I’m still working on getting out of my comfort zone for this class, and as a transition, I decided to do a writing assignment for one of this week’s activities since I’m pretty comfortable with writing. After a little bit of browsing, I saw the Emotional Lyrics assignment and was so excited.

I absolutely love music. In the fifth grade, I started playing the viola and I played it until I graduated high school. This opened a whole new world for me. I was able to play some cello and some violin as well, and I wish that there was more I was able to play.

Music was and has been my outlet for years. I can’t draw, dance, paint, or do anything artistic. I don’t even have a hobby. Playing music was something I finally felt good at doing. After starting to play an instrument, I got really into listening to music as well, especially now that I understood what went into it.

Music has a huge influence on my mood. A bad mood can always be helped or resolved to me simply by listening to pop or uplifting music. If I want to spend some time doing some healthy self-pity, I turn on some sad music until I gradually get into more upbeat music (without realizing) and the feelings resolve.

So, when I saw that this post asked for you to relate an emotion to three songs and explain why, I was super pumped. This is what I live for. And to make it even better, I got to use 80’s music to fit our theme.

Sidenote: I think music from the 80’s is totally awesome. I grew up listening to the 80’s pop hits radio whenever my mom drove us somewhere, and I would listen to my dad’s 80’s rock whenever he drove us somewhere or just wanted to jam out at home. A lot of these songs bring back good childhood memories.

I chose to do a happy emotion, specifically elevated since most music makes me feel that way.

This assignment was difficult in way because I had so many things to choose from. One of the harder things as well was not choosing my favorite songs, but songs that always make me feel uplifted.

Song number 1: Thriller by Michael Jackson. A huge hit from the 1980’s that I would watch kids dance to in school when I was younger. A song that is played at every school dance and wedding.

Song number 2: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. Another classic, but in its own way. This song always makes you want to sing your heart out and is a great motivator for whatever you are doing.

Song number 3: Come on Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. I first heard this song in Perks of Being a Wallflower, and I really related to this movie because of my emotions of going through high school. Because of my experience in orchestra growing up, I loved the instrumental in this song and how they made it into a pop song that makes you want to dance. (Another similar song – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You by Frankie Valli).

The process of this assignment was relatively easy – I browsed Spotify and YouTube to pick some of my songs and then just tweeted what I chose.

I’m so excited to see what else I can do with music. This was a fun assignment!

via GIPHY

Music holds a special place in my heart, as I’m sure it does for most people. It can evoke an array of different emotions, memories, and dance moves!

This blog post takes on the challenge of the writing assignment, “Emotional Lyrics.” I’ll be introducing you to three songs that are important to me, and that make me feel distinct emotions. Instead of tweeting, I will be posting the content here on my blog.

Additionally, to tie into the course theme of the 80s, I’ll be adding a bonus video from the 80s!

NUMBER 1: Bahamas – Lost In The Light

Hope. That’s what this song makes me feel. It took me a while to place my finger on it, because this song makes me feel rather than think.

To be “lost in the light” is a fascinating concept in my opinion, and it’s one that rings true in my life. All of us have an internal compass that helps guide us through the ups and downs of life. For some, it’s religion. For others, their conscience. Some are guided by their heart, while others rely on themselves. In my case, I think I’m most often guided by my heart. Sometimes that’s a good thing, and other times, it’s hard! But in reference to the notion of the song title, there have been many difficult things that I’ve struggled with in my life. Learning how to face the darkness was incredibly hard, but I did eventually learn. But I remember that afterwards, being in a better, happier situation, I felt confused and out of place… perhaps, “lost in the light.” It can be a struggle, after facing a lot of hardship, to re-learn how to function in the light and be happy. This song brings me hope because it reminds me to be patient with myself, to continue loving myself, and to continue loving others.

NUMBER 2: The Head and the Heart – People Need A Melody

Confidence and happiness. In addition to being one of the most beautiful and uplifting songs I’ve ever heard, this song shares a strong and encouraging message to “pick yourself up,” “let the light in,” and “don’t let it fade.”

The message of this song, as I understand it, is to stop yourself from allowing the past define you. Instead, it encourages you to grab on to the beautiful things that life brings you, and not to let go. Everyone deserves beauty in their life, whether that be in the form of someone who you love or something else. What matters most is to keep the mindset that you deserve this. There’s not one person on Earth that doesn’t deserve to be happy and to be loved!

NUMBER 3: James Vincent McMorrow – Surreal

Awe. This song makes me marvel in the beauty of both his lyric writing and musical creation. ANY of James Vincent McMorrow’s lyrics can be read like poetry. The words carry weight, beauty, and emotion, ALL so vivid that it makes you feel as if you are feeling them yourself.

His music is a wonderful blend of voice, technology, and instruments that together create something, yes, surreal. His voice whispers in certain parts of this song, and other times, he screams. To me, this reflects a wave of emotions. Sometimes, emotions can make you quiet and reserved. Other times, a wave of emotions demand escape, and you need to scream as a form of release.

BONUS: Freddie Mercury – Time Waits For No One

Hope again! Let me start by saying that I can’t explain enough how beautiful this song is. It’s stripped down and yet so powerful and magical.

The reason this song gives me hope is because of its message. Seemingly sad, the premise is that time waits for no one. In other words, everyone is going to die one day! Sadly, time wouldn’t even wait for someone as magical as Freddie Mercury.

But there is hope in the song! And that comes from Mercury’s message that we have to take advantage of the here and now! All the hopes we have, all the wishes we have – we need to make them happen! Now! In my opinion, we need to remember daily that we are going to die. Not because I want to be grim, but because I think that will help people be direct about the things they want out of life. If you love someone, today is the day to show them!

A huge thank you to Freddie Mercury’s memory for such a powerful performance and song.

For this assignment, I decided to ask myself the timeless Shakespearean question, What’s In A Name? (And the not-so timeless Dave Matthews-ian question, Could I Have Been Anyone Other Than Me?) For this assignment, I had to, “Write a blog in which you tell us something, anything, about either your given names or your blog name(s).” Well, why not both?

What’s In A Name: Blog Name

Why Melody? Why unbeheldmelody? This is a pretty short story: I actually chose the name some years ago when I started posting artwork online. The name comes from the song, ‘Lucia’s Theme,’ from the video game, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue. Ah, the good ol’ days of simple Playstation. Lunar 2 is a game that I remember fondly; the songs, voice acting, game play, and storyline really resonate with me. I wanted to take a part of it with me, so I examined the lyrics of my favorite in-game song to find a name for my online persona. ‘Lucia’s Theme’ goes like this:

? When I was alone as one,
my eyes were as blind, I know.
Sky brilliant with blue elegance,
I couldn’t behold.

When I was alone as one,
My heart was as ice, so cold.
Wind whispering sweet melodies,
I could not behold. ?

Here, I took the phrase, “could not behold” and shortened it/put it in past tense to “unbeheld.” I took “melodies” from the line “Wind whispering sweet melodies,” and made it the singular form, “melody.” Then I just squished the two words together to make unbeheldmelody.
To me, it means, “I couldn’t appreciate the beauty around me before I met you,” which is a sentiment that I hold dear. We all have someone in our lives who mean the world to us (boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, sibling, parent, pet, mentor, etc.), someone who makes things just a little less grey when they’re around. My blog name is akin to my “optimistic side,” where I am reminded that the world isn’t so bad as long as I have _____. (The fill-in-the-blank for me currently is my boyfriend. c: And my dogs of course!) My actual name, however, is a bit more glass half-empty…

What’s In A Name: Actual Name

My first name is sooooo frustrating. It was a hugely popular baby name when I was born. I was never the only Jessica in class at school.

RAMBLING ROSES

I feel you so much, author of the blog site, RAMBLING ROSES. I too, share this hugely-popular-in-the-80’s name. My mother named me Jessica because there is a naming convention in my family where we all start with the letter, ‘J.’ I was the last born, so there weren’t that many decent ‘J’ names left to choose from. It was either Jessica, or Janette Leann. Considering those were the only options my mother was considering, I’m thankful my name is Jessica. (Back in the 80’s, there was no Googling baby names).

It is always a bit frustrating to hear your name called and immediately afterwords you hear, “no, not you, the other Jessica.” (Thankfully, there are fewer and fewer Jessica’s to contend with nowadays, since I’m a whole decade older than most of my current classmates). Yet, having a common name is not what bothers me most. What really “grinds my gears” is that I’ve never felt like the name fit me. To my ears, Jessica is someone who wears Ugg boots and drinks pumpkin spice lattes. (No offense to any Jessica’s or Ugg boot wearers reading this). She has a ton of friends- a real social butterfly. Or at the very least, she’s a bubbly, off-beat teacher, who is known to burst into song (New Girl). Bubbly, social, pretty, kooky.

If I could sum up “me,” it would be the opposite of all those words. I’m extremely shy/quiet, I can count the number of friends I have on one hand and would have fingers to spare, I’m nihilistic/apathetic, I appreciate dark humor, I like bitter things like dark chocolate and un-sweet tea, I’m always tired, and you’ll probably never catch me in anything other than jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt that I didn’t think very hard about.

Now, one could argue that my connotation of “Jessica” is a mistaken belief, a delusional stereotype of Jessica’s everywhere, and just plain not true.

On the one hand, you’re right. My old roommate Jessica did not fit my description anymore than I do. She loved Mercedes Lackey novels, Gaia Online, and Ren Faires. She practiced Paganism. (A roommate bonus because she would go out onto Campus Walk to scare the missionaries away who were bothering students). This was no pumpkin spice latte Jessica. She was maybe a little kooky, but not New Girl kooky.

But, on the other hand, no one seems to think I represent “Jessica” either, because people often get my name wrong. Most of the time, I will be called Jenn. Twice, I’ve been called Autumn. And on more than one occasion, my own mother will call me Jaime, and then realizing that that is not my name, she will call me, “whatever your name is.”

So, what’s in a name? The answer is- a whole lot of assumptions which may or may not be true. A “Jessica” likes Starbucks frappucinos, just like a “Karen” will want to speak to a manager. I recognize that this kind of thinking is silly at best, and damaging at worst. We shouldn’t judge a person on their name or what flavors of coffee they enjoy. (I happen to like fall flavors, so I’m taking a jab at myself). But it’s still sooooo frustrating when ‘inner you’ is a Lyra Melody Exquemelin the third, and ‘outer you’ is Jessica.

Now if you’ll excuse me, my pumpkin spice latte is getting cold.

Dear Meg’s Future Husband,

First of all, I love you. Second of all, do the dishes please I hate it so much and I probably left some dirty ones in the sink just for you. Don’t worry though because I washed all of your underwear. Equivalent exchange is important a relationship you know. We will always talk and make compromises if we don’t agree. I never want to go to sleep after a fight. I want to know your thoughts and feelings so I can love you properly and truly. Being together is just easy. But listen, in case you haven’t figured it out already, there are a few things that I absolutely will not compromise in our lives together.

• We need a really cool game room featuring a table for board games and two set-ups for our video games.
• I want pretty fairy lights. everywhere!
• Thanksgiving always has to be with my family because our dinner is probably better (no offense)
• Snuggling is always unless I don’t feel like it.
• Please make me grilled cheese

It’s a pretty short list, so I’m sure you can do it. I’m excited because I know everything we do together is going to be so fun! I know you love to travel like me so we’ll definitely go to as many cool places in the world as we can before we settle down and get a black cat and a brown curly dog. I’m thinking Japan, Italy, France, and England to start! Also amusement parks and roller coasters are one of my favorite things so we have to go to a bunch of those as well. I realize a lot of these things require money, but even if we can’t do them all right away, I’ll be happy as long as I’m with you.

Let’s talk kids. Two is the magic number but three might be fine. I want daughters but you’ll probably want a son and we can’t really control that kind of thing so I guess that’s all I can say on that. We’ll raise them to be strong individuals who can like whatever they want, regardless of gender. We’ll definitely be playing our favorite retro video games with them. They’ll be really cute, really good kids I know it.

Honestly Future Husband, I know you can do no wrong. If I chose you then I know you’re everything I could ever want.

Love and forever yours,

Meghan

This is a 3.5 star writing assignment in which I had to write a letter to my future spouse! I had fun with this one because I know what I want in my future and I’m already excited to be living in it. I can be even more specific if I wanted to. I know what I want the names of my pets and kids to be but I’ll keep those to myself. I really enjoy writing pieces that make me or others feel warm and encourage positivity. I hope I didn’t sound too pushy in my letter, but I know my future husband will love me for whatever I am. I’ve got high expectations!

Jump Back

For this assignment, I had to Write a Movie Review from the writing assignment category. The task for this assignment was to “write a review of a movie. Don’t be afraid to use images, GIFs, and clips to support your discussion, but focus on the text. Make an argument about the film, no lame thumbs up nonsense.”

Well, since I already made a movie poster by modifying Footloose, it seemed that my choice was pretty clear. I needed to go watch the film! Astonishingly, I had never actually seen Footloose, despite the fact that I have been alive for over three decades. (I have no excuse). I of course knew the premise and the famous song from the movie, and that’s usually enough for me to forego watching a movie. (I prefer TV shows because they’re episodic and my attention span is short).

Alright! Time to watch-

Wait, nope. It’s actually not on Netflix. Or Hulu. Or anywhere. Time to search my house.

Success! I found a DVD copy in the workout room where other such classics reside, such as Body Flex and Disco Sweat. (See my Week 1 Summary for that VHS visual).

Time to get loose! Footloose. Haha, get it? …Moving on.

Right from the opening credits, I was on board. The scene with the dancing feet is something that is going to stick in my memory bank. Fun fact: the Footloose song was originally only meant to be played during the bar scene. The producers decided that they wanted to start and end with it as well, so they had tons of dancers perform for them- all dancing to a simple beat that they could then sync with the song during the editing process. And what they ended up with was tons of happy feet!

The movie continued to impress; the visuals, choreography, and of course the music really drew me in. There’s one scene near the beginning of the movie where everyone is grooving along to ‘Dancing in the Sheets’ and it’s brilliant. The music didn’t just come from the song itself; it came from the many different sounds of the drive-in area where all the teens were hanging out. Foot taps and car honks, diner bells and arcade sounds, a cup spinning on a car antennae all flow together and harmonize with the rhythm of the song. And it just works.

Another favorite moment was the part where our big-city kid Ren (Kevin Bacon) is teaching his new friend, Willard (Chris Penn) how to dance. Fun fact: Chris Penn really couldn’t dance. The film crew had to use wrestling terms for the actor to catch on. (I can relate- I myself have two left feet). The music was in time to the song, ‘Let’s Hear it for the Boy,’ and the choreography here was also brilliant. This wasn’t some big dance number; it was everyday actions performed to a beat. It just showed how even simple gestures can be dance. I especially loved the little scene where Ren and Willard are walking in sync down the school hallway connected by a Walkman headphone cord. This certainly would not have had the same visual impact if the two had been wearing Bluetooth headsets.

I Thought this was a Party

One of the things that surprised me when watching Footloose was seeing all of these well-known actors appear in the movie. I knew that Kevin Bacon was the star of the film, but I had no idea that John Lithgow played Rev. Shaw Moore- A stern, disapproving member of the town council. Nor did I know that Diane Wiest played Shaw’s wife Vi, or that Sarah Jessica Parker played Rusty- one of the friends from the main group of girls. Footloose had a great cast and a great story. But was it just a story?

As it turns out, Footloose is based on the true story of a small town in Oklahoma where dancing had been outlawed! The reverend of Elmore, OK thought that dancing would lead to teen pregnancies, which led to an overall disapproval of dance. Bummer. The teens of Elmore weren’t too happy with the dance ban, so they started a pro-dance movement lead by Leonard Coffee and Rex Kennedy (Leonard + Rex = Ren). After some polite debating with the council, the teens were finally able to persuade the town to let them hold a prom. Dancing was still frowned upon in general, but it was a small victory for the juniors and seniors of Elmore.

I think what surprised me the most was the accuracy in which the beginning of the prom was portrayed. All of the teens in the movie were standing around awkwardly, not knowing what to do. I thought, “why aren’t they dancing?…like, at all?” I was in disbelief that teens wouldn’t just instinctively flock to the dance floor after winning the right to dance. But as it turns out, the teens from our true story had no clue what they were doing either. No one knew how to dance. I think they eventually figured it out though, sans Kevin Bacon to lead the way.

Footloose was the first of its kind in the movie world. The movie’s production began before MTV was really a thing. Yet it was a movie that aimed to do what MTV would later aim to do: showcase music. The producers of Footloose had no budget to speak of, only a dream in their heart. They promised singers and songwriters, actors and dancers, and various other pros that if they got on board with the project, it would be worth the gamble. And it was! Footloose was a huge hit and has since become a classic. Not only that, but the movie has inspired a myriad of skits and parodies over the years. An example you say? Well, I’ll just leave you with my favorite example of all time, Scarlet Mafia’s Gundam Wing Footloose skit from Katsucon 2009. (An event that I attended).

Some reference material:
1) Footloose DVD with commentary
2) 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Footloose
3) Oklahoma town inspired original ‘Footloose’