- Bowling For Soup

I used to sing this song all the time in third grade. Of course, it was the clean version that I had listened to on Radio Disney, but this was about the time when I started listening to more mainstream music. This is big because I am a big music fan to this day, and I think this song helped jumpstart that.

2005

Hollaback Girl- Gwen Stefani

Ahh, the B-A-N-A-N-A-S song. This was always a hit among me and my friends. I listened to Kidz Bop in third grade and this was one of the songs that I remember making up little dances too. I always made up little dances to songs and this was when is started remembering lyrics as well.

2006

Move Along- The All-American Rejects

The beginning of 2006 was a rough start for my family. Some things happened that were tough, but we worked to get through them. I think I began to mature a little at this age. I know that I was only in fourth grade, but it was then when I became a little more aware of my surroundings and the world.

2007

The Sweet Escape-Gwen Stefani ft. Akon

My friends and I wrote a parody of this song that we performed on our last day of fifth grade. This was a big year for me. I was graduating elementary school and moving on to Algonquin. This was a big turning point for me because it made me feel older and much more mature.

2008

Our Song- Taylor Swift

I was first introduced to this song in sixth grade by one of my friends who I met that year. Sixth grade allowed me to make a lot of new friends, some of which I am still friends with today. That was a major part of my middle school experience, being able to make friend with new people.

2009

The Climb- Miley Cyrus

As much as I strongly dislike Miley Cyrus, I feel like this song is perfect. In the summer of 2009, my family and I were hit by a drunk driver and we got into a bad car accident. It was a major setback for us, mostly emotionally. It took us a while to recover from that. But I learned that some things in life happen and you just have to work your way through them.

2010

Smile- Uncle Kracker

2010 was a very good year for me. I did my best in school, enjoyed middle school the most, and I was just having a pretty good year. It was a fun year for me, and although maybe there were some downsides, I tend to think about memories from then and I smile about them.

2011…???

2011 hasn’t been completed yet, but hopefully it will follow a trend and be significant to me like all other years of my life!

Scrapbook of Sorts (The Musical Kind)

1. “Bach’s Lullaby” by Johannes Sebastian Bach

I chose this song because I was just born and therefore did not think about a lot of things being an infant. So I chose an instrumental song to describe my wordless (and probably thoughtless) year.

2. “Urban Angel” by Natalie Walker

This song resembles a sense of security that I had when I was two. I can hardly remember anything about being a two-year-old, so it can’t be necessarily bad, right?

3. “Hey, Let’s Go” by Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli)

This song is adorable. That’s all. It’s perfect for a three-year-old, no matter how violent or enraged she was or could get at the time. She could also be cute and lovable like a kitten.

4. “Puff the Magic Dragon” by Peter, Paul, and Mary, “Piano Man” by Billy Joel, or “Anastasia Theme”

Each song has it’s own importance, mainly being the fact that they were songs that I could recognize at the time and I liked (maybe even now). And for the record, I don’t care if “Puff the Magic Dragon” has a secret meaning that relates to smoking, it’s also a children story made into a song.

5. Magic School Bus by Johanna Cole

When I was five (and up), these stories were my favorite stories in the entire world. They inspired my learning ability, my love of science, and my love of adventure (or fantasy books).

6. “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” by Five for Fighting and “Blue” by Eiffel 65

These two songs were to of my favorites at the time. Otherwise, they have no real significance, except that maybe “Blue” (and other Eiffel 65 songs) helped me to like techno.

7. “World” by Five for Fighting and The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott

The Secrets of Droon are another beloved book series that I read when I was a child. “World” is supposed to symbolize the fact that I wrote my first story when I was seven and it describes creating a world (I created a world out of words).

“I Will Follow You Into the Dark/Davy Jones”

8. “A Lack of Color” by Death Cab for Cutie

“A Lack of Color” is like “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” and “Blue” in that it only has to do with the fact that I liked it at the time (along with a lot of others).

9. “Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)” by Joe Hisaishi (Studio Ghibli)

I picked this song because it’s care-free and lighthearted, like a child. The movie that I got it from is one of my favorite children’s movies.

**10. “Graduation (Friends Forever)” by Vitamin C and “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Ungar

This song represents my leaving GW and having to leave my temporary home (besides Elmira) for an unknown world beyond my comfort zone. I said goodbye to my friends and teachers who helped me through the years and went to the middle school.

It was probably the best year of my life.

“Ashokan Farewell” is there because it’s one of my favorite songs to play on the violin, and I learned how to play it when I was 10.

11. “Freedom Never Cries” by Five for Fighting, “Boston” by Augustana, and “Yesterday” by The Beatles

Ever since I had left George Washington, I felt like a piece of ice had lodged itself into my soul.

It’s still there.

The reason why this is the only year filled with depressing songs is that I’ve learned to live with the icicle, but this year was the hardest for me. (Long live GW!)

12. “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley, “Stir It Up” by Bob Marley, “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley

I chose these songs because this is around the time that I turned into the awesome, chilled-out kind of person that I am today.

13. “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day

This song describes leaving the middle school and going into high school. I know, I’m very sentimental.

14. “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train, “A Beautiful Mess” by Jason Mraz, “Miserable At Best” by Mayday Parade “Pourquoi C’est Beau (Why Is It Beautiful)” by Christophe Mae, “The Game Has Changed” by Daft Punk, “City of the Damned” by Green Day, and “Famous Last Words” by My Chemical Romance

This whole plethora of songs describes the random stuff that I feel everyday. It really depends on my mood, but the fact that these songs are so very different just goes to show that everyday is different, everyday I have another song stuck in my head, and everyday it affects my mood, so that’s why they’re there.

Actually, that goes for every other day of my life (as long as I had the attention span to linger on them).

“100 Years” and “The Riddle” by Five for Fighting

These two songs would probably be with either 12 or 13, but it could also be with 14 and 11, just because of the significance of the two songs.

I have a specific age for “100 Years”: 15. Because that’s when I get into the song.

Soundtrack of My Life

“Place in This World” Michael W. Smith: Everybody in this world had probably wondered what their place in this world is at one point in time. I chose this song to represent my early years because it kind of says that we're all looking for a place to be. Especially for newborns, since they just came to this world. "Time of Your Life" Green Day: I like this song because life's unpredictable and it can be bad, but in the end you should be happy. I always try to be happy and smile. Someone asked me if I sleep with a smile on because I'm always cheerful. I've also been really naive and happy as a child. "I'll Be There For You" Remembrandts: This song reminds me of my family and friends and how they'll always be there for me. I know I can trust them to help me like I'll be there to help them. Ever since I was little, I've always hated being alone. I felt better when I had someone around. Now that I'm older I can stand being alone, but it's still comforting to know that there's always someone around that I can turn to. "Handprints on the Wall" Kenny Rogers: This song pops up in my head when my parents talk about how quickly my brother and I grew up. I obviously don't remember my days as a baby, but I can remember my childhood and it doesn't feel like any time went by at all. This song also makes me sad because I'm not a kid anymore, I'll always be my parents's baby. "Bad Day" Daniel Powter: Everybody has their bad days, but I always think that it will lead to a better day because you let all of you anger out for one day and you'll be better the next day. No one's perfect, but hopefully in all of our lives, the good days outnumbers the bad ones. I know mine do. I hardly ever get bad days, but when I do, my family and friends have always been able to cheer me up. "Never Grow Up" Taylor Swift: This song represents my life right now. I'm looking foward to my future as an adult, but at the same time, I don't want to grow up. I know that I'll be a child at heart, though. I won't forget my childhood, all the bad days and the good days.